The Nature of Delaware

By Derek Stoner, Conservation Project Coordinator

A male Ovenbird keeps cool in the shade of the forest canopy at Middle Run. Image by Derek Stoner.

As the first day of summer arrived last week, the weather seemed to respond to the calendar: bring on the heat!  Wilting plants, parched soil, and flagging enthusiasm for outdoor activites are all symptoms of this heat wave. 

While we may not like the hot weather, wildlife copes with warmer temperatures just fine.  With thermometers pegged in the mid-90′s last week, I watched birds gathering food for their babies, groundhogs feasting on lawn grass, and deer grazing soybeans at mid-day.  These fellow warm-blooded animals kept right on with their daily feeding routine, but I will bet they all needed a bit more hydration to keep their metabolism running smoothly.

Perhaps we can nominate the Ovenbird as the official bird of summer: a woodland warbler with a hot name that plays it cool in the forest.  You’ll never see one of these guys out on a sunny lawn or open area.  They have got it made in the shade!

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By Derek Stoner, Family and Conservation Program Coordinator

An elk herd grazes as dusk settles in the Pennsylvania Wilds. Image by Derek Stoner.

As the sun set amidst a wash of pink and gray clouds, distant lightning danced across the green-carpeted mountains.  A herd of 45 elk grazed in the lush field before us, their reddish coats contrasting with the bright yellow of the wild mustard flowers.  Hushed voices pointed out the bulls with the big antlers in velvet, and the many cow elk ready to give birth to their calves.

While this scene is more-expected in Wyoming or Montana, our group from Delaware Nature Society experienced this sight just 225 miles from the First State.  The Pennsylvania Wilds in north-central PA is home to the largest herd of elk in the East, and the scenery there is quite reminiscent of Western landscapes.  Wide-open vistas, iconic wildlife, and stunning scenery abound.

A very-pregnant cow elk, very ready to welcome a new calf. Image by Derek Stoner.

After two wonderful trips in autumn to see the drama of the elk mating rituals, we decided to visit the Wilds in spring, for a sampling of “Spring Splendor.”  Over the first weekend in June, Sheila Vincent and I led the tour of places near the litle village of Benezette, visiting natural areas like the Quehanna Wilds, Marion Brooks Natural Area, and Wykoff Run Natural Area.

The elk herds gave us excellent close looks, as our first encounter found us within twenty yards of several cows whose bulging bellies signaled the impending arrival of baby elk.  Perhaps these are the exact same lady elk we saw being courted by the battling bulls last September?  

A Mountain Laurel in full bloom in the Pennsylvania Wilds. Image by Derek Stoner.

The wildflower show is fantastic in early June, and we hit the peak of the Mountain Laurel bloom.  These beautiful bushes covered entire hillsides in pale pink blossoms, and the state flower of Pennsylvania lived up to its reputation as a delicate beauty.  We reveled in the electric colors of Pink Lady’s Slipper, Devil’s Paintbrush, Blue-eyed Grass, and Gay Wings, while the subtle greens of ferns like Ostrich, Sensitive, and Cinnamon delighted the botanically-inclined.  Wading through the waist-deep ferns in the largest white birch grove in Pennsylvania, we felt like we’d stepped into a prehistoric forest .

A White Admiral, with beautiful blue hindwings courtesy of hybridization with a Red-spotted Purple. Image by Derek Stoner.

One of the best surprises of the trip is the encounter we had with an unusual butterfly: a hybrid cross between a White Admiral and a  Red-spotted Purple.  A new butterfly for everyone (including butterfly guru Sheila!), we marveled at this insect’s combination of black, white, and electric blue.  Other butterflies encountered include Spicebush Swallowtail, Little Wood Satyr, Common Ringlet, and Dreamy Duskywing.    

Spectacular looks at songbirds like Blackburnian Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler,  Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, and Blue-headed Vireo rounded out our wildlife experience.

Our grand finale was a visit to the Wykoff Run waterfalls, where the bending boughs of hemlock and rhododendron shaded the crystal-clear waters.  The gentle murmur of the small cascades and the peaceful scene gave a strong hint as to why the area is called “The Wilds.”  We look forward to returning to experience more of the magic!   Enjoy the video highlights of our adventure:  

The Pennsylvania Wilds is an amazing assemblage of public lands and wilderness areas.  Learn more about the region at this site:  http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/info/pawilds/about.aspx    The Delaware Nature Society will return this fall for “Taste of the Wilds,” to enjoy the wildlife and sample fine wild game cooking.  Join us for this adventure September 21-23, when we will visit the brand new (opening in September ) Elk Country Visitor Center, an incredible educational facility highlighting the signature species of the Wilds:      http://experienceelkcountry.com/vc.html

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By Joe Sebastiani, Seasonal Program Team Leader

Ten years ago, I bought a bird box designed for Eastern Screech-owls and put it up in my yard, which is across the street from the Bucktoe Creek Preserve.  Over the years, I have had a few screech-owls roost in it during the day but nothing ever nested in it.  Sure, a Carolina Chickadee or two have examined it.  Once, I was excited when a Great Crested Flycatcher checked it out, but the box wasn’t to its liking.  Until this spring, the box never hosted a nest of any sort. 

