northeast-flora-and-fauna

Here's another Northern Harrier . I showed you one just a couple weeks ago, but since this might be the last one I see for a while, let's show it too. While my area is around the southern edge of their breeding range , I don't think I've seen them in the summer [1]. Once again I got a distant shot of a moving harrier, so you probably can't see its somewhat owly face. (I doubt owls would agree with that description; they'd probably describe a Northern Harrier's face as "hawky".) Their genus name is Circus . Witnessing their acrobatic flights, I initially wondered if the name came from circus acrobats, but it sounds like "circus" derived from "circle" and reflects their circular flights over meadows. There are other "harrier hawks" in genus, though the Northern Harrier is the only 1 you should expect to find in North America [2]. February 21, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 264701908, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC B

Here's a male Northern Cardinal dining with a female House Finch [1]. Both of these birds have stout beaks for the same reason; they both need them to crush the seeds they like to eat: Birds of a feather, flock together.   Birds of a beak, similar food they'll seek. As adults both species mostly eat fruits and seeds, though adult cardinals won't pass up a tasty mealworm . Finches are more committed to a vegetarian lifestyle, though even they won't pass up eating insects (like aphids ) that are easily accessible. The difference is much starker with what they consider baby food; cardinals will feed their hatchlings as much protein-enriched insects as they can, while finch hatchlings get primarily vegetarian meals. Despite the somewhat similar beaks, they're not particularly closely related. The Northern Cardinal is in the cardinal family (surprise!) while House Finches are in the finch family (double surprise!). Our current understanding is that cardinals are more

I think this was a Western Leaf-footed Bug from last February. If this is correct, then this is another species of bug that's spreading eastward. An article from a century ago claims they were no closer to New Jersey than Nebraska, the Insect Identification webpage has them in Ohio, Bug Guide lists New Jersey and Massachusetts as northeastern states they're now in, and this article abstract says they could spread as effectively as the related Western Conifer Seed Bug that's known to be in this area.  You're supposed to be able to identify the Western Leaf-footed Bug by a "spike" at the front of the head. Unfortunately my picture doesn't have enough detail to tell if such a spike is there. I'm mostly basing this ID on the iNaturalist suggested ID and Penn State describing the prominent white zigzag on the back. Although they can be pests in pistachio orchards, it sounds like these bugs are fairly flexible eaters, so there could be a viable food

Around here if you're around open water it's fairly likely you'll run across 1 or more Great Blue Herons . While they're certainly not as plentiful as omnivorous waterfowl like Mallards or Canada Geese , their tendency to forage alone causes them to spread out so that a lot of our wetlands have a Great Blue Heron patrolling it. One day last winter while visiting Duke Island Park/Raritan River Greenway [1] I'm pretty sure I encountered 3 of these birds. How do I know these aren't the same bird? I guess I really don't know for sure. Different posture and lighting could give a single heron 3 different looks. Still, none of these birds left on my account, so I suspect they'd have no compelling reason to leave the general area as I moved on. February 10, 2023 at the Raritan Water Power Canal Photo 263680969, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) February 10, 2023 at the Raritan Water Power Canal Photo 263680834, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved

Despite the less-than-ideal photography conditions, this is most likely a Spring Peeper we met in the wetlands near the Duke Farms Orientation Center. Even if the picture doesn't capture the raw power and majesty of the inch-long Spring Peeper, it's still an excuse to talk about them. Spring Peepers are a type of chorus frog , and they have 2 relatives in New Jersey: New Jersey Chorus Frog and the Upland Chorus Frog . Their vocalizations aren't terribly different: Spring Peeper: "Peep!" New Jersey Chorus Frog: "Creek!" Upland Chorus Frog: "Creek!" "Preep!" It's surprisingly difficult to find these frogs even when you hear them singing all around you: They camouflage well. May be in water that's reflecting sunlight/flashlight glare. The ones in your immediate vicinity will sometimes go quiet when you're around them. This program was in the evening, but even in broad daylight it's much easier to hear these guys than it

