Old Roads

Someday I'm going to walk down this road

And look out my window and try to remember what it looked like before it was cluttered with bricks and mortar,

Shadows and superstores. 

I'm going to try and remember the way it looked

When golden sunrise peeked through gaps in shrubs,

When morning fog hovered over the field,

And a mysterious little white house with dark shingles and no driveway

Crouched between rolls of fields;

The way the morning mist tattled on the distance between layers of trees in the flat distance

That went on farther than I could run

That went on
That went on
Went on

Like a painted Monet memory.

I'm going to understand what it means to miss the smell of cow manure

And spring melt on the breeze,

And wonder if the killdeer still live there.

 

Arthropod Mysteries from Camping

    Arthropods never cease to amaze with their incredible diversity. Very often I find "arthropod mysteries" at home or traveling, organisms I can only label with vague title such as "moth" or "bee" or "beetle." Fortunately, there are a lot of knowledgeable people who have been willing to help.

Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica)

    Storytime. The string of mysteries started before we even left for camping. When we were folding up a canopy in the yard there were a few bugs on the roof inside that needed to be removed. This Japanese Beetle had gotten particularly attached to the inside of the canopy and kept flying back between the folds even after the canopy was no longer standing. It took a little while, but eventually it was coaxed onto a leaf, although as the second picture shows, (s)he still appeared to be reaching for the canopy.

    The Japanese Beetle can be distinguished from other shiny green-and-copper-coloured beetles by the 5 white tufts on its underside. It is actually considered a pest to many gardeners, but they typically only live about a month-50 days.

Plume Moth (Pterophoridae)

    This interesting T-shaped arthropod was was spotted on a camping trip. I initially posted this one on Project Noah as "unknown" but then figured out better search criteria. When I went back and added the identity at that same time another user, AshleyT, must have already been offering an ID at the same time, too.
    The plume moth was resting on our camping-buddy's tent and when (s)he flew away, the t-shape of the wings transformed from almost airplane-like (rather, airplanes are more like resting plume plume moths) to quickly beating soft, fanned wings.

Little Wood-Satyr (Megisto cymela)

    This lovely spotted moth was found clinging to the inside of a canopy, trying to make its way out (ironically, the canopy was intended to keep insects from our dinner). A number of little creatures got stuck in there so we frequently had to lead them out, but this little wood-satyr was particularly posed a challenge since I was afraid that I would touch the (eyespotted) wings. Fortunately (unlike the Japanese Beetle) the little wood -satyr was quite cooperative and willing to crawl onto my finger to be taken back to the woods on the other side of the mesh.

Arrowshaped Micrathena (Micrathena sagittata)

    Out of all of the mysterious arthropods, this one was the one that kept me the most puzzled. These spiders were found spinning a web in a car window this summer, and the unknown species has kept be puzzled and wondering for months. We asked two naturalists and they couldn't remember the name (and I don't blame them), so my search criteria was variations of "tri spiked red female smaller black male spider southern ontario long name." It was nowhere in any of my printed nature guides and my internet searches were unsuccessful.

    However, within minutes of posting the photos on Project Noah someone identified the species. Thank you user CindyBinghamKeiser for solving the mystery!

    They may appear to be of a different species given their varying size and colour, however this species displays sexual dimorphism and larger red one is female while the smaller black one is male, presumably her mate.

Anthros and arthros cross paths every day and should you ever feel that you would like a little mystery, try keeping an eye out for invertebrate neighbours. For more pictures from the Pinery see the post A Few Highlights from the Pinery.

References

Canadian Biodiversity Facility. Little Wood-Satyr. 2002. Butterflies of Canada. Retrieved January 22, 2014 from http://www.cbif.gc.ca/spp_pages/butterflies/species/LittleWood-Satyr_e.php

Iannoti, Marie. Controlling Adult Japanese Beetles in the Garden. About.com. Retrieved January 22, 2014 from http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenproblems/a/Japanese_Beetle.htm

Matthews, Deborah. Plume Moths. 2005. Pterophoridae of North America. Retrieved January 22, 2014 from http://www.plumemoth.com/

Bug Guide. Species Micrathena sagittata - Arrowshaped Micrathena. Retrieved January 21, 2014 from http://bugguide.net/node/view/2020

Keeping an Eye Out: Irruption of Snowy Owls

   As it turns out, it wasn't all chance that in December two members of my family spotted a snowy owl. It was very unusual for this area (I had never seen a wild

one here before), and it looks like I'm a little tardy in finding out why. Right now there is an irruption of snowy owls; while they'd usually stay closer to the Arctic circle, right now a large number of them are migrating farther south than usual, and sigtings have been sightings as far south as South Carolina. Peter Paton, an ornithologist said to the Providence Journal, "An irruption like this probably hasn’t happened in 30 years or more”.

