Nature | EnviroQuest

Posts from the ‘Nature’ category

Winter Exhibit

Love the George Carlin quote ‘ Always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away”. Here are four such moments and images that have recently been accepted for the “Winter Exhibit” at the Jefferson Hospital Gallery in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

“A Cold Water Stroll” was taken on one of my snow coach expeditions in Yellowstone National Park. There is a reason this elk is strolling along this stream. Not only is it easier than moving through deep snow, but more importantly is the exposed vegetation along the banks to graze upon. The antlers of a bull elk can reach four feet above its head. Elks retain their antlers through the winter, but the antlers are shed in the spring. They begin to grow new antlers soon after in preparation for the late summer breeding season.

‘A Cold Water Stroll’© Larry A Lyons

‘Otter Family’ was captured at a specific location in Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park where the otters tend to show-up and entertain us. The many dozens of times that I passed this specific location, the otters were present on only a couple of times. Photography is often about being at the right place at the right time.

This otter family consisting of two adults and a juvenile was mesmerizing to watch. Their thick fur protects them against icy waters. Their webbed feet and powerful tails help to navigate through the water. Otters close their eyes and nostrils underwater and use their whiskers to search for prey. They would dive down for two or three minutes and surface with a fish in their mouth.

‘Otter Family’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Dueling Big Horn Sheep’ was also taken in Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park. These big horn rams decided to express some dominance by dueling on the edge of this cliff. However, there were no females around to impress. Guess these rams were just practicing for the Spring rut season.

‘Dueling Big Horn Sheep’ © Larry A Lyons

The fourth image that was accepted into the “Winter Exhibit” was my ‘Snowy Owl’ image. It is an image that has been presented at several other exhibitions and has received awards. This image was captured at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey. Snowy owls from Canada have been coming much farther south along the coast of New Jersey and have been spotted at times at the Forsythe Reserve. The number of owls spotted varies from year to year, but they have been coming south in search of food in the winter. Here this owl is posing and displaying a foot that is extensively insulated with feathers. This insulation explains how this owl is able to stand in snow for hours.

‘Checking You Out’ © Larry A. Lyons

To see more winter images please go to my favorite place to be come winter – Yellowstone National Park. It really is North America’s Serengeti. It really is a magical place to photograph wildlife particularly in the winter, including moose, elk, coyotes, foxes, wolves, big horn sheep, otters, bison, and a variety of birds. To view more of the beauty of Yellowstone in the Winter, go to my gallery at ‘Winter Yellowstone’.

There are still openings in a photography workshop, entitled “Winter in Yellowstone” scheduled for February 1 to 8, 2020. The workshop is geared for photographers of all levels. Go to ‘Winter In Yellowstone Photography Workshop” for details.

Wildlife of Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Happy 100^th Year Anniversary to the National Park Service responsible for managing and preserving the national parks, monuments and reservations of the United States. Yellowstone, being the first national park, was declared a national park in 1872. The U.S. army was originally responsible for managing and protecting the park until the formation of the National Park Service in 1916.

‘Yellowstone Bison’ © Larry A Lyons

Two previous posts described the landscape and the geological features of ‘Yellowstone National Park’ and ‘Grand Teton National Park’. Both of these national parks are a part of the ‘Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’.

This post provides a “glimpse” into some of the more iconic wildlife species that inhabit this diverse ecosystem. The intent is not only to provide awareness on some of the behavior of these animals but also to further assess our understanding on the importance of maintaining and developing adequate buffer zones surrounding our national reserves. This is essential for sustaining wildlife populations within a healthy and natural ecosystem for future generations.

Geysers and Steam Vents Galore’ © Larry A Lyons

The core of the ‘Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’ (GYE) is Yellowstone National Park. This ecosystem extends well beyond the boundaries of our first national park encompassing approximately 22.6 million acres. It includes the Grand Teton National Park, state parks, portions of five national forests, three wildlife refuges, Bureau of Land Management holdings, private lands, and tribal lands. It extends from the northwestern region of Wyoming into Montana and Idaho. Federal government agencies, state governments, tribal governments and private individuals are responsible for managing this ecosystem.

The GYE has been recognized as a model of an extremely important concept known as “Ecosystem Management”. Ecosystem management involves a complex and long-term process that serves to conserve the integrity of natural resources and wildlife populations. It encompasses some of the following objectives:

Sustaining healthy wildlife populations from apex species (e.g., gray wolf, grizzly bear, cougars) to iconic and prey species (e.g., elk, bison, pronghorn, moose) to the hundreds of other animal and plant species that are an integral part of this ecosystem. It requires maintaining a delicate and complex balance between species and an understanding of the carrying capacity of this ecosystem for each wildlife population.
Protecting public and private lands that will continue to require curtailing and controlling the expansion of human development.
Learning to co-exist with wildlife.
Continue to secure crucial habitat that will provide an appropriate buffer zone for the sustainability of this ecosystem for future generations.
Protecting and restoring vital rivers, lakes and streams. Healthy aquatic systems are not only essential for maintaining the health of the GYE, but the headwaters for three critical river systems – the Missouri, the Columbia, and the Colorado – begin in this ecosystem.
Protecting endangered or threatened species.
Requiring and utilizing scientific knowledge to process management decisions and objectives.

