May 2020 – Discover-Nature

Pollinator Garden

Our pollinator garden is filling in rapidly with the warmer temperatures and ample amounts of rain we are experiencing. Many species in our area, including bees, wasps, flies, ants and hummingbirds are pollinators providing plant species with the essential service of moving pollen from one flower to another for fertilization. Many popular native species are found in our garden; let’s take a look at a few of the ones now in bloom.

Golden Alexanders, *Zizia aurea* by DonArnold

Mining Bee on Golden Alexander, © Heather Holm, 2015.

Golden Alexanders, Zizia aurea, is found in a variety of natural environments from open woodlands to prairies to fens. This member of the parsley family is visited by Pearl Crescent butterflies, Phyciodes tharos, and Spotted Thyris moths, Thyris maculata, especially where these insects find other food species including Clematis and Houstonia. Mining bees, small in size and emerging in early spring, are the primary pollinator, picking up pollen on the hairs of their upper legs as they feed on the flowers.

Virginia Waterleaf, *Hydrophyllum virginiatum* by DonArnold

Another favorite pollen source for bees is Virginia Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum virginianum. With its white to pale violet flowers and leaves that look like they are stained from water; this plant’s nectar also attracts the Red Admiral butterfly, Vanessa atalanta, and a few species of beetles. The stamens on this flower extend well past the petals making it difficult for small, short-tongued insects to get close enough to the flower tube to obtain nectar. Bumble bees, one of the primary pollinators feeding on the nectar, use their larger bodies to push past the stamens picking up pollen to transfer from one flower to another.

Woodland phlox, *Phlox divaricata* by Joshua Mayer, 2010

Woodland Phlox, Phlox divaricata, also known as Wild Blue Phlox, is often found in open woodlands. This flower is attractive for pollinator gardens due to its blue flowers and good growth in partially shaded areas. Pollinators include many butterfly and moth species with long tongues that can reach deep into the long flower tube for the nectar at the base. As the butterfly feeds, its proboscis (tongue) contacts the stamens to pick up pollen which is transferred to the next flower.

Jacob’s Ladder, *Ploemonium reptans* by DonArnold

Another flower in the blue spectrum is Jacob’s Ladder, Polemonium reptans. This species does well in partial shade or a moist area in full sun. The flowers are visited by bees, flies and beetles. Large bees are the best pollinators as they collect pollen on their heads and thoraxes when pushing through the stamens to get to the nectar at the base of the petals. Previously collected pollen brushes off on subsequently visited flowers.

American Toad

As you are out walking at this time of year, whether in neighborhoods or natural areas, you may hear a musical trilling in the background. This is the call of Bufo americanus, the American Toad, as it returns to the banks of local streams and ponds. Male toads emit a high pitched trill that may last 30 seconds or more, as they actively seeking mates for breeding. They call constantly during the daytime and early evening, and are often heard as part of the background sounds of the neighborhood.

American Toad, Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web

The American Toad has a compact body with dry, warty yellowish-brown backs and sides. They have short hind legs that allow them to walk or hop, but not take long leaps as do frogs. Adults are typically 2″ to 4″ with the females slightly larger than the males, but larger sizes up to 7″ have been observed in some localized areas. These toads are found from the Mississippi River to the East Coast and from middle Canada to southern Georgia.

As in all frog and toad species, only the males call, hoping to attract a female by song alone. American Toads like shallow, quiet waters with scant to moderate amounts of fully to partially submerged vegetation. The male will select a stationary position in a desirable habitat, call, and after a female joins him, they will mate. The female then lays her eggs in the water. Breeding is often initiated by rainy days and warm evening temperatures. A female will deposit between 2,000 and 20,000 eggs contained in two gelatinous strings of mucus several inches under the water’s surface and they may be attached to nearby vegetation.

