Ridge and Valley

A Winter Wonderland

2012-02-25T11:08:00.005-08:00

When I woke up Monday morning and saw all the snow in our yard, I knew that

I wanted to get my camera to Wildwood as soon as possible.

Arriving at the Main Street entrance, I was disappointed to see that it had not gotten
cold enough to freeze the water that is always dripping from the tufa cliffs.

My disappointment, however, was short-lived as I walked into the park and down Wildwood Drive.

Sunday night's heavy, wet precipitation had penetrated the trees' canopy of branches-leaving everything,
yes, everything covered with a sparkling blanket of white.

Aaahhh,
this was more beautiful than I had imagined!

I looked up as I approached the North Bridge.

Another "aaahhh" !

Crossing the bridge, I walked toward the tunnel, trying to absorb all the exquisite white surrounding me.

After turning around I continued to wander, enjoying the crisp air and the blue sky.

All too soon, I was at the Park Road parking lot and turned to get one more shot and

one more deep breath of a simple and profound joy.

Radford Roosting Festival

2012-02-20T15:03:00.001-08:00

Saturday morning, February 18, was a splendid day to be out looking for birds!

About 25 folks joined Clyde Kessler to listen and look for them in Wildwood.

The group saw and/or heard 25 different species including yellow-rumped warblers, bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, towhees, cardinals, blue jays, crows, woodpeckers (A pileated one stayed in view for several

minutes as it flew from trees to the ground and back.), robins, wrens, song sparrows,

phoebes, white-breasted nuthatches, a junco, a mourning dove, and flying high above our heads:

a red-tail hawk, a turkey vulture, and an immature bald (probably) eagle!

Activities for the Festival continued at McHarg Elementary School on Saturday afternoon.

Youngsters enjoyed making treats to hang outside for birds, making their own bird books,

and dissecting owl pellets, as well as other fun activities.

Veterinarian Philip Bailey and his wife rescue injured wild birds and brought

a few of them to show the audience. In the above photo, he is holding an American kestrel,

which is a falcon that is about the size of a blue jay.

The man with the camera who is talking to Dr. Bailey while he holds a barn owl is
Kyle Green, a photographer with the Roanoke Times.
The barn owl is one of Dr. Bailey's hunting birds.

You might want to try to find out more about falconry and the sport of hunting with birds.

As Kyle Green lifted his camera to get a shot, the bird turned its head

all the way around to look at me and my camera. I was amused

because animals usually turn their face away from me as soon as

I get my camera ready for a good shot!

This little screech owl had been injured and rehabilitated by the Baileys and

was ready to be released back into the wild. It was taken outside to the edge of

the woods behind McHarg.

It fluttered it wings.

And then flew to a nearby tree.

I was very pleased to see how well it was camouflaged among the brown leaves

still in the tree that it chose. That should help it have a better chance to survive.

A Weekend for the Birds: February 17 & 18

2012-02-17T05:16:00.000-08:00

Radford will hold its 5th annual Roosting Festival this weekend.
Once again we have the opportunity to become better acquainted with Wildwood's wonderful

feathered friends.
Clyde Kessler will lead us through the park and help us listen and look.

Perhaps we will see sparrows:

Maybe robins:

Bright red cardinals are easy to see:

Towhees sometimes like to hide from us:

Blue Jays like to scream at us!

Clyde will help us know who the birds are and where they may be singing and feeding.

Meet at the Park Road parking lot at 9:00am Saturday, Feb.18, to begin the hunt.

Events this weekend include

a movie, Winged Migration, in the McHarg Elementary School Multi-purpose Room

from 7 - 9 pm Friday night, Feb. 17.

The Bird Walk beginning at the Park Road parking lot at 9:00 Saturday.

Lots of activities at McHarg School on Saturday afternoon 1:00 - 5:00.

See you there!

Did you know?

2012-02-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

Did you know that this is a dog?

A very frisky and excited dog?

I met Penny and her owner as I neared the Park Road parking lot.

Penny was described by her owner as being "very energetic".

I agreed as Penny continued to twirl at the end of her leash while trying to greet me.

Did you also know that the official state dog for Louisiana is the
Catahoula Leopard Dog?

I didn't, until Penny's owner told me that.

As Penny (who was only 5 months old) calmed down, I could see what a
fine looking animal she was, and I also got a better look at her eyes.
Catahoulas have "glass" eyes that are an icy blue color.

Some folks say that "Catahoula" is an Indian word that means "clear eyes".

Penny has one glass-looking eye, and the other is "cracked" or both brown and white.

Cracked eyes are also common in this breed.

Catahoulas are bred to be working dogs and that explains the high energy.
I was charmed by Penny and her owner and was delighted to add her to

my growing album of dogs walking their owners in the park.

I learn so many interesting things in Wildwood!

Wild Yam

2012-02-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

While wandering in with my camera in Wildwood in January,

I stopped along the bike path to snap a few shots of

an open pod of Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa). It had burst open

and most of its seeds had fallen out.

When I got home and loaded the photos into my computer,

I was delighted to see that I had an evocative still life picture!

Wild Yam is an herbaceous vine that sometimes grows close to the ground in a whorl

of heart-shaped leaves.

Its small, delicate flowers grow along dangling vines.

Fruit then begins to form.

Green pods have seeds developing inside.

The green fruit turns brown as the seeds develop.

The cycle will then begin again.
Life goes on in Wildwood.

Wildwood Rocks!

2012-01-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

I have always admired the limestone/dolomite tufa cliffs at the Main Street entrance to Wildwood Park.

The slowly dripping water has left deposits and formations on the rocks' surfaces much like those that

would be found inside a cave.

Wintertime adds a beautiful draping of ice sculpture that changes as the air
cools and warms, causing the ice to melt and refreeze.

One day recently, when I was wandering with my camera, I climbed the steps
behind the Wildwood Park sign and noticed a small opening in an outcrop.

Taking a closer look at the rocks, I saw that there were very slender pieces of rock
sticking out that were perpendicular to the horizontal limestone layers.

