Dont spit on my bug

At the Hayfields there is this spit like substance on the leaves.We identified that this belongs to the spittle bug. The bug we saw is a juvenile form of a spittle bug. The adult version is the image on the left. Nymphs,  create the spittle while feeding on plant sap. Adult bugs feed on plant sap too, but they create no spit. Adults are often called froghoppers. They exhibit the astounding ability to leap great distances in a single bound.

Hayfield Springtime

         

      The Hay fields and Grasslands at the Audubon Center is a very important habitat for various species of animals, especially birds. The generous people at the Audubon Center wait until late summer every year to mow these hay fields, due to ground nesting birds and other resources found here that many animals need to survive.

      In the Springtime... this is what the hay fields group recorded on their Spring trip; focusing on herpetology and ornithology.

      We found the following species of birds in the hay fields and grasslands during the season of Spring:

                                               --Ovenbird                        --Veery

                                               --House wrens                 --Crows

                                               --Baltimore Oriole             --Tree Swallow

                                               --Song Sparrow               --Turkey Vulture

                                                --Chestnut-sided Warbler

      On the Snake Sweep, we found....

         Many vole holes in the hay or grass, which may have been overtaken by various types of other animals. For example, snakes cannot dig, so they take over snake holes for their homes.  We also found a woodchuck hole, which may be occupied by a woodchuck or may be overtaken by another animals, just as some of the vole holes were.

         We also saw a monarch butterfly and many other types of butterflies and moths, and a small brown furry creature that we believe was a  deer mouse.

      An eggshell was also found in an especially hay-full part of the field. It was a lightish brown shade, with many many dark-brown chocolate speckles. Only the eggshell was found, so I would assume that the insides and "meat" were eaten by a predator. It was surprisingly about the size of a chicken egg. This being said, it wasn't a songbird, and was most likely a raptor.

      We also observed a plant, given the title Buckthorn. This is an intrusive and invasive species, with an oval-shaped leaf, and thick thorns about a half an inch long. Fox, which is a type of animal that uses the hay fields and grasslands to their advantage due to the abundance of voles, don't step on buckthorn because it hurts their paws. Therefore, voles have cleverly figured out that if they congregate around the base of these thorny intruders, they will be safe from foxes. Ticks, on the other hand, love voles. They go for the congregated masses of voles around the bases of these buckthorn plants, and this becomes a major breeding ground for ticks. This is how buckthorn ties to the overpopulation of ticks.

     A couple poems written by students who visited the hay fields in the Spring...

Crows and Housewrens, Birds of Prey

Just a few of the species who use the Hayfields today

Used for houses; Used for food

Hayfield are positively used for the good

Birds

We saw and heard many different birds in the beautiful 70 degree weather.
Such as:

• Tree swallows


• Hummingbirds


• Ovenbirds


• Bluejays


• American Robin


• Gray Catbird

Springtime

The tall grass, whistling in the wind.

The crystal-like water, glowing in the river.

The soft clouds, glistening in the sunlight.

The dainty flowers swaying with the breeze.

The evergreen trees cascading down the hills.

Poem by Maia, Nicole, and Bailey.

Plants in Bloom

The shad bush is now in bloom with white flowers. The bush is also called the service berry because in the winter they couldn't bury people. They buried them when the shad bush was in bloom using the flowers on the graves.

Winter Field Haiku

the trees stand alone
with the ice coating the ground
silence is with them

Winter Den

This den was found. It is thought to be home to rodents before it was possibly dug out futher by a predator.