Prothonotary warbler neighbors

Sometimes it pays to leave junk laying around your yard, because you never know who or what will make use of it.  This year, on May 21, a prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) popped out of a decorative birdhouse in my yard which overlooks the preserve.   

I watched the male and female build a nest, bringing what appeared to be Thuidium sp. moss strands in for nest lining material.  But after two weeks I noticed the birds seemed to have abandoned the bird box.  I figured it was fun while it lasted.
Prothonotary warblers are riparian, or wooded floodplain loving birds that nest in tree cavities.  Fifteen years ago it was a treat to hear or see one of these birds along Ohio Brush Creek.  But in the past few years, they have become more and more abundant.

After a couple weeks of wishing the birds had stuck around the yard I had a surprise.  I walked out of my back door one day and had the feeling I was being watched.

In a decorative cup-like vase that was hanging on a porch post, a tiny yellow head peaked up and watched me pass by.  Around June 7th, the same prothonotary warbler had made another nest in this cup!

Not only did they make a nest in this cup, but they made another nest in a matching cup hanging on another post on the other side of the porch!
I can only assume that one of these nests was a "dummy" nest to fool predators or parasitic birds like brown-headed cowbirds?

Over the next couple days I watched and photographed as the 2 birds hastily made 2 nests, not knowing which one they would use.  I placed a camera on the nests videoing some of the action (or lack there of).

The birds lined both nests with mostly mosses, grasses and soft plant parts like the pictures above.

It became a dangerous task to walk out of the door and across the back porch as these birds were flying in and out with great speed.

On June 10th, there was 1 egg in the "real" nest!
On June 11th, another egg was laid, and on June 12th a third and final.

Unfortunately, on June 14th, a brown-headed cowbird was caught on video moving in and laying an egg at 5 in the morning.
Also unfortunate, I left home for ten days on vacation.  But all I seemed to miss from the videos captured were hundreds of trips by the male bringing food to the female while she sat with the eggs.

Around June 26 the chicks had hatched.  Both parents spent their days bringing food to them starting on June 29th.

On July 2nd I checked the cup and all the birds were gone.  I never got to see the fledglings.  Apparently, the birds grow up quick!  But it was an exciting month monitoring the birds and the surprisingly few interactions they had with other animals.  Videos captured rogue cats, raccoons and a rabbit walk by the porch under the nest cup.  And, beside the cowbird, only one other bird interaction occurred with a wren that picked the wrong place to land.

I knew there would be a good use for these decorative cups I hung on posts many years ago. I just didn't know who it would be useful to.  I hope these birds return next year and make use of more junk laying around my yard.

Enjoy this short video of my summertime neighbors, the prothonotary warblers, as they worked around the porch and yard.

Posted by: Mark Zloba

Fireflies through Sam's eyes

Now that summer is over, the fireflies have pretty much ended their luminous show for the year.  Two years ago, you may have read a post about the fireflies of the Edge.  We are now up to 21 species, thanks to our friend and firefly leader, Lynn Faust, and her book  Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs.  Many hours were spent this summer searching the preserve for new species, and new locations of rare species.

A photographer friend, Sam James, has been becoming more and more intrigued by these beetles. He spent some time observing the different species with us around the preserve. So I asked him if he could take photographs of the firefly shows we showed him.  Oh boy, did he. I had no idea his product would be so incredible.

Firefly displays are pretty much something you have to enjoy in person.  Even though they communicate with butts that illuminate, they are very hard to photograph and/or video to capture the actual experience.  But I think Sam has done an amazing job capturing their displays.  He was gracious enough to share his photos with us, which we would like to share with you.  Here are some of the firefly shows around the preserve.

One of the first fireflies to fill the fields of the Edge are Photuris quadrifulgens, the spring 4-flashers, which you can tell by this picture. 

More spring 4-flashers over a field in May along with a deer enjoying the show.

This scene shows the different patterns the spring 4-flashers can make.  Some flicker, some flash 4 times and some do a long glow.

Later in May, Another firefly with quick, single flashes fills the fields and surrounding trees.  These are Photuris tremulans, or the Christmas lights. This picture really shows why they are called Christmas lights!

Here, Sam caught a single Photuris quadrifulgens flying across a pond.

Photuris fireflies flash in the background while The Big Dippers, Photinus pyralis float upwards out of the field.

Some species are more secretive, flashing less often and hidden in the forest like these Photinus marginellus curtatus, or the little grays.

By mid-June, the newly discovered Photinus carolinus,  commonly called synchronous fireflies come out.  

By late night, a few preserve locations display hundreds if not thousands of these synchronous fireflies.

The synchronous fireflies flash together hence the name.  Here, Sam leaves the eye of the camera open exposing how many beetles flash in twenty minutes.

Photuris species showing their long glow with a unique perspective with the stars.  Looks like shooting stars!

More slow glowing Photuris looking like shooting stars.

We may never get to see the Aurora Borealis in southern Ohio, but shows like these might be the next best thing.

By late June and early July, the fields around the preserve become electric with a species called Photuris hebes, the Heebie- Jeebies.  Their single flashes occur every second and thousands of them blanket the field and shrubs

Late June and July starts the Big Scaries, Photuris lucicrescens.  They flash like a light bulb, or do a long slow glow lasting up to 3 seconds.