I showed the photo to my geologist friend, Bob Whisonant, and he told me that the

narrow strips of rock are called bacon strips (Isn't that a descriptive name!) and that they are caused by calcium carbonate precipitating out from the limestone.

Wildwood rocks!

December Flowers?

2012-01-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

I certainly was surprised one day in December to see a small bit of purple peeking out from a plant beside the Bike Path. I knelt down for a closer look -
I saw a green plant!

And yes, it had a very small flower with four lavender petals.
And no, I wasn't supposed to see that in December!

I made sure to get pictures of its leaves and stems so that I could try to identify it.

I finally decided that it was a flower called Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matromalis), and it is usually is a summer flower! However, it is a member of the Mustard Family, and those are hardy souls. The warmer than usual temperatures in November and December must have fooled it! It also may have had

some protection from the fallen tree branch under which it was growing.

It has continued to survive through some cold snaps into January.
Several more of its buds have opened with encouragement from sunny days.
It is another one of Wildwood's wonderful surprises!

Elf Graffiti

2011-12-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

While in Wildwood with my camera one very cold morning, I saw some strange tiny marks on a tree trunk.

I snapped a few pictures and saw that they actually looked like black pen marks:

ELF GRAFFITI!

I snapped a close up shot:

I still couldn't read the strange writing so I looked even closer:

Those little elves are leaving secret messages all over the place!

Dr. Coté, remember he's the webmaster for the Wildwood website, has explained to me that I have really gotten images of Scribble Lichen (Graphis scripta) and that the marks are really lirellae or a form of ascomata which are fruiting bodies of the lichen. Now, I'm sure that's what those mischievous elves want him to believe. They don't want to get in trouble because because they are scribbling all over the tree trunks!
If only I could figure out what they have written....

Reach for the Sky!

2011-12-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

My small camera does not have a long range zoom. It has a good macro lens for getting close-ups of flowers and critters, but birds and other far-away objects present a greater challenge and sometimes end up being blurs.

However, I occasionally look up and see something that I want to photograph.

Last week, the rising full (almost) moon got my attention as I was walking to my car that was parked at the Park Road Entrance.

I decided to aim high toward the east:

Seeing that perhaps after several tries, I had an image that had turned out okay, I looked toward the western sky and saw that the sun had begun to paint large streaks and swirls across the heavens.

I snapped:

I snapped again:

And again:

It was getting darker, and the sun was disappearing over the horizon with its colors.

Time for me to head home to a warm house and dinner.

Halloween in Wildwoood

2011-11-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

While walking along a wooded trail on October 31, I decided to stop and search for mushrooms and other fungi. Earlier in September and October, I had gotten photos of bright orange ones that had reminded me of the spooky holiday that was soon to come.

Shaggy Scalecaps had been the most recent ones.

Orange Mycenas had been the most dramatic looking when I put my camera on the ground and shot up toward the sunlight glowing through them.

I had even gotten a good look at Orange Mycenas when they were very young and quite small - just babies!

I could soon see that I wasn't going to find any more orange fungi so I turned to move along the trail when I happened to notice some lichen growing on a tree trunk, in fact the pale green growth had covered much of the trunk. I usually don't pay very much attention to lichen - I don't know much about it, and I don't get very interesting photos of it. However, on Halloween Day, as I looked at the patches on the tree, I saw a few small lumps - and I didn't recall ever seeing lichen lumps. Suddenly, I saw that one of the lumps was quivering! I do know for sure that lichen does NOT move!!! Had I found haunted lichen?

There is the tiny lump that was moving - it was no bigger than a Skittle! I've marked it with a yellow arrow so that you can find it more easily.

I gently lifted the the blob and turned it upside down on my hand - it was a bug!
The underside of a bug!

Once on my hand, it quickly turned itself back over and curled up - much like
doodle bugs or roly-poly bugs do.

It did stick its wiry little legs out a bit, but it would not uncurl again until I stuck it back on the tree - its home.

I later discovered by looking in Bug Guide that the little critter was a Green Lacewing larva. It covers itself with lichen dust so that its predators won't recognize it and will leave it alone. What a wonderful Halloween costume the little fellow was wearing - it surely fooled me!

Who Is This? What Is This? Where Is This?

2011-10-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not writing about this photo that recently popped up in my camera!

I'm leaving it all to your imagination - answer the questions in the title

or ask some more:

As I walked along a Wildwood trail a few days later, see who again popped up out of the leaves -
but with a slight change!

Now how do you explain this?
Wildwood Park is a magical place , but there has to be another reason for the green.

Blue Velvet

2011-10-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

The recent rainy days sent me out to Wildwood to search for mushrooms. The damp weather is their favorite time to grow. I found a few, and as I crawled around to get the best shots, I saw a small fallen tree branch surrounded by colored tree leaves and fresh green garlic mustard leaves. It seemed to be covered with royal blue velvet! I certainly had never seen that anywhere before!

When I emailed the photo to my friend and fungi enthusiast, Gary Coté, he said that it is called Velvet Blue Spread or Cobalt Crust (Terana caerula or Pulcherricium caeruleum). The Latin name literally means "the most beautiful blue", which it truly is. It's a fungus that isn't often seen even by experts.

Wildwood is full of wonderful surprises!

Fall Color Changes

2011-10-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

You might expect this article to have photos of trees with leaves that have changed colors.

Well you are in for a surprise!

While roaming the South Meadow with my camera recently, I saw a Buckeye butterfly gliding along the bike path and over into the grass. I had seen the familiar and beautiful "eye" spots on top of its wings as it flew.

When it landed on a blade of grass,

the butterfly's weight caused the blade to bend and the under wings were revealed.

The forewings had eye spots and and the hind ones were a solid color but not the usual tan.

Instead they looked like a muted, rosy pink. I thought that the afternoon sunlight had caused them to be that color. I shared the photos with my friend and butterfly expert Clyde Kessler, and he told me that I had photos of a fall generation of Buckeye called the "rosa" form. When I did some research online, I found that the rosy color on the wings is caused when the eggs hatch and the butterfly grows up during fall days that are shorter and have less sunlight. Those days and nights are also colder. This combination causes the lovely rosy color.