‘Oxbow Bend’ © Larry A Lyons

The collaborations of people, institutions and organizations are absolutely critical in managing and achieving all of these goals. Park rangers are the core wearing many different hats including protecting the reserves, insuring that people maintain a safe distance from the wildlife, rescuing wildlife, and being a great resource of information for the public.

‘Bison Calf Rescue’ © Larry A Lyons

In addition, there are several ‘key’ non-profit and grassroots organizations – including, ‘The Greater Yellowstone Commission’, and ‘Defenders of Wildlife’ – that have been instrumental in defending and advocating the importance of this ecosystem. Indeed, the complexity and patience of addressing all of the diverse human interests and priorities is as challenging as developing, managing and administering an expansive and vital ecosystem.

‘Grand Canyon of Yellowstone’ © Larry A Lyons

_____________________________

The ‘Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’ is home to over 50 species of mammals and 300 species of birds. All images herein were captured within Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Let’s start with the ‘Majestic Elk’ and begin to get a perspective of the importance of ecosystem management.

‘Majestic Elk’ © Larry A Lyons

Elk have been living in Yellowstone for more than 1,000 years and at one time they ranged across most of North America. Today they live mostly in western North America, particularly in mountainous landscapes such as, Yellowstone and the National Elk Refuge located in Jackson Hole Valley within the Grand Teton National Park.

There are between 30,000 to 40,000 elk within several different herds living and migrating within the GYE. They tend to migrate as large herds into areas of higher altitude in the spring once the snow has receded and then return to lower altitudes or valleys in the fall before the harsh winter commences. These migrations are necessary to move into areas where forage is more accessible. Elk forage on native grasses, tree bark, flowering plants, and tree sprouts, particularly aspen and willow sprouts.

‘Stands Nine Feet Tall’ © Larry A Lyons

A decline of elks for some of the herds has been recorded. This decline is being attributed to a number of factors including the predation by the re-introduced gray wolf, predation by a greater bear population, food quality, climate, harvesting by hunters, and drought related impacts on pregnancy and survival. Hence, scientific investigations become necessary to understand not only the carrying capacity (i.e., the proper balance of food sources and habitat for sustaining a population) within the GYE, but also to understand the complex interactions that affect a wildlife population.

‘Elk Bedding Down’ © Larry A Lyons

The antlers of a bull elk can reach four feet above its head so that the animal towers nine feet tall. Bull Elks retain their antlers through the winter, but the antlers are shed in the spring. They begin to grow new antlers soon after in preparation for the late summer breeding season.

Elks have a defined rump area with a short tail. Bull elks will dig holes in the ground where they will urinate and roll their body. A male elk’s urethra points upward so that urine is sprayed at right angle to the penis. The urine soaks into their hair giving them a distinct smell to attract cows.

‘Elk Perfume’ © Larry A Lyons

Bull elks have a very distinctive and loud screaming sound known as ‘bugling’ that can be heard for miles. It is an iconic sound to be heard for miles away in the fall. Females are attracted to the males that bugle more often and have the loudest sound.

‘Elk Bulging’ © Larry A Lyons

During the mating season, mature bulls compete for the attentions of the cow elk. A bull elk will defend his harem of 20 cows or more from competing bulls and predators.

‘An Elk Harem’ © Larry A Lyons

Cow elks do not have antlers and are 60% smaller than mature bull elks. They do grow in a thick coat of hair in the fall for insulation during the severe winters.

‘Female Elk and Calf’ © Larry A Lyons

Gray wolves, bears and cougars, and coyote packs are considered the primary predators of elk. Here a large grizzly bear was seen feeding on an elk.

‘Grizzly Bear Feeding On An Elk’ © Larry A Lyons

_______________________________

This photographer did not get the opportunity to capture any gray wolf images during this particular expedition, but the story of the re-introduction of the gray wolf provides a miraculous example of reviving not only an endangered species, but also resulted in immensely improving the overall health of the entire ecosystem.

There were no gray wolves in Yellowstone in 1994. Wolves were reintroduced back into the greater Yellowstone area in 1995 and 1996. There are now over 500 descendants living in this ecosystem. The return of the wolf population within the GYE has resulted in restoring the habitats that have been seriously declining. This decline was primarily attributed to the elk becoming overly populated since wolves, being their primary predator, were not present. The overpopulation of elk caused the decline of habitats by the overgrazing of woody tree stands of aspens, cottonwoods and willows. However, once the wolves were restored back into the GYE, the elk numbers began to decline and the tree stands began to recover. This further resulted in a number of other benefits including an increase in beaver populations that resulted due to the increased presence of willow trees that are needed for beavers to survive. Beaver dams contribute an important component to this ecosystem. The dams not only reduce erosion along river banks, but also create ponds and marsh habitats for moose, otters, mink, wading birds, and a diversity of aquatic organisms.

‘Beaver Dam on Snake River’ © Larry A Lyons

______________________________

Coyotes have become quite adaptable in all sorts of habitats and landscapes and are spread throughout North America.

‘Coyote’ © Larry A Lyons

The coyotes residing within GYE tend to be amongst the largest coyotes within the United States ranging is size from 30 to 40 pounds (13 to 18 kg).

‘Prowling Coyotes’ © Larry A Lyons

Coyotes have a keen sense of smell and eyesight. They can run up to 40 miles (64 km.) per hour. They will hunt rabbits, rodents, fish, frogs, and even deer. Coyote packs will even prey on elk calves or weakened adults. They also will feed on insects, snakes, fruit and carrion. They will form packs, particularly in the fall and winter, for more effective hunting. Wolves and cougars are coyotes’ main predators.