I've talked about Red-bellied Woodpeckers before ( people thinking they're Red-headed Woodpeckers and housing disputes with European Starlings ), so today I'm going to show different views of the same individual. This 1st view might give a person the impression that the entire head is red, perhaps leading them to believe this is a Red-headed Woodpecker. February 10, 2023 at the Raritan Water Power Canal Photo 263680633, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) This same individual seen from below and from the side looks quite a bit different; the red head feathers could be missed entirely. February 10, 2023 at the Raritan Water Power Canal Photo 263680618, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) And as birds that spend time foraging on tree branches, they'll sometimes be in awkward (from a human perspective) position while searching for food. February 10, 2023 at the Raritan Water Power Canal Photo 263680623, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-

Since today is World Turtle Day , I'm contractually obligated to talk about turtles today. 😄🐢 Though back in April I showed you some Spiny Softshell Turtles from this year, they were not the 1st turtles I saw or photographed this year. I had actually started to see turtles basking in fairly early February, albeit only on unusually warm days. Among the first I saw were 2 of our most frequently seen basking turtles , a few Eastern Painted Turtles and a Northern Red-bellied Cooter . Though sea turtles can migrate, our turtles hibernate underwater, slowing their metabolism, and using cloacal respiration and anaerobic respiration . Anaerobic respiration sounds like what kicks in when, as the winter progresses, the water slowly becomes depleted of oxygen. While it can keep a turtle alive, it sounds like they'll experience the equivalent of muscle cramps with that form of respiration. I suspect this means that they're anxious to get out of the water to breathe as soon as the

When taking pictures of Mallards , it's important to get them to smile for the camera by saying "Cheese!" [1]. Unfortunately instead of smiling these ducks ducked their heads underwater. This is apparently a common occurrence when photographing Mallards; at least they didn't the high-butt dabble though. In reality, the ducks were no doubt attempting to get a bite to eat when sticking their heads in the water. Mallards are true omnivores, eating both small animals and vegetation like duckweed/watermeal . Still, I wouldn't generally expect ducks to be very cooperative when it comes to getting their picture taken. February 10, 2023 at the Raritan Water Power Canal Photo 263680646, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] The Mallard word for "cheese" (and virtually everything else) is "quack".

Last winter at Duke Farms I encountered a Merlin . No, I don't mean a wizard; I'm talking about a falcon that's a bit bigger than our American Kestrels . (As I recall, after taking this picture I think I thought I had gotten a picture of a kestrel, but when I processed the picture I realized I had their bigger cousin instead.) Merlins have only a slightly larger length and wingspan than American Kestrels but must be a little stockier since they weigh over 50% more. Though my field guide says they're both uncommon, I've gotten far more kestrel pictures compared to Merlin pictures (25-3) [1]. The Merlin is a Northern Hemisphere species, residing mostly in Eurasia and North America [2], though different areas have different subspecies . New Jersey has the Taiga Merlin subspecies. While some places put out kestrel boxes to encourage them to nest there, Merlins don't compete for those boxes since they mostly breed up in Canada. It's probably a good thing for our

Who's the most beautiful scavenging raptor in New Jersey? It's hard to say, but Black Vultures are certainly in the top 2 [1] [2], up there with our Turkey Vultures . Other than a little obstruction from branches, this fella took a pretty nice-looking picture. As related species with similar appetites, it's expected that Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures will show up at the same carcass. I've heard somewhat different things about the carcass pecking order: Black Vultures are more aggressive and will dominate the carcass. Turkey Vultures, who are slightly larger, will dominate the carcass unless the Black Vultures outnumber them. Unfortunately I haven't seen enough carcasses to give you a personal opinion on carcass pecking order (though I suspect if a Bald Eagle flew in, it would get more than its fair share [3] [4]). February 8, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 263480504, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] New Jersey has only 2 vulture species, the Blac

I was in the Research Woods part of Duke Farms this winter when I saw what looked like an unusual nut shell, including some that were still on the tree. My belief is that this is from a Princess Tree (aka Empress Tree aka Foxglove Tree). (It sounds like it's not a true nut, and that the shell should have a bunch of small seeds that mostly disperse through the wind.) Princess Trees have a couple things in common with the catalpas I discussed yesterday: Neither is native to New Jersey. Both have unusually large leaves, sometimes causing them to be confused with 1 another. Since the US doesn't have princesses, you might be suspicious that a Princess Tree isn't native to the country, and you'd be right [1]. It sounds like the names Princess Tree and Empress Tree both refer to Anna Pavlovna , a Russian princess who married into the Netherlands royal family [2]. The Princess Tree is considered a pioneer tree , being 1 of the 1st trees to appear as a meadow begins its transi

