Where the Wild Things Are- Through Prickly Ash

Do you sometimes imagine what it is like out in the woods where I walk? Do stickers and mosquitos cross your mind? Trudging through prickly ash, tripping over vines? I thought you might wonder so I thought I would see if I could make things clearer for you. There are many places in the woods where I can walk unhampered by brush and bugs. The heavy canopy shades out the lower levels and provides almost park like places. There are deer trails through most of the village. I have discovered that I am not the same size as a deer. They duck down and go through brush, which in order to follow I would have to crawl on my hands and knees. I follow them when I can, but I also need to be off them to see plants, because deer eat as they walk. 

There are times that I think a machete would help, but realistically it isn't worth the effort. The plants would just grow back in before I passed that way again.

There is a lot of up and down in the margins of the land. That is one of the reasons that is has been left unfarmed. Sometimes I walk along the bottoms, between the wooded hills and the bogs. Sometimes I stick to the high ground. My choice is made by where I need to check on things, and how the bugs are. This year has been rather chilly and wet. The mosquitos are surprisingly few, the biting flies have just started up. Some days I walk where the wind can cool me off or keep bugs away, other days I duck down into the cover, seeking protection from the elements. 

Checking out the wet lands can be a challenge. There are deeper places out there (maybe three feet deep, I haven't had the pleasure of sinking in that deep!) and many places where the only way to see what is out there is to either put on boots or not care if my feet, shoes, pants get wet. I generally just go in shoes and try to stay out of the deepest spots. Slow and careful, one step at a time, and being willing to backtrack is the way to go. I have made some of my best "discoveries" while crouched down, trying to get a photo and not get too wet. I will glance around and there will be another plant I hadn't seen before.

In all I walk slowly. I try and keep an eye on the ground, looking for leaves that I don't recognize. In the spring I made the effort to ID all of the trees that I could, so I wouldn't be trying to look up and down at the same time. I am not really trying to be quiet, but I step carefully and it makes me that way. I have seen deer beds so fresh that the deer was still in them. I have looked up from the ground to see deer staring at me, trying to figure out what I am.

Sometimes I come upon things that were up high but have fallen to the ground. The other day it was a stick. The fungi on it was amazing. It formed shapes that looked like a labyrinth. Irpex lactus...Milkwhite toothed polypore. There is no end to the woods....

 Milkwhite toothed Polypore

Where the Wild Things Are- Fishers

Another once is a lifetime moment in the woods...I was walking in the northeast corner of the property. I was looking down, since plants are why I am out there, when I realized I was hearing a noise. It is strange that when you focus on one thing, like seeing plants, the rest of your senses fade away, until you really don't notice them. But this was strident enough that it pierced my veil of concentration and I looked up. There was a pileated woodpecker who was really upset (I thought at me) and calling out from a few trees away. I swung up the binoculars to get a look, and then I realized that there was noises coming from the tree over my head. So I am standing there, trying to get a good look at the bird, trying to correlate the other sound to something I have heard before...Nope, not a squirrel, not a bird, I finally swung the binoculars up and looked. There was a furry face staring back at me!

I grabbed my camera and struggled to get it to focus through the branches and leaves. I got a good look at the face and my first thoughts were "baby Bear! Is there an angry Momma about to get me?" when it moved and i realized the long body shape was definitely not a bear. Long and thick, short legs, full of attitude. At that point I didn't know if it was a Marten or a Fisher, but I knew it was special to see!

I managed to get several good photos, as it was up in the tree, and going higher, not coming my way. Fishers (which I figured out later it was) are about the size of otters, in the same family. But they have the personality of a weasel or wolverine...all teeth and no backing down. They eat small animals, like rabbits, even baby deer, but also nuts and berries and carrion. Most active at dawn and dusk, most people will never see one in the wild. The fact that I not only got to see one, but get photos at 9:30 in the morning was rare indeed. You might hear them at night, if you are listening. They have a call that sounds much like a woman screaming. It doesn't sound like anything else around here! So there are many things in the woods that most people don't notice...I am fortunate indeed to have seen a fisher, up close and personal!

