August 30, 2020: Web Worm or Tent Caterpillar?

I guess it's caterpillar season.  Last week it was the Polyphemous moth, this week it's webworms.  You've probably noticed a lot of caterpillar nests in the trees this year.  Along  Route 25 in Plymouth just west of 93 there was a stretch where every tree was nearly defoliated, much worse than anything I've seen around the Lakes Region.  In our area I've seen plenty of nests and bare branches but only in small pockets, especially on fruit trees.

Fall Webworm nests (Hyphantria cunea).

Unfortunately, this includes blueberry bushes.

Not very enticing blueberry picking.

People have asked whether these are tent caterpillars or webworms.  It's easy to know the answer if you remember the full name of these two pests:  Eastern Tent Caterpillar and Fall Webworm.  The tent caterpillars come out in the spring and early summer, while as their name indicates, the webworms are prevalent in late summer and fall, so what we are seeing now is the webworm.  Another way to distinguish them is by their nests.  The webworm builds large loose nests that cover a large area of the tree and its leaves.

And though they look awful, the Webworm's arrival late in the season means that they don't usually do great harm to plants they infest because much of the work the leaves need to do has been performed at this point in the season.  Still, if a tree is highly defoliated it will be weakened enough that it may not survive if it has other assaults.  

In comparison, the tent caterpillar builds a tight nest in the fork of the host tree.

Eastern Tent Caterpillars  (Malacosoma americanum)

I've always thought their nests were to provide a deterrent from predators, but the tent caterpillar actually builds their nest to keep warm - it lets them emerge early in the spring before other insects can get to their favorite tree.  [Ref:  Sam Evans-Brown, Ask Sam, NHPR]  Likewise, on hot days they will hide in the shade of the web, coming out to feed at night when it's cooler.

Unlike the gypsy moth, both the tent caterpillar and webworm are native to New England, so they have predators that help keep their populations in check.

Another caterpillar I see now is a smaller, smooth worm hanging from the trees on long thread.  

Possibly the Oak Skeletonizer (Bucculatrix ainsliella)

I think this is the Oak Skeletonizer but I'm not sure.  I saw similar caterpillars earlier in the summer which were green and this one is more brown colored.

But the Oak Skeletonizer has two hatches each year with the second occurring in early fall.  

Now an update on the loons family.  We continue to have multiple visiting loons on the lake so the chicks have been keeping close to one parent and staying in the southern half of the lake, while the other parent provides guard duty, but I did see them once this week and they are getting big.

Harold and Betty with mom or dad.

They're also changing color from their brown fluff to the patterns of an adult loon.

Starting to look like a young adult.

It appears one is significantly larger than the other though it could just be an illusion.  

I want to close this week with a poem written by Meredith resident Susan Goodnough who wrote it one morning sitting at the docks on Meredith Bay.

"Loon-Time At The Lake"
By Susan Goodnough

Dawn is breaking,

And I'm on the docks alone,

No... not any more,

Two loons visit me,

They look at each other,

One dives,

The other follows,

I wonder,

Where will they surface?

But, they won't tell me,

Ahh... in the distance,

Three more, then four,

Yet, another three,

Stately, serene, and magnificent,

I watch with gratitude,

And enjoy the silence.

August 23, 2020: Luna Moth

Back in June a friend sent me a picture of the tremendous Luna Moth that she saw on a tree trunk near Sawyer Pond in Gilmanton.

Luna Moth (Actius luna), June 21, 2020.    (Photo by a good friend.)

These are one of our largest moths and though not rare in New Hampshire, they are not often seen due their nocturnal behavior.  I still remember the first time I saw one of these - it was on the exterior wall of my parents cottage on the west side of Lake Wicwas.  My mom noticed it and called us all out to see it.  I don't know if it was her excitement or just the size and beauty of it, but that moment has stuck with me, and I've been fascinated by them ever since.  I haven't seen one myself in a long time so I was most appreciative of receiving this photo from a friend - thank you!

Luna moths are members of the silk moth family, and are found only in North America.  They are sensitive to light so are often attracted to porch lights.  But this attraction to artificial light is also a problem for them as it affects their navigation and possibly their life cycle.  Light pollution and pesticides are two of the largest risks to these moths, as are naturally occurring parasitic flies and the many birds and animals that hunt them for food.  Their attraction to porch lights and their subsequent landing on illuminated walls makes them highly visible to predators.  

I'm writing about the Luna moth now because Linda found this huge green caterpillar crawling along the ground in one of her gardens this week, and we immediately thought "Luna moth".  

Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) caterpillar.

Researching this journal entry I learned wasn't a Luna moth caterpillar, but rather a Polyphemus moth caterpillar.  The Polyphemus moth is equal in size to the Luna, but its adult form is brown rather than green, and it also has the distinctive eye shapes on its wings which help to confuse and scare predators.  The two moths' larval stages are very similar;  I learned the best way to distinguish them is by their face.  The Luna moth has a green face while the Polyphemus moth has a brown, bearded face.  Fortunately we had gotten a good look at its business end.

