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| Fletcher Wildlife Garden | profile | all galleries >> Previous FWG blogs >> 2008 Blogs >> FWG blog: November 2008 | tree view | thumbnails | slideshow |
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When the birds landed in the wheat stubble, they vanished. It was only when I saw that the land seemed to be seething and moving, that I realized it was the several hundred plus buntings, scuttling through the wheat, pecking at seeds.
In one of the large spruce trees in the Ash Woods, there is a witches broom that has been there for some years. Every so often some little creature uses this growth to nest in. One winter, it was clear that some birds were roosting there, because every day a new accumulation of bird scat appeared. Not sure who was using it, but perhaps cardinals, for we found some cardinal feathers in there. This time, it looks like a mouse had a nest in there. This was constructed of lots of plant down or fluff, including that of dog-strangling vine.
When a plant is as invasive as this one is, it is easy to forget that even pesky plants can be beautiful. In spring, the flowers of this species are very attractive when seen up close, and in winter there is a beauty to the bleached seed pods.
While walking through the Old Field at FWG today, I was thinking how abundant the galls on goldenrods are this year, both bunch galls and the round "apple-shaped" galls. The round ones on the goldenrod stem are a great food source for birds and small animals. Inside each one of these galls live a fat, juicy white grub, the larvae of the goldenrod gall fly. Both downy and hairy woodpeckers are frequently found pecking away at these galls. Less well known is that red squirrels and mice will also feed on the grubs.
As you can see in the photos, these galls have been well chewed.
While many plants have only one gall, quite a number have two, and some have three. I don't know about you, but I actually find the galls quite beautiful, particularly at this time of year, when they have an almost sculpted appearance, like a piece of abstract art.
While I was at FWG it snowed quite heavily for a few minutes, yet at the same time the sky was blue and the sun was shining. Not long after the snow stopped, the sky became multi-coloured with patches of bright blue interspersed with dark navy. When the sun came back out the lighting was dramatic! I managed to snap a quick photo of the pond just before the conditions changed again.
A cluster of oyster mushrooms on a log at the end of the ravine (technically in the Arboretum, but... oh well) were frozen solid. I was unable to capture their pearly luminescence when the sun hit at an oblique angle (but took a few photos later). It was quite a sight.
Well, today was beautiful! An unexpected gift from the gods with warm temperatures and sun. Despite that, we know winter is truly coming. And if we doubt it, the animals are certainly letting us know that this brief Indian Summer is only a blip. As noted in earlier emails, different species of wildlife, have different ways of coping with cold weather. Both gray and red squirrels need warm places to spend winter nights. Nest boxes serve the same purpose as tree cavities and many reds will build a nest inside them.
Grey squirrels build large leafy nests, sometimes two or three close together. Red squirrels on the other hand, will make grassy balls,lined with bits of seed fluff, grass, leaves, and whatever comes to hand. Last year, a red squirrel gathered quantities of dog hair (from a long haired dog that had been groomed in the parking lot)and stuffed its nest with it. Nests made in conifers, the typical nest tree for red squirrels, provide more protection, as you can see in this attached photo. However, both squirrel species prefer cavities, which are safer and offer much more warmth. Red squirrels in particular, will choose a cavity over a grassy nest anytime. Often you'll see a fairly fresh grassy nest, probably built in the autumn, falling to pieces by November because the squirrel has abandoned the nest for a better place, usually a cavity. In fact, grassy nests are not used for winter as much as people seem to think.
Brushpiles are also important for animals, as both a place to keep warm and a place to hide from predators. In some years, flocks of white-throated sparrows, when disturbed,have vanished into nearby brushpiles. Other birds also use them. Small mammals find refuge here, and some burrow into the ground beneath the brushpiles, thus finding added security. These piles are also frequently used as perches or lookouts by a variety of birds and animals.
Red squirrels create caches (or stashes)of food. Piles of pinecones, mounds of walnuts, are all giveaways that a red squirrel lives in the vicinity and is prudently preparing for the winter ahead.
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