Welcome to Wildwood, Rosy!

Wouldn't it be great if these colorful critters could stay with us throughout the year?

Winter gets too cold for buckeyes so they will migrate south to the Carolinas and on as far as Florida.

See you next spring, Bucky

(Be sure to read the article "2010: The Year of the Common Buckeye" written by Clyde on 10-15-10)

Zebras? In Wildwood?

2011-08-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

No way, you say!

Zebras don't go galloping through our valleys and over our ridges. Ridiculous!
However, I do find some lovely creatures as I wander with my camera. Several times I have taken photos of a very small moth - a Snowy Urola (Urola nivallis).

Snowy is an appropriate name because it is as white as snow.

One day, as I walked down the slope into the floodplain under the North Bridge, I saw a white flutter and thought that it might be Snowy. However, it was a little bigger and kept crawling under the grass and would not let me get a good look, much less a photo. I followed it along until it flew over the bike path and across the creek beyond where I could chase. Oh, well, there was a beautiful butterfly at the butterfly bush in the meadow.

I knew that this was a Spicebush Swallowtail because I could see the two rows of orange spots as it nectared on the sweet flowers. It was missing one of its "tails" and might have had a narrow escape when a bird tried to have it for lunch!

Something else flew to the bush with tiny wings beating rapidly like humming bird wings. But it wasn't a bird it was a moth - a Snowberry Clearwing (Himaris diffinis). It is sometimes called a humming bird moth because it uses its wings to hover as it sips nectar from flowers.

I walked back up to the bike path and saw that the Cup Plants were beginning to bloom, their bright yellow disks shinning in the sun.

Cup Plants have an unusual attachment of their leaves to the plant's stem:

The stem perfoliates or pierces through the fused leaves and forms - you guessed it - a cup!

Cup plants grow six to eight feet tall and rain water gathers in the cups.

I was still curious about the white moth that flew away from my camera, so I returned a couple of days later to that same slope. Yes, I saw the white flutter again! But again it flew up toward the bike path. That's okay, I could stay busy with plenty of other plants and critters. As I looked around for my next shot, I saw the familiar white flutter, and it was down near the creek this time. The chase was on! I snapped!

Ah, ha! I saw a wing tip! Now it became a game of Hide and Seek!

I snapped again - what a tease!

Oh, I liked what I saw! I got down on my hands and knees and set my camera carefully on the ground.

One final snap just before the white flutter flew away across the bike path again and was gone.

That was okay because I had won the game! I had a wonderful photo of the Zebra of Wildwood, a moth named Zebra Conchylodes (Conchylodes ovulalis). This zebra flies over our valleys and ridges instead of galloping...
but it sort of looks like a zebra, don't you think?

One Wonderful Hour in Wildwood

2011-07-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

After missing a couple of days in Wildwood, I returned on Monday afternoon, entering at the Main Street entrance. I have learned that I need to get my camera out of its case before I get out of the car so that I don't miss a good photo op. As soon as I got around the gate, I was greeted by a fresh and lovely Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilo glaucus). It fluttered up to the top of a thistle plant that was higher than my head and tip-toed across the flower.

While I was shooting the butterfly, a humming bird almost bumped my nose with its beak - I don't know who was more surprised by that! Eastern Tigers have a wingspan of over four inches, and they are also Virginia's official state insect.
I moved on around the wetland area and immediately saw a tiny flutter near my boot tops - Virginia's smallest butterfly, a Least Skipper ( Anclyoxypha numitor) was resting on a plant stem.

The tiny wings glow like bright orange sparkles in sunlight and this one even opened its wings to reveal the top side of those wings - a sight that I had never seen before!

And another later opened its wings even more. Ah, I saw some orange on the topside, also.

On a nearby leaf of bittersweet nightshade, my camera found an old friend - a Tater Bug (Leptinotarsa juncta) also known as a False Potato Beetle. Its handsome colors make it very photogenic.

Just above the Nighshade on a leaf of the taller Jewelweed , a Variable Dancer (Agria fummipennis) paused long enough for me to get a quick shot. It had a rich purple color in the filtered sunlight.

Moving on across the wetland, I soon spotted my newest favorite butterfly - a Giant Swallowtail (Papilo cresphotes). I really get excited when I see one of those - the wingspan can be as much as 5 1/2 inches. It's easy to see why it is one of the largest butterflies in North America. Until Monday, I hadn't gotten a very good look at those yellow underwings.

Earlier I had seen its rich chocolate brown upper wings and as it fluttered on the swamp milkweed flowers, I could get glimpses of each side all in one lively blur. I could even see the yellow "eye" on the tip of its tail and could hear the soft flap of its huge wings.

As I watched, another Giant joined the first, then another, and another - four in all! What an aerial show!
I eventually put my camera aside and just enjoyed the moment. A humming bird - perhaps the one that had almost collided with me - flew through the twirling butterflies, scattering them back to the flowers. I opened my camera again to capture the latest addition to the scene - a Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilo troilus).

Butterflies love Swamp Milkweed and so do tiny Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle larvae. While standing very close to a leaf, I saw one of those dear little creatures crawling slowly along a leaf and a stem. Slow crawlers help make good photos. Is that a shy smile that I see?

Just before storm clouds gathered enough to begin a sprinkle of rain and send me home to my husband Lou and the welcome dinner he usually has prepared for me, I reflected on the joyous hour I had spent with the Wildwood visitors and dwellers, and I knew that I could relive it in my mind with the help of my photographs. How privileged I felt...

GLEN ALTON OUTING

2011-07-20T03:05:00.000-07:00

At this pond, you can often see many species of dragonfly. Today we saw few, but the snag trees were busy with birds, including hummers bossing everything around. Photo © Ray Callahan

A cloudy day, but an enjoyable, early morning trip to Glen Alton. Photo © Ray Callahan

Saturday morning (July 16th)at Glen Alton was cloudy and rather cool, relative to the hot weather of the last few days. It was cool enough that few insects were flying. Exceptions were bumblebees and they were everywhere even nectaring on plantain flowers.

