The mosaic is made of cells in the woody stem of a one year old tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), sliced thin and magnified 100 times. The colors and shapes are specific to the species and its age. The description indicates that things change at lot in a one year old tulip tree.
The mosaic slice was photographed in 2014 at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, MA from a sapling that probably grew in Western Massachusetts.
When a tulip tree grows up it has leaves and flowers like this.
Tulip tree leafout, Schenley Park, 28 April 2014 (photo by Kate St. John)Tulip tree flower, 4 May 2017 (photo by Kate St. John)
Still beautiful and intricate even when not magnified.
For more information on the mosaic image see the description of the image here. It is so technical that I need a glossary to figure out what it means.
Last Sunday while Bob Donnan was at the Pirates’ game, two young birds nestled in the windshield wiper well of his car.
Yesterday [13 August] when our Chevy Bolt was parked at the South Hills Village – Public Rapid Transit garage, two young [Mourning] Doves nestled into the lower windshield area. We didn’t even notice them until exiting the garage into brighter light!
The car is so quiet that their short ride didn’t alarm them. After I stopped the car and waited for all traffic to pass, I waved my hand toward them and they flew off, back toward the parking garage.
— email from Bob Donnan, 14 August 2023
Immature mourning doves are surprised to take a ride (video by Bob Donnan)
I could tell by the birds’ appearance that they are juvenile mourning doves because they look spotty rather than smooth. Juvenile body feathers are so new that each one has a pale tip, giving the bird a scalloped look. Compare the top photo of a juvenile with this one of an adult.
Mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) nest multiple times per season and at each nesting the female lays two eggs that hatch in 14 days and fledge 12-15 days later. Just before they fledge the father completely takes over feeding duty so his mate can cycle and lay a new clutch.
The siblings are dependent on their father for 12-15 days after they fledge (26-30 days old). During this period they stay together in the same area during the day, never straying far, waiting for dad to show up. In the nest they learned to associate his voice with a feeding so if he calls they come.
Interestingly they have good homing skills even at this young age. If juveniles are forced from their “reference area” before they are 21 days old — i.e. while still dependent on their father — they always return within 24 hours.
Why at the parking garage?
Mourning doves nest in trees, shrubs and even on the ground but they have no problem nesting near humans and, according to Birds of the World, “may use unusual human-made substrates for nest sites, e.g. rain spouts, mops hanging on walls, immobile car accessories.”
Hmmm. “Immobile car accessories.” These two are probably not the only baby doves who’ve been taken for a ride.
(photos from Wikimedia Commons, video by Bob Donnan)
A lot of us think that fall migration doesn’t start until the end of August, but guess what? BirdCast resumed migration predictions on 1 August and their regional lists of Species On The Move show an influx of 10 noticeable species this week while five have already left, or are about to. Don’t wait to go birding. Check BirdCast tools to find out why.
Species On The Move uses two decades of eBird data to calculate movement from start to finish within four regions: Upper Midwest & Northeast, Gulf Coast & Southeast, Great Plains, and West. Of course they list First Arrival, Peak, and Last Departure but my favorite markers are:
Noticeability: *** Three asterisks mean we’re really likely to notice this species.
Rapid Migrant Influx: A few may be here already but numbers increase rapidly on this date.
Rapid Departure: Numbers drop quickly on this date though a few will linger.
The tables are grouped by region with Pittsburgh in the heart of BirdCast’s Upper Midwest & Northeast region. These dates are estimates but they’re good ones. Let’s take a look at who left and who’s coming soon.
Noticable Departures: Who Just Left?
Orchard oriole singing at Frick Park, 26 April 2023 (photo by Charity Kheshgi)
Have you noticed that orchard orioles, northern rough-winged swallows and willow flycatchers are basically gone? They started leaving in July, then rapidly departed in the first week of August. Yellow warblers and purple martins are not far behind. They’ll leave this week.
The screenshot below is a quick summary of rapid departures as of 13 August 2023. It shows:
Upper Midwest and Northeast region
Pared down to Noticeable birds (*** or **)
Sorted by Rapid Migrant Departure date
Not including some goodies such as Louisiana waterthrush, alder flycatcher and least bittern. (They’re on the website but not “Noticeable” for my pared-down screenshot.)
The tables change every day, dropping past dates and picking up new species in the future, so check out BirdCast’s Species on the Move to find out what’s happening near you.
p.s. How will you know if it’s worth going birding? Check BirdCast Migration Tools for forecast maps, live maps and alerts.
6-point buck in Schenley Park, 4 August 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
13 August 2023
In the city of Pittsburgh there are so many white-tailed deer that it’s easy to see them in August. The bucks are eating, eating, eating to bulk up. The does are hanging out with their adolescent fawns in this brief period between birthing and mating. It’s the calm before the rut.
