Eastern Bluebirds

“Gonna find me a bluebird, let him  sing me a song
‘Cause my heart’s been broken much too long.”

- Marvin Rainwater, Gonna Find Me a Bluebird Lyrics, 1955

I have worked at two golf courses, both in Hartford County, and on both properties and in the areas surrounding the courses, bluebirds are found in abundance. having large, open areas and woodland edges, undisturbed waste areas, abundant numbers of fruiting shrubs and trees, and sources of open water, the golf course is an ideal environment for many birds, including bluebirds. While they  seemed to disappear from New England as farmland and other large open areas were lost to development or reforestation, bluebirds have made a dramatic comeback in recent years. Virtually unseen at our golf course, in the 1990’s, we saw our first mating pair in 1995. Since that time, we have put up numerous bluebird specific nesting boxes, and if tree swallows, house sparrows, or flying squirrels don’t get to them first, the bluebirds are in at least half of them. We sometimes see as many as 30 birds at a time flocking together as they have successful broods year after year.

Above: photo of male and female bluebirds- credit FNAL Fermi Lab

Eastern bluebirds are very social, and often large groups of them are seen flying from tree to tree or from tree trunk to the ground as they hunt for insects and fruit. They are adept at clinging to the trunks of trees, often perching there until they spot an insect to eat on the ground nearby. If you see a bird fly to the trunk of a tree, check it out. It may be a nuthatch, but perhaps you will discover it is a bluebird. I have found that, where there is one, there is often at least one more nearby. In the fall they are often seen together eating berries together with groups of cedar waxwings on cedars, Virginia creeper, and black gums, which are all naturally occurring native plants on our golf course. As both species of bird are social in nature, they don’t seem to mind each other’s presence on the same food plants.

During the summer, almost 70% of their diet consists of insects. They were a welcome addition to orchards in the past as they consumed many pests of fruit trees. This is why they are often found in old, neglected orchards as the insects are more abubdant because control measures for these pests have been abandoned along with the orchards themselves. Eastern bluebirds also eat fruits, including those of fruit of blackberry, elderberry, honeysuckle, dogwood, raspberry, mountain ash, pokeweed, Bradford pear, wild grapes and many other plants. In the fall they find berries of black gum, buckthorn, Eastern red cedar, Virginia creeper, and other trees and shrubs. Many bluebirds remain all winter, surviving on American holly, inkberry, winterberry, sumac, and other berries that remain throughout the winter monthes. Power lines can be a good place to find bluebirds during any season, as many food sources are available year- round.

This year many people reported seeing them on their suet feeders for the first time, perhaps due to the blizzard in february that covered many of the smaller trees and shrubs that would have provided some food. Every year can bring different conditions that may be extremely difficult for birds to survive, or perhaps make it much easier if fruit is especially abundant. As a side note to that- this year acorns were practically unavailable for squirrels, oaks having produced little because of cold weather during the flowering period. So squirrels were reduced to eating crabapples in the fall, leaving few for the birds that normally would eat them toward the end of winter.

Above: photo of male bluebird perched on tree trunk.  Photo credit:www.biosurvey.ou.edu

Males bluebirds will select holes for nesting purposes that have been excavated by flickers, woodpeckers or chickadees, as well as properly constructed and mounted nest boxes. If your property has large open areas bordered by an area of woods with a rather open understory, place a bluebird house on a post or the remains of a broken tree trunk of a size similar to a fence post. Be sure the box is near the edge of the woods where it will get some sun during the day. Or place it out in the open, especially along fence lines in open fields. If possible, face the opening toward a perching spot, such as the next fencepost or a nearby tree with open, low branches. Avoid facing the hole toward the afternoon sun if the box is out in the open- face the hole to the north or east if possible. Also, keep the opening from facing prevailing winds. The ideal situation is to face the opening toward a tree or shrub that is within 100 feet of the box. This will provide the fledglings with a safe destination for their first flight. The first time I saw a nesting pair, they had selected a rotten trunk of a tree about 6 feet high and 5 inches in diameter about twenty feet inside the woods. The entrance hole was at least four inches in diameter.  So you can see that nesting preferences are not necessarily “  by the book”.