Ray Callahan and I visited there to find dragonflies but found only two: a meadowhawk (Sympetrum) that was just emerging from the skin of its old nymph shell; and a female Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis). The Blue Dasher could barely fly because of the low temperature.

We did find a few species of damselfly:

Swamp Spreadwing (Lestes vigilax)
Aurora Damselfly (Chromagrion conditum)
Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis)
Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis)
Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata)

We saw only a few species of butterflies:

Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas)
Northern Pearly-Eye (Enodia anthedon)
Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)

Birds were easy to locate, we found 45 species. Highlights included watching a pair of flickers feeding their babies. The young ones would stretch their heads slightly out of the nest cavity (in a large dead pine) and a parent would put food inside their mouths. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were everywhere, saw twelve at least, probably a lot more. These were all crazy and feisty, diving at and chasing other birds from Scarlet Tanagers to Phoebes to warblers.

Glen Alton by the way is a great place for nature watching and discovery. It is located in Giles County. You can find five species of thrushes in nesting season: Eastern Bluebird, Veery, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, & American Robin. Also Brown Creepers and Red-breasted Nuthatches are known to nest there. There are also scads of singing Blackburnian Warblers.

Many species of dragonfly and damselfly can be found there during the summer. Just not this morning.

Glen Alton is a great place for an easy stroll. There are several ponds for fishing. I plan on posting more about the place later this summer and fall. Stay tuned.

Appropriately enough several Barn Swallows would sally back and forth from this old barn. There were likely nests inside. Photo © Ray Callahan

Drama in Wildwood

2011-07-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

WARNING: If you are squeamish or terribly tender-hearted stop reading now!

On Tuesday, I took my camera to the Eighth Avenue entrance of Wildwood. Skipper butterflies love the Everlasting Peas (Lathryus latifolius) that grow there and often come to nectar. As soon as I arrived at the area, a Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) greeted me and agreed to pose for photos for a few minutes in the gravels of the road, its colors glowing in the sunlight.

I ambled on to see what I could find in the peas and in the Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) that had started flowering.

Almost immediately I saw a male Sachem Skipper (Atalopedes campestris) resting on a leaf.

He soon fluttered off to find a bloom, and I followed him with my camera. But wait - there was a green leaf blocking his tiny wing. As I reached carefully for the "leaf", I discovered that it was a leg - and it belonged to a young praying mantis!!!

Oh, no! That dear little butterfly had been captured by a predator.

Amazed, I continued snapping pictures.

Although I was heart-broken for the victim, I knew that the captor needed a good lunch.

Such is the paradox of nature.

Welcome Back!

2011-06-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

After traveling home yesterday from a short vacation in Richmond , I was eager to to get out to Wildwood with my camera. Actually, I'm usually eager to get out to Wildwood even when I've been at home!

I began my walk in the Park at the Eighth Avenue entrance. The cell tower is up there and it's easy to make a quick check of what's happening in that open area.

I soon began snapping photos of flowers and butterflies and bugs. One little brown butterfly gently fluttered by, stopped to rest in the grass, and allowed me to get close enough to take several shots. I did not recognize the species, and I wanted to get home to get a closer look at its image in my computer.

After dinner, I began my search. I soon realized that I had found an extremely rare critter that had made its home in Wildwood for at least eighteen years according to Clyde Kessler, who also confirmed my identification. These insects are also extremely local within their range. He had told me to be on the lookout for them, but we had not seen any at all last summer. We feared that aggressive spraying under the power lines might have harmed the insect or its habitat.What a joy to discover that our friends had only taken a year's vacation. Even a Northern Metalmark (Calephelis borealis) knows that Wildwood is a wonderful place!

The Northern Metalmark likes limestone and dolomite so the Elbrook Formation of Wildwood is a perfect place for the lovely creature's habitat. It loves to nectar on Butterflyweed but will be satisfied with Rosinweed, Oxeye Daisy, Mountain Mints, and such. For laying eggs and feeding larvae they need Ragworts (Packera) - particularly Round-leaf Ragwort (P. obovata) and Prairie Ragwort (P. plattensis).

These plants grow in the Wildwood.

Take a close look at the photo above. Can you see how the Metalmark got its name? Clyde says that when the sunlight catches their wings just right, the markings look to him like embossed silver threaded into the wings. They almost always land and perch with their wings open and flat so that getting a photo or even a look at their underwing is not easy. The mostly dark pattern allows them to be camouflaged and hidden from predators. They are reasonably calm when perched, so I was able to get my camera close and on the ground when one was perched on a low limestone rock and got the photos below of the light colored underwing as it slowly lifted itself on its four long back legs. Notice the two very short front legs - this is a characteristic of the male of this species. Females have two long front legs as well as four long back legs.

Now you can get a glimpse of the metal marks that give the butterfly its name. How about those compound eyes! Many insects use those as an excuse to dart away when a human puts a camera in their face. Love that calm...I snapped several shots and then wished that the critter would fold its wings up. It did raise them a bit, enough for me to feel successful with getting several views.

Metalmarks enjoy open glades, road cuts, power line cuts (without spray!), all with limestone soils. In most areas there is only one brood flying from mid June to mid July.

We must take care to guard the habitat of these small jewels and do all that is possible to ensure that they always find a comfortable and inviting home in Radford.

Welcome back to Wildwood, gentle friends!

...passing through...

2011-05-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

Many people and animals pass through Wildwood Park on their way to another destination. On May 20, I was substitute teaching at Belle Heth Elementary School and had the pleasure of accompanying three third grade classes to Bisset Park so that they could meet their pen pals from Riverlawn Elementary School and get acquainted over a picnic lunch. Mrs. Woolwine knew that I would enjoy the day as much as her students.

A police escort cleared the short stretch of Second Avenue and Park Road and met us at the school. Students were eager to have the opportunity to walk with me through the Park and see places that I had shown them in photographs.

Walking through the tunnel was quite a noisy time - imagine 60 nine-year-olds trying to out-scream each other. We arrived at Bisset in time to play a while before our Pulaski County friends got there, but soon students were busy meeting each other, asking lots of questions as they ate lunch together.