The coyote population within the GYE has decreased since the re-introduction of the gray wolf, which is primarily attributed to competing for habitat and prey and also being preyed upon by wolves. However, the suppression of coyotes has resulted in an increase of their prey including rabbits, mice, and young deer. This increase of coyote prey has resulted in improving red fox populations. Indeed, an ecosystem with a healthy food web is bloody, complex, and natural.

‘Stalking For Prey’ © Larry A Lyons

___________________________

Moose are well suited for the Yellowstone ecosystem. Moose’s long legs allow them to adapt to the deep snow conditions in the winter and allows them to wade into aquatic environments to browse on aquatic plants (i.e., water lilies, duckweed) but their primary food source are the leaves and twigs of the willow trees.

‘Bullwinkle’s Lady’ © Larry A Lyons

However, moose populations have been seriously declining since the 1990’s. Climate changes and heat stress caused by global warming, poaching, reintroduction of wolves, and parasitic diseases are factors that may be attributing to their decline.

Moose are solitary animals that do not form herds. This female moose (cow) has been growing in a thick layer of fur in preparation for the upcoming and harsh winters in the GYE. Their mating season is in the autumn and the cow can be heard grunting in search of a mate. Cows are pregnant through the winter with a gestation period of about 8 months.

‘Female Moose’ © Larry A Lyons

________________________

Mule deer are indigenous to western North America deriving their name from their large mule-like ears. The buck sheds its antlers in the spring and then begins to grow new antlers in preparing for the fall mating season. The antlers fork as they grow. The primary predators of the mule deer, besides humans, are the gray wolves, coyotes and cougars.

‘Mule Deer’ © Larry A Lyons

___________________________

Pronghorns are found in the western United States with the highest number of pronghorns can be found in Wyoming within the Yellowstone ecosystem. Pronghorns are herbivores consuming grasses, flowering plants and sagebrush. They like open plains, fields, grasslands, deserts and basins. Their eyes are quite remarkable in that they can pick up movement three miles away allowing them to spot predators (coyotes and wolves) at some distance.

‘Pronghorn Overlook’ © Larry A Lyons

Both males and females have horns referred to as pronghorns. The female has a pair of short horns on the top of the head, while the horns of the male are 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) long. The male horns have unique characteristics with the horns pointing backwards along with a short prong extending in the front of the horn.

‘Male and Female Pronghorns’ © Larry A Lyons

Pronghorns breed in late summer or fall. A male pronghorn will establish a breeding territory with a group of females and will breed with multiple females. The male keeps a constant vigilance over his harem and is quite aggressive about protecting the harem. If a female wonders off, the male quickly corrals the female back. Vocalization and body language of the male dictates a strict social structure.

‘Pronghorns Mating’ © Larry A Lyons

After mating, the females will be pregnant throughout the winter and will give birth in the spring.

‘Pronghorn Harem’ © Larry A Lyons

Pronghorn antelope is considered the fastest land animal in North America with speeds up to 60 miles/hour (96 km/hr). Pronghorns will migrate long distances (150 to 200 miles one way) between summer and winter feeding grounds. Their migration is a perilous journey being threatened by vehicles, impassable fences and development. The creation of wildlife corridors that can reduce the conflict between animals and people is an ongoing challenge and objective of the National Wildlife Federation and other affiliates.

‘Pronghorn Vocalizing’ © Larry A Lyons

_____________________________

An important lesson was learned in regards to managing bear populations in Yellowstone over the past several decades. Prior to 1969 bears were attracted to developed areas of Yellowstone National Park by the availability of human foods either as handouts or garbage. The bears essentially relied on these human food sources instead of foraging naturally. Then in 1970 an intensive bear management program was activated that included strict regulations prohibiting the feeding of bears. The intent was to restore the bears back to foraging naturally. However, it took awhile for the bears to learn to hunt and forage for themselves. In the interim the bears became more aggressive particularly in camps. Evidently, it seems that this necessitated in euthanizing over 100 bears that almost created near extinction of the grizzly bear population. In 1975 it was listed as a threatened species. In 2007 the grizzly bear was removed from the endangered species list. The grizzly bear population within the GYE is estimated being between 300 to 600 bears.

‘Grizzly Bear’ © Larry A Lyons

Grizzly bears are omnivores having a very diversified diet of plants and animals. They will prey on large mammals including elk, moose, mule deer, and bison. They will feed on trout and a variety of small mammals. They also will consume berries, insects, tubers and grubs (insect larvae). Bears need to build-up their reserves in preparation for their winter hibernation. Here this mother and cub were foraging for grubs in a ravine.

‘Learning The Ropes’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Mother and Cub’ © Larry A Lyons

The hump on their shoulders is a distinctive characteristic identifying a grizzly bear. Mother bears rear their cubs for two to three years. Female bears will try to avoid male bears since they can be a danger to the cubs. This mother with its cub was just checking that the photographers and onlookers at the top of the ravine had no intentions of moving closer.

Mother and Cub Grizzlies’ © Larry A Lyons

_______________________________

Nearly 300 species of birds have been sighted within Yellowstone Park, of which 150 species nest in the park. Some of the resident populations of birds in Yellowstone include trumpeter swans, common loons, American white pelicans, sandhill cranes and bald eagles.