    An irruption has more than one possible cause. One common reason is the fluctuation of lemming populations; since lemmings are the snowy owl's primary food source, when lemming populations are low snowy owls will sometimes go south in search of food. Other times it may be because it was a particularly successful breeding season (even with an abundance of food) so owls spread out a bit more with all the growing youngsters, and weather may also trigger an irruption and have an affect on the dispersion of this nomadic species. Also, if you see a snowy owl is it suggested to observe from a distance, and if it looks at you then that that is a potential warning sign. If you see any injured snowy owls, please contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center.

   An irruption of snowy owls occurs about once every four years in southern Canada and irruptions like this one even less often, more like once every 10-15 years. The ranges are unpredictable, so if you're in southern Ontario or the States, keep an eye out to the skies and on the ground for these beautiful birds while they're here!

   To read December's post about snowy owls, click here. (http://naturenimbus.blogspot.ca/2013/12/snowy-owl.html)

References

Arditi, L. (2014, January 5). Rare visits by snowy owls have Rhode Islanders flocking / Gallery. Providence Journal . Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20140105-rare-visits-by-snowy-owls-have-rhode-islanders-flocking.ece

Badore, M. (2014, January 9). A snowy owl irruption is happening right now.TreeHugger. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/snowy-owl-irruption-happening-right-now.html

Laboratory of Ornithology. (n.d.). Snowy Owls. All About Birds. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/

Dian Fossey: Primatologist and Conservationist

    Throughout her career as a zoologist and activist, Dian Fossey was a shining example of dedication. I was touched by her courage and hard work put towards protecting gorillas of the Rwandan Mountain Forest, and her clear passion for them.

"When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate on the preservation of the future." – Gorillas in the Mist

    Born January 16, 1932, Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and conservationist who studied endangered gorillas of the Rwandan Mountain Forest. She published an autobiographical book retelling her experiences, Gorillas in the Mist, in 1983. A film of the same title was released in 1988. Fossey's interest in primates was immediately sparked on a trip to various countries in Africa in 1963 where she witnessed gorillas' individual personalities and relationships with one another. She said, "I left Kabara with reluctance, but with never a doubt that I would, somehow, return to learn more about the gorillas of the misted mountains."

    She later returned to Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she stayed saying, "I have made my home amoung the mountain gorillas", to learn about the "gentle giants" and working to protect them and their habitats from anthropogenic threats. She passionately fought against government officials who sought to use the habitats for farmland in the media, and physically destroyed poachers' traps and dogs. She stayed working and carrying a 20 pound knapsack every day until she had to escape to Rwanda because of civil war, where she continued her work to protect the gorillas. In 1967, Fossey established the Karisoke Research Foundation (which was originally named Digit after a gorilla who was killed by poachers), and in 1976 she earned her Ph.D at Cambrige University for her research.

    Tragically, Fossey was found brutally murdered at her camp in the Rwandan Forest on December 26, 1985, likely killed by poachers, though they were never found. Her legacy lives on through the Karisoke Research Foundation which researches under the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. The institution has expanded to protect other endangered species living in the same habitat, and other gorillas as well, including eastern lowland gorillas, and those living in Virunga National Park.

References

Biography.com. Dian Fossey biography. bio. Retrieved January 16, 2013 from http://www.biography.com/people/dian-fossey-9299545

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Dian Fossey - Biography. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Retrieved January 17, 2013 from http://gorillafund.org/page.aspx?pid=380

Cyroseisms/Frost Quakes

     Not long after the ice storm the many residents of the Toronto area witnessed cyroseisms, also known as frost quakes. Frost quakes are vibrations caused when water underground expands as it is suddenly frozen with very cold temperatures. They are often identified by the "booming" noises that accompany it.

     However, much of the noises produced at that time are actually unrelated to the frost quake itself, but are the sound of ice cracking on the roof, corresponding with the time of the frost quakes because of the very cold temperatures.

     During the frost quakes in the middle of the night many people were kept up by the booming noises, and some were concerned, but frost quakes are considered harmless. Still, in the following days at our house we noticed that one of the light switches and doors had some resistance to being moved, so we are wondering if maybe slight shifts in the ground caused this.

     A woman living in Toronto, Ashley King, decided to create a customized google map tracking reported frost quakes in Toronto and open it up to the public so that people experiencing them know that they're not alone. Here is a link to her map: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zId7WwTT0PPk.kmYXHjIndA-w.

     Do you have any frost quake stories? Feel free to share them in the comments section below or search #frostquake on twitter.

References

Turgeon, Carolyn. January 7, 2014. Mapping the 'frost quakes': Toronto woman tracking cyroseisms so 'people don't think they're crazy'. Posted Toronto http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/01/07/tracking-the-frost-quakes-toronto-woman-aims-to-create-public-record-of-cold-weather-booms/

Prociv, Kathryn. January 7, 2014. A 'COOL" Weather Phenomenon That Only Happens When it's COLD!. Retrieved January 12, 2014 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/01/07/a-cool-weather-phenomenon-that-only-happens-when-its-cold/

Ice Storm of December 2013

     Near the beginning of the winter break my Dad and I took the dogs out for a quick walk before the forecasted freezing rain started to come down again. It had already started a little earlier and stopped again. The pathway was lightly paved with clear ice which was a little slippery. Ice coated some leaves and twigs and I thought that was shiny.