Our police escort was called to see us safely out of the park and back up the hill to school. Their small electric car was even able to drive down the bike path to see where we were so that other police officers and regular cars would be ready to guard intersections for us. We declared the day a fun and successful outing!

On Saturday, May 28, bike riders came through the Park as part of the Wilderness Road Ride. Of course, I was there with my camera to see a few of the participants. Some whizzed by in a hurry. Perhaps riding in tandem allows you to ride faster?

Others were more leisurely. Can you guess what a recumbent bike is?

All of the bikers were glad to be coming to the end of their day's journey.

When I decided that I had taken enough pictures (Do I ever really take enough?!!) and needed to head home for lunch, I walked up to Main Street to take one more look down into the Park from above the tunnel. Imagine my surprise when I looked down the sidewalk and saw five horses coming along the walk with riders on two of them. Of course, I asked whether I could take photos, and the riders said, "Please do!" Chris and Shauna had begun traveling from Dallas, Texas, on March 8, 2011, and were on their way to New York City. They had decided to take the long journey to get attention for childhood cancer and hoped to raise $3,000.00 $1.00 for each mile of the round-trip) for Heroes for Children. They didn't actually pass through Wildwood but I thought that you would like to see them and read about them.

NOTE: Be sure to take a look at the sidebar photos to see a few of the dogs that pass through the Park with their owners. Those dogs do their part to help keep their owners in shape!

The Return of a Jewel

2011-04-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

While walking in Wildwood recently, I saw my friend Clyde Kessler. As we wandered, talking and listening for birds, he showed me an area where he had found a couple of foamflower plants about ten years ago and asked me to help him hunt. He had not seen any signs of the plants for three or four years. Well, I didn't know what they looked like, so I wasn't much help and we soon gave up. The following Saturday, I received an email from him saying that he had found the white flowers in full bloom. I grabbed my camera and headed out!

I could see that I was in for a treat - there were about a dozen plants (a welcome increase from the couple of ten years ago!) with white flowers spikes rising above the floor of green. I began snapping lots of photos and getting a closer look.

The Latin name for the plant is Tiarella cordifolia. The word tiarella means little tiara or crown, and the blooms certainly rival any of the jewelry adorning the queens and princesses seen in the media at the royal wedding this weekend.

I can imagine that a fairy princess might choose one of these sparkling flowers for a crown. As with most wildflowers, foamflowers have a variety of common names: heartleaf foamflower (The leaves do not look heart-shaped to me!), false miterwort (The leaves of this plant look very much like miterwort leaves), sugar scoop (Clyde's favorite), coolwort, and Allegheny foamflower. Whatever the name, it is a lovely treasure and I feel very fortunate to have had my camera handy when I first saw its freshest flowers.

When I visited Wildwood today, I checked on the foamflowers. Many of them are bearing fruit now as the flowers drop off. Yes, Clyde, we can see where the sugar scoop name might have come from!

The Brown "Nut"

2011-04-25T06:19:00.000-07:00

It was a cold and dreary day, but I was eager to get back to Wildwood after ten days in Wisconsin (where it was really cold!) visiting our grandchildren. After riding in our van for a day and a half, I needed to stretch my legs and breathe fresh air.
I began my short hike at the south end of the park and walked briskly along the bike path, soon reaching the wetland near the Main Street entrance. My camera had stayed snugly tucked in its case because a mist of rain had begun shortly after I arrived at Wildwood, and my hands were too cold to press buttons. At the water's edge, I saw a few large dandelions looking like sunbeams in the grass and plants. I also noticed a medium sized brown nut among the flowers. I knew that there were no nut trees in the area so I stooped down to get a closer look and saw a slug curled over an unopened bloom. Out came my camera - I couldn't leave Wildwood without a few photos!

The slug slowly stretched out, and I continued snapping. I watched it stretch out its tentacles to explore its surroundings.

The rain and mist left beads of water on the jewelweed seedlings that were also beginning to sprout.

As I reflect on that moment, I realize that unpleasant weather had drawn me to a lovely creature that I probably would have overlooked if other flowers and critters had been more abundant and I had been taking lots of pictures. And yes, I do think that the slug has a peculiar beauty of its own.

Going Batty!

2011-03-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

I was enjoying a warm spring day in Wildwood last Saturday, walking along the bike path when I saw a bird flutter across in front of me. "That bird sure has a "fluttery" way of flying," I thought. Then it landed on a tree trunk, and I saw that it was small and brown - "maybe a brown creeper," I thought.

The "bird" didn't move - seemed stuck to the tree, and suddenly I realized that it was a bat! I moved closer to the tree and began taking photos, getting a closer look at the tiny, furry creature. Its head stayed tucked into its feet as it clung to the bark. Its fur was shiny in the sunlight, and its ears were even shinier.

I sent the photo to Gary Cote, the webmaster for the Wildwood website and Biology professor at RU. He forwarded it on to Karen Francl, the bat expert at RU. She says that it is a Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus). She also said that the bat looked very healthy and that it isn't unusual for bats to go foraging for food on warm days although we usually consider them to be nocturnal animals. I guess they enjoy the warm spring weather as much as we do!

The bat had chosen a tree that was directly across from Adams Cave , which is probably is its home. The cave overlooks the south end of the park, and the creek runs below it, providing a source of water and insects for food for the flying mammals. A few days later, I again saw a bat flying near that same area. As it flew against the bright sky, I could see the outline of its bones through its wings and could also see the silhouette of its tiny ears and nose. A magnificent sight that I had never seen before - isn't Wildwood wonderful!

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)

2011-03-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

Coltsfoot - how's that for a wildflower's name!

The name is actually a description of its leaf

which does not appear until after the flower blooms.

Do you see how the leaf is shaped like the hoof of a small horse or colt?

Coltsfoot is blooming now in Wildwood and is bright enough and large
enough to be easily seen.

Do you see a flower that is trying to hide behind a leaf in the photo below?

You might mistake coltsfoot for dandelion which will be blooming later.

