The Nature of Delaware

By Joe Sebastiani, Seasonal Program Team Leader

Today, the Ashland Hawk Watch began its 4th season!  We tallied 11 raptors for the day including an Osprey, 3 American Kestrel, 4 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Cooper’s Hawk, and a Merlin, which was the first raptor of the season. 

This raptor migration count site is a joint project between the Delaware Nature Society and the Delmarva Ornithological Society, operating daily between September 1 and November 30.  It is located at the Ashland Nature Center near Hockessin.  Last year, over 13,000 raptors migrated past the Ashland Hawk Watch in the fall.  For a real show, plan on a visit between September 15 and 25, which is when it is possible to see hundreds or even thousands of Broad-winged Hawks in a single day.  Another tip is to visit within a few days after a cold front when lots of hawks are on the move.  However, you can see birds on just about any day, and it is always a good time with a great view of the northern Delaware Piedmont.

A familiar face is back at the helm this year as well.  Cyrus Moqtaderi has returned as the official counter for his 2nd season in a row.  We are glad to have him back on Hawk Watch Hill!

Cyrus Moqtaderi, the Official Counter at AshlandHawk Watch, has returned for his second season on Hawk Watch Hill. Join him this fall between now and November 30th.

As we have done in past years, the data we collect is entered in the raptor migration database managed by the Hawk Migration Association of North America.  What is new this year, is that the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has also stepped in as a partner.  They have funded the watch through a federal grant, and in return, we are collecting data for them to use, especially when it comes to how high the raptors are flying by.  Collecting this data now may be useful in the future if more wind farms are proposed for Delaware.  With our data, we can better understand the potential impact on migrating raptors that come across wind turbines.

Hawkwatching season has begun! Stop by to see what is migrating past this fall.

If you would like to visit the Ashland Hawk Watch, the hours are 9am to 4pm daily.  Better yet, if you would like to volunteer, we can use some help.  Even if you don’t know one raptor from another, we need your help spotting them in the sky.  Also, you can help with recording weather and height of flight data.  If you know how to identify raptors, even better!  Contact me at joe@delawarenaturesociety.org if you would like more information on volunteering.  Two of the seven days of the week are covered by volunteers from the Delmarva Ornithological Society, so this Hawk Watch is not possible without volunteer help.

If you would like to check our statistics from time to time, or would like to see what we saw in previous years, check out our site at HawkCount.

By Derek Stoner, Conservation Project Coordinator

A Sleepy Orange butterfly at Middle Run Natural Area, 8/23/10. Photo by Hank Davis.

As late summer rolls along, there is a great deal of movement in wildlife populations.  We often think of the songbirds starting to move south and the Monarch butterflies beginning their long voyage to Mexico, but sometimes there are strange exceptions to the “head south as fall begins” rule. 

This week at Middle Run Natural Area, our birding group made a unique discovery of an uncommon butterfly from the south.  A Sleepy Orange, a member of the sulphur family related the our familiar Clouded Sulphur, appeared along the trail and its brilliant orange upperwing  captured our attention.  Hank Davis snapped some great photos to document this unusual find.  After consulting the field guides, we all had a “life” butterfly to add to our lists.   The Sleepy Orange is only rarely seen in our region in late summer, and thus becomes a prize find for us naturalist-types.

A Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar at Middle Run, August 23, 2010. Photo by Hank Davis.

Another interesting insect that we came across is this Hickory Horned Devil caterpillar.  Nearly four inches long  and thick as a finger, this creature with the sinister-looking antenna still has a lot of growing to do.   These guys top out at six inches long and will turn a blue-green when they reach they final instar stage of caterpillar-hood.  Hickory Horned Devils are harmless, but they sure are a monstrous caterpillar! 

If you are interested in insects, join us for the second-annual Middle Run Bio-Blitz this Saturday, August 28, from 8:00am until early afternoon.  We will search for butterflies, dragonflies, bees, and other six-legged creatures.  Join in the fun at Middle Run!  We will meet in the main parking lot off of Possum Hollow Road.

By: Joe Sebastiani, Seasonal Program Team Leader

Last week, we held the first of hopefully many programs featuring Matt Sarver, a local freelance entomologist and ecologist.  Matt is an expert naturalist and is vice president of the Delmarva Ornithological Society.  His program last week at Ashland Nature Center focused on native pollinators, especially bees.

Matt is the author of Farm Management for Native Bees and Delaware Native Plants for Native Bees, publications by the Delaware Department of Agriculture.  We learned that native pollinators are important for increased agricultural yield, offer a “pollination insurance policy” should the non-native honeybee become unavailable, are themselves extremely important in the web of life, and that promoting habitat for them also improves habitat for a wealth of other species.

Matt Sarver examines a bee caught by the group at Ashland Nature Center.

Matt focused his introduction and field expedition on bees, but we found many other species of insect pollinators as well.  In the field we caught insects with nets and got close-up looks at Sweat Bees, Bumblebees, Carpenter Bees, and Long-horned Bees.  We caught Scoliid Wasps, Yellowjackets, Potter Wasps, Flower Flies, and even some butterflies and moths.  All of these being important pollinators of wild plants and some crops.