Where the Wild Things Are- Lady Slippers

The long evenings are perfect for walks. Cool breezes keep the bugs at bay, and the temps are favorable to wandering. If you have been out at all, you know the Showy Lady-slippers are blooming. There are several clusters just off the road south of the woodshed. Perfect for anyone to view.

If you are up for a bit more adventure, there is one to be had at the South end of the Village. Wander down past the barns and gardens, river on one side, field on the other. The Sedge Wrens and Common Yellowthroats are continuously calling from the willow thickets. Osprey circle overhead. Follow the tractor path and just before you reach the pines, duck under the fence into the pasture that curls along between the river and the pines. A tractor has left paths through the tall grasses for your walking pleasure. I would recommend staying on the left hand tracks, until you reach the trees. From that point on keep to the right hand side track, it will lead you on to a bit of paradise. The Southern Blueflag Iris are forcing their way up through the tall grasses and are blooming in force. Continue further to the far fence corner, and you will see even more. According to the books, they should be Northern Blueflag Iris in Todd County. But they are not. So, when you live on the edge of biomes, things live there that aren't recorded as being there, and things that should be there, aren't. All the more reason to get out there and record and document the bidiversity of your own back yard!

Everything I document, that I find on the Village land, adds to the base of knowledge for everyone. It tells a tale of changing weather patterns, shifting temperatures, and nature doing what it can to continue, one species at a time.

Where The Wild Things Are- Dragon Flies

A post from June 14, 2017

A long week of weather. Hot, humid temps. Scouring winds. Downpours of rain. None of it very conducive to walking out in the woods and wetlands. I still managed to sneak in a hike or two, wet grass doesn't really matter when you are going into the bog. Surprisingly few mosquitos to bother me, which in turn makes me worry about the other birds and insects who rely on them for food. 

The dragonflies are out in swarms, four and twelve spotted skimmers, common whitetails, many other to fast for me. Dragon flies spend up to most of their lives in the water. They go from eggs to larva totally in the water in general spending two years growing in the larva state, shedding their exoskeleton several times. Then they climb up a stem, out of the water and after a short drying period, procede to molt one last time. Their skin splits open down the back and the compressed wings, legs, and part of the abdomen are forced out. After a short time of drying, the dragonfly then uses its newly hardened legs to pull its abdomen free. The wings unfurl as they fill with blood along those teeny veins you see. Then the blood is drawn back into the body and the wings dry for about another hour. Finally it is ready for flight. The rest of it's short adult life is spent eating, breeding, and laying eggs. Some are migratory, going south as winter comes, others survive the icy Minnesota winters only in egg or larval form, waiting for spring. 

The flowers are taking turns showing up. One plant that I have been watching develop has finally given me the clue I needed to ID it. It started off as a rosette of fuzzy leaves in the damp/wet ground. I knew it wasn't Mullien, but nothing beyond that. Then, as the weeks went on, a single stem rose up, 2-4 feet high. Another plant that you see and wonder how you have missed seeing it all this time. Finally an umbrel (Flowers that form the shape like an umbrella!) formed at the top. Small white flowers, not very impressive looking, decorated each umbrel. Micranthes pensylvanica...Swamp Saxifrage! Another question answered, another mystery to solve. This time it is small yellow flowers in the swamp, they look like lollypops. They seem to be fairly common out there, so I know it is nothing rare. I will id it in time. Besides that I found Bunchberry in abundance, far out under the tamaracks. The ferns have developed far enough that I have ID'd several, Northern Lady Fern, Crested Wood Fern, Ostrich fern, Sensitive Fern. The Lady-slippers had not opened as of Saturday, but I expect them soon. With the weather clearing, I expect to be back out there soon.

Jack and Jill - Where the Wild Things Are

It is the time of year when the woods is full of Jacks. They are hard to spot at first, blending in with the other greens of the forest floor. But after you spot one, then you will soon see others all around. The three leaves that shade them look like the trilliums that also bloom now, but there, on a separate stem is the Jack in the Pulpit. Arisaema triphyllum. I have seen them all my life and scarcely give them a second glance when looking for Columbine and Wild Geranium. So when one caught my attention the other day, you know it was something special.

