Random Plant: Pussy willow

A couple of weeks ago I came across several pussy willows (Salix discolor, Salicaceae) in various reproductive stages. These large shrubs are dioecious, with separate male and female plants. Both sexes produce flowers in elongated, slender clusters known as catkins. The male catkin buds appear fuzzy and silvery in late winter and early spring, looking somewhat like cat toes:

Pussy willow catkin buds (Salix discolor, Salicaceae) photographed 05/05/2013 at Pinckney State Recreation Area near Chelsea, Michigan.

By mid-spring the catkins flower and are pollinated by both wind and insects:

Pussy willow catkin (Salix discolor, Salicaceae) photographed 05/05/2013 at Pinckney State Recreation Area near Chelsea, Michigan.

Fertilized female catkins produce clusters of slender green fruit. Each capsule contains a number of small seeds:

Pussy willow fruit (Salix discolor, Salicaceae) photographed 05/05/2013 at Pinckney State Recreation Area near Chelsea, Michigan.

Native to southern Canada and the northern United States, pussy willows have a preference for moist, poorly-drained soil. Although they can be found in fields and meadows, they are more commonly associated with streams, lakes, swamps, and wetlands. I found the individuals shown here in the marshes surrounding Losee Lake at Pinckney State Recreation Area near Chelsea, Michigan.

Eastern tiger salamander

Eastern tiger salamander (Caudata: Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma tigrinum) photographed 05/22/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

Eastern tiger salamanders (Caudata: Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma tigrinum) are North America’s largest and most widespread terrestrial salamanders. They can be found in virtually any habitat across much of the continent, provided there is soil suitable for burrowing and water nearby for reproduction. Although adults are adapted for living on land, they often escape dry conditions by going underground. Like most other amphibians their eggs and larvae develop in fresh water.

Eastern tiger salamander (Caudata: Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma tigrinum) photographed 05/22/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

Although highly variable in coloration, tiger salamanders are generally black-bodied with irregular blotches of yellow, olive, or tan. Their bellies are mostly of the lighter color.

Eastern tiger salamander (Caudata: Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma tigrinum) photographed 05/22/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

These amphibians will eat almost anything they can get in their mouths, including insects, worms, and even small vertebrates. They are of some benefit to humans since their diet includes pestiferous insects.

Eastern tiger salamander (Caudata: Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma tigrinum) photographed 05/22/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

In some areas tiger salamander populations have experienced declines due to habitat loss and water pollution, but across their range they are relatively healthy and stable. Considering that I found this individual in a heavily agricultural area, it would seem that they are relatively tolerant of these threats compared to other amphibians.

Random Insect: Clipper

Clipper (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Parthenos sylvia) photographed 05/19/2013 at The Butterfly House near Whitehouse, Ohio.

Although native to southeast Asian rainforests, clippers (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Parthenos sylvia) are more easily seen in local insectariums. I came across a number of these striking butterflies at The Butterfly House near Whitehouse, Ohio this past weekend. While clippers are known to be fast flyers, these individuals spent most of their time sipping nectar from the abundant flowering plants that filled the room.

Random Plant: Starry false Solomon’s seal

Starry false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum, Liliaceae) photographed 05/12/2013 near Blissfield, Michigan.

Starry false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum, Liliaceae) can be found in a variety of habitats across most of North America. It often inhabits hardwood forests, floodplains, swamps, shores, meadows, and dunes, and is especially common in moist areas. Each plant grows a single slightly arching stem that zig-zags between the alternating, parallel-veined leaves. The white, six-parted flowers grow in a small cluster at the terminal end of the shoot. After fertilization the flowers develop into small berries that are initially striped but eventually ripen to a uniform dark red.

Starry false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum, Liliaceae) photographed 05/12/2013 near Blissfield, Michigan.

This plant goes by a number of other common names including “starry false lily of the valley,” “little false Solomon’s seal,” “star Solomon’s seal,” or some variation thereof. As with all organisms the official Latin name is the only one that matters. Maianthemum stellatum appropriately translates to English as “starry May flower.”

Hidden fawns

Yesterday I was out and about in a southeast Michigan meadow, and along the way I noticed a couple of somethings hiding in the short foliage:

Two white-tailed deer fawns (Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Odocoileus virginianus) photographed 05/14/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

Betrayed by the white surfaces of their inner ears, I was able to spot two white-tailed deer fawns (Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Odocoileus virginianus) hiding among the nascent plants.

White-tailed deer fawn (Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Odocoileus virginianus) photographed 05/14/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

Fawns instinctively curl up and remain motionless when threatened. They also emit very little odor, preventing predators from discovering their hiding spots.

White-tailed deer fawn (Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Odocoileus virginianus) photographed 05/14/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

Although the spotted coats of fawns may help them blend in with forest leaf litter and dead foliage, it wasn’t helping them much among this lush greenery.

White-tailed deer fawn (Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Odocoileus virginianus) photographed 05/14/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

Not much bigger than house cats, these young deer were probably less than a week old. Their tiny size and wobbly legs suggested they were born only recently.

White-tailed deer fawn (Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Odocoileus virginianus) photographed 05/14/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

Their mother was foraging nearby, and after I left they got up to meet her.

White-tailed deer (Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Odocoileus virginianus) photographed 05/14/2013 near Clayton, Michigan.

Random Plant: Western redbud

Western redbud (Cercis orbiculata, Fabaceae) photographed 04/26/2013 in the Klamath Mountains of northern California.

Native to parts of California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, western redbud (Cercis orbiculata, Fabaceae) can often be found in rocky soil along canyons, slopes, and streams below 4000 feet. Also known as California redbud, this deciduous shrub or small tree can grow up to twenty feet in height. It can easily be identified by the heart-shaped leaves and pink-purple flowers that appear from late winter through early spring.

Western redbud (Cercis orbiculata, Fabaceae) photographed 04/26/2013 in the Klamath Mountains of northern California.

These attractive flowers are pollinated primarily by bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus spp.) and orchard mason bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Osmia lignaria). After fertilization, the flowers develop into slender purple seed pods that brown with age. In late April in the Klamath Mountains of California there were both flowers and seed pods present:

Western redbud (Cercis orbiculata, Fabaceae) photographed 04/26/2013 in the Klamath Mountains of northern California.

Like its more widespread relative the eastern redbud (C. canadensis), this plant is widely cultivated for use as an ornamental. Unlike its cousin, western redbud is much more drought tolerant and better suited for the arid southwest.

Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird (Passeriformes: Icteridae: Agelaius phoeniceus) photographed 05/05/2013 at Pinckney State Recreation Area near Chelsea, Michigan.

Although they span most of North America, Red-winged Blackbirds (Passeriformes: Icteridae: Agelaius phoeniceus) are absent here in Michigan in the winter. In the summer, however, they’re exceedingly abundant. I frequently see males high atop trees, cattails, and other foliage calling for females. They seem especially common in wetland areas, but I often see them in meadows and on the edges of fields as well.

Red-winged Blackbird (Passeriformes: Icteridae: Agelaius phoeniceus) photographed 05/05/2013 at Pinckney State Recreation Area near Chelsea, Michigan.

During breeding season males establish territories and vigorously defend them from intruders. Most males breed with multiple females, and some can host over a dozen nesting females in their territories.

Red-winged Blackbird (Passeriformes: Icteridae: Agelaius phoeniceus) photographed 05/05/2013 at Pinckney State Recreation Area near Chelsea, Michigan.

Females bear much plainer plumage, perhaps to help them blend in with their surroundings. They tend to build their nests in low foliage just above the ground or water. These structures are intricately woven, providing sturdy homes in which to rear the next generation.