What Just Happened?!?

I'm still scratching my head trying to piece it all together. I was wrapping up a trip through the Natural Area Teaching Lab at the UF campus this morning when I saw a Pileated Woodpecker fly over to a snag. I watched Pileated Woodpeckers excavating a nest in another snag nearby a few weeks ago and thought maybe I might get a glimpse of some woodpecker chicks. As I got closer, though, I heard a lot of bird ruckus. Bluejays were screeching out "thief, thief, thief", the Mockingbird was making a lot of noise, and Red Headed Woodpeckers and other smaller birds were diving from the tree branches. Something was wrong. Then I saw and heard the Crows sitting in branches on either side of the tree.

Crows at the Woodpecker Snag

It looked like the Crows were trying to get something. Probably woodpecker eggs or chicks! I hurried over, hoping that my presence would shoo them off. (I know, I know, Crows have to eat, too. But I was emotionally invested in these particular woodpeckers, so I felt duty calling.) I stood near the tree, watching the activity and feeling sad at the likelihood that the woodpeckers would lose in this particular match.

Scaring off the Crows?

But then something odd caught my eye. The Crows were focused on something on the branch. It was a Yellow Rat Snake! More drama in the Pines!

Yellow Rat Snake!

I guess I had misjudged the Crows. It appeared that they were just joining in with the other birds to chase off the snake. After a while, though, the Crows flew away, accepting the outcome. The smaller birds also left. But the Pileated Woodpecker remained, which made me think that she was protecting her nest.

Guarding the Nest?

One Good Peck!

I watched in fascination as the woodpecker hopped up and down the tree, closing in on the snake, but never getting too close. It seemed like a big bird like that with its powerful bill could just peck the snake to death. But I also know that a big snake like that can eat a squirrel, so the woodpecker was smart to keep its distance. I couldn't tell at first if the snake was trying to get into the nest or if it was finished, but when I walked to the other side of the tree I got my answer. I could see 4 distinct round lumps--presumably the woodpecker eggs. The deed was done.

4 Round Lumps

Then the snake started inching down the tree. The woodpecker seemed interested in preventing this from happening. The snake persisted, and then disappeared from my view. I thought the snake had decided to climb into the nest cavity. I figured it was either going in for more, or was settling in to digest the big meal. The drama was over and I felt sad for the woodpeckers. All that work of nest excavating and laying eggs wasted. I packed up my camera and started to walk away. Then I heard a rustle in the tree and turned just in time to see the snake drop some 60 feet from the branch to the ground with a startling "thump"! I thought for a second about walking in and trying to find it, but came quickly to my senses and decided not to trail blaze. Anyway, that snake would be long gone by the time I started walking. Now, I thought, it was really all over. But wait--there's more! With the snake out of the picture, the woodpeckers started flying around again. 2 Red Headed woodpeckers flew to the snag and scuttled up and down the branches. Then the Pileated woodpecker flew to the tree next door where I had watched the nest building in several weeks ago. She flew to the nest opening and waited.

Meanwhile, Back at the Other Tree...

A Downy woodpecker flew to an upper branch in that same snag and started drumming. Then the Pileated poked her head into the nest, then climbed inside! She stayed inside for about 30 seconds, poked her head out and then flew off.

Off in Search of Food for the Babies!?

So, there is a chance that the Pileated nest is still intact, and there may be babies inside. I believe now that the eggs the snake ate belonged to the Red Headed woodpeckers, and that the Pileated stood watch by the other snag to make sure the snake didn't get into her own nest next door. That could still happen, and the chicks will be vulnerable as long as they are in the nest, even if they are big. But the amount of bird cooperation in this episode was extraordinary! And layer upon layer of intrigue! I could still have the whole story wrong, but this is the best I can come up with. I'm tired just thinking about it!

Rescue Me

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this week. I was a little mad at myself for wasting a perfectly good day yesterday cleaning a cupboard, so I was determined to get out and enjoy the yard today. (I'm pretty happy about the results of the cleaning, though.) Everything is in bloom and it's so gorgeous! I mentioned a while ago that our yard was part of a study of diversity in yards with native plants. Some days the researchers come and count bees, other days they count butterflies. Today they had the unenviable task of counting all the flowers. It was pretty funny to be outside with them and listen to the mad clicking of their hand held counters as they counted the profusion of Carolina Petunia, Powder Puff  and Cherokee Bean blossoms.

