Last month the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture added two more landscape plants to the list of Pennsylvania Noxious Weeds: Winged burning bush (Euonymus alatus) and privet hedge (Ligustrum spp.). They jumped the queue into Class B Noxious Weeds because they are widely established in the wild with no hope of getting rid of them.
Native to China, Japan and Korea winged burning bush is a very popular landscaping plant that is so good at growing in dense shade that it invaded Pennsylvania’s woods. You’ve seen it in your neighborhood in October when the leaves turn bright red or magenta.
Right now it is leafless but you can recognize it by the flanges or “wings” on the stems. Here’s what it looks like in summer with opposite leaves on the stem.
By January 2025 it will be illegal to sell winged burning bush in PA nurseries and garden centers. Meanwhile you’re encouraged to replace it with native species, listed here.
Almost everyone knows what a privet hedge is. Privet is the hedge that makes you buy hedge clippers and use them frequently.
Last month the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture declared four species of privet noxious in PA: border privet (Ligustrum obtusifolium), common privet (L. vulgare), Japanese privet (L. japonicum), and Chinese privet (L. sinense). But no Ligustrum is native to the U.S. so if you see privet it’s an alien.
Privet’s ability to bounce back from cutting and regenerate from its roots make it great for borders but tenacious in the wild. I remember how hard it was to get rid of it from the border of my yard. It kept coming back until I dug up the roots.
Privet in the wild is not orderly, not tame at all.
Just as for winged burning bush, privet will be banned from sale at PA nurseries and garden centers in January 2025. Meanwhile, save yourself time with the hedge trimmers. Dig up those privet roots and plant a native shrub. Substitutes listed here.
(photos from Bugwood.org credited in the captions; click on the captions to see the originals)
Blue jay at Frick Park, January 2023 (photo by Charity Kheshgi)
27 February 2023
Spring is coming and blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) are talking about it. In addition to their typical “Jeer!” calls, they now make odd sounds that you might not recognize.
Here are two courtship season sounds, Pumphandle and Rattle, followed by an everyday “Jeer!” (You’ll also hear a crow, white-breasted nuthatch and others in this sound bite.)
Blue jays bob up and down when they make the Pumphandle sound and, according to the Stokes Guide, it “may be directed at other males in a courtship group or a predator.” When it’s directed at a predator it’s a low intensity comment as if to say, “I see you, Hawk, but you’re not threatening yet.”
Rattle calls are made only by females! Vassar’s website says, they’re “a series of rapid clicks that often have one sharp click at the beginning and end of the call, often emitted within a flock, as alert calls, or when another jay intrudes on a pair’s space.”
Seeing is believing. Watch the spring calls and sounds of blue jays in two videos by Lesley The Bird Nerd.
If you heard these sounds without seeing the bird making them, would you think it was a blue jay?
If, like me, you live far from the ocean you may never have seen breaking waves glow blue at night. This bioluminescence is caused by single-celled organisms floating in ocean surface water whose defense mechanism creates blue light when they feel threatened.
Bioluminescence is relatively rare on land (think fireflies and fungi) but is common in the ocean where 76% of the organisms can create their own light through a chemical reaction between oxygen and the enzyme luciferase. The color is predominantly blue, the wavelength that travels furthest in water, and is a useful adaptation in the deep where sunlight cannot penetrate below 200 feet.
The glowing blue waves pictured above are created by dense populations of marine plankton called dinoflagellates. During the day they color the water red — a “red tide.”
Some are toxic but in San Diego in 2011 the organism was identified as harmless Lingulodinium polyedrum so it was safe to swim. ( Lingulodinium polyedrum might be top center below.)
Dinoflagellates automatically glow to warn off predators so when a wave begins to break and the jostling mimics a predator, the glowing begins. When the wave subsides the glowing stops. You can see the red tide of dinoflagellates in front of the blue wave below.
