What is it Wednesday: March 31, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

March 31, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

These are the rhizomes and roots of cattails. 

(The more visible and recognizable parts of cattails were a What is it Wednesday feature just a few months ago.) A rhizome is a an underground stem that grows horizontally, usually just below the surface of the soil, and puts out both roots downward and shoots upward and at its ends. A rhizome is also known as a rootstalk. The  rootstalks in this picture are visible where they normally would be underwater, because the Lower Lake where they grow is drained every winter. These rootstalks are just above the soil instead of just below it  because we were removing some of these cattails to clear the area near the canoe dock.

Cattail rootstalks are very starchy. Starting in late fall and into early spring the plant stores energy in the rootstalks to allow it develop new shoots and stalks in the spring. This starch can be removed from the fibers of the rootstalks and made into flour. This is just one of the many ways cattails can be used as food!

The rhizomes of cattails are also one of their features that allow them to spread so readily to fill suitable wet habitats. Once established in an area, cattails are very hard to fully remove. Not only do the rootstalks grow rapidly into new areas, broken off pieces of rootstalk and roots can create new plants on their own even after being removed from the rest of the plant. 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: March 10, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

March 10, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

This is the lower jawbone of a snake. 

Without a precise measurement it’s hard to pin down which type of snake it was, and a smaller head could also have been from an immature individual of a larger species. Our best guesses are garter snake, northern water snake or black rat snake – these are the most common snakes we see at Lutherlyn. (We also sometimes see ringneck snakes but they are much smaller.) 

Snake jaws are amazing because they are hinged to open very wide. As you can see in this photo, the teeth are also pointed backwards, which helps trap or direct the snake’s prey deeper into its mouth and throat. Something so simple is a part of what makes snakes impressive predators, even if they are very small.

It’s still a little too cold for snakes to be active at Lutherlyn, but they’ll be emerging from hibernation in the next month or so. Starting to see snakes is one of the many signs that indicates spring is arriving!

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: March 3, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

March 3, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This is what is left of an entrance tunnel to the abandoned coal mine
that is partially on Lutherlyn’s property. 

This coal mine was a drift mine -the entrance tunnels run horizontally into the hillside, not vertically down into the ground like a shaft mine. All that is visible of this entrance now is the end of the narrow-gage rails that carried carts into the mine, and a depression in the hillside where the tunnel collapsed many years ago.

Coal was initially mined in this area along Semiconon Creek to power a grist mill for grinding grain into flour. The mill had first been built with a water wheel powered by the water of the creek, but adopted steam power after it was developed, and coal was needed to run this new technology. After the grist mill shut down, coal continued to be mined out of the hillside and sold, until the mine closed down completely when it was no longer profitable.

Unfortunately, this abandoned mine leaks a significant amount of polluted water on the Lutherlyn property. Fortunately, we are able to clean this water before it enters the Semiconon Creek, with a passive wetland treatment system. Learn more about the pollution and how it is treated in this What is it Wednesday post from last year: https://lutherlynnature.blogspot.com/2020/02/what-is-it-wednesday-february-19-2020.html. 

Learning about the land involves learning about the human history of the land – especially when that history has had a strong impact on the health of the environment. We are grateful that in this place a story of pollution and damage to the earth has become a story of healing and restoration and opportunities for learning. To learn how LEEP can help you discover more about ways we can care for the earth and even help heal its wounds, through school field trips, summer camp, Saturday Safaris and more, check out www.Lutherlyn.com/ee.

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: February 24, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

February 24, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This is an abandoned nest of a house wren, which was built under
the lid of thepropane tank at Lutherlyn's Terra Dei Homestead.
(It was discovered when we needed to check
the level of the tank a week or two ago.) 

It’s not clear why the nest was abandoned, or why one of the eggs has a hole in it and the others were left intact. When a baby bird emerges from its egg the egg is usually broken fully into two or more pieces, but this egg only has a small hole in it. If a predator ate the egg, why didn’t it eat the rest of them? Perhaps the mother bird was unable to return to the nest to continue incubating the eggs, and when an animal discovered the eggs some time later it broke into the eggs looking for a meal but discovered they were empty. It is unclear what happened but it was an interesting surprise to find a nest with eggs in it in the dead of winter. It this area, only large birds like owls and eagles are incubating eggs in a nest this time of year.  

It is pretty clear that this is the nest of a house wren, because it is built of a platform of coarse sticks with a small lining of smaller twigs, grasses and feathers in the center of the nest. 

The number, size, shape and color of the eggs also match that of house wren nests. 

House wrens are also well-known for building nests in any unusual protected nook they can find. Peterson’s Field Guide to Bird’s Nests says they have been recorded as nesting in “radiator of unused auto, top of pump, empty cow skull, leg of work pants on clothesline, flowerpot, pocket of scarecrow, boots, shoes, in or on nests of other birds.” Here they found a well-protected area completely covered by the cap covering the propane tank controls. With the cap in place, you can just barely see the bottom twigs poking out of the gap at the bottom. No wonder we didn't see the nest until February! 

If you find a bird nest, noting the size, shape, building materials and location of the nest will help you identify what type of bird has built it. If the nest has eggs in it, the size, shape, color and number of eggs will also narrow things down. Keep an eye out and you may find bird nests in both surprising and expected locations, and in nesting season and all year long. 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: February 17, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

February 17, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This is the flower bud of a kousa dogwood, encased in ice after yesterday’s freezing rain.