American Toad eggs by Judy Gallagher

Eggs hatch in 2 to 14 days depending on water conditions. Tadpoles are black in color, and they will change into tiny toadlets in six to ten weeks. Large groups of toadlets can be observed leaving the ponds for the open woodlands, prairies, marshes and your backyard. The American Toad reaches sexual maturity in two to three years and may live ten years, although mortality from predators and human impact is high.

At this time of year, you may observe toads in your own backyard. If you try to sneak up on a toad, especially in the evening, it will immediately stop calling if it hears you. However, if you wait quietly at the edge of a pond for four to five minutes, the toads in the area will resume their singing. Species are distinguishable by their song, and you can hear the different songs including the American Toad at the Illinois Natural History website: INHS Frog & Toad Calls.

If you should find a toad, see if you can observe some of the unique characteristics of these animals. Do you see its ears? They do not stick out from the head, as ours do. Toads have a round patch positioned right behind their eye that is a tympanic membrane, able to detect and identify various sounds. Can you observe it catching any prey? Their tongues, which are long and sticky, are attached at the front of their mouths, not the back as ours are. As insects fly by, a toad can flick its tongue out at an amazing speed to snare a meal. You can watch this behaviors at Discovery News.

Hummingbirds

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are making their way back to Illinois for the summer. There are about 325 known species of hummingbirds, all of which are found only in the Americas. Most species live in tropical areas of South America and Latin America while 18 live in North America, and only the Ruby-throated hummingbird commonly occurs in Illinois.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird *Archilochus colubris*, by jeffrey

Hummers are the smallest birds in the world, ranging in weight from 0.1 to 0.3 ounces. Also setting them apart from other birds are their flight abilities. Their wings make a unique figure-eight rotation, allowing these birds to feed on nectar while hovering in mid-air. This allows the birds to fly forwards, backwards and sideways. They can even fly upside down for a short way. Birds that appear in summer here migrate south for the winter traveling up to 2000 miles including a 500 mile non-stop leg over the Gulf of Mexico!

Another feature is their beautiful iridescent colors. Most species are metallic green on their backs, but chin and belly colors range from blue/green to violet, red and bright orange. Ruby-throated hummingbirds display green backs, white bellies, and a black chin strap. Only males display a red throat, which also may appear black or dark gray from certain angles.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird *Archilochus colubris* by Joe Schneid, Louisville KY

Hummingbirds have long beaks and long tongues. They typically feed on nectar found in the base of long tube-like flowers but they can also lap up small invertebrate prey. Their tongue has many tiny grooves promoting capillary action that moves liquids up to the mouth with no sucking required. Nectar is very watery with a low sugar content. This allows liquids to move through the tongue grooves without clogging on sugar crystals. Keeping this in mind when preparing feeder solutions for your own backyard feeder, a good solution is to mix four parts water to one part sugar; boil 30 seconds to make sure sugar dissolves; let cool before putting into feeder. No food coloring should be used.

Another way to attract Humingbirds to your own backyard is to plant the flowers that they use for nectar. Red flowers that grow in full sun are the best, whether in pots on your balcony or in a full garden bed. A variety of flowers that bloom from spring through fall will provide food for their whole stay. A few red flowering species include coral bells, scarlet salvia, fire pink, Cardinal flower, trumpet vine, columbine and common zinnia. Blue and/or purple may also attract visitors including ‘Blue-Bird’ rose-of-Sharon, blue salvia and bee balm.

Bats

Myotis lucifugus, little brown bat, Myotis septentrionalis, the Northern long-eared bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans, the silver-haired bat and Myotis sodalis, the Indiana bat are among some of the thirteen bat species native to Illinois. All bats are in the order Chiroptera, and they are the only mammal that truly flies. The order name means “hand wing” which aptly describes the wing which is composed of a thin membrane stretched over the four fingers of a bat’s hands. The fingers can be spread when in flight or folded tightly together against their body when at rest. The thumb protrudes from the end of the forearm as a small claw providing assistance when walking or climbing. When flying, bats do not flap their wings as birds do, but move their wings in a circular “swimming” motion that provides not only lift, but great agility in the air.