However, if you carefully take a look at the backside of coltsfoot, you will see that it

is a reddish color and not at all like a dandelion.

Colstfoot will try to fool you again when its seed puffs form in April.

It tries to look like dandelion again. How do you think the seeds might spread?

Look for coltsfoot the next time you walk though Wildwood.

SEVERAL NEW POSTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN MARCH.

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW THEM ALL!

Persian Speedwell

2011-03-04T05:39:00.000-08:00

One of the first signs of spring in Wildwood is often overlooked.

It is tiny and underfoot.

A close-up photo makes you think that it is large but,

don't let the camera fool you!

Persian speedwell (Veronica persica) is a ground cover that is plentiful in Wildwood.

It blooms along the bike path, in grassy areas, and almost anywhere there

is enough sunshine for it to flower. Another speedwell that is similar to it

is called ivy-leaved. You have to take a close look to see the differences between them.

(Be sure to notice the leaves.)

Ivy-leaved Speedwell (Veronica hederifolia) will soon also be flowering.
When looking for spring flowers, be sure to take a close look at the
tiny flowers as well as the showy ones.
Carry a magnifying glass with you!

Scarlet Cups

2011-03-04T05:09:00.000-08:00

Scarlet cups are a new spring organism for me in Wildwood.

They are very small - about the size of a dime when they first appear,

and they don't just pop up, you have to gently move a few leaves

to find them. That's probably why I had not seen them.
The cups are rather shallow, and although they look as if
they are filled with a shiny red liquid, they are actually dry inside.

While getting up-close photos of them, I realized that there were
tiny, gnat-sized insects crawling on them called springtails.
I had not ever seen those, either!

When I returned to the site about a week later,
I found that the cups had grown and some were almost
as large as half dollars, and they were much easier to spot.

These are sometimes called scarlet elf cups and it's easy to imagine
that pixies and fairies might have tea parties in the woods where they grow!

Winter Firefly in Wildwood

2011-03-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

I know that when someone mentions fireflies most people automatically think of balmy summer evenings with children chasing little sparkling lights around the yard squealing with glee whenever they manage to catch one. However, some of the members of the firefly family (Lampyridae) have different ideas about what constitutes a good time to be out roaming about.

I spotted this little guy (a Winter Firefly - Ellychnia corrusca) sunning himself in the early afternoon on February 6th on the west side of a relatively mature Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus flava) in Wildwood Park in Radford, Notice the relatively large cracks and bark scales in the bark; these are characteristic of mature trees of this species. They make great shelters for small critters that over winter here. Adults over winter for a single season in these protected areas on trees which are generally a foot or more off the ground and may be reused by subsequent generations.

Another thing that makes our little friend different than our summer fireflies is that he (or she) is a member of a group known as Diurnal Fireflies. These insects are active during the day rather than at night and spend their day light hours searching for food and mates. This is because while the larvae, pupae and newly emerged adults are capable of producing light; that ability is lost soon after emergence. Adults use pheromones to locate potential mates rather than the species specific rhythms of blinking lights which their nighttime cousins use.

By John Ford

Bird Walk in Wildwood with Clyde Kessler

2011-02-20T15:07:00.000-08:00

A fun feature of Radford's Vulture Fest on Saturday, February 19, was a Bird Walk through Wildwood Park led by nature expert Clyde Kessler. Our walk began at the Public Library and before we even left the parking lot, we saw robins, starlings, and ring-billed gulls flying over Memorial Bridge.

We knew then that we were in for a great adventure!

The group continued on to the nearby entrance to Wildwood.

Clyde reminded there us that in addition to our eyes, we would need to use our ears.

Sam Dean, a Roanoke times photographer came along with us.

As an amateur photographer, I was very interested to see how he worked to get

those interesting shots that are published in the newspaper.

Now I have a better idea!

As we walked along the bike path, Clyde found an empty bird nest that had

been occupied last year and that I probably had walked by almost everyday

and had not seen in the bramble of plants.

I know that I had taken photos of the wineberries and of the asters

that had been growing there, but I had never seen the nest.

Birds are so clever!

We walked on down the path to the Bird Viewing platform at the Park Road entrance.

Clyde told us that the platform was placed in that riparian area to make it easier

for folks to observe birds as they (the birds!) enjoyed the

creek and surrounding trees and other plants.

Tonia Moxley, a Roanoke times reporter had also joined us for our walk.

You can read her article, and see Sam's photos in the
Sunday, Feb. 19, Roanoke Times.

As we headed back to the library, we walked along the trail under the

South Bridge to see where a phoebe had built its nest.
According to Clyde, those birds are not tidy housekeepers!

You may have noticed that I have not included any photos of birds in this blog -
that's because my camera has a limited range,

and also because I wanted to listen to our guide
and talk with friends along the way -

I don't multitask very well!
However, [stay tuned for] new sidebar photos of birds in Wildwood.

Our adventure was declared a success as we saw and/or heard chickadees,
titmice, phoebes, house finches,

a redtail hawk, vultures (of course!) both black and turkey,
a Downy woodpecker, 2 pileated woodpeckers,

crows, a Carolina wren, golden-crowned kinglets,

a blue jay, white-throated sparrows, American goldfinches,
and the biggest excitement of all was caused by some
of the smaller birds - brown creepers!

Nature's Valentines

2011-02-10T04:50:00.000-08:00

Nature's Valentines bloom a bit late for the official day but are worth waiting for until mid-May.

These Bleeding Hearts (Dientra spectabilis) will bloom again then in my neighbor's yard.

They do have relatives that will be blooming in Wildwood in just a couple of months.

Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) will be in flower by mid-April.

Instead of being heart-shaped, these flowers look like tiny pantaloons that Hans Brinker might wear!

They cover a relatively large area of the West slope near the North Bridge

and are quite spectacular when in full bloom as seen from the middle trail.

Both of these delicate flowers are members of the Poppy Family.

How many ways can you see that they are alike?

A Snowy Morning in Wildwood

2011-01-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

With camera in hand, I walked to Wildwood this morning. As I arrived, I saw that I would have the entire park to myself. There were only a few footprints at the park entrance and by the time I reached the upper trail on the west slope, I was making new footprints in the snow. There were a few birds chittering in the trees so I could hear the crunch of my boots while I let the beauty surround me.