Powder Puff (Mimosa strigillosa)

Cherokee Bean (Erythrina herbaceae)

So Many Blooms! (Note insect trap by pole and the people counting by the fence) 

Each year when the yard gets growing, I start seeing plants that I want to move around. It's hard to envision them when everything is small and dormant and easier to move, so I always end up doing it in the heat when they're big and awkward. Also, my idea of what I want the yard to look like changes every year. This year I'm striving for a more planned look. It tends to get kind of crazy out there. I had a list of things to move today, and it included starting a new bed of Woodland Poppy Mallow. These are gorgeous hot pink flowers that I first encountered walking in San Felasco Hammock State Park. I absolutely love them and was thrilled when I was asked to help re-locate some from a piece of land that was going to become a sub-division. I got to take home a few plants and now have a happy bed of them by our front door. Today I wanted to start another bed on the other side of the door.

Happy Bed of Woodland Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe palaver)

I dug up the plants that I wanted to move and started lifting flower pots out of the way, when suddenly I saw a tiny little snake under one of the dishes! It was a Pine Woods Snake (Rhadinaea flavilata), and is one of two varieties of snakes that I've seen in our yard. (The other was a yellow rat snake that I saw once in the wood pile.) I've seen them a few different times and in a few places around the house, so I think we have more than one. From what I can read, Pine Woods Snakes are somewhat uncommon and are usually found in moist pine flatwoods. That we have them around our house in downtown Gainesville is pretty special to me. They are considered to be non-venomous and do not bite people. Apparently do have a mild (to people) venom in their rear fangs, but only to kill their small insect, lizard and frog prey. They are very shy. They prefer to hide under flower pots, mulch and rocks. When I saw this little one, I hurried inside and got the camera. Then I lifted the pot again and scooped up the snake to hold it and get a better look. It struggled to get away for a few seconds and then it curled around my hand. What a beautiful animal! It was so smooth and soft. I could see it breathing hard, so I just looked and photographed for a few minutes. I was so excited that my hand was shaking a little. The snake was excited, too, because it musked me. After a bit, I gently put it back and it slid into the bark. I think it will stay around the same area because I could see its tail sticking out of the mulch for 10-15 minutes after I released it. Also, I found a Pine Woods Snake in this same spot several years ago. The musk made my hand smell awful, so I washed up with some super smelly, all natural, patchouli scented hand soap. I bought it the other day and the patchouli was so strong that I couldn't bear to be around myself. But it's perfect for covering up snake musk.

Pine Woods Snake Curled Under the Dish (See the leaf and pine needle for scale)

Beautiful Little Pine Woods Snake

So I'm happy with the new location of the rescued Poppy Mallow, and I'm pretty sure the snake will stick around. Especially if I remember to water the Poppy Mallow, which will keep the pine bark nice and damp, and promise not to pick it up any more.

Sanctuary in the City

I did a little multi-tasking today. I needed to drive my husband to an appointment, so while he was taking care of his business, I took a walk through a City of Gainesville Nature Park. Gainesville is lucky this way. We have about 23 nature parks, scattered throughout the city. They encompass a large variety of habitats and serve multiple purposes--nature sanctuaries, picnic areas, playgrounds, sports fields, and education centers, to name just a few. That's the great thing about urban nature parks. They give people an alternative to sitting inside in fluorescent light, checking email and catching up on facebook. When you have a nature park a convenient distance from you, it is possible to take a quick trip over during lunch or spend quality time while you wait for someone else. A visit to a nature park can give you an excuse to take a walk and get some exercise, a chance to see wildlife and plants close to home, or can give some much needed buffer from the sounds and hubbub of everyday life. In addition, urban nature parks provide important opportunities for habitat amid our growing cities. Pockets of sanctuary for plants and animals gives them a place to thrive and survive amid human development, and gives us a convenient opportunity to enjoy them.

The place I went to today is called John Mahon Nature Park. It is located off of a major street that runs right through the heart of Gainesville. It is on 10 acres, tucked in between a busy medical complex and a blood bank, next to the road. On the way in, you pass a storm water retention pond, where I was greeted by two big frogs. Maybe River Frogs or Pig Frogs--I have a hard time telling. There was a pretty meadow in in the pond area, which will probably be submerged when we get more rain. Lots of dragonflies and butterflies flew around in the sunny area. I walked down the road leading to the actual park and found nice picnic tables and an informative kiosk. Inside the gate, I came to the trail which is a loop through the woods, maybe a half mile long. I walked it twice to make sure I didn't miss anything. (It seemed like a great place for owls, but I didn't see any.)