Linda's friend has the brown face of the Polyphemus moth.

This future-moth will soon wrap itself up in a cocoon made of silk and leaves where it will spend the winter amidst the leaf litter - another reason not to rake the leaves under the trees at the periphery of your lawn!  

Both types of these "macro" moths have one life cycle per year.  The pupa will start to develop in May when the ground warms; the adult moth will emerge a few weeks later.  The adult does not eat, but will find a mate and the female will lays its eggs on the underside of a leaf - mostly birch in our area, but hickory and walnut are also preferred hosts.  The eggs will hatch in about a week and eat and grow until they reach three inches in length.  During this phase both Luna and Polyphemus caterpillars will molt five times as they grow; each of these phases is called an "instar", so these species have five instars.  After their final instar they will form their cocoon and the cycle begins again.  Here are a couple of references to learn more about these giant insects:

Magical Moths, Rick Van de Poll, NH Fish and Game Wildlife Journal, July/August, 2017

Butterflies and Moths of North America

These caterpillars will be all sealed up and safe when the cool weather arrives.  Did you feel the late-summer chill in the air earlier this week?  The lakes sure did, and they showed their displeasure by weeping mist from their still-warm waters.  

Summer is starting to get tired.

August 16, 2020: In Search of the Elusive Purple Bladderwort

During a changing of the guard at the Wicwas boat ramp, the incoming Lake Host told me of his sighting of purple bladderwort on the lake.  A few weeks ago I wrote about the carnivorous Greater Bladderwort with its delicate yellow flower and its high-speed carnivorous abilities, but I had never seen a purple one.  He told me where he found it, so yesterday I went in search of it, though it took me quite a while as I had a series of distractions along the way.  But after paddling along the section of marshy shore where directed, and just as I thought I had missed it because I was heading back out towards open water, I looked down and there it was.

Purple Bladderwort (Utricularia purpurea)

A large patch of purple bladderwort was there to greet me.  

One interesting bit of research on these aquatic plants indicates that this species of bladderwort may be adapting away from carnivorous to a more mutualistic diet with algae and zooplanton taking up residence in its bladders.  [Ref:  Richards, J.H. (2001), Bladder fundtion in Utricularia purpurea (Lentibulariaceae): Is carnivory important?, American Journal of Botany, 88(1): 170-176] 

So maybe it's now omnivorous rather than strictly carnivorous, but at any rate, it's a pretty flower.  

If you want to see it, paddle gently into the northwest part of the large area of lily pads just north of where the Hamlin conservation area ends - the above picture will help guide you.  Thank you RB for the guidance!  

One of the many distractions along my quest was the large group of loons that has been on the lake for days now.

An asylum of seven loons (note the line of geese in the far distance).

Many people have reported sightings of this asylum, which numbered as many as eight one day as they sailed in formation past our house.

It's not uncommon at this time of year for loons that don't have chicks to travel together, visiting different lakes.  Perhaps they're looking for possible new homes, or just doing some summer sight-seeing.

Another distraction was this osprey which was doing its morning preening high in a tree on a small island in the north end of the lake.

Those talons will come into play in a few minutes.

A couple of Great Blue Heron also slowed me down, one also enjoying the bladderwort while fishing, the other creeping along the shoreline, probably in search of frogs.

Later the same day my brother took this video of possibly the same bird walking through the forest at my parents cottage.  I do marvel at their leg mechanics.  Thanks for sharing Glen!

Yet another distraction was a herd of four deer that went bounding through the forest as I paddled by - an impressive sight on a quiet morning.  Later, as I drifted quietly, I saw two of them go dashing by me again.  They were both young fawns, chasing each other back and forth through the woods, having a grand time, running, making high leaps over trees and bushes.  For a moment one of them stopped to munch on some leaves just long enough for me to take one quick picture before its sibling (or friend) came dashing by, and the two were off again.  

My final, though actually the first distraction, was simply the sunrise.

This post has already gone on too long, but I must share one more nature moment.  Last night we were out enjoying the sunset, as were many others, and we saw at least two osprey out looking for their dinner.  We watched one make an unsuccessful dive into the water, then circle back around for a second try, also apparently unsuccessful, because it then came back for yet a third attempt, and this time, a hit.  

Circling around for pass number three.

Grappling hooks deployed.

Contact!

Got it.

And we're off.

A quick shake to reduce ballast.

And, dinner time!

Sorry for the long post, but that was too much fun not to share.  All in all, another captivating day on the New Hampshire lakes.

August 9, 2020: Mid Summer Loon Update

Harold and Betty are now over a month old, time for their five-week check up.

Harold and Betty, age five weeks.    D. Crowley photo.

There's been a lot of loon activity on Lake Wicwas the past couple of weeks, including just yesterday when a total of 12 loons were observed, but fortunately it doesn’t seem to be affecting our little chicks, who aren’t actually all that little any more. 

A good comparison of the chick's size relative to an adult.  D. Crowley photo.

One can understand how they're growing so quickly when you see the size of the fish their parents are feeding them.