I had seen a couple stems of something earlier in the week and had marked them as being unknown, and to watch to see what they turned into. I was now on a different piece of Camphill Land. Following a deer trail on the edge of swampy area, I was entranced by the sheer number of ferns, scanning the ground for unfurled fiddleheads. And there it was. A Jack in the Pulpit over 2 feet tall. The stem was over 3/4 inches across. A giant Jack!

This led me to research when I got home and I found out several interesting things. 

1. There is only one species of Jack in the pulpit in Minnesota.

2. There are male and female Jack in the Pulpits.

3. The same plant grows each year from a root and either becomes a male or a female for reasons not all together clear at this point.

4. It can change from one to the other over the years.

5. The extra large Jack in the pulpits are actually females..I would call them Jill in the pulpit!

6. Most of the Large ones also have two sets of three leaves instead of one set.

So lurking out there in the woods are monsterous Jill in the pulpits, along with May Flowers, Columbine, and Wild Geranium. The mosquitos have also shown up. But who cares when there are Giant Jacks to see!

Where the Wild Things Are - Osprey, Robins Egg, and Willow

Spring is now in full force, greens bursting out, too far now to go back. The sweet scent of plums fills the air, the soft buzz of bees finally returns. The birds are vying for my attention as I walk, calling from ground and tree. The orioles are back, the robins already hatching out their broods. Sedge wrens call from the willows. The willows are just starting to leaf out. Did you know that there are fifteen possible species of willows found in Todd County? It will be interesting to see how many make their home at Camphill, besides the pussy willow!

The world continues to amaze me with it's never ending abundance of opportunities to learn. So many things that I have never seen (or noticed) before. Blue Cohosh is blooming and I didn't even know such a plant existed until the other day.

Sometimes you come upon something so amazing that you know it is something that will stay with you for a long time. I had that happen on one of my walks the other day. I was delicately balanced on a hummock in the tamarack swamp when I heard a noise. A loud snapping of a dry branch breaking. Now I see the back end of deer disappearing into the woods all the time, but I looked up anyway, because flowers don't go anywhere when I look away. There was no deer, but an osprey flying away with branch in talon. It had broken off a branch from a dying tree top and was taking it to it's nest as building material! Surely a once in a lifetime sight! After marveling that I was blessed with such a sight, I turned back to the flowers and heard another crack! The osprey was back! Another stick for the nest. It must be close by, for it had only been minutes since it had flown off. I continued on my way, not wanting to disrupt the process, heart full and thankful for the opportunity I have.

New species seen include the Sessil leaved Bellwort, Little leaved Buttercup,  Great water Dock, and the Rose twisted stalk.

Where the Wild Things Are - The Secret of the Trees

It all begins deep in the ground. Before anything appears above the ground, things have to happen in the damp,chilled earth. From roots and seeds, life slowly pushes up toward the sun. Many plants are now sending up leaflets, bits of green poking up through the debris of last fall. Rosettes of leaves sprawl out. Some are easily recognized as thistle and dandelion. Furry mullien leaves have survived the winter. But many plants send out rosettes of leaves that are nothing like what the plants "mature" leaves will look like. As I walk through the woods, I note these mysteries and wait. If I had just gone to the woods when the plants were up and blooming, I would miss these changes. I would not see nature revealed leaf by leaf. I would only get part of the story. So I walk and watch, and wait. 

The trees are slowly starting to bud out. The forest is harder to see into as a green haze develops. If you look, you will see the aspen. Here a group of aspens, all showing spring green, while next to them, another group without a bud. It is one of two times of a year when you can tell a secret that the trees have hidden from you. They are not single trees, just growing by on another. They are connected. Under ground. Root by root. Each group is a single organism, blooming and growing in unison. The next group will not time their lives the same, blooming sooner or later, loosing leaves at different times. As you see where each tree lies in relationship to it's neighbors, you will see which is connected to which. You can see the hidden boundries of each tree. You can also see it in the fall when the leaves change color. 

Violets continue to bloom, Canada Anemone have popped up and the ferns have begun to unfurl. Little brown birds, given a second look, reveal Palm Warblers have arrived, leading the way for spring migrants. No time to blink on the walks these days, as the world changes minute by minute.