Bluebirds do not need a perching post under the nest box hole to enter or leave the box and may avoid nesting in boxes that have such perches. Leave the inside surface rough so birds will be able toget a grip to exit the house. Drill a few vent holes on the upper sides, and drain holes on the bottom. Insert a hardware wire support to keep the nest  about 1 ½- 2 inches off the bottom of the box. This may help keep blow fly larvae from crawling back on the nestling birds.

Photo above left: hiltonpond.org                               Photo above right: laspilitas.com

After the bluebirds have successfully fledged the first brood, clean out the old nest. The birds will build another if they have a second brood. If you forget, do not worry. I have actually opened a box in the early spring to clean it out only to find a female sitting on eggs in a second nest she had built on top of the old one. But is certainly best to keep the box clean. If other undesirable birds start to build their nests in the boxes, keep pulling the stuff out. We put three nest boxes within thirty yards of each other and get a family of tree swallows, one of house sparrows, and one of bluebirds every year. After cleaning them out, the birds select their nesting sites, and all are satisfied.

If you want to see bluebirds, check out the area along Horse Barn Hill Road where they usually can be found year- round. Another spot is the little cemetery on Bone Mill Road in Mansfield where they often perch on top of the old gravestones, especially from late March on through summer. Or just keep your ears tuned in for their distinctive ” wheedle wheedle ” as you are out and about. Happy hunting!

Pamm Cooper  UConn Home & Garden Education Center

 

Craisins and Cottontails

Even before last February’s blizzard we were visited regularly by robins who were meticulously combing through the holly hedge in search of berries. I don’t know if these were winter robins or if they just decided to migrate north a bit earlier than usual. At any rate, they looked a little forlorn after consuming all the berries and their furtive searches for food tugged at my heartstrings. What could I feed them? I started putting purple grapes on the hedge and that didn’t work. Scattered handfuls of blueberries and strawberries did not pique their interest either although I always seem to be competing with wildlife for these fruits in my garden.

Robins looking for holly berries.

My last attempt at food offerings was a handful of old craisins and raisins. It worked!  They gobbled up the craisins first and then picked at the raisins. Who knew robins were such picky eaters! So I have been buying a couple of packs of craisins each week and tossing some out by the holly hedge each morning much to the delight of our resident robin flock.

A few weeks ago, shortly after putting out the daily craisin supply, I looked out the back door and there was the cutest rabbit, happily munching on the craisins much to the dismay of the robins who were still brave enough to grab any 3 or more feet away from the rabbit. He (or she) has been coming back pretty much every morning for breakfast. We have also noticed him under the bird feeder so it seems that lack of food is not a problem for this bunny.

 

Waiting for the daily Craisins! DMP2013

Most likely the rabbit is an Eastern Cottontail although I can’t rule out the slighter possibility of him being a New England Cottontail. These are the only 2 species of rabbits in our region with the New England cottontail the only species native to Connecticut. Apparently the Eastern cottontail was introduced sometime in the late 1800’s or so. Both increased in population until farms started to decline and agricultural lands were overtaken by shrubs and trees. Now the New England cottontail is in decline and in 2008 the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service designated it as a candidate for threatened or endangered status. The Eastern cottontail is holding its own.

Since 2000, the CT DEEP has been documenting the distribution of the 2 rabbit species and working with other state, federal and non-profit agencies to restore habitat and provide New England rabbit education to land owners. Since 90% of land in Connecticut is privately owned, it is critical that private landowners also participate in restoration efforts. The decline of New England cottontails is thought to be due to habitat loss and fragmentation and possibly linked to the spread of some invasive plant species like multiflora rose. While not mentioned in their report, I wonder if predators like coyotes and feral cats might also be contributing to the decline of the New England cottontail?

Physically there is not much difference between the 2 species. Both are between 1 ½ and 3 pounds with reddish-brown to greyish-brown fur and a short, fluffy tail. (Speaking of which, a fellow co-worker was teaching some children about plants and plant products but when she asked where cotton comes from one child answered cottontails!) According to the DEEP, about half of the Eastern cottontail population has a small white patch on its forehead. Other than that, differentiating between the New England and Eastern cottontails is difficult. DNA or skull comparisons are used to make positive identifications.