My screech-owl box has actually hosted roosting owls, especially during the winter months.

About a month ago, I noticed a Tufted Titmouse pulling hair from the “wool wreath” in the yard, which is designed to provide birds hair for making nests.  The bird had a silver band on the leg, and I figured it was one of the birds that have been banded over the years at the Bucktoe Bird Banding program that happens each September.  (The banding program occurs within 300 yards of my house).  The bird collected wool several times and flew off, and I never figured out where it nested until about a week ago.

Here is the "wool wreath" which attracts birds to pull out the hair for nesting material.

Last week, I heard a begging noise coming from the box, and saw a Tufted Titmouse emerge, perch on top, and saw that it had a leg band.  Very cool!  I observed the pair make several trips to the box with food for the young, each time producing cries from the nestlings inside.  This past Sunday, the nestlings were at the entrance hole, begging for food.

Nestling Tufted Titmice wait in the bird box for a parent to bring them their next meal.

A nestling Tufted Titmouse begging for food.

Soon after the above photograph was taken, this nestling turned into a fledgling and took off into the nearby vegetation.  Sometimes finding bird nests is difficult, even for common species.  This one was right under my nose!  If you would like to join me this Friday, I will be leading the Breeding Birds and Breakfast program at Coverdale Farm, 8-11am.  Register online at www.delawarenaturesociety.org or call (302) 239-2334.  We will be searching Burrows Run Preserve and Coverdale Farm to find breeding birds and will contribute our sightings to the Delaware Breeding Bird Atlas project.

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By Derek Stoner, Conservation Project Coordinator

The four Mallard ducklings, 17 days old, showy their downy fuzz. Image by Derek Stoner.

The quartet of baby mallards race to stay close to their mother, following in a line behind her as she leads them to food, safety and shelter.  This instinctive behavior of ducklings is the origin of the saying “get your ducks in a row.”

In this case, though, the mother duck is actually a human.  The babies never knew an actual duck to be their parent, and so they are imprinted upon the humans that are raising them with care at Ashland Nature Center for use in programs.

The four Mallard ducklings at 28 days old-- feathered out! Image by Derek Stoner.

These four domestic Mallard ducklings came from a hatchery in Pennsylvania and were bought at a feed store in Smyrna, DE.  They turn one-month old on Friday, June 11.  Domestic Mallards look just like their wild cousins, and are legal to own.

As the ducklings grow, their special oil gland develops, allowing them to waterproof their feathers.  Located on the top of the tail, the uropygeal gland is rubbed with the duck’s beak and the oil is spread all over their feathers.  The result is that water is repelled by the coated feathers, thus the saying “like water off a duck’s back.”  

A duck's beak is well-designed to sift duckweed from the pond surface. Image by Derek Stoner.

The ducklings enjoy splashing, swimming, and bathing in the little ponds at Ashland.  They love to feed on duckweed (of course!) and their scoop-like beak helps them filter seeds, insects, algae, and other edibles from the rich pond soup.   Daily baths are important to maintain the health of a duck’s feathers and skin.  They take a quick bath that is mostly a lot of splashing, thus the human technique of taking a “duck bath.”

The ducklings are growing quickly and within another month will be able to test their new wings and try to fly! 

If you’d like to learn more about the interesting Life of a Duck, join us this Sunday, June 13, from 2:00 to 4:00pm at the DuPont Environmental Education Center (DEEC).   This educational family program will introduce you to the ducklings and an adult duck, and will show you the full spectrum of duck behaviors.  To register, call Ashland Nature Center at 239-2334 or DEEC at 656-1490.  Come join us!

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A dashing male Indigo Bunting perches after taking a morning bath at Middle Run. Image by Derek Stoner.

One-one, two-two, three-three is the song that erupts from a black cherry as we enter the forest at Middle Run.  The male Indigo Bunting perches at the top of the tree and sings his heart out.  This handsome member of the Cardinalid family likes to live on the the edge–  where forests and fields meet. 

After meeting the breeding bird species that inhabit the old fields and early-successional forests at Middle Run, we continue down the trail into the mature forest.  Amidst the towering trees, a whole new suite of beautiful birds may be found.  Let’s enter the the woods on the birding trail just below Tri-State facility, where this bird is on territory…

A stunning Scarlet Tanager feeds on a stinkbug gleaned from a cherry tree. Image by Derek Stoner.

Whoa– look at the blazing red bird!  We’ve just entered the territory of the Scarlet Tanager.  These birds spend most of their time in the forest canopy, gleaning caterpillars from the oaks and tulip trees.  On this day, the male tanger couldn’t resist the juicy stinkbugs clinging to a cherry tree.  We often hear the tanager’s raspy, robin-like song, but rarely catch a glimpse of them flitting around the top of the forest.  The past few times I’ve hiked the trail at Middle Run, I’ve lucked into the rare tanager: low and eye-level! 

