A Honey of an Anklet – Page 127 – theater, natural history and conservation, the utterly mundane, and Etruscan 8-tracks

Good for something

Dr. Caren Cooper is collecting data on variation in House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) eggs.

Because House Sparrows are a nonnative species, they are undesirable inhabitants of nest boxes in North America, but they are an easily accessible study species that can be used to address ecological questions without disturbing native birds.

Researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are studying this species to help better understand the enormous variation in eggshell patterns and color. House Sparrow eggs exhibit an extraordinary amount of variation. Eggshell coloration and pattern may vary with available calcium, sunlight patterns, or habitat quality, and are expected to differ seasonally and geographically as well.

NestWatch participants are encouraged to submit digital photographs of eggs to Dr. Cooper, together with sufficient information to make scientific comparisons. Follow the link for more details.

After a misty start, the weather proved especially cooperative for our final field trip for spring wildflower ID. Would that my point and shoot had done the same. I made suitable images neither of a darling yellow flower of the amaryllis or lily families, Yellow Stargrass (Hypoxis hirsuta), nor of the delicate Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), another lily.

Along Mt. Ephraim Road, where it crosses Bear Branch, to the west of the Sugarloaf Mountain summit, we compared the wiry stem of Indian Cucumber Root (Medeola virginiana) (yet another lily) to the fleshy stem of the pogonias, in this case Large Whorled Pogonia (Isotria verticillata) (an orchis family member). We also found some lingering fruits of Partidgeberry (Mitchella repens) along with this year’s tiny red flower buds in pairs. Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), looking like a dandelion as the flower is opening, is easy to distinguish from its fellow Composite when you see the somewhat hoof-shaped leaf.

The bottomland along the stream turned out to be a bonanza for non-spermatophytes, with at least five ferns in evidence. These are early fronds of Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis), so named because it dies back after the first frost.

And as an added bonus, a completely different division of the vascular plants: Equisetophyta, the horsetails. This drift of plants, per one general guide, is Field Horsetail (Equisetum arvense).

We then took a quick drive and climb to the summit, finding hawkweed along the roadside and blueberries as we mounted the stairs. Up top, there are a few tiny patches of Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium acaule)—I think I prefer Moccasin Flower for its common name. Also some nonreproducing American Chestnut trees (Castanea dentata). We went in search of Checkerberry but only found a group of five-plus Mourning Cloak butterflies (Nymphalis antiopa).

Also scratching out a living on the summit, along with the Table Mountain Pine, is the leather-leaved Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica).

Threaded

As I was saying: we have come/ (or are we still going?) to a/ point where it is necessary to/ speak at cross purposes with what/ we are saying. It is because what-/ ever we were saying so failed to/ hit the mark. Now at last we know that/ saying one thing requires saying/ the opposite in order to keep the/ whole statement from being like/ a Hollywood set. Perhaps it would/ be better to be silent, but a) someone/ else would be speaking; and b) it/ wouldn’t keep us from going and we/ would continue doing what we/ are doing.

—John Cage, “Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?” (1961), collected in Silence

Something useful

A brilliant idea: injecting low-tech graphics into a woefully constrained communications channel: kottke.org collects the best examples of sparktweets.

Nicht lachend

One more casualty of the SEOing of everything: witty headlines. (I differ with Jakob Neilsen on this point.) David Wheeler attends a copy editors’ workshop. I have no problem with mundane headlines for hard news stories. But for a magazine article about cooking, what’s wrong with a little kick?

Please give

Recent disasters, natural and man-made, in Japan, Haiti, the Gulf of Mexico call out to us: we want to give time and money to alleviate suffering and mitigate environmental damage. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

But several columnists have pointed out that the need for charitable giving is a 24/7/365 thing (among them Holden Karnofsky at GiveWell). The earthquake victims are still under duress even after their tour through the news cycle. Often, what’s needed most at a disaster scene isn’t what’s easiest to fit in an envelope. Donated funds that are earmarked for relief of a particular calamity hamper organizations’ ability to deploy resources where they are most needed.

The best way to help is to establish a long-term relationship with a few select organizations, and to make unrestricted gifts. There is a handful of groups that I have helped for ten years or more, through thick and mostly through thin: there’s been maybe a year following a layoff when I wasn’t able to give. But when times are flush, I try to give more, and to more organizations.

To the extent that a particular sharp event cracks open your wallet, keep the relationship going. I made my first contribution to the American Red Cross in the aftermath of 9/11, and I’ve been giving slowly but steadily since.

Annoying Habit #92

Mom (seeing me making slides): “Again?”

Me: “So?”

Mom: “Why not try writing for a change?”

Me: “Excuse me, this is my slide journal.”

Mom: “I mean writing a paper.”

Me: “Ugh! Who even uses that word?”

Mom: “I see a lot of white. Where does the writing come in?”

—Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad, ch. 12

At the park: 43

Dave and M. K. have installed new nestboxes for Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotoria citrea) in clusters near some of our duck boxes, in some cases sharing the same pole. Today was out first check of boxes in four weeks. Since that time in April, five boxes have hatched out, two boxes have new clutches, and, alas, one nest has failed (in addition to a failed nest that we cleaned out last month).

