Welcome Back Woodcock! - By Alan Nations (Spring 2009)

While surveying Blackacre’s trails and natural areas for winter storm damage, I was delighted to come upon an American Woodcock. The woodcock is a chunky shortnecked and short-legged bird; its plumage matches the dead leaves of the forest floor and old fields where it roosts during the day. These solitary and nocturnal birds are rarely seen during the day unless flushed. Flushing of a woodcock can be a startling but harmless experience for both you and the bird.

These birds will remain very still when approached, allowing the intruder to come within a few feet of their roost. The bird will suddenly burst into a straightaway flight on twittering rounded wings. I came upon and flushed the bird in low damp woodlands on the north side of the preserve that is adjacent to a field of warm season native grasses and wildflowers.

These diverse ecological systems provide excellent habitat for woodcock and are essential for the survival of the species. Earthworms are an important part of the bird’s diet. Slowly moving back and forth, they stamp their feet causing earthworms to move, capturing the worm by probing their long bill into the soil. Woodcocks are migratory. Shortly after their arrival in Kentucky in late winter or early spring, they began an amazing mating ritual. The ritual usually takes place in a field or open woodland.

The male starts with a nasal call of ‘peeant’, from a position on the ground. He then soars upward in an acrobatic flight to several hundred feet, producing a musical twittering with wings and a liquid bubbling song, before returning to the same position on the ground. This is repeated many times and will continue each evening shortly before darkness until he attracts a mate. Observing this event is one of the ways I celebrate spring each year. You can too - near dusk, walk slowly and quietly around the mown fields at Blackacre looking to the sky and listening for that distinctive nasal ‘peeant’ sound. Keep some distance and enjoy the show.

Mink Sighting - By Alan Nations

Recently I saw a mink making his way along the edge of one of Blackacre’s fields, moving in and out of the dense cover of native grasses and wildflowers. I was surprised to see this small semi-aquatic mammal so far from the nearest pond or stream.  This rare encounter ended quickly when the mink sensed my presence and vanished into the safety of the dense grasses. Although disappointed that the encounter was so brief, I felt a sense of pride that Blackacre is providing habitat for these beautiful animals to feed, make safe nest sites, raise young, and – in this mink’s case – seek shelter from a perceived threat.

The mink, a member of the weasel family that is well known for its luxurious brown fur, lives in burrows along ponds and streams, or sometimes occupies the lodges of beavers or muskrats. They hunt on land and in the water, looking for small mammals, waterfowl, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates. The mink’s shape is not only well suited for agile movement on land but is also well suited for life in the water. Webbed feet and dense waterproof fur provide advantages in the aquatic environment. The mink’s young are called kits and litters range from 3 to 6 young.  Mink families remain together during the summer, but they winter alone.

Their presence at Blackacre is an indication of a healthy ecological system; even small residues of contaminants such as mercury, PCB’s, DDT and other pesticides cause mortality and reproductive problems in mink.

The best chance to see a mink is late in the day or early in the morning, around fields, ponds and streams. Walk quietly and look closely!  

Mimicry and the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - By Alan Nations

Male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

This is a male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, one of the most common butterflies in our area and Blackacre visitors can almost always count on seeing one during their peak from June through the end of September.  Females of this species have developed an interesting adaptation called mimicry.  While some of the females exhibit very similar coloring to the male pictured here, others are often black, the color of the Pipevine Swallowtail.  Plants and animals mimic other species or even objects in their environment to improve their own chances of survival.

Pipevine Swallowtail

In the case of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, it mimics the black Pipevine Swallowtail because birds and other predators associate this color with the unpleasant taste of the Pipevine and therefore avoid them. Mimicking this distasteful butterfly helps protect the Easter Tiger Swallowtail and ensure the survival of the species. 

 

 

Available Downloads

Easter Tiger Swallowtail (Photo)

Pipevine Swallowtail (Photo)