A species of Sweat Bee, an important pollinator that nests in the soil or rotting logs.

A bee carrying the white pollen of New York ironweed.

Most importantly, Matt shared some ways we can take action on our properties to promote native pollinators.  1.  Leave dead trees and limbs when possible.  These provide nesting sites for many native pollinator species.  2. Let some areas “go wild”, and designate “no-spray” and “no-mowing” zones.  3.  Plant flowering vegetation that is native and diverse.  See the Native Plants for Native Bees link above for suggestions.  4.  Avoid planting hybrid flower varieties bred to be showy as these often lack pollen and nectar needed by native insects. 5.  Provide nest sites such as bare dirt ground, a sand pit or pile, rotten wood pile, and provide a stem bundle or “bee nesting block”.  If you have a large property, maintain some areas as native wildflower meadow and establish hedgerows.  See Matt’s Farm Management for Native Bees link above for more details.  All of these actions will make your property more attractive to other forms of insect and bird life as well, and will improve the local ecology.  Finally, show the world that you are making a difference by getting a Backyard Habitat Certification offered by the Delaware Nature Society. 

Native plants attract pollinators such as the Meadow Fritillary. In turn, these attract predators such as the Ambush Bug, which has captured the butterfly in this photo. Can you see the Ambush Bug hidden in the Goldenrod flower?

Look for future programs featuring Matt Sarver by signing up to receive email notification of Spontaneous Nature Programs offered by the Delaware Nature Society.

By Joe Sebastiani, Seasonal Program Team Leader

Each August, the Delaware Nature Society Teen Naturalist club embarks on our annual adventure.  Dave Pro, my co-leader, and I love the Adirondacks.  It is relatively close to Delaware, and offers boreal and alpine ecosystems, lakes, and some of the tallest mountains on the east coast.  This is the fourth year in a row that we have visited New York’s Adirondack Park with the Teen Naturalists.

Views from the slope of Mt. Marcy, the tallest peak in New York. Photo by Joe Sebastiani

 The Teen Naturalists meet once per month for hiking, paddling, camping, wildlife watching, and volunteering for the environment.  During the course of the previous year, we have gotten familiar with one another and trained for the challenge of the Adirondacks. 

This year, we backpacked into the High Peaks Wilderness, which is an area with over 40 peaks over 4,000 feet.  We backpacked into an area called the Flowed Lands and picked a nice campsite near Colden Dam.  This is a popular area for backpackers to spend the night and for Black Bears to visit at night.  It is also one of the most beautiful areas in the park, with a string of lakes and ponds, and mountains that surround you. 

We set up a base camp and spent the next few days tackling the summits of Mt. Marcy and Mt. Colden.  Hiking in the Adirondacks is a challenge, despite the gentle, rounded look of the mountains.  Paths are usually rock-strewn and muddy, and in places, defy the definition of a path.  “Bare rock mountain wall” is probably a better term for what we traversed, especially on Mt. Colden.  The group enjoyed the challenge of scaling these vertical slopes and pulling ourselves up with hands and feet. 

Through the week we were treated to some of the best mountain scenery on the east coast, crystal clear streams, waterfalls, chasms of unknown depth, rare alpine vegetation, boreal birds, and yes…Black Bear sightings.  I must say, we really enjoyed being visited by a number of bear each night at the campsite…NOT!  Even with food, toothpaste, soap and gum stashed in bear cans far from camp, the bruins investigated each night anyway.  They weren’t particularly afraid of us, and after shouting at them to scram, they usually just toddled off, sometimes after barking and growling back at us in protest.  The growling part isn’t very comforting when you are standing 30 feet from them in the dark wearing just your underwear holding a flimsy stick to defend yourself.

On our last night, two Black Bear decided they needed an even closer inspection of our gear.  The smell of a forgotten granola bar wrapper in a pack was enough to bring them in, tearing 3 bags, breaking a camera, and puncturing a hole in my water bottle in the process.  (The bottle is now proudly displayed on my desk).  They woke us three times that night, and one brushed against a Teen Naturalists tent, and generally snorted and shuffled around the campsite.

It was a trip we won’t forget.  If you have a few minutes, take a look at the slideshow below.  Sorry, it doesn’t include bear photos, but does show bear-clawed day-packs.

If you know someone who is 13 to 17 years old, and would like to join the Teen Naturalists, registration is open now for the 2010-2011 season. 

The Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge is a very colorful place at this time of year.   See some examples below and come take a look for yourself this weekend.

The hibiscus is a water-loving plant that also does well in home gardens.  In the marshes of Delaware there are two subspecies, one with a central red spot and one without the red spot.  Both can have flower color that ranges from white to pink.  This local hibiscus is also known as marsh mallow, which closely sounds like a tasty treat shared over a summer camp fire. Originally the roots of a European species of marsh mallow were used to make the fluffy, sticky marshmallow. 

