EASTERN PHOEBE --- LIFE AND DEATH -- Sunday Simplicities

Female Eastern Phoebe Nesting on My Porch

A few hours ago an Eastern Phoebe chick fell to its demise apparently from its nest. It landed on my cement porch. A sad occasion for the parents as well as for me. I had watched the parents from the start -- selecting the site on the top of one of my porch columns -- building the nest- sitting on the eggs to keep them warm, and nourishing them with food once they hatched.

Here is how I discovered what had happened. I heard the Phoebe's urgent distress calls outside my door. I thought some critter was disturbing the nest. When I looked outside the door -- there on the porch was a well developed little bird, not alive. I had been out on the porch about 15 minutes before this disturbance was set off. Apparently, I deduce, it happened right after I went back inside.

For the past three hours the parents have been circling the area constantly crying fee-bee and making a rapid clicking sound. A few times flying to the empty nest, perching on the edge and looking downward into the nest. A nest that was now empty.

I had seen one other baby in the nest -- perhaps he/she fledged and this one just didn't have the wing power when he/she fledged.

The parent's are acting very stressed. And why shouldn't they be. All that love and care they had given their brood.

We are all connected -- no one can tell me differently. Emotions are within all animals. Although, many will disagree, I recognize grief and that is what I saw and heard today.

And as I say these words above, I think of the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico. In my heart the grief that is emanating from its wildlife is numbing and overwhelming.

DEEPWATER HORIZON -- MAP OF THE DAY BY DAY MOVEMENT OF THE OIL SPILL

AMERICAN ALLIGATOR -- AT RISK FROM THE DEEPWATER OIL SPILL
source: Wikipedia

As you probably already know thousands upon thousands of wildlife are at risk due to the recent oil spill. It does not look good at this point.

The New York Times has an interactive map site for you to view the onslaught of oil headed into natural refuge areas. It's sad to view but one needs to realize the damage that oil can and will do to our valued wildlife. Given that the oil flow will continue for however long, can we be looking at a future wasteland in this coastal area? Thousands of wildlife species and habitat areas perhaps being lost.

Click here to view the interactive map and hit play to view the evolution of the growing oil spill

An additional MSNBC map of species location along the coast is available for viewing here. This is an exceptional map for realizing the wildlife involved. Just hover over the red dots on the map and it will bring up the information.

EASTERN BOX TURTLE -- APPALACHIA

EASTERN BOX TURTLE
Terrapene carolina - (native)
Photo: National Fish and Wildlife Services

I was moving fast. I was going to be late for an important appointment if I didn't leave right now! As I scooted across the yard I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I stopped dead in my tracks. There in a patch of low weeds sat a large gorgeous Eastern Box turtle. To see a photo of one does not do it justice. Seeing it in the flesh is an illuminating moment.

I wanted to run in and get my camera but -- no time. I did the second best thing. I knelt
down by the harmless turtle and observed it's colors, eyes, posture, surroundings -- and then begrudgingly went off quickly to my appointment. I thought as I was getting into my car, maybe he will be there when I get back? I say he because of his red eyes, a male identifier while the females have brown. Of course, by the time I got back from my appointment he was gone much to my chagrin. So, I have used a photo from the Fish and Wildlife Services, above, to give you an idea of the beauty of an Eastern Box turtle.

TURTLE CLAWED OUT SOIL DEPRESSION CALLED A FORM IN TURTLE STUDIES
Photo: By Barbara, folkways notebook

I didn't get to capture the Eastern Box turtle with a camera but he did leave traces that he had been there. I did get a photo of what is called a form. In turtle studies this means a clawed out soil depression where the turtle can rest in a cool soil bed. This is the calling card the turtle left for me.

Turtles wander a lot on their home range of about a 250 yards diameter or less. They tend to use the form method for taking breaks in their wanderings. Not all turtles have established home ranges. The young are searching out home ranges when they get hit on the road by cars or trucks. Also males after amour get hit often on roadways. Good to stop and remove them to the side of the road.

Turtles have low metabolism and therefore digest food slowly and move slowly. They have been around for 200 million years plus so their way of living with the environment has paid off -- until the stresses of humans interfered. Now we have land fragmentation that exposes them to more roadways to cross, lawn mowers that injure or kill them, exposure to toxic pollution, and releasing pet turtles into the wild that can result in the spreading of diseases to the wild base.

Eastern Box turtles in the wild eat lots of insects as well as worms, snails, and slugs. They are an important part of our bio-diversity, they help to control invasive insects -- slugs and other onslaughts of pest invasions. They are land turtles and can live in dry prairies as well as woods. Their favorite habitat is moist woods. Captured box turtles have a low survival rate.

EASTERN BOX TURTLE CAPAPACE (TOP SHELL) WITH GROWTH RINGS.
Photo: Davidson College, J. D. Wilson, Mike Dorcas

It is difficult to tell the age of the Eastern Box. Some labs use the "count the rings" method on the capapace which is the top hard shell and some count rings on the scuta, the bottom hard shell plate. However, these rings become worn smooth over the years.

An Eastern Box hibernates up to two feet in the soil that it digs. The turtle can survive temperatures down to one degree centigrade making their winter survival rates good. He goes down at the first hard frost and reappears sometime in April.

This turtle has the bodily make-up to survive with nature. But hatchlings of the turtle have a very low survival rate. Unfortunately it is us humans that are being attributed to the recent decline of these beautiful turtles. Also, other types of turtles in the U. S. as well as around the world.

The largest threat to turtle numbers right now is the harvesting of wild turtles for the Chinese trade. China uses turtles for medicinals and food. The Chinese have pretty much wiped out all the turtles in their homeland and now look to the United States to provide for their insatiable appetite.

Some states such as Flordia and Indiana have instituted regulations against wild harvesting of turtles. No federal law is in place to stop this insane harvesting of the turtles. It would be good if folks would speak up about this tragic situation. Click here for more info

Warning for your possible anger. Here is a U-Tube video of a man harvesting snapping turtles in Kentucky. Click here.

The Chinese also like snakes and lizards so will they be next on the U. S. harvest list for the Chinese people?

BLUE TAILED 5-LINE SKINK

SKINK ON MY OLD OUTDOOR TABLE

Outside my home I have a small collection of rocks on an old crazed painted table. A couple of days ago I was out near the table when a quick movement caught my eye and as I looked toward the table, I saw this beautiful Skink. Even though I was several feet away -- the slightest movement I made resulted in the Skink's movement in quick tandem as it sensed my every position. I took a route away from the Skink and went inside to get my camera.

Although I knew it was a Skink I did not know its common name nor its "life style." I read different sites online that mentioned Skinks. I did find that it was a 5-line Blue-tail which are native along with a few other Skinks in this area of Kentucky. Also found an excellent site that covers the "life style" of the Blue-tail.

SKINKS LOVE TO SUN THEMSELVES

After all this scouting around online I found out that what I had seen was a young female 5-line Skink. Males have blue tails when young but they eventually turn black or brown. The older female's tail fades to a dusty blue. The Skink on my table therefore was not a baby but a young female that measured about six inches. Babies are about two inches.

These Blue tails are harmless. They are great in garden as they eat lots of insects.

The "magical" thing about a Skink's tail is that is comes off if a predator is near and while off wiggles to attract the predator. Nature is amazing! The Skink grows back a modified version of the old tail.

We have had so much rain starting in early Spring that my property is a holy grail for nature critters that relish water and 5-liners like water. I suppose this is why I have a Skink hanging around. Or perhaps they have been around and I just have not noticed. So much to take in at this place in the country.

Post Photos by Barbara, folkways notebook