Heading to a tree beside the trail, I saw the mottled green leaves of round-lobed hepatica (Hepatica americana) among the brown leaves and white snow.

Yes! It will soon be time to see lavender flowers there again!

Moving along the trail, seeing the creek flowing coldly below, I soon came to wild hydrangea (Hyrangea arborescens). The snow on its dried bloom looked very similar to its summer one.

Further up the trail I came to a tangle of dried vines. One of my favorites - Virgin's Bower!

The seeds of Clematis virginiana have a feathery delicate look that was enhanced by the white crystals.

It may be late July or August before we see those vines covered with white flowers.

For now we can enjoy walking through the black and white world of nature's winter.

Cucumber Prickles

2011-01-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

While wandering in Wildwood one day in September, I headed down to the small meadow beside the creek under the North Bridge. There were tangles of plants still green from their summer growth. I had gone down there fairly regularly throughout the season so I was surprised when I saw a very large vine covering many of the brambles. How had it gotten so big so quickly? As I got closer with my camera, I could see that the large leaves (They were lobed and at first glance reminded me of maple leaves.) and stems were very hairy. They felt furry to the touch. They held onto the other plants with tightly curling, springy tendrils.

There were clusters of lovely small flowers all along the vine.

The fruit that was also on the vine had long clear spikes sticking out. I had never seen such a plant, and I was eager to find out its name. After looking in Newcomb’s Wild Flower Guide, I knew that it had to be One-seeded Bur Cucumber (Sicyos anglatus) – what a funny name! I wondered why that name was chosen.

I checked on the plant weekly and by the end of October, I saw

that the green spiky fruit had turned brown and brittle.

In fact, when I touched a clump, it fell apart into several bulbs.
Inside each dry prickle there was a single seed.

At last I understood, and the name made sense - one seed in each bur or prickle and a vine sort of like cucumbers. Actually, garden cucumbers that make tasty pickles and one-seeded bur cucumbers that make dry prickles are both in the Gourd family.

How Nature Works: Catbird Mimicry

2010-12-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

Oh Christmas Fern: A Wildwood Carol

2010-11-27T18:50:00.000-08:00

Sing to the tune of Oh Christmas Tree:

Oh Christmas fern, oh Christmas fern

How evergreen your fronds!

Oh Christmas fern, oh Christmas fern

How evergreen your fronds!

Your stocking toe reminds us

That Santa always finds us.

Oh Christmas fern, oh Christmas fern

How evergreen your fronds!

After most plants have turned brown and lost their leaves, you will find Christmas ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides) draping the west slope of Wildwood Park all during the winter months. The rich green fronds are easy to find among the dried brown leaves.

The “stockings” with toes clinging in an alternating pattern along the stem are a sure clue that you have identified this plant correctly.

Christmas ferns remain green during all seasons. In April you can look for their “fiddle heads” uncurling above the green leaves. (On a violin, the "fiddle head" is called a scroll.)

In June begin looking on the undersides of the leaflets. When you find spores, you will know that the plant will reproduce and continue the plant’s life cycle. You may find spores though the fall perhaps as late as October. Christmas ferns are certain to keep you singing a song about Wildwood Park in all seasons!

Black-chinned Hummingbird at Claytor Lake

2010-11-13T21:20:00.000-08:00

On November 8th at around 12:00 -noon- I was adding to & rearranging my feeder stations in my yard, I went back inside to get an indoor perspective on the new arrangement from my regular viewing area. Suddenly - I saw a Hummer hovering around the small dogwood tree which I had just taken a hummingbird feeder down from ! My binocs were handy and I viewed the bird for a short period of time before it flew away.

I thought it might be a late adult male Ruby-throated, but after further inspection it proved to be an ADULT MALE BLACK - CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD!!! According to the VA "Goldbook" this species has only been reported 4 times in the Commonwealth & only 2 of those were confirmed by VARCOM.
I immediately noticed that this hummingbird had a fully colored gorget (which made it an adult male), this quickened my pulse a bit more! I went outside & put the feeder back in its original location in the dogwood. The Hummer returned in about 10 minutes, landed, & fed from that feeder.

All have been seen & or reported from the coastal region of the state, none of which were adult males. This may very well be a regional record for an "Adult Male" of this species!

This beautiful little gem was here for 3 days & has not returned to my feeders - BOLO - Be on the look out - He just might show up in your yard soon!

Good Birding
Mark Mullins
Claytor lake, Va

2010 Saw whet banding collages

2010-11-13T19:52:00.000-08:00

For a report about last year's visit: Saw-whet, 2009

The New River Valley Mushroom Club Explores Wildwood Park

2010-11-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a report on The New River Valley Mushroom Club's event at Wildwood Park [Radford, Virginia] on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 17th.

17 people gathered, with members from Pathways for Radford and BRDC as well as the mushroom club. We spent a lot of time together with all our books identifying specimens for Gary Cote's existing inventory of species found in the park. These are pictures of some of the mushrooms and people present. The mushrooms pictured were very tiny in reality, all standing at less than 3cm tall. It is amazing what oft-overlooked things can be found with 17 pairs of eyes trained onto the little details of this fascinating kingdom!

List of Species observed:

Coprinus comatus the Shaggy Mane

Trichaptum biformis the Violet Toothed Polypore

Stereum complicatum Crowded Parchment

Daldinia concentrica Carbon Balls

Scutellinia scutellata the Eyelash Cup

Lycoperdon pyriforme the Pear-Shaped Puffball

Galerina autumnalis the Deadly Galerina

Auricularia auricula the Wood Ear

Polyporus squamosus Dryad's Saddle

Mycena luteopallens the Walnut Mycena

Steccherinum ochraceum Ochre Spreading Tooth

Dasyscyphus virgineus

Lepiota josserandii the Deadly Parasol

Coprinus atramentarius the Alcohol Inky Cap

Xylobolus frustulatus the Ceramic Fungus

-Becky Rader
rebeccahrader@hotmail.com

Giant Swallowtails in Wildwood

2010-10-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

While walking down Wildwood Drive one day in May, I saw what looked like a butterfly kite come sailing past me. Actually, it was a real butterfly – a huge one known as a Giant Swallowtail! Its wing span was about 5 inches, and it glided very gently fluttering up and down ahead of me. I followed it until finally rested on leaves in a tree high above my head. I knew that I had to try to get a photo, but I was so excited I could hardly hold my camera still! I later read in my insect book that it is one of the largest butterflies in North America. I spotted other Giants several times throughout the summer.

