Hot Summer Days in a Butterfly Haze

Shared by Kim Bailey, Naturalist

kim.bailey@nashville.gov

All photos courtesy Kim Bailey except where noted

July 2021

Some people count sheep to go to sleep, but nature center staff and volunteers count butterflies for the pure joy of it – at least for the first few hours of a day-long count. Once the Sun rises in the sky and the sweat begins to pour down our faces, the enthusiasm wanes. But being dedicated citizen scientists, we trudge on. 

Red-spotted Purple butterflies are black and blue like many swallowtailed-butterflies, but lack the "swallowtail". 

Three butterfly counts take place each year in May, July and September. The data we collect on these all-day counts is sent to the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), an organization formed to protect and track butterflies across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Begun in 1993, the data has proved to be an important tool for monitoring butterfly populations and studying the effects of weather and habitat change on North American butterflies. 

The first time I went on a butterfly count, I was overwhelmed. It seemed most butterflies had some mix of orange and brown scales and distinguishing them seemed impossible. The experienced butterfly enthusiast I accompanied called out names that sounded foreign to my ears. Sachem, Northern Pearly Eye, Silvery Checkerspot, Northern Broken-Dash – how would I ever learn the names, much less the butterfly?

Naturalists carry this Tennessee species list to mark off those seen during a butterfly count.

As with birding, it takes time. And the help of other enthusiasts. One by one, fellow naturalists Melissa Donahue, then Rebecca Dandekar, then Will Chamberlain joined the team.

Melissa Donahue, Rebecca Dandekar and Will Chamberlain look for butterflies on a pleasantly cool count day in May. 

Slowly but surely we began to make sense of the varied patterns. We looked for the small white spot on the hind wing of a Silvery Checkerspot that distinguishes it from a Pearl Crescent.

One of the distinguishing features of a Silvery Checkerspot (top photo) is the light spot or spots in the center of the brown spot(s) on the bottom of the open hind wing! The similarly-patterned Pearl Crescent (bottom photo) lacks this mark.

We searched for the face on the American Lady.

Can you find the woman’s face in the hindwing of an American Lady? Photo courtesy Will Cook

We strained to find either a question mark or a comma on the closed wing of this cryptic butterfly.

Note the two small white marks on the closed wing form somewhat of a question mark, confirming its identity.

We checked for “tails” – slender hindwing extensions on some butterflies- to determine if we had a Spring Azure or an Eastern Tailed Blue.

Eastern-Tailed Blues (top photo) have tiny hindwing extensions that they move back and forth, presumably to look like antennae, confusing a would-be predator into going for the rear of the butterfly. Note how similar the Spring Azure (bottom photo) appears at first glance.

We were grateful whenever a distinctive butterfly landed nearby.

Hackberry Butterflies are extremely friendly, often landing on a sweaty person in search of a salty drink. Note the white-tipped antennae.

No other Tennessee butterfly has a snout-like face, making this species a cinch to identify. American Snouts can be quite friendly as well.

The giant “eyes” on a Buckeye make it an easy species to call.

There is no mistaking a large yellow butterfly with black stripes for anything but a Tiger Swallowtail.

Of course, some female Tiger Swallowtails (top photo) are black, mimicking toxic Pipevine Swallowtails (bottom photo)! Isn’t nature fascinating?

But when it came to Skippers, the small brownish butterflies that often go unnoticed, we discovered butterfly identification can drive a perfectly sane naturalist crazy! You may have heard little brown birds referred to as “Little Brown Jobs”. Well that term applies to certain butterflies as well! What would we do without Rita Venable’s Butterflies of Tennessee?!

Butterflies of Tennessee is an invaluable resource to the staff. 

With time, we learned to stop calling every Skipper a Sachem at first glance!

“Fresh” female Sachems have a distinctive chevron pattern on their closed hindwing. As they age, markings often become obscured.

It turns out the Park has quite a lot of Zabulon Skippers. Interestingly, the female is very different from the male in both pattern and behavior.

