The Nature of Delaware

By Joe Sebastiani, Members Program Team Leader

For the last month or so, about every other post on the Pennsylvania Bird listserve has had the topic line, “ww crossbill”.  Each backyard, cemetery, or park with a spruce or hemlock tree was reported to have White-winged Crossbills.  I was getting a little sick of it to tell you the truth.  When were we going to see them here in Delaware??

They have arrived at last.  Last week someone reported a flock on a private property in New Castle County.  Derek Stoner heard some flying over the Delaware Nature Society’s Flint Woods Preserve in Centreville a few days ago, but never saw them. 

This morning, I set out to find some, and succeeded big-time.  At a private property near Ashland Nature Center, I discovered a flock of about 50 White-winged Crossbills feeding in hemlock trees.  What a sight they were!  The male is pinkish-red, and female is yellowish-green, and both are absolutely beautiful.  The bill is crossed at the tip, which is an adaptation for extracting seeds from hemlock, spruce, and tamarack cones.  This is rather difficult to see in the field, especially when they are at the top of a 50-foot tree and blowing around in the wind.

A male White-winged Crossbill in a hemlock tree, which is one of their favorite food sources. Photo by Jim White

After I found the birds, I quickly got Jim and Amy White, who live nearby, over to see them.  We watched the large flock fly around, land, and quickly get up again, since there were two Sharp-shinned Hawks nearby, spooking them.  The birds called as they flew, making a sound that is described as someone typing on an old-fashioned typewriter.  At one point, the birds flew into a deciduous tree and began eating the frozen, crusty snow that was on the larger branches. 

White-winged Crossbills eating snow in a tree. Photo by Joe Sebastiani

After an hour, the show was over and the birds departed for some unknown roost or feeding area for the remainder of the morning. 

Why are they here??  This species normally lives and breeds well to our north in the boreal forests of Canada.  They are a very nomadic species, however, moving from place to place to find good crops of hemlock, spruce, and tamarack tree seeds.  This year, apparently the cone crop was not good to our north and the birds have come south in huge numbers.  Since their favorite food sources do not grow here naturally, the White-winged Crossbill should be looked for in areas that have large planted hemlock and spruce with cones.

If you would like to see these birds, we are meeting at Ashland Nature Center on Monday, February 2 at 8:45 a.m. to go find them.  We hope to see you there.

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First of all, the correct answer to the trivia question from the Green Living Series post is…the Microwave.  Microwaves tend to use a lot of energy when operating, but when cooking times are reduced, such as making a cup of tea, they use about two-thirds the energy of a conventional or gas oven.

By Ginger North: Citizen Science Coordinator

To kick off the Delaware Nature Society’s Green Living Series, I took 12 members to the GE Solar Manufacturing plant in Newark, DE.  It is one of only two GE solar panel manufacturing plants in the world.  The other is in China.  It is here because GE bought AstroPower, an independent solar energy company that was started with University of Delaware research technology.  The GE presenters ranged from Operations and Quality, to Sales and Product Line staff.  They all were extremely knowledgeable and able to convey technical aspects in a clear, easy to understand manner.  In fact, our attendees had so many questions that we stayed 1/2-hour longer than expected.  I eventually dragged them away so I could get home for dinner! 

GE has been involved in solar energy production for about 40 years, but interest in the US has just recently increased.  Most of the demand up until 8 years ago has been in Africa and certain third world countries where electricity is not often available and solar energy is the only option to pump water for villages and towns.  I also learned that residents do not actually use the solar power they produce.  It goes back into the grid and provides credit to their electric bill (your electric dial actually runs backwards!).

Delaware Nature Society Members Program field trip to the GE Solar Panel Facility, Newark, DE

Bill Haldeman, a participant on the program, was looking to get some answers for his employer, who is considering adding solar panels to the property.  He said that they really dispelled some misconceptions for him.  “Shading one little spot on the panel disables it because the cells are all connected,” Bill said.  Bill also learned that the panel needs to be attached to your existing electrical system, since the power you generate goes directly back to the grid, not to directly power your home or stored in a battery.  Bill also said that, “During a power failure, you won’t be using the solar power your produced.  Your house will still be dark, since the solar panels simply feed the grid and don’t directly contribute power to the house”.  Bill also learned that you shouldn’t purchase one that is too big, because if you produce more energy than you use, you won’t get paid for the extra energy you feed into the system and won’t realize the return on your investment for the bigger solar array. 