For Throwback Thursday, here's a tree that is both easy and difficult to identify, a catalpa tree . The large leaves and fruit that resembles an unusually long string bean make catalpas pretty distinctive. On the other hand, it's pretty difficult to distinguish the Northern Catalpa and the Southern Catalpa , where the Northern has larger flowers but fewer of them and has a slightly broader seed pod [1] [2]. The catalpas aren't native to NJ, with the Northern Catalpa originating around the Arkansas/Missouri/Illinois shores of the Mississippi, and with the Southern Catalpa coming from central Alabama/Mississippi. They are a host plant for the Catalpa Sphinx moth; as caterpillars they can defoliate a catalpa tree (though the leaves usually regrow). Although there are catalpa trees around here, I don't know if we've got enough of them to support much of a population of these moths [3]. Despite reminding us of string beans, are (unlike some trees ) not legumes. (If you

Bird feeders can be busy places, especially in winter when food (especially insects) isn't readily available. This picture shows, left to right, a "confusing" chickadee  [1], a Tufted Titmouse , and a White-breasted Nuthatch . Although I'm sure these birds meet in wild settings to forage for food, bird feeders are 1 of the few places there's sufficient food to bring numerous foraging birds into close proximity to each other. I haven't witnessed an actual fight at a bird feeder; they usually establish a pecking order that won't leave everyone happy but generally avoids physical altercations. All 3 of these birds not only eats from the feeders, but they're also hoarders, taking food from the feeder and hiding it for later [2]. Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and woodpeckers are often found foraging in the same area, probably for a couple of reasons: They're looking for similar food. Having more eyes on the alert for danger means it's less likel

Here's a Pileated Woodpecker I met last January. Despite not being considered common, they probably get spotted more than average: Their loud drumming and maniacal "laughter" frequently alert us that they're around. Their relatively large size is easier to spot than other woodpeckers and most forest birds. They are considered the 3rd largest species of woodpecker in the world, surpassed only by the Great Slaty Woodpecker (in Southeast Asia) and the Black Woodpecker (Europe). They used to be around the 5th largest, but the Imperial Woodpecker (Mexico) and Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Southeastern US) are now feared to be extinct. Their are actually 2 subspecies of Pileated Woodpecker, the Northern Pileated Woodpecker and the Southern Pileated Woodpecker; it sounds like the only difference is that the Northern is slightly larger on average. January 28, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 263480291, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Here's a Northern Cardinal I met last December. These birds are in (surprise!) the cardinal family . Though they're not generally a threat to humans, there are exceptions. With their stout beaks and biting force, they are one of the most "feared" birds among bird banders [1] who deal with passerines. (They can apparently draw blood.) Of course, if you're not holding one in the hand, this danger drops off to virtually nonexistent. Though we didn't have an especially cold winter, this picture was taken back in January, and the weather may have been relatively cold. Many birds floof up their feathers in cold weather, giving them a rounder, softer look than when temperatures are warm. This fella looks a little rounder than I'd usually expect from a Northern Cardinal. January 27, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 263365684, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] Bird banders catch small birds, usually in nets that resemble extremely fine badminton nets. Th

For Mother's Day , here's a Canada Goose family I met last week at Lord Stirling Park. Technically I can't be sure the mother was in this picture - there was a 3rd adult Canada Goose that wasn't in the picture - but there's a 2/3 chance at least 1 of these was a mother goose [1]. My impression is that geese are considered to be pretty good parents. Compared to ducks, they tend to have smaller broods but devote more time and energy into raising them. And overall they seem to be doing a good job; our Canada Goose population has been rising steadily since the mid-60s [2]. May 12, 2023 at Lord Stirling Park [1] Finding a mother goose is also harder since Canada Geese are not sexually dimorphic ; males and females are phenotypically very similar, or sexually monomorphic. [2] They might be doing a little too well. Just the volume of their bodily waste probably has negative consequences in high population areas.