The brightly colored males love to perch in the sun out in the open. The darker females have a purplish frosting on the outer wing edges and a diagnostic white lining on the upper hindwing edge. They prefer to stay close to the ground in shadier areas when not nectaring. Photo credit Kenneth Heiar

On the hottest of NABA count days, we might wonder how we will make it through the day. But occasionally a butterfly appears that we have never seen in the Park before and euphoria strikes! Two hairstreaks have been added to the Warner Park species list in the last six years.

This tiny green Juniper Hairstreak uses Eastern Red Cedar as a host plant and was found nectaring on flowers growing in front of the cedars in the nature center parking lot.

What a beauty the Great Purple Hairstreak is! This butterfly caused much excitement, staying on the edge of the Meadow Tree Trail long enough for lots of people to come admire its bright colors.

As you can see, the rewards are many if you put the time in to learn your butterflies. Those “winged flowers” become distinct species over time with unique behaviors and flight patterns. Knowing that the data we submit might help reveal a species in trouble or identify preferred habitat for a declining species is enough to motivate any butterfly-loving citizen scientist. If you have an interest in volunteering, contact us and we will get you started. Not only will we help you learn your butterflies, but I can almost guarantee you that butterflies will visit your dreams after you spend a day in the field counting them!

For more information about the Warner Park Butterfly Counts, volunteering for a count or butterflies in general, email the nature center at wpnc@nashville.gov

Back to a “Normal” Summer at Warner Park Nature Center

Shared by Vera Roberts, Warner Park Nature Center Manager

vera.roberts@nashville.gov

Late June 2021

Throughout the month of June, my senses are always filled with summer – birds singing breeding songs, frogs plucking banjo chords, fragrances of blossoms seen and unseen, and dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy, all within a patchwork of dense green forest.  

During the summer of 2020 my senses were again on sensory overload, but what was different was coming to work every day during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature was thriving, but humans were struggling. At the nature center, we were socially distancing and masked up, strictly following all of the protocols to keep everyone safe and virus free. 

The masked trail crew working on the trail in summer 2020.

Programs were virtual, camps were canceled, staff and volunteers were staggering schedules, working from home, doing whatever possible to keep operations going.  And while the Park was busy, virus anxiety permeated everything. 

Fast forward to June 2021.  Nature is performing, as it always does, the familiar sounds, sights, and smells returning like old friends.  So too are our programs, and people, returning to the nature center and what feels like a “normal” summer. 

Summer Naturalist Camp enjoys the Little Harpeth River.

Two of my favorite summer programs are the SWEAT (Special Work Education And Trails) Team and PEN (People Exploring Nature) Pals Camps, both of which are back and in full swing!

For almost 40 years the SWEAT Team has literally sweated their time improving the trails, grounds, and facilities of Warner Parks, and this summer’s team is no exception.  This work-learn-earn program is based on the federal Youth Conservation Corps program from the 1970’s that helped establish the Warner Park Nature Center and built many of the Parks beloved hiking trails.

By the end of their first week, the 2021 crew had already mastered the use of a fire rake and applied over tons of gravel to badly eroded sections of primitive trails.  Supervised by Paul Fowler, the Friends of Warner Parks Director of Natural Resources, the SWEAT team tackles projects outside of the normal scope of what Park maintenance and volunteers can do, maintaining every inch of the 16.5 miles of hiking trails in Warner Parks.  

Since 1988, Warner Park Nature Center has been partnering with Metro Parks Community Centers to provide urban youth ages 9-13 with summer camp experiences in the Parks.  The 2021 PEN Pals Day camps began last week and everyone had so much fun! 

Upon arrival, campers become “Otters”, “Coyotes”, or “Foxes” and are led by nature center staff and seasonal naturalists.  Throughout the day campers engage with nature through exploration and observation of the pond, garden, meadow, and forest, take a “silent” hike, learn how to kayak, catch and identify river critters, and plant a flower to take home.  And a healthy lunch and lots of snacks are provided throughout the day!

Both SWEAT and PEN Pals are grant-funded by Friends of Warner Parks and are programs essential to fulling the nature center’s mission to provide environmental education, natural resource protection, and responsible outdoor recreation, in order to raise awareness of and enthusiasm for the natural world.  Through all of our work, the ultimate goal is always to facilitate a deep connection to and positive experience in nature and I am grateful to our amazing staff, volunteers, and partners for working towards this goal every single day. 