Red tides happen fairly frequently in San Diego, though not every year, and they tend to be benign. (They are generally NOT benign in Florida!) Learn more about the 2011 bioluminescence in this video:
Woodland crocus or Tommasini’s croscus, 21 Feb 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
25 February 2023
For seven days this week the temperature stayed above freezing and hit 71 degrees F on Thursday. At 26 degrees above normal, flowers opened on plants and trees.
My favorites were the early crocuses. Native to Bulgaria, Hungary, Albania and the former Yugoslavia, these woodland crocuses (Crocus tommasinianus) are often seen in gardens but someone in my neighborhood planted them in a grassy front yard. Because the flowers bloom before the grass grows they are in no danger of being mowed.
Tomasini’s crocuses blooming in the grass, Neville Ave, 21 Feb 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
On Pitt’s campus Cornelian cherry trees (Cornus mas) produced yellow flowers.
Flowers of Cornelian Cherry, 20 Feb 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
Red maples (Acer rubrum) bloomed next to Carnegie Museum …
Red maple flowers near Carnegie Museum, 20 Feb 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
… and at Frick Park the maple branches looked thick with tiny flowers, including yellowish pollen-bearing ones.
Maple trees against a blue sky. Branches look thick with small flowers and pollen anthers, Frick Park, 23 Feb 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
This week, tiny leaves opened on jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens) and a few honeysuckle bushes. Unfortunately invasive plants are first to leaf out.
New leaves opening on jetbead, Frick Park, 23 Feb 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
The coming week will be like a wet blanket: above freezing, gusty wind, lots of rain.
In the brief moment I watched the live stream, two rufous-tailed hummingbirds (Amazilia tzacatl) visited the feeders and chased each other. Notice the orange beak, green body and rufous tail. We saw them at Mindo, photo below by P. B. Child.
Rufous-tailed hummingbird, Feb 2023 (photo by P. B. Child)
Peregrine falcons in southwestern PA are preparing for the nesting season by conspicuously claiming territory and courting mates. Here’s a roundup of recent peregrine news plus a regional map of known sites. Notice the dates. If you want to see a peregrine falcon, now is the time to do it!
Peregrine locations in Southwestern PA (annotated by Kate St. John)
This eBird map of recent sightings shows that peregrine locations are skewed north of the City of Pittsburgh. There may be peregrines south of Pittsburgh but we need observers along the Monongahela River.
Where to look on the Cathedral of Learning, from Forbes Ave side (photo by Kate St. John)
Morela and Ecco have been staying close to home at the Cathedral of Learning and visiting their nestbox every day. The easiest way to see them is “live” on the National Aviary falconcam, video below.
If they’re not on the falconcam check all the perches at the top of the building (area highlighted above). Peregrines somehow manage to match the building so you’ll need binoculars.
Last year Morela laid her first egg on 18 March. When will her first egg appear this year?
Downtown Pittsburgh:
Will the peregrines use this location in 2023? (photo by Kate St. John)
Montgomery Brown reports the Downtown peregrines in eBird from a vantage point at One Oxford Center, most recently on 8 Feb. Have peregrines shown up at the 3rd Avenue nest site yet (photo above)? More observers needed!
UPDATE on 24 Feb 2023: Jeff Cieslak photographed a peregrine perched at the 3rd Avenue nest ledge as seen from Mt. Washington.
Peregrine at the 3rd Ave nest ledge, 24 Feb 2023 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)
p.s. Are any peregrines at the Gulf Tower? No. Peregrines have not used the Gulf Tower site since 2017. Observers in the building will let us know if the peregrines show up.
Monaca RR Bridge, Ohio River:
Peregrines at Monaca RR Bridge, 9 Jan 2023 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)
Dante Zuccaro reports one or two peregrines almost every day at the Monaca Railroad Bridge as seen from the mouth of the Beaver River. Check the bridge closely. This pair is very reliable but hard to see. Jeff Cieslak’s photo is from 9 January.
Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge, Ohio River:
Ambridge Bridge, 20 Feb 2020 (photo by Kate St. John)
This winter Mark Vass periodically has seen one or two peregrines at the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge, most recently on 20 February. In five years a nest has never been confirmed.