Last Friday morning I found eight deer resting in dappled shade in Schenley Park. My cellphone photos don’t do them justice except for this: The photos show how hard it is to notice deer that are lying down and not moving.
Four bucks resting in Schenley Park, 11 August 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
A few of them moved, however, grooming to shed their chestnut brown summer coats for gray-brown winter pelage. The photo above shows four bucks with antlers in velvet, each with a different point count: 4-point, 6-point, 7-point and 8-point.
Two does and two fawns rested a short distance from the males. The fawns gave the group away. They did not hold still for long. (The second doe is not in the photo.)
Doe and two fawns resting in Schenley Park, 11 Aug 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
One week earlier it was impossible not to see this six-point buck browsing the hillside right next to the Lower Trail.
Deer eating in Schenley Park, 4 August 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
He’s leaving a lot of greenery behind but the leaves he’s not eating are unpalatable invasive aliens called goutweed. The buck is nosing through them to re-browse the deer-food plants hidden below the goutweed. Those food plants won’t recover this late in the season. All the food will be gone and he won’t be back to this spot.
Buck browsing in Schenley Park, 4 August 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
In August the days are still longer than the nights and deer hormones are not surging yet but it’s only a matter of time and the Equinox before their sedate demeanor ends. According to the PA Game Commission, after 12 weeks of rut excitement from mid October through early January:
98% of the mature does will have bred
40% of the fawns will have bred at only 6-7 months old (city/suburb phenomenon)
85% of the pregnancies will result in twins or triplets, some with different fathers.
A NOTE TO COMMENTERS: Some interesting threads have developed in the comments with new readers weighing. Please note that comments on this blog are moderated and may be edited for clarity. Comments that could inflame others will be edited or deleted.
Butterfly weed, Schenley, 9 August 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
13 August 2023
The birds are quiet now but the bugs are busy.
After I photographed this butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) I zoomed in to look at the yellow spec on the back edge of the flower cluster and found a tiny yellow crab spider clinging to the flowers. My guess is that he’s a member of the Thomisidae family, lying in wait for something. But what?
Tiny yellow crab spider on butterfly weed, Schenley, 9 August 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
On Monday, while walking the Three Rivers Heritage Trail River opposite Herrs Island, I noticed a caterpillar on the wide aluminum railing. It reminded me of the hickory tussock moth except that this one was blonde.
Sycamore tussock moth caterpillar near Herrs Island, 7 Aug 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
iNaturalist identified it as a sycamore tussock moth (Halysidota harrisii). The railing was directly beneath his host plant, a sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis).
Sycamore leaves and stems, Aug 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
The caterpillar walked rapidly down the railing in a straight line until Whoa! a spotted lanternfly red nymph walked rapidly toward him. The caterpillar made a detour.
Sycamore tussock moth detours to avoid a spotted lanternfly, 7 Aug 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
At Frick Park on 6 August we found a lot of millipedes on the paved Nine Mile Run Trail. iNaturalist says they are greenhouse millipedes (Oxidus gracilis), thought to be native to Japan but introduced around the world. They get their name from being a pest in greenhouses.
Greenhouse millipede, Frick Park, 6 Aug 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
And finally I was fooled yesterday by these mating orange and black bugs, as fooled as they intended me to be. They looked like milkweed bugs, but why were they on a false sunflower?
False milkweed bugs mating on a false sunflower, 11 Aug 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
As if they are wearing white tie and tails, black-necked stilts look formal in black and white. Their beauty is enhanced by reflections in their watery habitat.
Black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) are native only to the Americas, mostly South America. Check the map for their breeding zones to see their tiny chicks.
Brown marmorated stink bug, 8 August 2023, Pittsburgh (photo by Kate St. John)
10 August 2023
Not to be outdone by spotted lanternflies, this year’s first brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) showed up outside my window on Tuesday 8 August. His nymphs have been around since June, maybe earlier, but as an adult I think he’s early. Usually we don’t notice the adults until October.
Seven years ago I wrote about the animals that eat brown marmorated stink bugs. Now that the bugs are already here, their predators had better get on the job quickly. Or are they all worn out by spotted lanternflies?
Ruby-throated hummingbird, July 2014 (photo by Steve Gosser)
9 August 2023
Have you noticed a lot of ruby-throated hummingbirds at your feeders lately? Their fall migration is already underway so this month is the perfect time to see them up close at Powdermill.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) start their fall migration earlier than many other species so they’re more abundant than usual now. Come to Westmoreland County for a family friendly hummingbird event on:
Learn about hummingbirds, the plants that attract them, and how to care for your feeders so the birds stay healthy. There will also tips on taking great bird photos. And if the weather is good and the birds cooperate we(*) will get to see hummingbirds up close like this one in the bander’s hand. This bird was banded by Bob Mulvihill in Marcy Cunkelman’s garden in July 2015.