 

Photos from our walk the day of the ice storm when it had just started to rain again.

     Later on that night it started to rain again, and overnight it developed into the worst ice storm that southern Ontario has seen in years. During and following the storm over 350,000 residences in Ontario lost electricity, some for many days. However, the storm took terrible toll on the trees. 

     One question that could not be answered with certainty right away  is how will this ice storm affect ecosystems in the area? Naturally, ecosystems would be restored eventually, but this might take longer because there is less habitat area for wildlife and we'll do well to keep an eye out for things that we might be able to do to help. One thing we have done is put up a new bird feeder (which will be discussed further in a later post) and hopefully this will be helpful for migrating birds that might be having a harder time finding seeds.

     Still, weeks after the storm the remains of the massacre of trees is spread out along pathways and lawns, consisting of thousands of broken branches and standing-but-devastated trees that have been split. I get an empty feeling when I see all those trees, once full of branches, now look bare even for winter. With the threat of emerald ash borers and other strong forces of nature such as ice storms, our area will be in need of more trees to be planted (though hopefully the storm might have helped with the emerald ash borer problem).

     Fortunately our apple tree was fine, as it has traits that allow the branches to bend instead of break under the weight of apples (or ice). Many other plants were also encased in ice.

   

   

References 

Bream, Margaret. January 5, 2013. Wild in the City: Why Your Tree Broke During the Ice Storm. Toronto Star. Retrieved January 12, 2014, from http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2014/01/05/wild_in_the_city_loss_of_trees_in_ice_storm_difficult_to_see.html

The Weather Network. December 22. Worst ice storm in years coats southern Ontario, cuts power to thousands. The Weather Network. Retrieved January 12, 2014 from http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/worst-ice-storm-in-years-coats-southern-ontario-cuts-power-to-thousands/18278/

Blackout

     For a project in writer's craft a few months ago we wrote articles and designed a magazine. One of mine happened to be about preparing for winter blackouts; the tips learned from the reearch process were especially handy during the last month's ice storm. Our group chose to make our magazine called "Seasonal Apeel" on a website called jilster, and this is the print preview of the article entitled "Blackout".

     Over a decade ago on August 14, 2003, a series of power surges caused the biggest blackout in North American history.
     Just before 4:11 PM, a 12-second power surge spread across the United States and Ontario. This resulted in the loss of 61,800 megawatts of electricity with the shutdown of over 100 generating plants in eight states and Ontario. Over 50 million people were affected by the loss of electricity.
     To deal with the blackout, the provincial government of Ontario issued a Recovery Strategy which included operating essential services only with backup power. This came to known as the Northeast Blackout. However, this doesn’t even hold a candle to the North American Snowstorm of 1998.
     From January 4th to 10th, 1988, Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec was hit with three consecutive massive ice storm fronts that not only dropped power lines and electrical systems, but also forced over 100 thousand people to seek shelter.

     Be Prepared

     It is rare to have a blackout on such a large scale, but it’s always good to be prepared. Here is a list to help you to be prepared, especially for winter losses of electricity due to snowstorms.
     Build an emergency kit. FEMA recommends building a kit of basic necessities including enough food and water to last you and your family for at least 72 hours.
    A teacher once advised his students to eat the ice cream and cook frozen meat first in the case of a blackout. I remember my dad coming home in shock after his trip to the grocery store during the Northeast Blackout. The power had only been out for one day, but survival instinct must have came over a few people as some people became almost aggressive in the bottled water aisle. The moral of the story: keep a supply of canned food and bottled water.
     Keep your gas tank at least half-filled.
     Be familiar with the manual release on your garage door if it opens using electricity.
     Power up rechargeable batteries and make sure they are usable on a regular basis. If you’re really into the idea of being off the grid, independent, and greener, you may want to consider renewable alternative energy sources such as a wind turbine or solar panels.
     Keep cozy. Although Ontario is not typically as cold as the Canadian stereotype, it is especially important to be prepared to keep warm during the winter. During blackouts temperature regulation may be difficult, so make sure each member of the family has their own winter clothes, as well as warm blankets or sleeping bags.
     If you have a wood-burning fireplace in your home (not the gas fireplaces) then be sure to keep a supply of firewood. A fireplace can be used as a source of heat and light, and a way to cook food. You can also keep candles to use as light sources.
     You also may also to keep board games, cards, and other things to do with your kit to pass the time.

References

FEMA. "Blackouts." Home. Government of Canada, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ready.gov/blackouts>.