The Soul of Summer

The Soul of Summer

By Rachel Anderson, Naturalist

rachel.anderson@nashville.gov

June 2021

Winter in Tennessee is quiet, still, sometimes with a soft hiss of falling snow, sometimes punctuated by sharp, dry sounds of branches creaking and birds making quick call-notes and chips. Spring is a marvelous cacophony of sounds that energize and invigorate – a riotous blend of insects and birds trilling and singing.  Fall is all crunchy and coarse, the dry leaves a perfect amplifier for anything falling or moving on them.  But Summer is something special, and of all the seasons, I love the sounds of Summer in Tennessee the most. 

Summer sounds always transport me back to those long, carefree, relaxing Summers as a child, where I was lucky enough to roam free in my nearby woods all day long. Summer sounds seem endless to me, even pleasantly monotonous, and they are certainly soothing. 

This is how I hear Summer…

Rain falling on a thick canopy of green leaves – each individual drop a staccato note as it hits, then a quiet murmur as the water droplets coalesce and trickle down the tree bark. It is a delightful moment to be caught in a summer rain shower in the woods.

Birds that are only here during the nesting season, calling to one another as they go about their lives nearly hidden in the trees. The stately, wooden-sounding ka-ka-ka-ka-kow-kow-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp call of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo and the short, dry pi-ti-ki-ti-ki-tuck of the brilliant Summer Tanager are iconic sounds of summer to me.  

Yellow-billed Cuckoo courtesy Graham Gerdeman

Male Summer Tanager

Male Indigo Buntings will sing all summer long, their paired, “sweet sweet, chew, chew, something something” a pleasant highlight in the soundscape that always makes me pause and smile when I hear it.

Male Indigo Bunting

Annual cicadas are the epitome of summer sounds during the long, hot days. Different from the periodical 13 and 17-year species, annual cicadas are a staple sound in late summer when they emerge. Commonly called Dog Day Cicadas, their dry, loud, metallic, machine-like calls can even define the time of day!  Some cicada species prefer to sing in the morning, while others sing at dusk, creating a continuity of sound that is – to me – peaceful and somehow comforting.   

There are around 10 species of cicadas in Tennessee. Listen closely and you can hear different patterns in their calls. How many species can you hear this summer?

As June blends into July, these sounds simply become the background of my daily life, a seamless song that relaxes my mind and body the moment I step outside. Whether I’m hiking the Burch Reserve and enjoying the bird song all around or sitting in the amphitheater behind the Nature Center at dusk listening to the cicada songs slowly change to the signing katydids, this is the time of year that I am at my most relaxed and content.  So while they may be unremarkable to some, these sounds are, to me, the soul of summer and I’m so glad the sonorous song has begun.

Migratory Birds Nesting in Tennessee

Shared by Kim Bailey, Naturalist

kim.bailey@nashville.gov

Late May 2021

Have you noticed that bird chatter fills the air wherever you go these days? Not only are year-round resident birds such as cardinals and chickadees singing and nesting, but some recent migrants are too. Male songbirds who have spent the winter feeding in the tropics have been arriving throughout April and May to stake out their territory, which they claim by singing. This is why you see birders out en masse during the spring – there are a slew of newly-arrived bird species to see and hear!

Let’s meet a few of the birds that spend their winters in the tropics but their summers nesting in Tennessee:

The Northern Cardinal may rule the winter landscape with his brilliant red plumage, but in the summer, two other red birds vie for our attention. The male Scarlet Tanager is so striking, it graces the cover of Kenn Kaufmann’s Birds of North America. Its coal black wings against scarlet red plumage is breathtaking. It alerts us to its presence by its call note “Chick-burr”.  

The stunning plumage of Scarlet Tanagers is a treat to behold.

The male Summer Tanager is a brighter red with no contrasting wings. Its frequent call of  “pit-ti-tuck” is heard throughout the park in the summer. 

Summer Tanagers are often heard in the park throughout the summer.

The female tanagers of both species are surprisingly different: the Scarlet female is a lemon yellow, the Summer a more orange-yellow. 

Based on yellow plumage and time of year (summer), we determined this Summer Tanager is a female. She was banded at the Warner Park Nature Center Banding Station in 2009.

