The Calm Before The Rut: Deer in August

Deer, Schenley Park
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.

It’s calm now before the storm.

Schenley Park suffers from its overabundant deer population. See this article for more information: The Forest Lives in Mortal Fear of Its Deer.

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.

(photos by Kate St. John)

The Bugs Are Busy

Insects, Phenology, Spotted Lanternflies
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)

I should have known! These are false milkweed bugs (Lygaeus turcicus) who masquerade as a poisonous species and whose host plant is the false sunflower. Read more about them and the bugs they imitate here.

(photos by Kate St. John)

Formal in Black and White

Water and Shore
Black-necked stilt reflections (photo by Susan T Cook from Wikimedia Commons)

11 August 2023

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 stilt. Reflecting. (photo by Susan T Cook via Wikimedia Commons)
Three black-necked stilts. Not six. (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

The mothers look more casual when protecting their chicks. As you can tell by the sound track on this video, the chicks are adorable.

narrated video from Wild Wonders with Sushanta

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.

Black-necked stilt range map from Wikimedia Commons

(photos and map from Wikimedia Commons; click on the captions to see the originals)

Is This Stink Bug Early?

Insects
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?

What Eats Stink Bugs?

p.s. Speaking of predators, on 8 August I mentioned that researchers are working on importing a natural predator for spotted lanternflies but that it will take years to make sure it’s safe. Well, in 2018 scientists discovered that a natural predator of stink bugs had showed up on its own, accidentally imported the same way as the stink bug. Maybe this will happen for spotted lanternflies. It would save everyone a lot of trouble!

(photo by Kate St. John)

Hummingbird Day on August 19

Books & Events, Migration, Songbirds
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.

Powdermill Nature Reserve, operated by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, has one of the longest continually-running bird banding stations in the U.S. Throughout the year they see species abundance ebb and flow based on weather and migration timing.

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:

Hummingbird Day, Saturday 19 August 2023, 9:00am-noon at
Powdermill Nature Reserve
1795 Route 381
Rector, PA 15677

Powdermill Nature Center (photo embedded from CMNH Powdermill website)

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.

— CMNH: Hummingbird Day Event

Click here for more information. Hope to see you there.

(hummingbird photos by Steve Gosser and Kate St. John, Powdermill photo embedded from carnegie.org)

What Kills Spotted Lanternflies?

Insects, Spotted Lanternflies
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)

video from Global Update on YouTube

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)

video from CBS Philadelphia on YouTube

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)

video from VICENews on YouTube

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!

Spotted lanternfly quarantine counties in Pennsylvania as of 25 Feb 2023 (map from PA Dept of Agriculture via Penn State Extension)

Check out local answers you can use right now in this 1-hour-long Lunch and Learn about Spotted Lanternflies presented by Phipps Conservatory.

(photo by Kate St. John, map from PA Dept of Ag via Penn State Extension, video credits in the captions)

Why Do Bees Sleep on Flowers in Summer?

Insects
Bumblebee asleep on Jerusalem artichoke (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

7 August 2023

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.

And have a look at The Irish Times: The Wicklow couple with the world’s only wild bee sanctuary: ‘They are in trouble’.

(photo from Wikimedia Commons, tweets embedded from @the_beeguy)

Long Bowing in July

Bird Behavior, Peregrines
“The Kiss” Pitt peregrines Ecco and Carla touch beaks during a long bowing session on 30 July 2023 (snapshot from National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

6 August 2023

Each year the National Aviary falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning runs from February through July to cover the peregrine breeding season. Streaming ended on 31 July but just the day before, on 30 July, Ecco and Carla bowed for a long time at the nest and Carla occasionally ate some gravel. (*more information on gravel below)

The entire bowing session lasted 8 minutes but they paused a lot so I sped up the video to double-time. At 3 minutes in, it looks as if Carla has left but she’s merely off camera. As she comes close again Ecco resumes e-chupping and bowing. Finally Carla flies away and Ecco stands up straight to watch her leave.

video from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh, 30 July 2023

Though the bowing looks like courtship they won’t be starting a family anytime soon. Ecco and Carla live at the Cathedral of Learning all year long and bow to strengthen their pair bond, even in July.

The pair is generally less active in the summer but they’ll perk up when fall migration begins in earnest as they watch birds flying south over Oakland.

You can still see them at the nest — if they’re there — via the snapshot camera.

(*) Carla swallows bits of gravel to help her digestion. Here’s why:

How Birds Chew

(photo and video from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Literally Outside My Window

Insects, Spotted Lanternflies, Weather & Sky
Sunrise with mammatus clouds, Pittsburgh, 29 July 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)

5 August 2023

Some amazing things were quite literally outside my window last week.

Above, nearby thunderstorms at sunrise on 29 July produced these ominous mammatus clouds.

Two days later a complete rainbow with purple arcs filled the sky. The purple is too faint to see in this photo.

Rainbow in Pittsburgh, 31 July 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)

It was also a week of large flying insects.

Larger elm leaf beetles (Monocesta coryli) have been flying by 60 feet above the pavement. This one rested on my window.

Larger elm leaf beetle, 29 July 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)

And spotted lanternfly adults (Lycorma delicatula) fly higher than you’d think. Their numbers increased dramatically in the past week.

Spotted lanternfly outside my window, 2 August 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)

No one’s talking about wildfire smoke but something was causing Code Orange air on Thursday. Air quality improved long before sunset.

Sunset, 3 August 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)

(photos by Kate St. John)

In the Deep a Plastic Bag Floats By

Water and Shore
Coral community at Shostakovich Seamount (photo from NOAA Deep Sea Symphony project)

4 August 2023

Except for a few scientific probes, we humans know almost nothing about the deep sea, yet remote as it is it contains human evidence. Even in the deepest sea a plastic bag floats by.

Meanwhile, because the sea floor has no owner, mining companies are chomping at the bit to extract minerals from the deep sea in the absence of any rules to protect it. The companies claim the minerals to be used in electronics would mitigate climate change (really?) but what will the mining damage?

Last month the International Seabed Authority (ISA) met in Jamaica to discuss potential rules to allow deep sea mining. In the end they deferred the decision until next year. This video explains why the topic is so ‘hot’ right now and the potential dangers.

video embedded from China Global Television Network (CGTN) Europe

For a lengthy explanation see this 2021 video from the Economist: Mining the deep sea: the true cost to the planet.

(*) The deep sea floor has no “owner” because in international waters it is owned by all of us.

(photo from Wikimedia Commons, tweet and video embedded)