Where the Wild Things Are... butterflies, butterbutts and ferns by Ann Luloff

I was escorted on my walk by a flock of yellow-rumped warblers, commonly known as "butterbutts". One of the first warblers to return, their sheer numbers can be overwhelming, popping out of the bushes and hanging on the branches. Never still, always searching for insects, they can distract one from the other sights at hand. Persistence pays off as I spot one orange crowned warbler in their midst. Not as exciting as they sound, their orange crown is almost never visible and they are known for being the plainest warbler. Other things flying were butterflies, too quick to ID, also in search of a meal.

Back to the ground and foliage, I found myself in a sea of bloodroots. quick to bloom and quick to fade. Hidden among them, a couple of Dog Violets! Pale compared to later bloomers, still a sight for winter worn eyes. 

While checking for ferns, I spotted a couple of Devil's Urns. The Latin name is Urnula craterium. These leather like urn shaped fungi are some of the first to pop out in the spring. They form on downed deciduous wood. 

Big things catch my eyes too. A birch with a diameter of 19.1 inches and a Willow with a 29.6 diameter, both are in the running for largest on the land. 

So much to see, and it is all just starting!

Where the Wild Things Are - Owl, by Ann Luloff

Sometimes when I walk, I am looking for certain things. My eyes may scan the forest floor, looking for ephemerals. Sometimes my eyes are darting from brush to tree to ground, trying to see whatever is calling through the spring woods. At times I just stand still and look. I may notice small bits of green that I could of walked right on past. The flight of a bird off to the side is noticed and noted. Sounds of frogs calling now fill the air, bird calls in the distance come into focus. 

It is the surprises that make every walk a joy. A new plant, the first sighting of a bird for the season. I never know what is out there. As I walked in the wetlands behind the marl pits, I found the marsh marigolds just starting to come out. Not far away was a tree that I failed to recognize. Evergreen and needled, it is obviously a conifer, but which one? It was short and wide, not the conical shape one expects. It didn't match the simple tree book I carry with me. Photographs taken, mental notes about details, it was a mystery for later research. 

After a climb up into the oak forest, the sound of frogs drew me over the top of a hill to discover a small woodland pond. A delightful sight, with no cattails or Reed Canary Grass around it. There in the water, I saw another plant I didn't recognize. Again, photos and notes, ready for later. Then I saw it. An owl flying quietly into the woods. 

It landed on a branch not far away and I slowly moved through the trees until I could get a better look. A Barred Owl! You hear them more often than you see them. "Who, who cooks for you?" is their persistent question. A bit of patience and I had a photo of the elusive bird, not National Geographic quality, but good enough to confirm the ID. 

The rest of the walk was less eventful, but soul filling. The tree appears to be a Common Juniper which isn't reported in Todd County (a really underreported county), and the plant? Turns out to be Pennsylvania Bittercress! Always an adventure!

Where the Wild Things Are... by Ann Luloff

So what is it I am seeing out there, in the still frozen woods? In a single word....trees. Before all the other vegetation fills in, it is a perfect time to really see the trees. Figuring out what kind they are works for those that have dropped their leaves on the forest floor under them. The oaks are the easiest. Northern pin oak, white oak, red oak, and burr oak are common throughout the village. Ironwood and tamarack, the perpetual Eastern Red Cedar.

There are 35 species of trees that are native to Todd County. These would be trees that would have been here when the first European settlers arrived. I am currently at 15 species, with the rest waiting for leaves to pop out for positive identification.

As I go through the woods, looking at trees, one of the things I do is measure the diameter. Different types of trees grow at different rates, and end up at very different sizes. I am looking for the largest of each species in the Village. There are some "big" trees out there! Ironwood is supposed to grow to 12" in diameter, and I have found one that is 14.5"! I found a Pin Oak that is at it's upper size at 18". There are tamaracks by the marl ponds that are approaching top size, and I would love to get a slice of a trunk (of an already dead tree) to count the rings. I wonder if they are actually very old, or just fast growing. It will be interesting to see what the biggest tree in the village ends up being!

The first green growing vegetation observed by me in the woods is Motherwort (leonurus cardiaca). A member of the mint family, it is valued by herbalists. Unfortunately, it is an invasive species, escaped from gardens. Just how wide spread it is, is yet to be seen.

With warmer temps, spring will creep through the forests and field, new things sprouting up all over. Green is coming!