Twayblade at Heartwood: A Fairytale

Southern twayblade by Kelby Ouchley

OK, it's not a fairytale.  It could be and this is surely a plant from a fairytale.  This tiny orchid (Listera autralis Lindl.) is called southern twayblade.  It is about 6 inches tall with two opposite, sessile, ovate to elliptic leaves which are about 1/2 inch long.  It grows in moist upland pine and hardwood forests.  I find it blooming in the upland forests around my home in February or March.  I am always enthralled by its tiny reddish, brown flowers and stem.  It rises out of the leaf litter like a bit of magic and the individual plants are widely scattered across the forest.  Surely the fairies strew the seeds.
"Once upon a time a fairy named Listera lived beneath the oak trees in the forest.  Her favorite task was planting the seeds of a tiny orchid.  How she adored this job and only she could do it."

Frogs Go A Courtin

Bullfrog by Burg Ransom
 

Searching in an old nature journal I found these notes on frog calls in Louisiana.  Identifying the frog calls by something familiar helps me know and remember who is calling in these late winter chorus sessions.  The frog that starts a chorus is called a “bout leader.”  Male frogs call to attract females.

Print this list and put it in your nature journal.  Have fun identifying the frogs and toads in your area.

Frog or Toad	The call sounds like…….
Northern cricket frog	two pebbles clicking together.
Upland chorus frog	pulling thumb over the teeth of a stiff comb.
Spring peepers	a whistle or a peep that rises in pitch at the end.
Bird-voiced tree frog	a “chorus” of birds (birds don’t sing in chorus though).  It is a trill or whistle-like and very melodious.
Gray tree frog	short, high trills. Common in late spring and summer and usually heard overhead.
Green tree frog	“qwuonk” or beating a cowbell with a stick.
Bronze frog	“tunk” or “tunk, tunk, tunk”.  Some say it’s like plucking a banjo.
Leopard frog	a guttural chuckle or rubbing a balloon.
Pickerel  frog	a barely audible snore.
Southern crawfish frog	a deep snore.
Bullfrog	a deep bellow or jug-a-rum.
Woodhouse toad	a nasal “whaaaaah.”  Hold your nose and say it.
Narrowmouth toad	an electric buzzer.
Spadefoot toad	a sudden deep “mwaaaaah.”

 

Simplicity

 

 

The rabbit has a simple heart,

simple things he craves,

a sheltered nook,

a patch of cane,

the heart to be brave.

From him I learn that I all need

dwells just outside my door,

and that my simple heart

needs very little more.

The Supreme Court of Vultures

turkey vulture (red head) and black vulture (gray head) by Kelby Ouchley

Every morning on my walk I pass a metal tower beside the road where the vultures roost. They always look so serious and solemn in their black robe of feathers as they perch side by side and face the rising sun.  It seems that court is in session.  A few do rise up from their sun-worshipping ritual and circle over my head.  I am always aware of the possible unpleasant consequences of this action.

We have two kinds of vultures here in Louisiana: the black vulture (Coragyps atratus) and the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura).  I tell the difference by their tail shapes when they are soaring.  The black vulture has a short, broad tail and the turkey vulture has a long, narrow tail.  Also the adult turkey vulture has a bare, red head, where the black vulture has a bare, gray head.  The term “buzzard” is a misnomer.

The bird book says that turkey vultures are more common and that is the kind I see most often.  Vultures are a part of a healthy environment since they are scavengers and eat mostly carrion.  They help clean up the environment.  I especially appreciate the work they do along the roadsides by eating  roadkills.  Another interesting fact about vultures is this:  they nest on the ground or on hollow logs.  According to one source, black vultures depend on their sight to locate food and turkey vultures depend on their sense of smell.  Both species soar in Louisiana skies seeking food sources. Look for them in urban areas, because they are also fond of garbage.  And the verdict is…….

Brer Swamper and Brer Sly

 

 

 

Pondering predator-prey relationships in the ecosystem is an interesting pastime.  Animals in both categories are well adapted to survive in their environment.  Survival often becomes a game of wits.  Consider the swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) and the red fox (Vulpes fulva).  Each has a bag of tricks that will help it survive.