Dragonfly Watching Me

American Painted Lady on Spanish Needles (Bidens alba)

Pond Frog

Thick, Dark Woods

It was thick with trees and pretty dark. An interpretive sign explained that the habitat was once fire dependent upland pine forest, but now that it was surrounded by homes and businesses, burning is no longer possible and the forest had become overgrown with oaks and vines. Another interpretive sign gave information about the responsibilities of living around a nature park, such as cleaning up after pets and controlling invasive exotic species. Unfortunately, many urban nature parks in the area are plagued by invasive exotic plants such as Coral Ardesia, which I saw all along the short trail. Plants escape from landscapes and end up where they do not belong, choking out native vegetation and decreasing the natural diversity of an area.

Tell-Tale Red Berries of Coral Ardesia

Walking the loop I heard some Cardinals, Carolina Wrens and Chickadees. I saw several Zebra Longwing butterflies fluttering around. They prefer shady areas. There were only a few flowers growing in such a shady place and I could see the leaves of flowers that would bloom later in the season, such as Elephant's Foot, Hammock Snake Root, and Iron Weed. I was pleasantly surprised to find an abundance of Green Dragon plants. They are related to Jack in the Pulpit and have a similar shaped flower. There was also a small bed of Trillium. And a whole lot of poison ivy!

Carolina Wren Singing in the Woods

Green Dragon Flower (Arisaema dracontium)

Trillium (Trillium maculatum)

Leaves of Three, Leave it Be! Poison Ivy

With so many trees and vines it was fun to look closely at the shapes and textures all around me. One tree looked like a huge animal paw planted in the ground, while a Cherry Tree branch had beautiful stripes. Giant Grape vines hung across the hammock, sometimes twining around a branch and squeezing it until it bulged. The Greenbriar vines were prodigious, with many as thick as my thumb and lacy green ferns were scattered among the Saw Palmettos. On the second trip around, next to a big tree root that I thought looked like an animal den, I found a pair of Five Lined Skinks.

Big Oak Trunk--Doesn't it Look Like an Animal Paw?

Cherry Tree Bark

Vine Wrapped Around a Branch

Lacy Fern

Skinks and Their Den

Off in the distance I could hear people doing construction work on houses nearby. I passed a couple with a baby who were walking their dogs. Otherwise sights and sounds of most of the human activity were absorbed by the trees. It was like stepping out of the city for a moment. I spent less than an hour in the park. Then it was time to leave. Sanctuary in the City.

Little Snake Shed on Green Briar Vine (Smilax sp.)

Thanks, I needed that!

My husband had a bike accident last week and broke his collarbone. He's healing well, but I've been doing a short stint as his caregiver since the accident and thus have not been able to get outside as much as I'm used to. So it was a welcome treat when I was able to swing by Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park after dropping him off at work today. I had to renew our annual State Park Pass (great deal!), so I went to the main entrance of the park rather than La Chua Trail, where I usually go. I decided to check out the area around Lake Wauberg, by the Puc Puggy Campground. It was late morning by the time I got there, so I didn't think I'd have much chance of seeing Otters and Eagles, but it was still beautiful. I have not been especially taxed as a caregiver. My husband is able to take care of most of his needs. He's in pain, which is hard to see, and he's very uncomfortable. And he can't lift anything, or do his contact lenses (I hold his eyelids up). But otherwise, my work is relatively minor. Still, I've been tired and tense, and the cool breeze through the big oak trees felt so good. It was great to step out of the car and hear the "cheer, cheer, cheer" sounds of the Cardinals and the White Eyed Vireos chattering about "beer, Jack".

Big Oak Trees

I walked over to the short boardwalk on Lake Wauberg and saw an Anhinga that had just caught a fish. There were scores of Dragonflies in the Pickerel Weed. After many tries, I finally caught a shot of one mid air. I saw a Catbird in the blackberries and a female Blue Grosbeak perched on some Dog Fennel, and watched a pair of Osprey successfully fishing. The Fish Crows were Ca-ha-ing from the oak trees. The Green Anoles blended in perfectly with the water plants, taking on green and yellow backgrounds. Squirrels rustled in the tree leaves and scolded me as I walked along.