(*) I say “we” because I’ll be there, too, to teach you about hummingbirds. I’m looking forward to it!
Ruby-throated hummingbird in bander’s hand, July 2015 (photo by Kate St.John)
This event is free but do register here in advance so Powdermill knows to expect you. As the registration page says:
Events fill up fast! Registration is recommended to guarantee your spot and help us plan timing, seating, and/or trail routes. If there are spots available at the time of the program, non-registered individuals can join on a first-come, first-served basis.
Damaged adult spotted lanternfly, Pittsburgh, 22 July 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
8 August 2023
Aaarrg! They’re everywhere! Pittsburgh is in the midst of a spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) invasion and it’s just plain creepy. These bugs don’t bite but they’re large, they leap and fly unpredictably, and there are just so many of them. Even when damaged like the one above, they’re disgusting. Make them go away!
So what kills them? I’ve seen a few birds attempting to catch the nymphs but those few birds can hardly make a dent in such an overwhelming insect population.
For now it’s up to humans kill them. Not with poison but by more ingenious means.
DO NOT USE STICKY TAPE. It kills birds and beneficial insects –> Never Use Sticky Tape.
How about robots? Carnegie-Mellon’s Robotics Institute developed a robot that scrubs spotted lanternfly (SLF) egg masses off trees in winter so they can’t hatch the following spring. This is fascinating and useful in the long run for orchards but it doesn’t help us today. (1:29 minute video)
Another long term solution is to introduce SLF’s natural predators. Researchers in Delaware are studying two species of parasitic wasps from China that target spotted lanternflies but it will take years to make sure these tiny wasps are totally dedicated to SLF and will not attack North American species. If these wasps pass the test they’ll provide a long term solution for vineyards. (3:00 minute video)
And then there’s just plain killing them. The second half of this 2022 video shows how a woman in Gillette, NJ kills them in bulk. Favorite tool? An electric “tennis” racket! (Entire video here is 8 mins long. Excerpt is 4:00 minutes)
If you live in southwestern PA and haven’t seen a lot of lanternflies yet, just wait. Butler, Lawrence, Fayette and Somerset Counties were added to the SLF quarantine this year. Forewarned is forearmed … with an electric “tennis” racket!
If you’re not on X formerly-known-as-Twitter, you missed this very informative thread about the reason why native bumblebees sleep on flowers in July (and August).
The thread was posted on 22 July by The Bee Guy @the_beeguy, Paul Handrick, in which he described the behavior of wild bees in late summer. It catapulted him to fame and prompted an article in The Irish Times about The Bee Sanctuary of Ireland, founded by Handrick and his wife Claire-Louise Donelan. It’s the only wild bee sanctuary on the planet.
Handrick’s information is very timely and, because I have yet to find it anywhere else, I have embedded @the_beeguy’s thread below. The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is in flux so I don’t know how long his thread will be available. (I have noticed that it can take a while for the tweets to come in.) Read it while you can! It’s worth it.
Spoiler alert: To sleep on a flower may appear romantic and magical but the reality can seem more tragic than magic for the bumblebees involved.
Flower sleeping #bumblebees are primarily males. They don’t have a dad. Once mature, males leave the nest and never return. 2/16 pic.twitter.com/7LJQkX7sSs
…foraging in inclement weather or too late & losing light, low energy & natural end of life. But at this time of year – mid to late summer – you may notice a big increase in ‘flower sleepers’ and most of these will likely be males. So let’s take a look at male #bumblebees.. 4/16 pic.twitter.com/5NOVi1UTUV
…mother the queen. When developing as larvae they require more food and for a longer time period than female worker larvae. Ironically later in their short lives males will never forage for pollen and nectar to contribute to the nest but concentrate on foraging for nectar… 6/16 pic.twitter.com/ShCRQ7Cz1P
…to avoid inbreeding (take note some humans ?). This is where the ‘flower sleeping’ starts. Having no homes these males will now spend their days actively seeking a new queen to mate with and food to sustain themselves. They will travel up to 17 kilometres in a single day…8/16 pic.twitter.com/2nVEkU2cNI
…specific height preferences at which they patrol spreading their queen attracting scent. Some work their magic in the tree tops while others are more down to earth! Despite mating being their raison d’être the sad fact is that very few males (estimates put it at less… 10/16 pic.twitter.com/YV4wwZmR2M
…of the tibia that is. (Stop it!). Males with longer fore and hind legs are more successful at mating.
So those lethargic #bumblebees that you find early morning on flowers at this time of year – especially #thistles as males have a sweet tooth and thistle nectar is… 12/16 pic.twitter.com/PQIH9rN7l1
All females develop a stinger but the equivalent part of the body in males develops into the genital capsule. When males raise that middle leg to warn you to back off it’s just a bluff with no sting to back it up. So when it comes to #bumblebees the males… 14/16 pic.twitter.com/ExR587BW2X
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