Young rabbit. Photo by Pamm Cooper

Apparently adults are solitary in nature and breeding season starts this month. Female rabbits will create nests in dense grass and line them with more grass and fur. They can have 2 to 4 litters per year averaging 3 to 8 young each. Amazingly the blind and helpless newborns are weaned and totally independent in just 4 to 5 weeks. During the summer they feed on grasses, clover and other herbaceous plants and have been known to sample tender vegetable crops like peas and beans. During the winter they feed on twigs, bark and buds – and craisins!It will be interesting to see how long our furry-eared friend stays around. I may need to think fencing options or planting lots of extra beans in areas away from the garden. Like the Easter bunny, I don’t want all my eggs in one basket!

Happy Spring!

Dawn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fireflies and Light Emitting Diodes

 

 

Fireflies are a lifelong favorite insect and I celebrate their arrival every summer. Their fascinating pyrotechnics produced as they search for mates are a constant source of amazement providing entertainment for hours during those enchanted summer evenings.

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Now their highly efficient bioluminescent structure is a source of inspiration and study for Korean researchers who are attempting to create an anti-reflective lens for light-emitting diodes (LED) based on morphological structures of the firefly lantern.

 A team of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have examined the intricate nanostructure of the firefly’s lantern cuticle and created an artificial version for use as a high-power LED lens.

In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists describe how they produced a new LED lens by copying the structure of the firefly’s three-layered lower abdomen. This newly refined lens allows them to do away with an expensive component in existing LED lamps.

It was known that the firefly’s lantern is made up of a luminous layer, a nanostructured cuticle layer and a dorsal layer that allow for highly efficient generation of bioluminescent light.  Exactly how the dorsal and cuticle layers work together in this photonic system was not understood.

Using a scanning electron microscope Jae-Jun Kim and colleagues at Ki-Hun Jeong’s lab at the Institute  determined the intricate nanostructure of the lantern’s cuticle Their experiments revealed that the highly ordered structure reduces optical impedance between air and the cuticle, effectively acting as an anti-reflective layer to reduce loss of light and increase efficiency.

Engineering inspiration from highly ordered cuticular nanostructures of a firefly light organ. (A) The optical image of a firefly (L. lateralis Motschulsky) in male. The SEM images of (B) abdominal segments of a firefly in male including normal (N) and lantern (L) cuticles, (C) amorphous nanostructures on the normal cuticle, (D) highly ordered nanostructures on the lantern cuticle.

 

A high power LED dome lens is impeded by the internal reflection of light due to optical disparity between air and the lens material.  Once the cuticular nanostructures of the firefly lantern were determined the team was able to incorporate this composition on the lens of a high power LED to increase the light extraction efficiency.  The team considers their work a first in using “engineering biomimetics”- mimicking a bioluminescent organ in an artificial lighting application.

Firefly pictures from: http://www.firefly.org/

 

To read more about this research go to  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Leslie Alexander

 

Where Does Cotton Come From?

photo by Carol Quish ©

 

Every once in awhile I am asked a question here at the UConn Home and Garden Education Center that I think everyone will benefit from the answer. Where does cotton come from is one of those questions. All the clothing ads tell us cotton is a natural product. Yes it is; it comes from a plant grown in warmer regions of the United States and other countries. The states of Georgia and North Carolina are the largest cotton growers in the U.S. Their climate is perfect for the plant that is treated like an annual. Cotton plants will grow in  temperatures above 60 degrees F and below 100 degrees F, but optimal air temps are 90 to 95 F. Plants need plenty of moisture when young to produce deep and extensive root systems. Once established, they are considered drought tolerant.

The plants grow from two to five feet tall in a tangle of gnarly stems and leaves. In a few weeks, the plant start to produce floral buds called cotton squares. These buds open into the a large white to yellow flower. After the flower is pollinated by insects, it turns pink. The fertilized flower then begins producing its fruit or seed pod called a boll. Within the boll are the seeds and the fibrous cotton. After 55 days, the bolls are ripe and ready for picking. Cotton plants are indeterminate, continuing to set flowers and seeds up the plant as it continues to grow taller and wider.