Sewickley Bridge, Ohio River:
Peregrine on the Sewickley Bridge, 9 Jan 2022 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)
On an errand in Sewickley yesterday I saw one peregrine atop the Sewickley Bridge. A pair was seen as recently as 11 February. Keep an eye on the Sewickley Bridge in case the peregrines decide to nest there.
Eckert Street near McKees Rocks Bridge, Ohio River:
Peregrine flies by the power tower near Alcosan, 9 Jan 2023 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)
While on Ohio River Boulevard yesterday I saw a peregrine perched on the power tower near Alcosan thanks to the McKees Rocks Bridge stoplight. The tower is a favorite hangout of the Eckert Street Bridge peregrines who raised four young last spring.
Jeff Cieslak often visits the Eckert Street territory and provides this map of places to see the peregrines. His “Ohio River Boulevard” arrow points to Eckert Street.
Map of McKees Rocks Bridge area including power tower (screenshot from Google maps markup by Jeff Cieslak )
Westinghouse Bridge, Turtle Creek:
Peregrine at Westinghouse Bridge, 18 Feb 2023 (photo by Dana Nesiti)
The Westinghouse Bridge peregrines have become more visible as they ramp up to the nesting season. Dana Nesiti stops by to see them when he gets a break from photographing the Hays bald eagles. This pair is easy to see before the female lays eggs in mid to late March.
Tarentum Bridge, Allegheny River:
Peregrine at the Tarentum Bridge, 7 Feb 2023 (photo by Dave Brooke)
The Tarentum Bridge peregrines are very conspicuous lately and seen by many observers. In Dave Brooke’s photo above, the female is perched on the navigation lightpole with a full crop.
Under the Graff Bridge as seen from the Armstrong Trail, 2022 (photo by Kate St. John)
This winter Theo Rickert has been checking the Graff Bridge near Kittanning with good success and reported two peregrines on site on 19 February. This nest site is probably used every year but sometimes no one notices. Thank you, Theo!
No recent news: There’s been no news since last year from three sites.
Clairton Coke Works: This nest produced three young last year but it cannot be seen outside the premises. We await news from USS employees at Clairton Coke Works.
62nd Street Bridge / Highland Park Bridge / Aspinwall Riverfront Park, Allegheny River: There are 3 bridges to check in close proximity, any one of which might have a peregrine family. Take a look and tell me if you find a peregrine.
62nd Street and Highland Park bridges as seen from underneath Aspinwall RR bridge (photo by Kate St. John)
Speers Railroad Bridge, Washington County, Monongahela River: No news from this site for over a year. Observers needed!
Additional bridges to watch: Peregrines love to perch on top of bridges. Check these out!
West End Bridge, Ohio River.
Bridges at Downtown Pittsburgh over the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers including Roberto Clemente (6th), Andy Warhol (7th), Rachel Carson (9th), Smithfield Street
40th Street Bridge, Allegheny River
Glenwood Bridge, Monongahela River
Check out any site and tell me what you see. Need directions? Leave a comment.
Fuller sees them frequently, especially on his wildlife cams. He says, “Over the years I seem to have become a stoat rehabilitator – as well as a wildlife artist. But that’s fine because I have a soft spot for these cute mustelids. Watch the story of my latest rescue, an adorable stoat called Rocket.”
His 11+ minute video shows Rocket and two other orphaned baby stoats growing up. They learn, play and explore together and then are soft-released into the wild.
Ecco and Morela bow at the Cathedral of Learning nest, 20 Feb 2023 (phot ofrom the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
21 February 2023
Even though Morela won’t lay eggs until mid March, the peregrine falcon pair at the Cathedral of Learning are actively courting and preparing their nest. Yesterday they bowed for several minutes and dug the scrape.
Peregrines don’t build stick nests. Instead they lay eggs in a bowl that they scrape in dirt or gravel on their chosen cliff ledge. The bowl prevents their eggs from rolling off the cliff and shelters the eggs while they incubate. The nest is the bowl; it’s called a “scrape. “
In late February and early March the Pitt peregrines spend ever longer periods at the nest, together or separately. Yesterday morning Ecco called Morela to come join him. When she didn’t arrive he dug at the scrape.