‘Bald Eagle Close-up’ © Larry A Lyons

Bald eagles can often be seen perched along riverbanks waiting to prey on fish. Their wingspan can reach up to 7 feet (2 meters). In 1995 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service downlisted the bald eagle from an endangered species to threatened for the GYE.

‘Pursing A Trout Dinner’ © Larry A Lyons

_____________________________

Somewhere between 30 and 60 million bison roamed North America around 1850. Then they were slaughtered almost to extinction. The quest to settle the American West caused this massive slaughter of the bison. It evolved from the commercial hunting and slaughter of the bison for their hides, from the development of railroads heading west, from settlers wanting to transform the Great Plains used by the bison for farming and ranching, and from the settlement of U.S. Army forts. All of this resulted in restricting the Native American Tribes of the Great Plains whose livelihood was dependent on moving with the migratory herds of bison.

By 1883 nearly all of the bison were gone. Only a few dozen plains bison survived and were provided refuge in the 1870’s upon the formation of Yellowstone National Park. However, poaching of the bison persisted. It was the Lacey Act of 1894 that allowed stronger punishment for poachers. No more than 25 bison remained in 1902. Today’s Yellowstone bison are the descendants of those 25 ‘wild’ bison.

‘Bison Roaming Free’ © Larry A Lyons

Today most bison are managed as domestic livestock. It is primarily the Yellowstone and the Jackson Hole bison herds that have retained their ‘wild’ status. A ‘wild’ bison population is one that roams freely within a defined conservation area, where the loss of existing genetic variation is mitigated with sufficient animals, and is subject to forces of natural selection (e.g., predation, harsh environmental conditions, mating, searching for food).

‘Bull Bison’ © Larry A Lyons

Unfortunately, the ecosystem management efforts for these remaining ‘wild’ bison populations have been inadequate in a manner that will provide long-term sustainability. The two Yellowstone bison herds in Yellowstone National Park and the Jackson Hole herd in the Grand Teton National Park are not only restricted to staying within the boundaries of these two national parks but are also severely restricted in the total numbers allowed to roam freely in these parks. The two sub-herds in Yellowstone are being maintained at 3,000 individuals and the Teton herd is maintained at 600 individuals.

There has been a severe lack of tolerance for wild bison to roam outside of the parks within the GYE primarily because of the potential concern of spreading the bovine brucellosis disease. This disease is a spillover disease from cattle to elk and bison and now spills back from elk to cattle. It is the rigorous management actions of keeping cattle and bison spatially and temporally separated that have eliminated the transmission of the disease from bison to cattle. It is this realization that reasonable management practices can effectively control the potential spread of brucellosis between cattle and bison that is beginning to allow a greater tolerance for Yellowstone wild bison to roam beyond the park.

After years of campaigning by many people and organizations to allow wild bison to expand within the GYE, the impasse has been lifted to the extend that will allow Yellowstone’s wild bison to roam in some 400 square miles outside the park. This area establishes year- round bison habitat as well as tolerance areas north and west of Yellowstone National Park into the state of Montana.. It is considered a major first step that should curtail the hazing and killing of bison around Yellowstone. It is a huge win for wild bison.

‘Mother and Calf Bison’ © Larry A Lyons

Bison are nomadic grazers that roam grassy plateaus in the summer but in the winter finding suitable areas to graze particularly during extended periods of deep snow conditions is challenging particularly if their area to roam is restricted. When grazing in the winter, they swing their large heads from side to side to clear the snow to feed on the grass.

‘Bison Grazing’ © Larry A Lyons

Bison are massive animals. The bull (male) bison stands 6 feet (2 m) tall and weighs up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg) while and the cow (female) bison weighs about 1,000 pounds (500 kg). Both the bull and cow have horns curved upward that are retained for their life span. Young bison entering their first winter have a high risk of dying. About 20 to 40 of every 100 first-year calves may die from accidents, winter exposure or predation.

In spite of their size bison are very agile. They can run 35 miles per hour (55 km/ hr) and can jump over objects 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. You must not approach them too closely. As the Greater Yellowstone Coalition has stated about bison, ‘They’re wildlife and they deserve to be treated as wildlife”.

_____________________________

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) has the largest concentration of wildlife within the continental United States. The abundance and the distribution of these wildlife species depend on their interactions with each other and on the quality and extent of their habitat. The development of reasonable buffer zones is absolutely essential to conserve the integrity of our natural resources and wildlife populations.

The re-introduction of the gray wolf, the return of the grizzly bear from near extinction, the proper control and sustainability of elk populations, the establishment of wildlife corridors to allow the migration of the pronghorns, the continued effort to provide adequate habitat for the ‘wild’ bison populations to prosper are a testament to the resiliency of nature if we apply sensible ecosystem management practices. It is bringing ‘wild’ back into the ‘wilderness’.

Scientific investigations and monitoring needs to be continually funded to understand and assess the carrying capacities and health of the wildlife populations within the GYE. These studies are also necessary to understand how climate change is and will be affecting the GYE. We must continue to learn to co-exist with wildlife. We must never forget that we are the custodians of the natural world.

______________________________

Resources:

Buffalo Field Campaign (http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org)

Defenders of Wildlife (http://www.defenders.org)

Greater Yellowstone Coalition (http://greateryellowstone.org/)

National Wildlife Federation (http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/pronghorn.aspx)

National Park Service (https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm)

Yellowstone, National Geographic Magazine, May 2016

Yellowstone Science (https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/yellowstone-science.htm)

Yellowstone Bison: Conserving an American Icon in Modern Society, Edited by P.J. White, R.L. White, D.E. Hallac, Yellowstone Association and Yellowstone National Park, 2015.