Separating the cotton from the seed was tedious work until 1793 when Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine that used a  wire screen and small wire hooks to pull the cotton through as it was  brushed continuously to prevent jams. The cleaned cotton is then carded and spun into fine threads to be used to weave into fabrics made into clothes and many other useful products.

A recent visit to the UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Greenhouses for a break from the winter cold of Connecticut is where I found the cotton plant in bud, bloom and boll.

-Carol Quish

photo by Carol Quish ©

photo by Carol Quish ©

photo by Carol Quish ©

 

 

I’m Losing My Impatiens

If you’ve been wondering what hit your usually reliable impatiens last summer, keep reading.  A new disease, impatiens downy mildew, was probably to blame.  Impatiens downy mildew is a new disease for Connecticut gardens.  It is caused by a fungus-like pathogen (Plasmopara obducens) and was first observed on garden impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) in the United Kingdom in 2002.  Prior to that, it was identified as early as 1897 on wild impatiens (jewelweed) in Vermont.  In 2011, there were outbreaks of this disease in many states including CA, IL, IN, NY, MA, MN, and WI.  In January 2012, it was confirmed on plants in the landscape in Florida.  During the 2012 growing season, impatiens downy mildew has been widespread in over 30 eastern states including Connecticut.

Susceptible hosts include standard garden impatiens, double impatiens and mini-impatiens and any hybrids of I. walleriana.  Although balsam or garden balsam (Impatiens balsamina) is also susceptible, the symptoms primarily include yellow leaf spots. Fortunately, New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) types are not susceptible to this disease nor are other shade tolerant bedding plants.

Early symptoms include yellowing or yellow stippling of the leaves (resembling spider mite injury (which isn’t common on garden impatiens) or lack of fertilizer), and downward cupping of upper leaves giving the appearance that plants need to be watered.  As disease progresses, flowers and leaves drop, eventually leaving bare stems with a few small leaves at the top.   Finally, the stems completely collapse and the plant dies.  After a heavy rain, leaves may have a water-soaked appearance resembling frost injury.   Plants infected when young will be stunted.

Symptoms include lack of flowers, yellowing and downward cupping leaves and defoliation (Right).

During humid or rainy weather, a white coating of spores will be produced on the lower surface of some leaves. Turn over the leaves to look for the white coating of spores; not all leaves will have this.  The spores are spread by wind, wind-driven rain, and splashing water.  Cool night temperatures (58 to 62˚ F) which encourage heavy dews are ideal for disease development, even if it is hot and dry during the day. New infections occur when leaves stay moist for a few hours.   Downy mildew tends to be worse in very dense plantings, where there is overhead irrigation and areas where leaves stay wet for extended periods of time.  New infections develop as the short-lived spores are spread by water splash to plants nearby or via wind currents for longer distances.   Another type of spore, a resting or survival spore (called an oospore), is produced within infected plants just before they die. For this reason, it is important to remove infected plants from garden beds as soon as you see them.  Oospores are capable of surviving in the soil through the winter and can cause new infections of garden impatiens the following year.   There are many different types of downy mildew and they tend to be host specific, so the downy mildew that affects garden impatiens will not spread to other plants.

White sporulation of the pathogen, Plasmopara obducens, on the underside of a leaf.

 What should I do if my impatiens are affected? Current management recommendations are focused on disease prevention.  Once plants are infected, they will not recover.

• Infected plants should be removed (including plants, leaf debris and roots), bagged and disposed of immediately.  Do not compost diseased plant material!  If infected plants are left in the garden or compost pile, there is a high risk that the fungal spores will overwinter in the soil and affect future plantings.

• If you have had impatiens downy mildew in your garden, use alternative non-host bedding plants for the next 1-2 seasons.  Suggested alternative plants for shady beds include begonia, New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) varieties, Coleus, Torenia, Lobelia, and others.  There are also many shade tolerant foliage plants and perennials that can be safely planted in your garden.

Where did this disease come from?  Under favorable weather conditions, this pathogen produces massive quantities of spores that can spread over long distances on the wind.  Hopefully down the road we’ll have resistant I. walleriana so this very popular bedding plant can be used in gardens again without the threat of downy mildew.