Although getting pictures of them isn't easy I'm a little surprised I haven't talked about Northern Harriers before now in this blog. They are the most owl-like hawk species in our area, with a flattish owl face. This is due to how important hearing is for this hawk; similar to owls, sounds hitting their faces gets funneled to their ears, making it more likely they're going to hear small prey to pounce on.  Their most common hunting technique is to fly just a few feet above the vegetation of a meadow, veering left and right, up and down, until they hear a mouse/vole/shrew scamper through the grasses, at which point they dive on that spot. At this point they might disappear below the grassline; it's not always easy to tell whether their hunt was successful.  They are associated with Short-eared Owls , with both species spending the winters here, breeding further north, and hunting similar prey using similar techniques, frequently in the same area. And both species a

Here are a couple pictures of Hooded Mergansers , male and female. The males are black and white around the head and neck while the females have more "earth tone" coloring. In the 1st picture, the male has a large, almost circular white patch on the side of his head, and in the 2nd picture the male has more of a white line on the side of his head. While sometimes there's simply variation in individual plumage that can account for different appearances, and other times there are subspecies where whole populations look quite different from each other, but neither of these is what's going on here. Male Hooded Mergansers can raise their crests to present a large white circle, or they can lower them to present a smaller white line. Generally speaking, male Hooded Mergansers can go from 1 look or the other in seconds, making them the quick-change artists of the waterfowl world. The strikingly different appearance of a raised versus lowered crest of Hooded Mergansers somet

For Throwback Thursday, here's a Hairy Woodpecker I met a little over 5 years ago. This woodpecker is easy to confuse with its smaller but more common cousin, the Downy Woodpecker . A little like crows/ravens, you'd easily tell them apart if you saw them together; by weight the Hairys are over twice as big as the Downys. Fortunately while Hairys have approximately the size of beak you'd expect in a woodpecker, the Downys have a much shorter beak in proportion to the rest of their body. Most of the time I'm pretty confident in IDing these 2 birds if I get a good look . Although they're both relatively small by our standards, their bigger size and longer beak made the Hairy more suitable for pecking at tough tree trunks while Downys smaller size is better for foraging on smaller branches. They've both adapted to slightly different ecological roles. The Hairy Woodpecker also interacts with other woodpeckers in different ways: They'll sometimes follow Pileated

The White-breasted Nuthatch is a bird I've talked about before , but they're photogenic enough to warrant more posts [1]. In my area, this is probably the bird most likely to be (erroneously) described as a "blue woodpecker" (discussed a bit  here ) due to their foraging for insects on the trunk of a tree, and even for using/expanding tree cavities previously used by woodpeckers. Despite some foraging/nesting similarities, the nuthatches are more closely related to sparrows, ravens, and thrushes than they are to woodpeckers. The White-breasted Nuthatch can adroitly climb down a tree trunk, a handy skill to have but one that can be a problem depending on what other birds are using that tree. In my picture, the nuthatch is sharing a feeder with 1 of our chickadees , and no collisions were detected. January 26, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 263364887, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] Of course, I also consider snapping turtles and jumping spiders to be ph

Admittedly this isn't a photo that'll make National Geographic envious, but (if I recall the encounter correctly) it came out reasonably well considering the distance the Belted Kingfisher was to me. My Sibley Guide to Birds says they're "uncommon but widespread", and their range certainly qualifies as widespread; they can be found throughout most of the US, Canada, and Mexico. In my area I don't think I'd call them uncommon; I think I'd go with something like "fairly commonly heard, less frequently seen, with many of the sightings consisting of seeing the bird flying away". My guide also says they can be found "on a prominent exposed perch", and this female (note the brown band around the belly) seems to be in exactly that kind of spot. (Despite their tendency to perch, they are not "perching birds", a term that's (usually) used to describe passerines .) I've talked before about how these birds are not only diff