The swamp rabbit, a common denizen of bottomland hardwood forests in Louisiana, has traits that have evolved to help it evade one of its main adversaries, the red fox.  Swamp rabbits are well camouflaged.  Their streaked black and brown fur blends into the surrounding vegetation.  They have long, mobile ears that can detect the slightest noise.  They have eyes on the sides of the head as do many other prey species, which gives them good lateral perception of movement.  They also have a keen sense of smell and are wary, a trait vital to their survival.  The first trick they use to prevent detection is to crouch and freeze.  If discovered, they escape by running in a zig-zag manner that can be hard for a predator to follow.

The red fox also has a bag of tricks for survival.  He has an acute sense of smell.  Red foxes probably detect swamp rabbits by smell before they see them.  Their ears are large and upright  and can also sense the least noise.  The red fox is a swift runner and has eyes on the front of its head that provide good depth perception.  He runs in a straight line to chase prey.

So in this game of wits, who wins?  Both species must win some of the time if they are to survive.  Swamp rabbits have one trick that other kinds of rabbits don't have.  They don't mind swimming.  So if the red fox is hot on his trail, he heads for the nearest body of water and dives in.  He waits then with his nose poking out of the water until the fox leaves.  Red foxes aren't fond of water and may forfeit the hunt.  If this happens, the swamp rabbit has outfoxed the fox.  But if this doesn't work, then the rabbit may just plead "please, please don't throw me in the briar patch."

Note:  I wrote this essay for the public radio program called "Bayou Diversity" that my husband, Kelby, records each week on KEDM 90.3 F.M. The program airs at 9 a.m. on Monday and 1 p.m. on Thursday or you can listen to it at the listening room www.kedm.org.

Also, check out his website:  www.bayou-diversity.com

The photos are by Burg Ransom and are from my book:  Swamper, Letters from a Louisiana Swamp Rabbit.

Swamp Squealers and Snakes

Wood Ducks by Bob Rickett
 

The squeal of the wood duck (Aix sponsa) is a sound of the swamp.  Duck hunters call them "squealers."  A male wood duck is one of the more exquisitely colored birds in Louisiana.  He is bedecked in iridescent green feathers bordered in white and accented with black trim.  A helmet of green feathers adorns his head along with red eyes and a red patch on his upper mandible.  This regal head perches on a white-feathered neck fronted with rufous breast feathers.  The more sedately colored female has a distinctive tear-shaped white eye patch.  Both vocalize with high pitched, rhythmic shrieks when flying.  Unlike other kinds of ducks they perch in trees and nest in cavities.  Since many large, old-growth trees with cavities have disappeared from southern swamps, wood duck boxes provide good sites for successful reproduction.  Black rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta) take a toll on wood ducks, because they are expert tree climbers.  I have seen a black rat snake systematically searching tree branches and cavities for nests in the swamp.  Watch and listen for wood ducks on swamp walks.  Also watch for the nonvenomous black rat snakes, for both are part of nature's web in Louisiana swamps.

A Visitor with Marvelous Adaptations

Eastern mole by Kelby Ouchley
 

Yesterday an interesting creature came to visit.  The Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus) showed up on our doorstep, because a nosey dog had extracted him from his tunnel.  Fortunately, the mole was wet, but not injured.

A good reference is George Lowery, Jr.'s book, The Mammals of Louisiana and its Adjacent Waters, so the next step after examination was to read about the mole.  "Moles are among the most highly specialized of all terrestrial mammals,"  writes Lowery.  "They are indeed a marvelous bundle of adaptations to their particular way of life, which involves spending probably 99 percent of their time in their subterranean passages."

The mole's front legs and feet look like good digging tools.  The legs are short; the big feet turn outward and possess five spade-like claws.  The mole's head is unique.  The delicate nose protrudes like a pink probe, there are no external ears, and no eyes are apparent..  According to Lowery, natural selection has reduced the ears and the eyes to tiny openings.  Also, the tail is a short, bare stub.  The moles doesn't need ears, eyes, or a tail underground.

Many books describe mole fur as soft as velvet, which is perfect.  Their soft, velvety fur allows the mole to go forward or backward with ease in his tunnel.

I have found mole skulls in owl pellets during my years as an environmental educator, but had not encountered a live mole since my college days.  After looking and photographing the unusual animal, I released him and he disappeared into a brush pile to get back to his work IN the earth's ecosystem.