In August I was able to get a photo of its under side which is almost all yellow instead of the rich dark brown of its top side.

In August, I attended the last Summer Lecture Program at the Outdoor Classroom. I arrived early to find that a few others who had already gathered were excitedly looking at some ugly blobs on the leaves of a Hoptree sapling. Those blobs turned out to be Giant Swallowtail larvae. I returned the next day with my camera eager to get photos.

As my camera and I watched day by day, we saw those larvae grow and saw new ones take their place. Although large, those leaves must be tender and taste delicious to those very hungry caterpillars. They were crawling and munching on the leaves until frost came at the end of October. I wonder how those ugly caterpillars will metamorphose into lovely butterflies next summer.

Rufous Hummingbird in Pulaski County

2010-10-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Rufous Hummingbird hovering beside a hummingbird feeder. What kind of hummingbird is pictured on the feeder? Photo by Mark Mullins.

A couple of weeks ago Mark Mullins posted (on the nrvbird listserv) a picture and report of a hummingbird visiting a hummingbird feeder at his home in Pulaski County.
He reported it as a young Selasphorus hummingbird, because it is very difficult to figure out whether it's an immature Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) or Allen's Hummingbird (S. sasin).

This tiny bird was banded on the 24th by hummingbird bander Bruce Peterjohn who drove down from Maryland. He was able to determine that it was a male hatch year Rufous Hummingbird.

Here's another photo of this same hummer, this picture taken by Stan Bentley:

It's really an uncommon event for a Rufous Hummingbird to visit the area. This species ranges as far north as southeastern Alaska during nesting season. A few will migrate into and through the eastern part of the US. And a few will on occasion even overwinter in the region. Thanks Mark for sharing!

Witch-hazel in Wildwood

2010-10-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Witch-hazel (Hamemelis virginiana)

Observation Date: October 10, 2010
Location: Wildwood Park. Radford, Virginia
Approx. Latitude/Longitude: 37.1343, -80.5667
Approx. Elevation: 1,750'

For another account of 2010 bloom timing in Virginia: Early blooming Witch-hazel

Checkered White (Pontia protodice) in Wildwood

2010-10-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, about 1:45, as I was walking the trail in Wilwood Park to meet folks from the NRV Mushroom Club, I found a butterfly that I have never seen in the park before: a Checkered White. It was a female, and it was nectaring on some aster blossoms.

I ran from near the outdoor classroom up the hill to near the green gate to see if I could find anyone with a camera. I saw John Ford, and told him the news. We hurried back to the flowers where the Checkered White had been. It was still there. John tried to get some pictures but it fluttered away several times, beyond reach of camera focus. Then it finally just flew up, up and away. If a butterfly can giggle and snicker because it foiled a photographer, this one probably was, though I did not hear this.

I will ask some friends if they have a picture of this species. I will add one later to this posting if I receive a picture to share.

I have mainly seen this species in the piedmont of Virginia, and never anywhere in the NRV. In 2001 I saw a few in Roanoke and Bedford Counties, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of these even on Apple Orchard Mountain, highest point on the Parkway in Virginia. The only place I have seen a fairly good number of them is in Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville.

At one time there were scattered populations in the New River Valley, but these have largely if not entirely disappeared. In fact the population of this species has plunged throughout the entire eastern part of the US, from the Carolinas to New England.

The Checkered White I saw yesterday gives me hope that some do remain in the region.

2010: Year of the Common Buckeye

2010-10-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

---Two Common Buckeyes in field near Wildwood Park in Radford. Photo by Nancy Kent---

Sometime back in April of this year, I started reading reports of Common Buckeyes in higher than average numbers throughout most of the eastern US. There were some reports of these butterflies dispersing north. By late April I began to notice several in the fields around Radford, and a few in my yard. Some of these were nectaring on flowers, while a few were intent on flying to the northeast.

I guess the children, or maybe the grandchildren of these spring Common Buckeyes started migrating southward--some as early as mid to late July. By mid-August this migration was in full swing. Large numbers have been reported this week as well, though I bet the cold snap that's happening today might be the beginning of the end of that migration, at least in this part of Virginia.

Because Common Buckeyes have been so abundant this fall, it's been easy to find their caterpillars. Several people have told me about the caterpillars crawling in short grass (probably lawns and mowed fields with plantain, one of several plants the caterpillars feed on). A few people have shared pictures with me.

The pictures below are of Common Buckeyes in and near Wildwood Park in Radford; all of theses photos have been kindly shared by Nancy Kent, who has patiently documented this species and many other insects, and flowers in the park this year. For these Common Buckeye pupae attached by a bit of silk to stems of Broom Sedge, it will be a race against time and against a killing frost. Common Buckeyes are not known to overwinter in most of Virginia in any life stage (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, or adult). If they emerge in a few days, and if the weather stays warm enough, maybe they will high-tail it south to a warmer climate. I'm cheering for these critters.

A Note: Devin Floyd wrote a wonderful blog posting about this butterfly species:
The Common Buckeye

---Caterpillars and pupae of Common Buckeye...they've made their homes on the stems of Broom Sedge. One of the caterpillars is starting to change to a chrysalis, notice it's formed a 'J'---

Seeds

2010-10-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

"I saw Clyde at WW [Wildwood Park] today and had "tag along" of about 20 min. He spread some wingstem seeds on one of the rails at the bird viewing area at the Park Rd. entrance and suggested that I find some yellow crownbeard ones and take a pic and label it." - Nancy Kent