Hibiscus. Photo by John Harrod.

Wild rice is another good-looking plant found in the fresh water marsh at DEEC. Standing at 8-10 feet, the chartreuse inflorescences (clusters of flowers) stand out against the deep green sea of the cattails. It is a long grain rice that is cherished in the fall by waterfowl and songbirds when it ripens.

Wild Rice. Photo by John Harrod.

Dodder is a unique native vine that is found clambering over plants near the boardwalk.  It is parasitic so it  does not need chlorophyll, which is the compound that makes plants green.  You see the orange color because the chlorophyll does not hide it, just like leaves of autumn when they lose their chlorophyll, allowing the colors underneath to be visible.  Identification is easy…look for the skinny orange vines twirled around green plant stalks. 

Dodder. Photo by John Harrod.

As I cross the bridge to the garden on my way home each day I enjoy the daily song of the Indigo Bunting. Perching on the brush below or the powerlines above, his vibrant blue color is easy to see.  Occasionally, I hear Indigo Buntings in stereo and I suspect that there is a neighboring male nearby.

Indigo Bunting. Photo by John Harrod.

What colors will you find at DEEC this weekend?

By Derek Stoner, Conservation Project Coordinator

Paddling the placid waters of Dragon Run Marsh. July 31, 2010. Image by Derek Stoner.

Grab your favorite paddle and come along with us for a canoe trip to Dragon Run– no life preservers necessary!

After driving past the looming bulk of glowing metal towers at the Delaware City petroleum refinery, we hang a hard right on Clarks Corner Road and head south.  A mile later and we are at the put-in spot for our canoe adventure.  Many hands make light the work of unloading our watercraft, and soon we are underway.

A small flock of Little Blue Herons flies toward their roost on Pea Patch Island. July 31, 2010. Image by Derek Stoner.

Dragon Run is a vibrant freshwater marsh that has a narrow channel (run) carved through the dense aquatic vegetation.  The vast marsh is connected to the Delaware River one mile from our launching point,  and the water flows slowly in an eastward direction. As we paddle along, flocks of wading birds pass overhead: Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Glossy Ibis, and occassional Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets.  These elegant waterbirds are headed to their night-time roost on Pea Patch Island, in the middle of the river just below the Dragon Run outlet.

A pink Marsh Mallow glows in the late evening light at Dragon Run. July 31, 2010. Image by Derek Stoner.

We are visiting at the best time of year to view the spectacular blooms of aquatic wildflowers: white Lizardtail and Smartweed, purple Pickerelweed, pink Swamp Rose and Water Willow, and Marsh Mallows, a spectacular producer of plate-sized pink and white blooms.  A member of the Hibiscus family, the roots of the Marsh Mallow were utilized by English sweetmeat-makers to prepare a confectionary paste said to be of curative value in treating coughs and hoarseness. The ‘Marshmallows’  sold by confectioners today are the modern equivalent of this recipe (a mixture of flour, gum, and egg albumin), but no longer contain mallow root.

A Beaver lodge sits along Dragon Run, tucked amidst the Marsh Mallows. July 31, 2010. Image by Derek Stoner.

Besides the bounty of blooms, we are also hoping to spot another Dragon Run specialty: aquatic mammals!  This locale may be the best place to see the trifecta of American Beaver, River Otter and Muskrat, the only truly aquatic freshwater mammals in Delaware.  During a paddle of less than a mile, we encounter at least six active beaver lodges, and see the muddy platforms along the edge where the beavers and muskrats sit and chew aquatic vegetation.  A few slick “mud slides” are indications that the otters are around and taking advantage of the good fishing here, as bass, bluegill, and pickerel abound.  The canoes at the head of the group spot a few muskrats paddling along, and as we round a bend, an enormous beaver raises its tail and slaps the water with a resounding thwack!   Since they are not easy to see well in their underwater habitats, any encounter with these unique mammals is always thrilling.  

An evening paddle at Dragon Run is rewarded with a spectacular sunset. July 31, 2010. Image by Derek Stoner.

Towards dusk, we turn the canoes around and head back, into the setting sun.  A steady stream of Tree and Barn Swallows fly overhead, and we watch the twisting flight of Wood Ducks as they head to their night-time gathering place.  The western sky is lit up in orange and red hues, and the views are spectacular.   

For the whole trip, we’ve not seen or heard any other humans.  Quiet and solitude prevail, and the sense of being in a wild area is real.  Tucked away in a corner of bustling New Castle County, in the shadow of a major industrial plant, the delightful Dragon Run always manages to surprise and delight the visitors to her waters.

The Delaware Nature Society is leading another canoe trip meandering through the Dragon Run but under the light of August’s full moon!  Tuesday, August 24, leaving Ashland at 6:30; members can register on-line, non-members (can join on-line) or call in to sign up (239-2334.) No canoeing experience is necessary.    Listen to the sounds of nature while enjoying the unique experience of nighttime canoeing!