By 10am Ecco had convinced Morela to bow with him. Notice how they nearly touch beaks.
After their bowing session Morela went through the motions of digging at the scrape, then stood in it a while. Maybe she was thinking of the day she’ll lay an egg.
Every day Morela and Ecco are spending more time at the nest. Watch them on the National Aviary falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning.
In Ecuador I ate yuca, not yucca. The names sound the same and are nearly spelled the same but they are not the same plant at all.
Yuccas are members of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae) that grow in hot, dry places in the Americas and Caribbean. Ranging from ground-based rosettes of sword-shaped evergreen leaves to the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) of the Mojave Desert only their flower petals are eaten and then only in Central America. The yucca’s main cultivated use is as an ornamental plant.
But back in the 1700s when Europeans were renaming everything they found in the Americas, “early reports of the [Yucca] species were confused with cassava (Manihot esculenta).Consequently, Linnaeus mistakenly derived the generic name for yucca from the Taíno word for the cassava, yuca.” — quoted from Wikipedia yucca account
It’s hard to imagine how the mix up occurred. Their leaves and growing patterns are not at all the same.
The taste ranges from sweet to bitter but the roots contain cyanide so they must be peeled, soaked and boiled or else cut or ground and sun-dried before eating.
After the root is prepared for eating it can be made into flour, tapioca, chips, noodles, fries etc. I ate fried yuca in Ecuador. It tastes like French fries.
On our first full day of birding in Ecuador we traveled to another world on the slope of Pichincha Volcano. All eight of us had arrived from home elevations of 50 to 2,400 feet above sea level, yet within an hour and a half of breakfast we emerged from the van at 11,500 feet (3500 m). The birds at Yanacocha Reserve were spectacular and unaffected by thin air.
The feeders near the parking lot were dominated by a few belligerent shining sunbeams (Aglaeactis cupripennis, above), but a feeder in the shadows attracted a sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), the only bird in the world with a beak longer than its body. He uses it to sip from passionflowers and hanging trumpet flowers.
Sword-billed hummingbird at Yanacocha, 30 Jan 2023 (photo by P.B. Child)
To see more hummingbirds and other rarities we walked the Inca Road 4+ miles round trip. This screenshot from Google Earth shows that the ancient road remains at the same elevation by winding along the slopes. There were no steep grades but the thin air made rapid walking unpleasant. Fortunately we stopped often for birds.
Google Earth screenshot of the 2 miles of Inca walking ‘road’ from Reserva Yanacocha to feeders and antpitta
The Best Bird of the day, and a Life Bird for our guide Jon Feenstra, was an endangered hummingbird with an extremely restricted range. This female black-breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis) is one of no more than 250 remaining in the wild. She stopped us in our tracks at a bend in the trail. Two photos of the same bird.
Black-breasted puffleg, Yanacocha, 30 Jan 2023 (photo by P.B. Child)Black-breasted puffleg, Yanacocha, 30 Jan 2023 (photo by Jon Feenstra)
Our walk’s destination was a cluster of feeders with five more species of hummingbirds, two species of flowerpiercers, and no shining sunbeams. Just beyond the feeders a member of the Reserve staff showed us a bird we never expected to see.
Antpittas of all kinds are easy to hear but rarely seen.
We lined up to wait as the “bird whisperer” whistled the antpitta’s song and left worms at the feeding zone.
The gang watches the equatorial antpitta, Yanacocha, 30 Jan 2023 (photo by Jon Feenstra)
The bird appeared in the shadows and walked into dim light.
Equatorial antpitta, Yanacocha, 30 Jan 2023 (photo by Jon Feenstra)
The field guide said it was a “rufous antpitta” but the book is outdated. In 2020 the rufous antpitta was split into 13 similar species. The 13 species have white backgrounds below; equatorial antpitta outlined in magenta.