A male Ovenbird lays claim to his territory with a burst of song. Image by Derek Stoner.

Further down the trail, we heard the loud call of a warbler:  teacher-teacher-TEACher, TEACHER yells the male Ovenbird.  A woodland warbler, the ovenbird builds a nest on the ground that resembles an old-fashioned bread oven, thus the unique name.  With a brown back and white chest speckled with brown dots, the Ovenbird is often mistaken for a Wood Thrush, another common woodland nester at Middle Run.  These two birds share the same protective coloration that helps them blend in while feeding on the forest floor.  Listen for the haunting, flute-like whistled song of the Wood Thrush while walking the birding trail.

Showing its characteristic feature, the Red-eyed Vireo searches for caterpillars. Image by Derek Stoner.

No matter where you in the woods, and no matter what time of day, you can likely hear the repetitive song of the Red-eyed Vireo.  See me, here I am, where are you? inquires the male vireo, time after time.  A tireless vocalist, the Red-eyed Vireo holds the world record for most songs sung in one day: 22,197!  Tha’ts non-stop for 14 hours, song after song segment.  With an olive green back and white underparts, the slow-moving vireo blends perfectly with the leaves in the forest as it searches for its favorite prey: moth caterpillars.  A thick beak with a hooked tip helps the vireo rip apart and devour its fuzzy prey.   The vireo builds a beautiful woven cup nest, often high in the canopy, and is though to be one of the most common woodland breeding birds in Delaware.

Perched in his favorite ash tree, the male Kentucky Warbler sings his heart out. Image by Derek Stoner.

Continuing down the trail, we come to the big bicycle bridge crossing Middle Run.  We hear calls of Eastern Wood-Peewee, the liquid songs of Louisiana Waterthrush, and the outbursts of Great-crested Flycatchers.  But it is the curious churry-churry-churry song that draws us across the bridge and into the territory of another intersting bird: the Kentucky Warbler.   These yellow-and-black warblers like to nest in understory thickets of spicebush and multliflora rose.  Along the Possum Hollow powerline, a pair of Kentuckys are set up in the same spot as the past couple years, and the male has a favored perch where he pours forth with song.  Many a birder is fooled into thinking the song is that of a common cardinal, but one look at this warbler will end the confusion.

As we turn back on the trail and head uphill along the power line, we re-enter the early-successional forest and the land of Blue-winged and Prairie Warblers.  The contrast between the birds of the ” big woods” and the birds of the “little forest” is apparent, but both places share a common denominator:  healthy habitat produces a diversity of breeding birds.

If you are interested in a guided tour of the Middle Run Birding Trail, join me for a free public bird walk at Middle Run on Sunday, June 27, from 8:00 to 11:00am.  We will meet in the parking lot off of Possum Hollow Road.  Enjoy a hike focusing on finding and studying the unique breeding birds of this special county park.  Come meet some of the birds pictured here!

*  All images taken on May 21, 2010, at the Middle Run Birding Trail.

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By Joe Sebastiani, Seasonal Program Team Leader

Each spring, I team up with Kevin Fryberger from the Brandywine Conservancy to lead a trip to see breeding birds at the King Ranch/Laurels Important Bird Area.  This is a large expanse of meadow habitat 20 minutes from Delaware in Chester County, PA.  The feel is more like a Midwest prairie, with nesting Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow, and Grasshopper Sparrow all around in the swaying grass.  The first surprise of the trip, however, was a mammal, not a bird.  On a dirt road that looked more like a private drive, a black Mink darted out in front of us.  We stared wide-eyed and excited as this “weasel” slipped into the brush.

This is "Big Sky Country" with thousands of acres of meadow habitat. Photo by Joe Sebastiani

Beautiful scenes are combined with courting Bobolink chasing and singing, sounding like a small R2D2 from Star Wars.  This blackbird, with a white stripe up the back and a buffy nape, has never been documented breeding in Delaware.  At the King Ranch near Unionville, there are thousands nesting in the meadows.

A male Bobolink sits on a fence at the King Ranch in Unionville, PA. Photo by Hank Davis.

Savannah Sparrow is a species that has not nested in Delaware in the last 100 years or so.  They are common breeding birds at King Ranch.  We found a pair that approached us closely, and seemed to be trying to lure us away from their nest.  The male sang, sounding like a combination of a Song Sparrow and a Grasshopper Sparrow, full of chimes and buzzes.

A Savannah Sparrow hides in tall meadow grasses. A pair quietly sang and tried to lure us away from their nest site. Photo by Joe Sebastiani

Grasshopper Sparrows also buzzed away in the tall grasses as we walked.  In nearby trees, we found the nest of a Great Crested Flycatcher, had great looks at an Indigo Bunting, and later visited a Great Blue Heron rookery and saw young in the nest.  Take a drive through this scenic area and look for amazing wildlife.  Travel north on Route 82 into PA.  After the village of Unionville, find some back roads and lose yourself in “Big Sky Country”.

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