And to add to the confusion, the males spend their winters with yellow plumage, molting to the red plumage for breeding. That means you can find males mid-molt with a mix of yellow, orange and red feathers!

This Scarlet Tanager, in the process of molting to his breeding plumage, delighted our bird banding research team!

Several vireos nest here in summer as well. The incessant call of the red-eyed vireo can drive a birder a bit crazy at times.  It repeats “Here I am, where are you?” over and over at a rapid pace while flitting from branch to branch looking for a juicy caterpillar to snag. Adults have the red eye that they are named for.

Red-eyed Vireos flit quickly through the trees in search of food.

Its cousin the White-Eyed Vireo sings “Quick give me a rain check” and is easily recognized by the white eye. I often hear (but don’t see) the white-eyed vireos singing in dense shrubbery.

Adult White-Eyed Vireos have a distinctive white eye.

Male Indigo Buntings are a delight to see in spring when the feathers appear a vibrant blue. Have you ever noticed that in the shade the feathers appear drab but when the sunlight catches them they are a beautiful blue? Like other blue birds, their feathers don’t actually have blue pigment. It is the diffraction of light through the feathers that makes them appear blue. These beauties sing a series of whistled notes, often paired. I learned to listen for “Sweet sweet, spit, spit, chew chew” with a few extra notes at the end. The Hungry Hawk trail and Long Hollow are great places to search for these unique birds. Note the female and immature are a non-descript brown, sometimes with a few blue feathers intermingled.

Indigo Buntings prefer brushy pastures and woodland edges.

This immature Indigo Bunting was seen being fed by its parents in Long Hollow in Edwin Warner Park.

And now for my favorite group of birds, the warblers! To the beginner, these little birds are a confusing mix of yellow and green, with some black and white often thrown in as well. Learning their song is helpful, as is understanding their habitat preference. 

The Common Yellowthroat heralds its presence with the distinctive song “whichity, whichity, whichity”. The male has a bright yellow throat and breast and a distinctive black mask across its face with a thick white border above. Listen for its call among the small trees and tall wildflowers in the Meadow Tree Trail at the Nature Center.

The Common Yellowthroat has a bright yellow throat and is found in fields searching for insects and spiders.

The Prairie warbler loves open scrub and cedar barrens. Its song  is “zee zee zee zee zee zee zee” rising in pitch.

Prairie warblers have yellow throats and bellies with black streaking on the sides and a distinctive pattern on the face.

Prothonotary Warblers are the only cavity nesters among eastern warblers and they love to nest around the water. Their vibrant yellow head, neck and under-parts  contrast with bluish-gray wings. I find these birds to be rather friendly and spy them most often from a kayak as they flit along the Harpeth River searching for food and tending their nests. I love their nickname, “Swamp Warbler”.

Prothonotary Warblers are unique in that they nest in cavities near water.

The Yellow Warbler can be found in a variety of habitats: forest edges and farmlands or grasslands with scattered trees. They are a solid yellow with a few rusty streaks on the breast. Their song sounds a bit like “sweet sweet sweet sweeter than sweet”, an apt description of how one feels when this bird is seen!

Yellow warblers are as beautiful as their song is sweet.

The Hooded Warbler is found in mature forests and can be a challenge to find as they sing high up in the trees.  The male’s distinctive black hood surrounding a yellow face and lower body make it easily distinguishable if you find it in your binoculars. Their song “Towheet, toweet, towheeteo” is diagnostic as well.

Hooded Warblers are found nesting in Beaman Park and other mature forests in TN.

It takes time to pick up bird songs and to associate habitats with certain birds, but with practice, the rewards are many. Here’s to finding some breeding migratory birds this summer! 

A Garden for the "Birds"

A Garden for the "Birds"!

Shared by Sandy Bivens, BIRD Program

sandy.bivens@nashville.gov

Photo credit given

May 2021

What is a “bird garden”?  A garden designed for birds is a garden that provides a place for birds to live, eat, drink, raise a family, winter and serves as an important stopover site for birds migrating through the area. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks stopover and fill up while migrating north in spring. Courtesy Alan Plummer

Swainson's Thrush eating Rough-leafed Dogwood berries by Alan Plummer

Field Sparrow family by Sandy Bivens

A garden for birds is a garden for butterflies, moths, caterpillars, insects, pollinators, bats, bees, worms, skinks, turtles, beetles, frogs, voles, wildlife and native plants. 