Mid Air Dragonfly

Blue Grosbeak

Hiding Anole

Wary Squirrel

I continued to the short Lake Trail, through the magnificent Oaks. Just past the Oaks there was a clearing and I could see a Gopher Tortoise walking towards me on the trail. I tried to speed up to get a closer look, but the Tortoise saw me, turned around and practically ran to its burrow! I caught a couple of shots of it tearing through the grass, and one more as it dove into the opening. I felt a little bad and selfish about scaring it, but I hadn't seen one for a long time. Right across from its burrow was another burrow that also looked active, but it also looked as if something had been digging in front. I suspect that something dug up and ate eggs that were buried in the apron of the burrow. I couldn't tell from the tracks what did the digging, but I suspect it could have been armadillos.

Gopher Tortoise Trotting Along

Turns Around and Runs Away

Tearing Through The Grass

Whoosh Down Into the Burrow

Digging--Maybe An Egg Thief?

I continued along the trail, passing fields of cactuses in bloom. Years ago, I thought it was odd when I first saw cactus in semi-tropical Florida. But I understand now that many Southwest desert species, including the Gopher Tortoise, Florida Scrub Jay, Burrowing Owl and Cactus have ancestors that migrated to the Southeast a million or so years ago.  It's our funny connection to the West where I grew up. The butterflies were excited about the early spring blooms of the Cactus, Tread Softly and purple Heliotrope.

Flowering Prickly-pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa)

Tread Softly (Cnidoscolus stimulosus) with Visitor

Clasping Heliotrope (Heliotropium amplexicaule) and Fiery Skipper

As I walked I looked down and noticed that the sandy road was covered in animal tracks. I saw tracks from Raccoon, lots of birds, squirrels, armadillos, lizards, deer, some sort of canine, and huge bird tracks that I figure were probably Turkey or Sandhill Crane. I looked for signs of snakes and bobcats but didn't see any indication. It's always interesting to look at tracks to see what animals have been in the area . This road was very busy!

Armadillo Tracks (See the Funny Feet and Tail Marks)

Birds Hopping

Raccoon Tracks on the Left and a Lizard Tail through the Center

Big Bird Track (Turkey or Crane?)

Intersecting Lizards

Critter Hoe Down!

On the return trip a Great Crested Flycatcher flew down and took a dust bath in the road right in front of me, while a Red Bellied Woodpecker thrashed around in a Palm Tree looking for good bugs. I watched a White Eyed Vireo catch a big bug, maybe a dragonfly, and feed it to its chick. The Cardinals called from every corner, and the Crows chased an immature Bald Eagle away from the lake. Back at the boardwalk, I saw a Common Yellowthroat and a Northern Parula looking for bugs in the bushes, and a Spider web sparkled in the woods on the way back to the car. It was all so soothing and pleasant and much appreciated.

Great Crested Fly Catcher Takes a Dust Bath

Red Bellied Woodpecker in the Palm

White Eyed Vireo

Cardinal Peeking Through the Leaves

Immature Bald Eagle Flies Away from Crows

Sparkling Web

Which got me thinking. Luckily and thankfully, my stint as a caregiver will be short and relatively easy.   My husband has the hard part. But many people do this difficult and important work every day for loved ones with serious, ongoing conditions and get little respite from the caregiving. Wouldn't it be nice if those caregivers could get away for some mind-clearing, soul-healing Nature Therapy? A little time outside gives you new energy and perspective. Here's an idea: If you are a caregiver, take a mental health day and go for a nature walk! If you know a caregiver, give them a restorative gift. Help them to take some time--a morning or afternoon, or even a whole day--to get away and go outside. Tell them to find a park, listen to some birds, watch the butterflies and breathe some fresh air. It will make a world of difference!

Nature Therapy

A Pretty Good Ditch

The ditch continues to inspire, taking on a meaning of its own. Here is a poem by my friend, Feral Willcox

A Pretty Good Ditch

In deer tongue, speak to me of summer

warming rim of trapdoor sun flowering

rayless across polygala lute-strung tunes

spun in open worship, lovely blueheart stung

awake by bristle, by brine and horrible thistle. Now

be gentle with me; little metalmark stretch out

the white headthoughts and their trains, longleafed

and violet as spindle veins; break me away

from fear bane, flea blame hopping

from name to name, no mercy in ladies’ tresses,

orchid on the grave of indoor friends, wooly

with mullein comfort and bogged in buttons,

zippers spidering up the guts of judges’ purses

webbing over sundew, dwarfed by the towering

warts of saints, johnpaulpeter and their bobs

for gaura floating in the oakleaves. Now

I am gone from church rooms and the greymile

tombs of highways, out

into the Temple.

~Feral Willcox