General bird life was a little quiet, although we did see several Great Egrets (Ardea alba) stalking the shallows, and White-eyed Vireos (Vireo griseus) made themselves heard. In the openish woods by box #13 and the observation tower, I found a couple patches of Quaker Ladies (Houstonia caerulea).

On the walk back along the boardwalk, Richard ID’d this pair of Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon sipedon).

Thompson WMA

We set off down the Trillium Trail on the western edge of the Thompson Wildlife Management Aera, and we indeed did find trilliums. In abundance. Heck, you don’t even need to leave the parking lot, if that’s your thing. The species found here is Trillium grandiflorum, which blooms white and fades to pink and purple as it sets seed. Formerly, a patch of Nodding Trillium (T. cernuum) could be found on the property, but no more, it would seem.

Thompson is on the Blue Ridge, southwest of Sky Meadows SP; farther to the southwest, across Interstate 66 and Manassas Gap, is Shenandoah National Park.

Karyn showed us the way to two orchids, the Larger Yellow Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium calceolus var. pubescens), with its penchant for growing at the end of pipestem trails off the fire road, and the Showy Orchis (Orchis spectabilis), which is showy in comparison only to other members of the genus.

I’m beginning to understand the Avenses (Geum sp.), but these members of the Rose family are still perplexing. One clue that seems to work is that the basal leaves are a darker green, almost like wintergreen. We looked at Carrion Flower (Smilax herbacea), the smilax without thorns. Lots of Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), a mystery boneset not yet in flower, bellworts, two ragworts, Eupatoriums in past and future fruit. Newcomb says that the leaves of Horse Balm (Collinsonia canadensis) smell of citronella when crushed, but Bella noted the even stronger smell of agaric mushrooms.

I tried to avoid the distractions of warbler song. I heard my first Wood Thrush of the year.

When is a violet not violet? When it’s green. And, in fact, the Green Violet (Hybanthum concolor) is not in the same genus with the other violets. Down the fire road where it meets a stream that eventually feeds Goose Creek, we also found Viola trilobata and V. cucullata.

Better view desired

Dale Tucker goes birding in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as part of the museum’s Connections series of narrated slideshows.

Shade-grown everything

Utne Reader digests an article in the current (Fall-Winter 2010) number of Upstream Journal about the resurgence of agroforestry in the developing world. According to the brief notice, even the World Bank is devoting more resources to the traditional practice of planting multiple crop species among the trees and shrubs of a sheltering forest.

Primary virtues

“Hem Stitch Hemi Stichs,” a masterful poem by Judith Baumel. Lovely alliteration and springy rhythms.

Closing in on Vermont

As of the 2010 Census:

State of Wyoming
- Resident men, women, and children: 563,626
- Voting representatives in the U. S. Senate and U. S. House of Representatives: 3
District of Columbia
- Resident men, women, and children: 601,723
- Voting representatives in the U. S. Senate and U. S. House of Representatives: 0

That is just gol dang wrong.

What’s cooking?

The New York Public Library has launched another crowdsourced digital transcription project of analog source materials, similar to the North American Bird Phenology Program. The NYPL is seeking volunteers to extract information from its store of historical restaurant menus. So far, data on more than 170,000 food items offered for sale has been pulled from more than 2,800 menus. There is lots of work yet to do:

With approximately 40,000 menus dating from the 1840s to the present, The New York Public Library’s restaurant menu collection is one of the largest in the world, used by historians, chefs, novelists and everyday food enthusiasts…. The New York Public Library’s menu collection, housed in the Rare Book Division, originated through the energetic efforts of Miss Frank E. Buttolph (1850-1924), who, in 1900, began to collect menus on the Library’s behalf. Miss Buttolph added more than 25,000 menus to the collection, before leaving the Library in 1924. The collection has continued to grow through additional gifts of graphic, gastronomic, topical, or sociological interest, especially but not exclusively New York-related.

Violette’s Lock

The river was running high and fast at Violette’s Lock, so we did most of our botanizing along the tow path. Great Crested Flycatchers (Myiarchus crinitus) breeped their presence.

I captured some out-of-focus images of Field Chickweed (Cerastium arvense) and Corn Salad (Valerianella locusta) (found in the disturbed patch near the parking lot). I’m developing a fondness for the delicate chickweeds. We found Bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia) and Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) trees in flower—these are both species that we studied in winter woody plant ID two winters ago. I made some notes on separating Glechoma from Lamium, but I still need more practice with these common weedy plants. More Field Pansies (Viola bicolor), with their crazy stipules to match the specific epithet of the European species, (V. kitaibeliana).

I find that I always come back with a new favorite flower. This week it’s Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea). The ragwort (perhaps named for its ragged leaves) is often found with Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata), a color combination that Karyn dotes on.

Karyn recommends the USDA PLANTS database as the authoritative answer on species synonyms. I am finding quite a few differences between USDA and our field guide, Lawrence Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. It’s hard to keep track of the nomenclature changes: I am sure that I have made some errors.