More Photuris sp. doing the "Chinese lantern" or slow glowing that produces a hypnotizing show. 

If you would like to see more of Sam's photos, click the video below for a 2 minute slideshow.

Thanks to Sam James for taking the time to get out at night and use his expertise to capture and share the wonders that are fireflies in the eastern United States.  Not every part of the world gets to enjoy the bioluminescent beetles that most of us grew up with.  But through photos like these, people can get an idea of the immense communication show that is going on not far from our own backyards.  Sam's picture are wonderful and can't be beat....except for witnessing the beetles in person!

For more information on fireflies check out our post, Fireflies, The Flash Season Approaches.

Posted by: Mark Zloba
Photos by: Samuel James

2019 Bird Surveys

May and June are the months of birding on the preserve.  May brings migrant bird species traveling through the preserve to their breeding grounds in the north.  June begins the surveying and censusing of breeding bird populations found at the Edge.

In early May, we counted 120 bird species in one 24 hour period called bird-a-thon.  The day we chose to count as many bird species as possible, migrants were sparse but we found many of the expected fauna during peak migration.  The spring weather and temperatures were ideal for the migrants to spread out their migration, making a fallout day hard to predict.
But the return of birds to the Edge was exciting as ever, never knowing what would show up next.  Finding 120 species in one day is a great day for any bird watcher

In early June, a 25 mile survey of breeding birds for the USGS counted 70 breeding bird species in one morning.  Another survey covering 25 stops on the Edge of Appalachia Preserve properties counted numerous individuals of 64 species.

Enjoy some of the breeding and non-breeding birds captured digitally this year.  A little eye candy of bird diversity is always good for the brain.  And now that July is here, the breeding birds are harder to find as they sing less and concentrate on caring for their young.

Blue-winged warbler, Vermivora cyanoptera

Blue-winged warbler, Vermivora cyanoptera again.

Chestnut-sided warbler, Setophaga pensylvanica

Grasshopper sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum

Grasshopper sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum again.

Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura

House wren, Troglodytes aedon

Orchard oriole, Icterus spurius

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

Prothonotary warbler, Protonotaria citrea

Prothonotary warbler made a dummy nest in my backyard birdhouse.

Watch for upcoming post on this prothonotary warbler who did make a real nest in a vase on my porch.

Blackburnian warbler, Setophaga fusca

Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canadensis

Common yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas

Red-shouldered hawk, Buteo lineatus feeding a lizard to its chicks.

Indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea

Red-headed woodpecker peeking out of hole in tree.

Red-headed woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Swainson's thrush, Catharus ustulatus

Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus

Worm-eating warbler, Helmitherosvermivorum

Rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripemmis Photo by: Rich McCarty

These surveys are wonderful reminders of the numerous habitats and vast numbers of animals protected on this large, privately owned nature preserve.  The Edge of Appalachia Preserve is one of Ohio's best places to find eastern forest and field birds.  Links on the top of this webpage has info to trails open to the public where you can enjoy these, and many more bird species.

Posted by: Mark Zloba (Thanks to my friend who lent me her Sigma zoom lens to hunt these birds for photos!)

A Big Thanks to the West Union High School FFA and BETA

FFA and BETA club members from West Union High School help work on EOA trails. Photo by: Donnie McCarty

Every year students that are members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and BETA Club visit the preserve for an end of the year work project.  They volunteer their services and lend their hands and backs to make much needed improvements to the preserve.  They have: cut trees out of prairies to help keep the prairies exposed to the sun, picked up trash form illegal dump sites, improved trails by building boardwalks and have even helped pull invasive garlic mustard taking over the bottom land forests of Ohio Brush Creek.

Photo by: Donnie McCarty

This year, the crew arrived early in the morning with smiles on their faces and good attitudes in their brains, which always makes for a pleasant workday.  In fact, although they worked hard on this long, hot day, I never heard one complaint from any of the participants!  And these are teenagers!!
They helped us remove old boardwalks from the retired portion of the Buzzardsroost trail, and carry all the old wood out of the forest.  A job that would have taken 4 of us many days to accomplish.

Photo by: Donnie McCarty

Thankfully, although crowbars were prying, hammers were swinging and nails were exposed, no one got "too" injured.  A few minor scrapes were expected.  But these incredibly hard workers disassembled three boardwalks and marched the remains out of the forest with the precision and organization of an ant colony moving its mound.  I was impressed.

Photo by: Donnie McCarty

After lunch, the team proceeded to carry the same wood they removed earlier, BACK into the forest on the new Buzzardsroost trail to build temporary boardwalks over muddy spots.  Again, no complaints for the group!  This trail becomes unbelievably muddy in the spring, and these wooded tracks will help hikers manage the slick spots.  Along with some fresh gravel placed along the trail, these students helped us improve at least 400 feet of muddy areas.

I cannot say enough about the work ethic of these students.  They worked hard all day, and although it was not easy, they kept on pushing.  Thank you to all who participated, including their teachers Donnie McCarty and Tess Holloway.

Posted by: Mark Zloba