The Foxes of Island Beach State Park

Island Beach State Park is one of the last significant remnants of a barrier island ecosystem that once existed along most of the New Jersey coastline. In fact, it is one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches along the north Atlantic coast.

Island Beach State Park is about 3,000 acres along a 10-mile stretch of coastal dunes. It is situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. This barrier island ecosystem consists of primary dunes, beaches, dense thickets of brush and trees, freshwater wetlands, maritime forest and tidal marshes. There are over 400 plant species. This ecosystem is utilized by a wide diversity of birds including ospreys, peregrine falcons, wading birds, shore birds and songbirds. Island Beach State Park is also the home of a red fox population.

‘Red Fox On Snow-Covered Dunes’ © Larry A Lyons

The red fox population at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey appears quite healthy and prosperous. This past winter of 2015 appears to have a particularly high population of foxes present. In one drive through at least 8 to 10 foxes were observed over a period of four hours. Since Barnegat Bay has been frozen for several weeks this winter, some migration of the foxes is suspected to the park via the frozen bay.

‘On The Run’ © Larry A Lyons

Foxes are generally nocturnal and like to hunt at night. However, if they live in a place where they do feel safe, like Island Beach State Park, they may also hunt in the daytime. One fox was observed running across the road with a bird in its mouth. It quickly disappeared into the thickets to either stash its catch or eat it.

‘Do Not Feed Me’ © Larry A Lyons

It is obvious that the foxes of Island Beach are somewhat unafraid of humans since they will approach you waiting to see if you will feed them. However, it is strictly forbidden to feed them. There is plenty of natural food in the park for their needs. Feeding them is detrimental to them. One fox was observed walking around with a broken leg. This injury could have resulted by being struck from a vehicle.

‘On The Prowl’ © Larry A Lyons

Red foxes are successful animals in the wild. They live throughout the continental United States and also in Europe, Asia and North Africa. They can be found in a variety of habitats including forest areas, grasslands, deserts, mountains, and coastal areas.

Living in the wild is a harsh life. The life span of a red fox is three to five years in the wild as opposed to red foxes that live in captivity can live up to 10 to 12 years.

‘Oh So Pretty’ © Larry A Lyons

Red foxes are the size of a medium sized dog. They are naturally lean, but do not appear that way when seen in the winter with their rather bulky coat.

Foxes have excellent hearing and can hear low frequency sounds and rodents digging underground.

‘Red Fox Profile’ © Larry A Lyons

Red foxes also have great eyesight. They have vertically-split pupils like a cat that would be advantageous when hunting at night.

‘Red Fox Close-up’ © Larry A Lyons

Foxes being omnivores have a very diverse diet of animals and plant material. Plant material would include fruits, berries, acorns, grasses, sedges and tubers. Their animal diet consists of small mammals (mice, rabbits, voles), insects and grubs, birds, and if they live near the ocean they will also consume mollusks, crabs and fish.

Although foxes typically hunt or forage alone, they are social animals that live in packs. Packs can consist of older siblings, pups, nannies (non breeding females) and mates.

‘Winter Courting’ © Larry A Lyons

Their breeding season is in the winter when they will court and mate. The female fox is referred to as a ‘vixen’ and the male as a ‘dog’. The dog fox will support the vixen by bringing food to the family in early spring. A vixen can produce a litter of 2 to 12 pups. Both parents care for their young through the summer after which they are out on their own.

‘The Dog and The Vixen’ © Larry A Lyons

Vixens can also be assisted in rearing the cubs by non-breeding females or a female cub from a previous litter.

Fighting and posturing of red foxes can either be the result of aggressive and dominant behavior or by fearful or submissive behavior. When male foxes are courting females, the male will turn its’ ears outwardly and raise it’s tail in a horizontal position.

‘Dominance’ © Larry A Lyons

When a fox is afraid or expressing submission to a dominant animal, foxes will arch their backs while crouching their legs and curving their bodies. Their ears are pointed backwards and their tails are lashing back and forth.

‘Submission’ © Larry A Lyons

Playful individuals will perk their ears and rise on their hind legs.

‘Playing’ © Larry A Lyons

‘The Chase’ © Larry A Lyons

When red foxes move into an assertive attack, the foxes approach each other directly instead of sideways. They will stand on each other’s upper bodies with their forelegs using open-mouthed threats.

‘Squabble’ © Larry A Lyons

These fights typically occur among juveniles or adults of the same sex. These fights tend to be very short-lived.

‘Foxy Vixens’ © Larry A Lyons

It is no wonder why the red fox has a reputation of being cunning and smart. They are quite resourceful with their ability to find food and appropriate habitats, like Island Beach State Park, to achieve their livelihood. They have a social structure that is not only interesting to observe but is quite successful.

The preservation and management of habitats, particularly unique ecosystems like Island Beach State Park, is a treasure that must be protected, respected, and cherished.

Resources:

http://www.islandbeachnj.org/index.html

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/island.html

Yellowstone – The Landscape

An upcoming series of posts will be providing a “glimpse” of the National Parks in the United States including Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Badlands, Redwood Forests, Yosemite, Death Valley, Grand Canyon and others. This series is intended to provide a glimpse into the uniqueness of each national park encompassing the beauty of its topography, its geological make-up, and the distinct ecosystems supporting a diversity of wildlife and plant species.