I have already seen news from one nursery stating that they will not sell any of the susceptible impatiens this year because of their commitment to selling plants that will thrive and do well for their customers.

J Allen

 

Taking a Look at Tiger Beetles

Tiger beetles are among the many beetles I like to watch and I look forward to seeing them every year. They are easy to find once you know their habitats and the time of year they are out and about. These predatory beetles are fast on their feet and are also among the quickest of the beetles to take flight. Walking along open trails, you may see something fly off just ahead of where you were going and land not too far away. If you don’t get a good look at it, you may mistake it for a fly because both insects are quick to take off in  flight and because they are often found in the same habitat.

As of 1996, there were fourteen species of tiger beetles in Connecticut, seven of which are on the state’s protected list. They are members of the Carabidae family, which are the ground beetles. Like most ground beetles, the larval stage is spent in the ground and some tiger beetles take two years to complete their life cycle. Most tiger beetles are found in habitats featuring low or sparse vegetation and sandy soils. If you want to see adults in action, look for them on sunny days as most become inactive if clouds block the sun for any length of time.

To identify a beetle as a tiger beetle look for three things- bulging eyes, long legs and crisscrossed mandibles that are formidable in appearance. When standing still, they have a distinctive posture where the head is up, the rear is down, and the body is held high off the ground on stilt- like hairy legs. These insects are built for speed both on the ground and in the air.

Typical tiger beetle posture

A tiger beetle is predatory in both the adult and larval stage. The larva is an ambush predator, similar to the ant lion, which lies in wait beneath the ground. It lives in a vertical tube in the soil and you may see its head just inside the tube as it waits for prey to amble on by. When that happens, the larva pops out and grabs its victim with its powerful jaws and then pulls it into the burrow. Larvae can survive for weeks without food and are also able to survive temporary flooding.

Adults have powerful sickle- shaped overlapping jaws which they use for capturing prey such as ants, spiders and other arthropods. They can catch prey both on the ground and in the air. They are so fast when pursuing oblivious ants that I have sometimes seen them overrun them and have to do an about- face. Their vision appears acute, and while they perch, they will suddenly turn in the direction of any movement. This can make it very difficult to approach them if you are trying get a closer look. A tip is to crouch down, with the sun ahead of you so as not to cast a shadow that will trigger flight. Then move slowly toward the beetle. Tiger beetles are also preyed upon by dragonflies, robber flies, birds, and small vertebrates, so they are approachable to some extent.

Look for tiger beetles in open sunny areas that have low or sparse vegetation with scattered rocks and sandy soils. Some are found along woodland trails and forest edges. Once you have found a tiger beetle, you will probably be able to find it the next year. Note the time of year and the exact area you saw it. They are reliably found, if not in almost exactly the same spot, then within ten to twenty yards of it.  If disturbed, most tiger beetles will fly only a short distance away and may be found by simply walking ahead in the direction you saw it fly. The adult may sit and wait for some small insect to scurry by and then use its speed to run it down. Or it may run forward and stop repeatedly as it checks out any promising activity.

There are several species in Connecticut that are of special concern. One is the federally threatened and state endangered species Cicendela puritan, the Puritan tiger beetle. This beetle is found in two small areas in the country-  periodically flooded sandy beach habitats along the Connecticut River and similar areas along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The small area in Connecticut where this was found is now protected from human access both from the water and from land.

Tiger beetle Cicindela repanda on my thumb.

Cicindela rufiventris  is a species commonly found in dry upland rocky and eroded areas but can also be found in areas of sparse vegetation such a trails , power lines or forest clearings. I have found populations in several areas where stones have been brought in by the local governments or power companies to help stop erosion caused by both maintenance vehicles accessing the land and all-terrain vehicle activity that can cause greater damage of a more permanent nature. Whether the stones helped keep the ground from being destroyed or just allowed a better habitat for both larvae and adults to survive, rufiventris appear to be doing well in these areas. Look for adults in July and August.

possibly a C. rufiventris as the abdomen just showing below elytra is orange- red.