Giant Swallowtail on Ironweed by Charlie Currry

Cecropia Moth caterpillar on Black Gum leaves by Sandy Bivens

                                            

A bird garden can be small, large, urban, rural, in the sun, in the shade, in the woods or in a field; on the formal side or on the wild side; or on a patio, on a balcony, in the backyard, the front yard or the whole yard. 

                                

A bird garden provides a place to live – habitat.  This could be a circle of your yard that you stop mowing, add some native plants, and a bird feeder, a nest box and bee house or a bird bath.

 

House finches on feeder by Alan Plummer

An area that is unmoved can be a bird garden. by Sandy Bivens

Start with a plan (or a list!). Providing native trees, shrubs and herbaceous and removing any non-native invasive plants is important first step. You could visit the nature center bird garden and learn about plants native to Middle Tennessee and the Central Basin.  These brochures are others are available at the nature center and online.                    

Plant lists and more garden information available here

American Goldfinch use thistle down to make their nest. Courtesy of  Alan Plummer

Devil's Walking Stick and Ironweed--natives that bloom in late summer--by Sandy Bivens

Insects are fascinating, beautiful, and provide an important food source for birds.  A study at the University of Delaware revealed that it takes 5000-9000 caterpillars and other insects to raise ONE  brood of chickadees.  That is a lot of insects!  So, if you want to attract birds, you need to attract insects and eliminate insecticides in your garden.  

6 Chickadees in a nest by Sandy Bivens

Tree Swallow with a mouthful of insects by Graham Gerdeman

And to attract insects you need to provide food, shelter and space for them. Of all the native plants to choose from, the very best plant to start with is an oak.  An oak is a stately tree that is a host to over 500 species of caterpillars as well as acorns for Blue Jays and other wildlife species and provides space for nesting. When all the leaves drop in the fall, the leaf litter plays an important role in the life cycle of many butterflies, moths, bees, and birds.  Eastern towhees and brown thrashes are ground feeders and find food in the leaves.  If you are lucky you might see a tanager taking a “leaf bath” in your leaves. Many pollinators over-winter in the leaves and old plant stems – so leave the leaves!

Bur Oak tree by Sandy Bivens

Red-winged Blackbird with insects

Common Milkweed by Sandy Bivens

Scarlet Tanager taking a leaf bath by Kim Bailey     

Water is another important feather of a bird garden, so you could provide a bird bath or a fountain for birds to drink and bath and attract more birds to the space.  A mister attracts birds especially during the dry season. You could add a heated bird bath on your porch and watch as all the birds visit in the winter. 

Bird at bird bath courtesy Nature Center archives 

Fox Sparrow feeding at stump by Sandy Bivens

Providing nesting boxes for bluebirds, chickadees, purple martins, bats and bees will attract wildlife to the garden. Eastern Phoebes nest under a porch, hummingbirds build nests on small tree branches. Dead trees, logs, stumps, and dead limbs also provide nesting spots for birds and wildlife.  Dead branches serve as excellent lookout posts for bluebirds and other species.  A small brush pile also can be an easy way to attract wildlife.   

Eastern Bluebird box on fence and eggs and baby by Sandy Bivens

Bird gardens are important spaces for people too!  Make sure you can see your garden from a porch or window (not too close to the window and add window applications to avoid window strikes by birds that could injure or kill them).  You could add a swing or chairs in your garden so it a place to observe, listen and enjoy wildlife. You could keep a list or journal of all the birds that come to the garden. And note their behaviors or learn their songs!

Volunteer and native plant specialist Margie Hunter observes feeder birds during Cornell's Project Feederwatch. Courtesy Sandy Bivens

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are feeding from coral honeysuckle right  now! Courtesy Charlie Curry

The nature center campus is full of native plants and contains many gardens – a bird garden, a hummingbird/butterfly/pollinator garden, a fern garden, a water garden (pond), a wildflower garden, an organic vegetable and herb garden, and a native tree/field garden with a tree trail.  Stop by the nature center and enjoy!