This National Park series will begin with Yellowstone National Park, which is the first U.S. National Park established in 1872.

Yellowstone is situated in the northwest corner of Wyoming and includes small areas of Montana and Idaho. It encompasses 2.2 million acres (or 3,400 square miles). It is an area larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.

‘Map of Yellowstone’

Yellowstone is one giant volcano resting on top of one of the largest magna chambers in the world. The last major eruption was 600,000 years ago. From 1,000 to 3,000 earthquakes occur each year at Yellowstone, but most are too small to be felt.

Geysers and Steam Vents Galore’ © Larry A Lyons

Yellowstone is home to more than 10,000 geothermal features encompassing geysers, hot springs, steam vents and baths, and percolating mud baths. All of these geothermal features are fueled by heat just a few miles underground.

Sixty percent of the world’s geysers are situated in Yellowstone with over 200 active geysers. Geysers are hot springs that are constricted at the surface that periodically erupt into a fountain of boiling water and steam.

The ‘Old Faithful’ geyser is probably the most famous geyser in the world, not because it is the tallest geyser, but rather it is one of the more predictable geysers. ‘Old Faithful’ erupts several times each day and its eruption is predictable within 30 minutes prior to erupting. Eruptions may occur as frequently as every 60 to 90 minutes. Each eruption blasts 3,400 to 8,400 gallons (14,000 liters to 32,000 liters) of boiling water to a height of 120 feet (36 meters).

‘Old Faithful’ © Larry A Lyons

The reason “Old Faithful” is quite the predictable geyser is because it does not share its underground plumbing system with other geysers. Most of the water from geysers first arrives from rain or snow melt. The water seeps deep into the earth and begins a long recycling journey back up again. The journey can take 500 years or more before it is recycled and blasts into an eruption. In other words, the hot water erupting that this image captured was last seen during the time of Columbus.

‘Grand Geyser Erupting’ © Larry A Lyons

Grand geyser is consistently the tallest and perhaps the most spectacular of the predictable geysers. Grand geyser will erupt around every 8 to 12 hours and will blast to a height of 150 to 180 feet (46 to 55 meters).

‘Petrified Trees’ © Larry A Lyons

Petrified trees border the Grand geyser pool area. There are two types of geysers, that is, either cone-shaped like the Old Faithful geyser or fountain-type geyser. The “Grand” geyser erupts from a pool of water to produce a fountain-type geyser. After the eruption has ended, the water will be out of sight or sometimes a pool of water will be visible.

‘Castle Rock Venting Steam’ © Larry A Lyons

Castle geyser is considered a very old geyser that is 5,000 to 15,000 years that has a 12-foot (4-meter) cone. Castle geyser erupts at an interval between 9 to 11 hours. Bison are often seen grazing near the geysers.

‘Hot Spring’ © Larry A Lyons

Hot springs are the most common geothermal feature in which rising hot water is released as a runoff or as steam. Water temperatures can exceed 190 degrees F (90 degrees C). Unlike geysers with a pressurized plumbing system that erupts through a small constriction, hot springs have wide openings where super heated water is continuously circulating to the surface.

‘Colorful Microbial Mats’ © Larry A Lyons

Colorful microbial mats, composed of trillions of pigmented bacteria, live in and around the hot springs. The colors can range across a wide spectrum of colors.

‘Thermophiles’ © Larry A Lyons

The bright colors found in Yellowstone’s hydrothermal basins originate from thermophiles – microorganisms that thrive in hot temperatures and the mineral-rich water.

‘Close-up of Pigmented Microbial Mats’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Small Geysers Sprouting’ © Larry A Lyons

Large Hydrothermal basins, like the ‘Grand Prismatic Spring’, also reveals extensive microbial mats with the vivid colors that flourish throughout the basin.

‘Grand Prismatic Spring’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Sunset Over Grand Prismatic Spring’ © Larry A Lyons

In addition to all of the geothermal features that Yellowstone has to offer, there are many other spectacular vistas including snow covered mountains and a golden grand canyon.

‘Rocky Mountain Vista’ © Larry A Lyons

Here a couple of bison are resting in the grassy plateau while waterfowl wade in the pond. Yellowstone is home to 50 species of mammals and 300 species of birds. An upcoming post will provide a glimpse into the wildlife of Yellowstone.

The “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone’ is situated in the middle of the park with Yellowstone River flowing through it. The canyon is 24 miles (38 km) long and 1,200 feet (365 meters) deep. Yellowstone River drops an astonishing 300 feet (91 meters) at the Lower Yellowstone Falls.

‘Grand Canyon of Yellowstone’ © Larry A Lyons

This golden canyon was formed from volcanic rock about 600,000 years ago. The golden color of the volcanic rock evolved from the iron in the rock that had become ozidized from steam and hot water.

‘Volcanic Rock Close-up’ © Larry A Lyons

Yellowstone River is recognized as the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the United States.

‘Upper Yellowstone Falls’ © Larry A Lyons

Forest fires are an important part of Yellowstone’s ecosystem and has become to be understood that fires are a natural regeneration process. Yellowstone, like other parks, have instituted a natural fire management plan that allows fires caused by lightning to burn out on their own. For instance in 2013 there were 15 fires. Of the 15, eleven of the fires were only 0.1 to 1.0 acres in size. The remaining four fires ranged in size from 189 acres to 7,200 acres for a total of 11, 933 acres. Five of the 2013 fires were attributed to human activity while the remaining ten fires were caused by lighting. In 2014, there were only five fires reported and each of those fires was only 0.1 acres in size.