There is a small spit of tidal flooded land along the Connecticut River where the ferry comes in on the Glastonbury side where there is a large colony of Cicindela repanda can be found. These common beetles are very similar in appearance to the endangered Puritan tiger beetles. In August there are hundreds of them running along the water edges and among the rocks of this spit- the ground seems to come alive with their activity. When the tide is in, the area shrinks in size, and if you sit down on the sand, you will be surrounded by beetles rushing around. They even venture into shallow water to catch the flies that are abundant there. Take care not to step on any of these industrious, beautifully patterned creatures.

 Cicindela repanda August 2012 Glastonbury in sand at the ferry landing.

Ct. River ferry landing area in Glastonbury showing tiger beetle C. repanda habitat. Picture taken at low tide.

I have found the six- spotted tiger beetle, Cicindela sexguttata, year after year on the same power lines, along the same gravel roads and in the same areas  bordering woodland edges. I look for them in mid to late April during warm springs, but normal activity begins in early may. Adults are readily seen through July and sometimes into August. These beetles are bright metallic green and have three white spots on each elytra. They can be found perched on logs and rocks or bare soil either in the sun or shade. Their bright color will make them easy to spot if they have landed in any open area. A slow approach is in order if you want to get close enough to take a picture or just watch them for a while. If you lost sight of it, just walk on for a while, and if nothing appears, turn around and head back to where you first saw it. Often it will have circled around gone back near where it was before.

Six- spotted tiger beetle- Cicindela sexgutatta- found on a restaurant window in Cold Spring, New York June 28, 2011. The restaurant was surrounded by rocky cliffs and a large disturbed area bordering woods.

So next spring and summer if you are out and about hiking along nature trails, power lines or dirt roads, be alert to the possibility of tiger beetles being on the hunt nearby. And don’t forget to bring your camera! I would not have had the opportunity to take any of the pictures you see here if my camera had been left at home ( or in the car! ).

Pamm Cooper                                                      All Photos Copyright 2013 Pamm Cooper

 

Plants – I Can’t Live Without Them (And Neither Should You!)

A former acquaintance once remarked, rather gleefully, that there were no pets or indoor plants in his family’s home. I suppose single people living in apartments often find themselves petless and plantless for a variety of reasons. No one else in my social circles with a spouse, house and kids, however, can lay claim to the same. In fact, many of my friends have way too many plants and in some instances, pets, sharing their abodes.

As it turns out, numerous scientific studies carried out by renowned institutions like Rodale, Rutgers, Texas A & M, and Harvard, to name a few, have all shown that flowers and plants bring happiness, make people more productive (not sure if teenagers were included in these studies!!), reduce anxieties, and help ill people heal faster. Some hospitalized patients exhibited reduced blood pressure and required less painkillers when exposed to plants or flowers.

Surely all of us gardening geeks have experienced similar feelings of contentment whether digging, weeding and planting out in the yard or when spending a bit of indoor time grooming, transplanting and propagating houseplants – which what I was doing this past weekend when it triggered this odd but memorable articulation.

First order of business was to pot up amaryllis bulbs that had spent last summer and fall outdoors in the ground and were dug up right before the November 8^th snowstorm. They were just set in a basket in the cellar and their foliage allowed to die down. These 4 bulbs could have been potted up any time in the last month but time was on my side today.

Pot amaryllis bulbs with their tips sticking out of the potting mix and into heavy clay or ceramic pots because they are rather top heavy. Water them well and place them in a relatively bright and cool location until you see the buds start to form. At that time, start fertilizing and watering regularly and make sure they receive adequate light. They should bloom in 6 to 8 weeks.

Interesting use of amaryllis at Flora in Winter at the Worcester, MA Art Museum

A few tender perennials are overwintered under my plant lights and in windows. A very lovely variegated ivy was pruned back, repotted and the cuttings placed in a vase of water to hopefully root and be used in northern exposure window boxes. I groomed a brilliant red gerbera which had been producing flowers on and off since I purchased it last spring. This past week a lovely plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’ put forth a precious purple bloom. It was severely cut back before bringing it in and tending to it over the winter and the flower is worth every effort.

Plectranthus blooming in February

Maybe some can live without plants in their homes, but I am definitely not among them!

Plants Rule!

Dawn