We have featured kousa dogwood flower buds before in What is it Wednesday, because they are such a visible example of how trees and shrubs have buds even when they are dormant in winter. Buds develop on trees and shrubs in the fall, are present all winter, and will open into flowers or leaves in the spring.

The leaves or flowers packed tight inside the bud are able to survive the cold of winter – including being directly coated with ice – because of the bud scales. These are small but tough “wrappers” that cover the bud before it blossoms and seal out damaging weather. In some species they are even covered with small hairs that provide additional insulation. If you look closely at a bud you can see its overlapping bud scales.

The buds of trees and shrubs in cold and temperate climates actually require a certain amount of cold temperatures, or “chilling requirements,” in order to fully develop. Buds are only damaged by cold if the buds start to open, losing their protective scales, and then are exposed to a hard freeze.  

Take a look around and observe the buds on trees and shrubs during the winter - what are their different shapes, sizes, colors, textures? There is a fascinating world of future flowers and leaves out there just waiting to emerge in the spring! 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: February 10, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

February 10, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This photo of a freshly dug groundhog burrow was taken on February 8, and on the same day we saw a groundhog out walking around in the snow near that burrow! 

In a recent Facebook post we said that Lutherlyn’s groundhogs are currently still hibernating, but clearly that’s not totally true! Although groundhogs don't fully emerge from hibernation until March, there is some activity before that in February, and the how and why of it is fascinating. 

Throughout a groundhog’s period of hibernation, there are regular times when the animal partially awakens. These brief awake periods are called arousal, and they happen about every 5-6 days all winter. During arousal groundhogs’ metabolism speeds back up closer to normal for about a day and half, then they go back into full hibernation, which is called torpor. It is thought that the arousal periods give the animals a chance to eliminate waste and re-balance their cellular chemistry, and maybe even sleep in ways that are more refreshing to the brain than torpor. During these arousal periods the groundhogs stay in their burrows.

In early February, when male groundhogs emerge into an arousal period, they also emerge from their burrows. After emerging, they visit nearby burrows of female groundhogs within their territory. The female groundhogs are also awake, and may or may not emerge from their burrows at this time. Then, both go back to their burrows for some more hibernation time before they fully emerge in early March.

Mating does not happen during this pre-emergence arousal from hibernation, but it is an important part of the mating process. It is similar to a courtship period. Groundhogs must mate very soon after emerging fully from hibernation, so that their young have the best chance of survival. If they mate earlier, the babies will be born before there is enough food for them to eat. If they mate too late, the babies won’t have enough time to grow enough to fully prepare for their own first hibernation. So, the visiting-the-burrow time allows male and female groundhogs to get familiar enough with each other during the hibernation period to be ready to mate soon after they fully emerge from hibernation. The groundhog we saw near a freshly dug out burrow was probably a male, and the muddy tracks it left in the snow were his paths to the nearby burrows of female groundhogs.

Knowing about this brief emergence in February also helps explain some of the idea of Groundhog Day. Groundhogs, the males anyhow, really do emerge from their burrows, look around for awhile, and head back into their burrows to hibernate some more. 

Groundhogs are one of the most common animals we see at Lutherlyn in the warmer months, to the point of sometimes being a nuisance. It is fascinating to be reminded that these very common animals have an intricate life cycle that allows them to best survive in their environment. Keep an eye out for groundhogs roaming in the snow in the next week or so, and about a month from now you will start seeing them emerge from hibernation for good. 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

For more on the research into groundhog behavior, see 
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-01/ps-mgh012403.php

Superb Owl Sunday

Did you know Superbowl Sunday is also Superb Owl Sunday?! Here are some photos of some of the superb owls in Lutherlyn’s Discovery Room in the Environmental Education Center! The Discovery Room has great horned owls, screech owls, and a long-eared owl, and they have some pretty amazing adaptations that make them such effective nocturnal avian predators.

Screech owls are among the smallest and most common Pennsylvania owls.
They may be gray (known gray phase) or reddish-brown (known as red phase).

Their most common call sounds like a high-to-low-pitch whinny, but they also 

make a series of repeated trills or short whines. 

Great horned owls are the largest owls in Pennsylvania.
The "horns" in their name are actually tufts of feathers near the top of their head. 

Feather tufts on owls are likely a camouflage feature, helping owls to look 

more like the shape of the branches they perch among in trees. 

Long-eared owls are a little smaller than great-horned owls,
this time their tufts are called "ears" and their tufts are the longest of any PA owls. 
The ears of an owl are actually much lower on the head than the tufts,
to the side of the eyes, and are covered by feathers.
The disk of feathers around the eye helps direct sound towards the owls' ears. 

The feathers around an owl's eyes also directs light into their eyes, 

 which are very large. Both these features enhance their night-time vision.

Owls can't turn their heads around a full 360 degrees, but they can turn very far.
This combined with their wide-set but forward-facing eyes
gives them a large range of vision.

An owl's talons are very sharp, strong, and curved, perfect for grabbing prey. 
Their legs and toes are covered with fine fluffy feathers, 

which helps keeps them silent while flying. 

Owls have these fine sound-cancelling feathers on their wings and bodies as well. 

On this Superb Owl Sunday, take some time to appreciate what wonderful unique creatures owls are, and the many features that make them so special. Maybe if you have a chance to spend time some time outside near a forested area at dusk or after dark you'll get to hear or even see some of these superb friends.