‘Forest Regeneration’ © Larry A Lyons

Many of Yellowstone’s plant species are fire-adapted. For instance, lodgepole pines (Pinus contorta), which make up nearly 80% of the park’s extensive forests, have cones that are sealed by resin until the intense heat of fire cracks open and releases the seeds inside.

Pine and Aspen Saplings’ © Larry A Lyons

One lonely Aspen sapling along with the pine saplings are in the process of regenerating into a new forest. Fires may stimulate regeneration of aspen, sagebrush, and willows, but the interactions between these plants and fire is complicated by other influences such as grazing levels and climate.

The scenery of Yellowstone at night can be as grand as the daytime hours.

‘Night Eruption of Old Faithful’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Venting To The Stars’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Big Dipper and Yellowstone’ © Larry A Lyons

Here a full moon is shining through Old Faithful’s eruption.

‘Goodnight Yellowstone’ © Larry A Lyons

Bid adieu to Yellowstone for now. What a magnificent treasure! Stay tuned for upcoming posts. Two more posts on Yellowstone will be forthcoming. One is a glimpse of Mammoth Springs, which consists of extensive limestone formations generated by the hot springs of Yellowstone, and the wildlife of Yellowstone. In addition, a ‘glimpse’ into other National Parks, including Grand Tetons, Badlands, Redwood Forests, Yosemite, Death Valley, and Grand Canyon, will be forthcoming.

Endangered Manatee – A Gentle Giant

The manatee is an endangered species living in coastal estuaries and freshwaters in Florida. It is currently estimated that the “minimum” current population stands at about 5,000 manatees within the state of Florida.

‘Endangered Manatee’ © Larry A Lyons

The endangered manatee is a large mammal also known as a sea cow. Manatees are believed to evolve from plant-eating and wading-like mammals with their closest relative being the elephant. In spite of their cuddly-like appearance and non-aggressive manner, manatees are as wild as free-ranging elephants.

‘The Graceful Manatee’ © Larry A Lyons

Manatees are migratory animals and in the summer will migrate along the eastern and western coasts of Florida. Some individuals will migrate as far north as the Carolinas and as far west as Texas. However, during the winter calendar months manatees do tend to concentrate near warm water springs or near thermal discharges of power plants within Florida. When water temperatures go below 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Centigrade), the stress from the colder waters can be fatal. In the winter of 2010, more than 280 manatees died from an extended period of cold weather.

One of the longest-term threats to the manatees is the loss of habitat of warm water habitats. Residential development in Florida continues to encroach on these warm water spring habitats that are essential for their survival. Although power plant discharges do provide the essential warm water for a large portion of the manatee populations, the expectations of these power plants not shutting down because of equipment failure or even being decommissioned creates a high risk to the manatee populations. A means of conserving “natural” warm water habitats within Florida is absolutely critical.

‘The Sea Cow’ © Larry A Lyons

The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge including the Kings Bay in Florida, which is also referred to as the manatee capital of the world, was established for the protection of the endangered manatees in 1983. The warm water springs originating from Crystal River provide a critical sanctuary for the manatee populations that migrate there each year from November to April. During the winter months it is estimated that up to 600 manatees migrate into this sanctuary.

All of these images were captured at the Crystal River sanctuary using a Nikonas V underwater film camera in January 1995. The Crystal River sanctuary has become a tourist attraction where it is estimated that 150,000 visitors come each year. Visitors are permitted to snorkel with the endangered manatees within designated areas following specific guidelines. Unfortunately there have been disturbing instances in which people have been harassing the manatees and swimming in areas that are strictly for manatees only. Of particular importance is that all watercraft travelling through manatee sanctuaries do so cautiously and at idle speed.

It really is a remarkable and unforgettable experience to be able to swim with these gentle giants. If you have the opportunity, be sure to abide to the specific guidelines defined by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

‘Vulnerable Swimmer’ © Larry A Lyons

Manatees are graceful swimmers powered by a strong tail. They generally swim along at three to five miles (5 to 8 kilometers) an hour, but they can swim up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) an hour on short bursts. Manatees are generally observed swimming close to the surface that creates a high level of risk of being injured or killed from outboard motors.

Manatee mortalities are recorded each year by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. These mortality counts define whether mortalities are the result of watercraft accidents, cold stress, natural causes, perinatal causes, undetermined causes, and other causes. From 2007 through 2013 it is estimated on the average that at least 20 percent of the manatee mortalities resulted from being struck by watercraft. It is also important to note that this 20 percent mortality from watercraft does not include all of the mortalities that were undetermined or the mortalities that go unreported.

‘Manatee Close-up’ © Larry A Lyons

The manatee with their small eyes and no outer ears do have good sight and hearing. Manatees emit a variety of sounds used in communication. They can also communicate by smell, taste and touch. Their face contains over 600 vibrissae (whisker-like hairs), but the sensory function of the whiskers is unknown.