*Myotis sodalis*, Indiana Bat, by USFWS Contributor Andrew King Public domain

Bats have small eyes and are thought to be able to see fairly well, but they use echo-location as a means of identifying insects or objects while in flight. This process involves the bat emitting a series of supersonic squeaks through its mouth, 30-60 per second, and hearing the returning echo when the sound bounces off an object. The complex ear can identify the direction, size, density and movement of the object. While in flight, a bat can catch a flying insect with its open mouth. Another method to eat-on-the-wing, especially when flying through clouds of insects, is to trap them in the folds of its wings. Bats have the ability to scoop these insects out of each wing while still in flight, sometimes somersaulting in mid-air while eating. A single bat consumes about 1000 insects an hour and will eat 6,000 – 8,000 mosquito-sized insects every night.

Bats spend most of their time “roosting”: resting or sleeping in a particular spot. Males and females tend to roost separately except during breeding season in late fall. Generally, they have two roost sites, one for daytime and another at night. Since most species tend to feed during late evening or nighttime hours, the night roost is near the feeding areas. This roost may be changed throughout the seasons as insect food groups tend to become more abundant at different sites.

*Myotis sodalis*, Indiana Bat, by Justin Bruno

Life spans vary by species, but generally bats in our area live about 30 years. Due to loss of habitat, widespread use of pesticides and herbicides, and direct persecution, bat species in Illinois have been declining for the past several years. However, on warm summer evenings, especially over quiet ponds or streams, pay close attention to the air above you and enjoy the small acrobatic flyers taking advantage of the abundance of available insects.

Herons

It is bird migration season, and there are a great many birds returning from their wintering grounds farther south. Two of my favorites are the Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias and the Great Egret, Ardea alba. These tall birds, 36″-48″ in height, can be seen in ponds, lakes and rivers where they are searching for their favorite foods: fish, crustaceans and small amphibians. At this time of year, before the growing season has started, they can also be found in dry agricultural fields hunting for small mammals such as field mice.

The long curved neck is a modification of one vertebrae that allows the neck to easily flex. In addition, muscles can pull the neck into a tight coil and spring the head and beak forward at incredible speed allowing the bird to quickly snatch a meal from the water. Both of these species are stealthy hunters, moving slowly on long, slender legs through shallow water. They may be seen moving their heads from side to side, crouching or standing upright, or pointing their bills straight down at the water. All of these behaviors are thought to be used to reduce glare on the water surface and allow the birds to better see their prey.

Great Blue Heron, *Ardea herodias*, by DonArnold

Over the summer, these birds will find a mate and raise a family in our area. Nesting usually takes place in colonies, large gatherings of birds that can number between a couple dozen to a few hundred birds. Nests are usually built at the tops of tall trees standing in water. This may be a defensive strategy against ground and climbing predators. You can easily spot these nests sites in the early spring before the trees have leafed out. Colonies of nests are called a rookeries, and there are many to be observed in our area. A rookery that you may want to visit to learn more is at Lake Renwick Preserve in Plainfield. Hours are limited, so please see their website at: https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/preserves-trails/visitor-centers/lake-renwick-heron-rookery-visitor-center

Other herons that are found in our area include the Black-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax and the Green Heron, Butorides virescens. These smaller birds, typically 16″-24″ in height, can also be found foraging near open water, but are often seen in the early morning or early evening. Both species use bait such as insects, seeds, leaves or feathers as well as bread put out by people for ducks and other waterfowl, to attract fish to swim within their reach.

Black-crowned Night Heron, *Nycticorax nycticorax*, by DonArnold

Green Heron, *Butorides virescens*, by DonArnold

You should be able to observe these birds as you visit any area that includes shallow water containing fish or other small aquatic species. They will be here until late autumn when ponds start to freeze over. Heron and egret migration routes depend on continually finding open water for hunting, so winter feeding grounds may include much of Illinois, depending upon our winter temperatures.