Join us for the next Green Living Series program will be on February 9th from 6-8pm, entitled “Green Cleaning and Home Energy Audit Workshop”.  Register on-line at www.delawarenaturesociety.org.

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A piebald deer at Ashland, next to a normal-colored counterpart.

When we think of winter, we often think of white: snow, ice, and clouds.  But an unusual white creature is roaming the grounds of the Ashland Nature Center this winter– a partially white deer!

Known as a piebald, partially-white deer are the result of a genetic abnormality cause by a recessive gene.  Less than 1% of the white-tailed deer in a population may exhibit this condition.  Studies have shown that some piebalds may have other genetic abnormalities that may affect their health, and certainly the white coloration makes them more noticeable to predators.

Some piebald deer may have very limited amounts of white, while others may be almost completely white.  Piebalds all have brown eyes, black noses, and dark hooves, a distinction from a true albino deer that would have red eyes, a pink nose, and pink hooves.

The deer at Ashland appears to be a doe fawn, probably born this past June and weighing about 60 pounds by now.  This deer is white from the tail up to the front shoulders, but has a brown neck and head.   She is usually seen in the afternoons, browsing in the floodplain meadow across from the nature center in the company of 8-10 other deer.  From a distance, she looks like a ghost drifting through the meadow!

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Abbott's Mill in its current form, dating back to the early 1900's

The Delaware Nature Society’s Abbott’s Mill Nature Center is located near Milford, DE.  The site contains natural areas, a trail system, pond, stream, and nature center in addition to the Mill itself.  Stop in for a visit your family will enjoy, and make sure to join us on one of our “Running of the Mill” days.  (see below for details). 

Abbott’s Mill’s rich history dates back to 1795, when Nathaniel Wiley dammed Johnson’s Branch and built a saw mill.  Names, owners, and equipment changed over the past two centuries as it transitioned to grist stones and roller mills.  Ainsworth Abbott, the last miller who retired in 1963, sold the mill to the state of Delaware exactly as it functioned until his retirement.

Elliott Workman points out the "lans and grooves" on the grist stones

Abbott’s Mill is now managed by Delaware Nature Society for the State of Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.  The mill’s water turbine, grist stones, and roller mills are all operational following an extensive preservation project that started in 2004.  Elliott Workman, Land and Facilities Coordinator for Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, will be offering guided tours of this regional treasure on “Running of the Mill” days throughout the year.  Experience the rush of water through the turbine and the rumble of the stones as you step back into Delaware’s milling tradition. 

Rick Frunzi conducts yearly maintenance on the Mill's historic equipment

Running of the Mill – 2009

Time: 1:00-3:00pm

Cost: Free for DNS members, $5 for non-members

Dates:

Saturday, February 7th

Saturday, May 2nd

Saturday, August 1st

Saturday, October 17th

Note: Private tours available upon request (302) 422-0847 or jason@delawarenaturesociety.org

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By Brenna Goggin, Environmental Advocate:

Like most people, I have been trying to find ways to save money and cut back on my consumption each month.  While researching topics for the Delaware Nature Society’s Green Living Series, I came across several tips, websites, and news articles that all provided advice on how to become more “Green.”  Green is “in.”  Everywhere you look, there is a billboard, TV commercial, a politician, or an ad emphasizing the importance of going “green.”  Magazines, websites, TV ads are bombarding you with ideas on how you can save money and the environments at the same time.  Wouldn’t it be nice if there was one place to find all the information at once without having to spend hours researching which product is more efficient or how solar panels really work?  If you answered yes, then the DNS’s Green Living Series might have just what you are looking for!