That's a big fish for a little bird.  D. Crowley photo.

It's hard to believe, but the little chick got that fish down its throat!  Deb Crowley sent me these great pictures she took this week – thank you for sharing them!  (And there are still more to come.)

The loon family is keeping to the south end of the lake and the parent on guard duty seems to be pretty successful at keeping all the other loons north of Loon Point.  One afternoon there were four loons in Marion Cove clearly having a dispute.  They spent hours in the same area, circling each other, diving, watching one another down under the water, even wing-rowing and yodeling as they chased each other around the cove.  

Wing-rowing across the cove.

This has gone on many times in the last two or three weeks.  I came up with my own speculative story:   the cove has become the South China Sea of Lake Wicwas.  The rogue loon we call Solo has claimed ownership of the cove but the pair that has lived on the lake for many years doesn’t accept this, and continues to sail through the cove, asserting their long-term rights to the water.  This year it has been particularly tense, and for the first time there have been four loons rather than three.  Could it be that after five years Solo has found a mate?  Or is it a new pair that would like to make its home here?  Who could blame it – it’s a beautiful place to live.

A calm August day in New Hampshire

One afternoon as this on-going skirmish was taking place, one of the loons came up with a huge sunfish and spent several minutes shaking, dropping, catching it again, and just tossing it around, all trying to wear it out before it would swallow it.  It knows better than to put a madly flapping fish with spiked fins into its gullet!  Several other people told me they observed the same thing, but only Deb caught it on silicon. (Remember when we said "film"?)

Photos by D. Crowley

I have not heard any reports of eagles harassing the loon chicks even though they are on the lake.  One afternoon Neil Crimins was out fishing and saw a bald eagle swoop up from the lake after catching its supper – a five or six inch long fish - and fly off into a tree on the shore close to his boat.  He watched for over 15 minutes, but the eagle was not inclined to start its meal while it was being watched. 

Photo by N. Crimins

Eventually Neil went on his way, leaving the eagle to enjoy its dinner.

Thanks to all the great nature-watchers on the lake I had an easy job this week with the news and the pictures.  I will share one picture I took recently of the largest loon I have ever seen on Lake Wicwas.  It was drifting quietly out by Sheep Island, clearly separated from its family.  I was happy to see later that morning that it had found its way back home.

A wayward loon on Lake Wicwas

August 2, 2020: Birds on the wing

Mother nature sure has been giving us some spectacular weather this summer, warm and sunny, with gorgeous sunsets and calm mornings perfect for a sunrise or sunset paddle on the lakes.  

As I kayaked on one of those calm mornings it seemed the birds were out enjoying the morning as much as I was.  First I spotted a Great Blue Heron gliding over the water.

I always think of herons as wading birds because they spend so much time in the shallow water searching for frogs or fish to swim by their skinny, stationary legs which carefully imitate stalks of plants growing in the lake.  But they do make their nests in tall trees, and will also sit high in a tree to observe their world.  When airborne they do their best to minimize air resistance from their long gangling appendages.

A nice streamline form as it gains altitude.

I was able to track this one as it rose up and prepared to land at a prime vantage point to watch out over the lake.

Extend landing gear.

Flare wings on final approach.

Safely in the  hangar.

The next bird showing off its flying skills was an Eastern Kingbird.

I saw and heard many of these as I paddled that morning, seeing them flit out to catch a bug and return to their perch.  I stopped at one point to watch one of them go out on a few breakfast sorties.

On the hunt.

The flying skills of these birds are pretty amazing, especially when you think that they never studied aerodynamics or flight control - it's all just natural talent.

Bogey off to port!

Gotcha!

Back to the perch.

The kingbird knows how to flare also.

Just a few moments and it will be off again.

Sometimes the purpose of their mission was to repel another bird from its hunting grounds - that's when they were most noisy.

These are not a couple of love birds - one is letting the other know "these are my insects".

The next flying object out on the lake wasn't a bird, but a bee - a honey bee collecting pollen from the pond lilies which seem especially abundant this summer (maybe they like the weather also).  Morning is the best time to see these lilies as they bloom early in the day and close up in the heat of the afternoon, which the bees seem to know.  Here's one coming in to inspect a prospect:

Note the pollen sac it's carrying.

It's clear it's already visited a few other flowers this morning.  It hovered a bit,

then decided it liked what it saw and went in.

It climbed down among the stamens to extract all the pollen it could carry and still get airborne.

All this pollen collection and sharing from flower to flower ensures fertilization to generate new plants.  Deep down in the bottom of the lake are the rhizomes that anchor these plants in place - until a muskrat or beaver comes along and eats the root, continuing the endless food cycle of nature.  Here's an interesting fact about the White Pond Lily:  According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center the stalks contain air channels which allow oxygen collected by the leaves to travel down into the roots in the bottom of the lake.  

It is such a pretty flower.

Nature does give us us the most beautiful sights.

Summer sunset in New Hampshire

P.S.  Harold and Betty are doing fine, I saw them yesterday.  I'll try to get pictures next week - they're getting big!