Week six flew by in my little piece of heaven. I can't believe there won't be a week seven.

There won't be a week seven post because the "semester" is almost over. For next week, we each have to prepare to give our fellow classmates and professor a tour of our ecosystem. That will take place for me on Monday, August 26th.

The changes that are most obvious are the plants that were once in bloom and are now dying or going to seed, but even the trees in the area are starting to drop some leaves. You notice leaves changing color or more insects moving in to help the leaves change. Birds are still quite active, but even they have to be thinking about what changes will soon be upon them. The days are definitely shorter. The weather has actually been cooler than I expected and as I found out, cooler than normal for this area. Excitingly enough, there are plants that are just getting ready to bloom. I assume there will be some goldenrod - a common fall flower. Will there be asters around the wetland? And what migratory birds will start passing by as they head south for the winter? I imagine some of the northern species from Canada, North Dakota and Minnesota should be arriving any minute.

New species of the week are the northern flicker, blue gill, sandbar willow and basswood.

Northern Flicker            

Colaptes auratus   

Photo courtesy of naturemappingfoundation.org

           

I have not been able to get a picture of these handsome birds, but they are active around Kesling wetland.  They have brown barred backs, bold white rumps and yellowish underwings. Supposedly their calls include a loud, rapid wik-wik-wik-wik and wick-er, wick-er, wick-er or something that sounds like a rolling flicka-flicka-flicka,.

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Blue Gill

Lepomis macrochirus

I got this photo one day when Tom was doing a public program in the Kesling wetland and had just caught the fish in a net. Bluegill is important and abundant as a sport fish and can be found in most of the lakes around here.

The sunfish family, or Centrarchidae, includes such popular panfish as bluegills, rock bass and large and smallmouth bass. The members of this family resemble the perch and sea bass families, but they differ in that the sinuous and soft portions of the dorsal fin are united and confluent. The large mouth bass is an exception, with a deep notch between the front and rear parts of the dorsal fin. The Centrarchidae generally prefer warm water, and are nesting fishes. The distinguishing characteristic of the bluegill is the darkened spot that it has on the posterior edge of the gills and base of the dorsal fin. The sides of its head and chin are a dark shade of blue, too. The bluegill is a native to eastern and central North America. This fish enjoys a well-deserved popularity with anglers. Bluegills favor warm waters (64 to 70 degrees F) with plenty of cover such as weed beds, submerged logs, or drop-offs. They usually stay in relatively shallow water, but as temperatures rise in the summer, large bluegills will head for deeper water. This fish also provides good winter sport since it remains active all winter long. The bluegill spawns in the shallows in the late spring or early summer when the water temperature reaches 65 degrees F. Males build nesting colonies in gravel, sand or mud and will guard the eggs and newly hatched fry until they reach the swimming stage. The young fry eat algae and zooplankton. As they grow larger, bluegills add small fish, aquatic insects and plant matter to their diet. The bluegill feeds off the surface of the water, the midwaters and the bottom, where it can be a serious competitor with other bottom feeding fish. The average adult bluegill is 6 to 8 inches long, although some reach 10 inches. Sexual maturity occurs at 2 to 3 years for males and 3 to 4 years for females. Average life span of these fish is 5 to 6 years.

Bluegills play an important role in pond and lake management to keep crustacean and insect populations low, as a single bluegill population may eat up to six times its own weight in just one summer.

Bluegills are delicious fish but are often overlooked due to their small size. This may be due to the fact that their growth in ponds may become stunted due to high populations, their small bones, and lack of a developed commercial market.

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Sandbar Willow  

Salix exigua

There are so many willows and they tend to hybridize, I am not completely sure about which species I have. But, my best deduction is that the willow on the edge of Kesling Kove is  sandbar willow. It is a thicket-forming shrub like tree, maybe growing up to 10’ tall with shallow, spreading roots. The leaves are relatively short (1 ½ -4” long) and yellow-green to gray-green on both surfaces. The twigs are yellowish-brown, while the bark is more gray. These willows are common along streams, riverbanks and generally wet soils, thriving in full sunlight. Flowers are catkins with hairy, yellow scales, and fruits are tiny, light brown capsules that mature in early summer.

Uses: Native Americans use the twigs and bark to make baskets. Medicinally, tea made from willow bark, is used to relieve pain and inflammation in joints in tissue thanks to the acetyl salicylate in it – a natural form of aspirin.

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Basswood                 

Tilia Americana

This tall tree, also called a linden, grows up to 100’ in moist soils, including along lake and stream borders, as well as bottomlands. It sprouts prolifically from the base of living trees or stumps either spontaneously or when injured. It has large, alternate leaves that are heart-shaped with one side lower than the other. They are also finely toothed. The most unusual or distinct feature of the tree is the flowers and fruits, which hang from long, winged stalks. The flowers are yellowish-white and fragrant. The nut is only the size of a pea in a woody shell.

Uses: Honey from the flowers is highly valued. Native Americans used the fibrous bark of young stems to make rope.  Unopened leaf buds are slightly mucilaginous and make an excellent trailside nibble. Dried flowers make a pleasant, mild tea.

References

Allen, T. B., & Hottenstein, C. (1983). Field guide to the birds of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society.

Barnes, B. V., Wagner, W. H., & Otis, C. H. (1981). Michigan trees: a guide to the trees of Michigan and the Great Lakes region (Rev. and enl. ed.). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Bluegill - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved August 20, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluegill

Little, E. L., Bullaty, S., & Lomeo, A. (1980). The Audubon Society field guide to North American trees (Chanticleer Press ed.). New York: Knopf : distributed by Random House.

McCormac, J., & Kagume, K. (2009). Great Lakes nature guide. Auburn, WA: Lone Pine Pub..

Ohio.gov. (n.d.). Blue Gill Sunfish. Retrieved August 19, 2013, from www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/bluegill/tabid/6561/Default.aspx

Peterson, L., & Peterson, R. T. (19781977). A field guide to edible wild plants of Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

APA formatting by BibMe.org.

Question of the week: How might climate change affect my ecosystem? 
I can imagine that as the climate gets warmer, there will be more chances that this wetland will become drier and drier. The emergent plants along the edge of the water now will have to move to keep up with water levels. In the meantime, the herbaceous plants in the forest and on the edge will fill in what was that wetland lake bottom until the entire area is forested. Only species that tolerate the heat and less water will survive. Amphibians and birds that rely on the moist soils and water to support their habitats will follow the water sources. I wonder if the prairie on the south side will thrive extend its boundaries. Warmer temperatures will be more conducive to more frequent fires, thus helping prairie vegetation thrive.

Creative piece:   I am trying to make a little mosaic-like piece that will include several shots of duckweed in various patterns. Instead, I made this collage. Enjoy.