Throughout the winter and spring of 2009, you can join us through four exciting programs.  These include a tour of the GE Solar Panel Facility on January 26, a Green Cleaning and Home Energy Audit Workshop on February 9, a Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop on March 10, and a Green Roof Tour on April 24. 

All four segments will give you strategies for “saving green by being green,” including methods to reduce monthly heating, cooling, water, and electricity bills; furthermore, you will leave with an arsenal of information to help you make smart choices when it comes to reducing your personal impact on the environment. 

In the meantime, if you would like to learn how you could further reduce your environmental impact, visit www.goodguide.com.  Good Guide makes it easy to identify environmentally friendly products with the straightforward rating system based on the product’s health and environmental performance, and the company’s overall environmental and social performance.

If you would like to sign up for any or all of the Green Living Series programs, please visit our website, www.delawarenaturesociety.org or call the registrar at (302) 239-2334 ext. 134

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By Joe Sebastiani, Members Program Team Leader

Here is what it said on the orienteering map…”Orienteering is a competitive sport for people of all ages.  It involves finding your way through unknown terrain with a map and compass.  Using a detailed topographic map as your primary tool and a compass to stay oriented, you try to select and follow the best route between specified points”.  Let me repeat.  “…you TRY to select…”  

The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education was the location for the latest event organized by the Delaware Valley Orienteering Association (www.dvoa.org).  We took 15 Teen Naturalists, (the Delaware Nature Society’s nature and outing club for teenagers), to this event yesterday in order to give this sport a try.

After some instruction in the morning at Ashland, and then again when we arrived at the Schuylkill Center, we were ready to get on with some orienteering.  I impressed upon them that their brains were the most important tool that would get them through the course, not the map and compass.  We soon broke into five groups, each with three eager teenagers.  Two groups elected to try the yellow course, which was for advanced beginners, and the other three groups tried the white course for pure beginners.

Besides our brains, the map and compass are the tools of orienteering.

I reminded everyone that once they start the course, they would be on their own.  Sticking together was paramount, and getting lost, er…mis-oriented, was a real possibility in this 350-acre wild area within the city limits of Philadelphia.  My final piece of advice was to communicate with each other effectively, think, take time to read the map, and take a bearing with the compass each time they set off for a new waypoint. 

Groups departed at 5-minute intervals to prevent cheating or lurking on the group ahead of them.  Most groups walked, but a few ran, trying to make a competition out of it. 

Three Teen Naturalists quickly approaching a waypoint while orienteering at the Schuylkill Center in Philadelphia.

Dave Pro and Catherine Owens co-lead the Teen Naturalists with me.  Our job was to monitor the situation and provide assistance where needed.  Within minutes we could see that several of the groups were heading in opposite directions, which is not a good sign when they are doing the same course.  We decided to head them off by doing the courses backwards.  Indeed, we saw exactly NONE of our Teens for about an hour.  Where did they go?  We had a serious time-limit after all…the Philadelphia Eagles were playing the Arizona Cardinals later that day, (I would later regret that I made it back to see the game).  None of us wanted to be involved in a police-helicopter, sniffing-dog, infra-red nocturnal hunt for a lost (mis-oriented) group of teenagers in the Philadelphia wilderness.

"Punching in" at a marker. At the end of the day, you get a print-out of your total time and times between waypoints.

The clock was ticking, and a few of the groups began to hit the finish line.  The two fastest groups had slipped by without detection and finished in under 40 minutes.  This was pretty impressive.  Other groups were not as fortunate and discovered for themselves that using a compass backwards will not only put you on private property, but will create long, unintended uphill trudges to backtrack. 

By the last few minutes prior to our scheduled departure and an hour-and-a-half into the event, we were getting worried about our last group still in the woods.  My nightmare of hopelessly tracking wayward teenagers in the city during the Eagles game was cuing, just as this final group joyously returned.  “While we were mis-oriented, we decided to have fun in the woods and explore”, they quipped.  “We turned around when we saw a house and a private property sign”.  They had used their brains after all and everyone enjoyed their exploration and the sport of orienteering.

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