Here's a Black-capped Chickadee . Or is it a Carolina Chickadee ? It's awfully hard to say. In most of the country the issue is decided quickly by knowing where you are. The further south you go, the more likely it is that a bird looking like this is a Carolina Chickadee, and the further north you go, they more likely you are to encounter a Black-capped Chickadee. This article describing the differences shows that I live awfully close to the "hybrid zone", the area in the middle where the chickadees could be Black-cappeds, Carolinas, or hybrids. Skilled birders can recognize the song and call differences between the 2 species ... but near the hybrid zone this is of limited usefulness since each species can learn to make the other's sounds. A Black-capped Chickadee that grows up around Carolina Chickadees might well speak Carolina Chickadee-ese, and vice versa. Or it might be "bilingual". Of course, the hybrid zone isn't fixed in stone. An especially

This looks like a female Downy Woodpecker intently looking for invertebrates, possibly under that bark. Though this might be standard woodpecker habitat, Downys are also the area woodpecker most likely to eat out of goldenrod galls , pecking a hole in them and gobbling up the larva inside. The main way to tell the males from the females is that the males will have a smallish red patch on the back of their heads, though from some angles it can be hard to see (like here and here ). (In the picture below, I'm confident there's a good enough look at the back of the head to say this is a female.) January 26, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 263364843, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

After some heavy January rain, the usually damp Riparian Wetland Conservation Area at Duke Farms was flooded [1], turning it into an impromptu swamp (at least for a day or 2), and this Bald Eagle was surveying the area. I suppose it's possible that after a flood recedes there could be dead animals like drowned rodents or stranded fish, so perhaps this is a promising place for foraging. Or maybe the eagle was just resting or curious; though acquiring food is a big part of the life of an eagle, they do have other aspects of their lives too. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've definitely gotten more Bald Eagle pictures over the last couple years. I suspect that this is partly because I know some of the areas they like to frequent, but Bald Eagle populations in NJ are also on the rise . As their population goes up we can probably expect to see them more. January 26, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 263365001, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] This area is in

The old bromide says "a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush" ... so I guess 1 bird in the bush is worth 1/2 a bird in the hand? Last January I met this Northern Mockingbird in what I believe to be (based on those thorns) a Multiflora Rose bush.  While most birds prefer to eat small invertebrates , many invertebrates are either dead or hunkered down somewhere for the winter, and things like berries and seeds become their primary food source. Though I don't like to say good things about the invasive Multiflora Rose, I can see the appeal for the mockingbird: The berries provide an easy meal. The thorns provide some protection against predators that might want to rush in. January 26, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 263363816, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

This picture was taken near bird feeders, and I'm pretty sure this House Finch was hanging around because he was still hungry. In the meantime he had commandeered this branch as he made his lunch plans. Similar to their American Goldfinch cousins, House Finches are pretty dedicated lifelong vegetarians, so the seed-based food at most bird feeders is right up their alley. Some birds become more vegetarian as they become adults despite being raised on protein-rich invertebrates by their parents, but House Finch nestlings are mostly vegetation. This probably means their unlikely to be victimized by brood parasites like the Brown-headed Cowbird .

Here's another American Goldfinch I encountered last winter. Though the eye-popping neon-yellow breeding plumage isn't there, this 1 is more easily recognized as a goldfinch because he's still probably the yellowest bird around. (The previous winter goldfinch I showed was probably a female.) As fairly committed vegetarians, American Goldfinch probably adjust better to wintertime foraging when insects are scarce. Aside from the cold, their biggest complaint about winter might be that they get sick of hearing their American Robin and Northern Cardinal neighbors whining about how they'd love a fat caterpillar or a juicy moth for months on end. January 26, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 263364365, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Here are a bunch of White-crowned Sparrows from last January. I showed you a lonely 1 in shady conditions already this year, though this ubiquity of them probably shows them off a little better. (And yes, I'm still using "ubiquity" to refer to the group rather than the boring term "flock". See this post for more on groups of sparrows.) A little like Dark-eyed Juncos, White-crowned Sparrows consider central NJ to be a fine winter home, but aren't likely to raise their families here. I'm not sure if trails like this are especially popular foraging spots for the sparrow community, or whether I get more pictures of them there because they're open areas that make spotting the sparrows easier. January 26, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 263363976, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)