‘Taking A Breath’ © Larry A Lyons

Manatees must resurface regularly to breathe air through their nostrils. When just resting, manatees may resurface every 20 minutes. However, when they are moving about and consuming energy, they may resurface for a breath every three to five minutes. Resurfacing to breathe or just resting in shallow waters creates a high level of vulnerability for their survival from being accidently hit by boats. In fact, researchers can often identify many surviving manatees by the scars that have resulted from being injured from outboard motors.

‘Herbivorous Mammal’ © Larry A Lyons

Manatees are herbivores grazing on algae, sea grass and a variety of other aquatic plants. They consume 10 to 15% of their body weight in vegetation each day. By far, sea grass beds would be the most important source of vegetation for the manatees. The manatee above is grazing on algae and stirring–up sediment in the process.

‘Gentle Giant’ © Larry A Lyons

Manatees are gentle giants with an average length of ten feet (3 meters) and weighing up to 1,200 lbs. (540 kg). This manatee was attempting to remove any algae on this rope that was dangling in the water.

Red tides are another major threat to the manatees. Red tides are algal blooms of a specific algae that contain neurotoxins. Red tides are naturally occurring events that will occur offshore. If the blooms move inshore, an extended algal bloom can occur from nutrient loading by urban and agricultural runoff. Manatees are exposed to the neurotoxins when they come to the surface to breathe and when grazing on grasses coated with the algae. The neurotoxins cause seizures and subsequent drowning of manatees. In 2013 it was estimated that as a many as 276 mortalities may have resulted from red tidal events. It is also important to note that the total mortality count for 2013 was 829 manatees, which is more than twice the mortalities reported in 2012.

‘Pair Resting’ © Larry A Lyons

Female manatee is usually larger than the male and breeds only once every few years. It is believed that only one calf is born every two to five years. The gestation period is 12 months. The calf is dependent on its mother for a 12 to 18 month period. This low reproduction cycle creates a high level of risk for their long-term survival.

News Flash: A July 2^nd, 2014 news flash from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) stated that the agency is in the process of considering removing the manatee from the endangered species list to merely a species that is threatened. The USFWS is responding to a lawsuit originating from a citizens group, Save Crystal River, Inc. This citizens group is concerned about new idle-speed rules for watercraft and the expansion of manatee refuge areas in Kings Bay. It will be interesting to see how the USFWS decides on protecting the manatees.

‘Protect The Manatee’ © Larry A Lyons

So let’s recap on the vulnerability of manatee populations in Florida and why this gentle giant should remain as an endangered species for maximum protection. Manatees require warm water sanctuaries like the Crystal River for appropriate habitat during the winter months for their survival. Manatee dependence of thermal discharges from power plants for warm water habitat should be cautiously monitored. Conservation efforts to enhance and manage ‘natural’ warm water sanctuaries in Florida are critical.

Manatees have a low reproduction cycle with only one calf being born every two to five years. Manatees living, grazing and moving about in shallow waters causes a high level of risk from being killed or injured from the ever-increasing boat traffic in Floridian waters.

In addition to the high vulnerability from watercraft, manatees are vulnerable to the loss of turtle grass habitat, which is their main food staple. The population is quite vulnerable to any extended cold winters. In addition, the sudden appearance of red tides can decimate a large portion of the manatee population. The possibility of even sustaining the current manatee population should be one of grave concern.

References:

Save The Manatee Club

Defenders of Wildlife

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Hidden Habitats! Who Knew?

Never underestimate what a nature park can offer and teach you. Take for example a nature park situated in New Jersey just across from the City of Philadelphia.

‘View of Philadelphia’ © Larry A Lyons

The Palmyra Cove Nature Park (www.palmyracove.org) is a 350 acre site located within a highly developed urban and commercial area in southern New Jersey. The park is bordered along the Delaware River just south of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge.

‘Tacony-Palmyra Bridge’ © Larry A Lyons

Five field trips to the Palmyra Cove Nature Center during the spring of 2013 provided an opportunity to observe and photograph an amazing diversity of organisms and their behavior.

‘Great Horned Owl and Fledging’ © Larry A Lyons

Let’s begin with the Great Horned Owl. This owl is one of the largest owls in North America and one of the most ferocious birds of prey. Both sexes tend to look similar, but the female is 10 to 20 percent larger than the male.

‘Female Great Horned Owl’ © Larry A Lyons

Distinguishing features of the great horned owl are long ear tufts, intimidating stares with their yellow eyes, and densely feathered toes with dark horned claws. General coloration does vary between the owls.

‘Male Great Horned Owl’ © Larry A Lyons

A pair of Great Horned Owls selected a nesting site high up in the crotch of a cottonwood tree. Nesting begins as early as January or February and the female will typically lay two eggs. After hatching the nestlings are unable to fly for ten to twelve weeks, but the owlets will venture to nearby trees.

‘Owlet One’ © Larry A Lyons

One of the owlets remained in the original nesting site while the other owlet had moved to a lower a branch.

‘Owlet Two’ © Larry A Lyons

Both owlets are being cared for by both parents and remain dependent for food until the fall.

‘Ferocious Predator’ © Larry A Lyons

Great horned owls are ferocious predators and will hunt and eat all sorts of small and medium sized mammals (mice, squirrels, opossums, bats, and skunk). It will also eat small and large birds, including Canada geese, herons, ducks, and turkey. Owl prey can also be raccoon.

‘Young Raccoon’ © Larry A Lyons

It was amazing but only 20 feet away from the tree where the owlets were being raised were raccoons residing within a tree hollow.

‘Raccoon Sleeping’ © Larry A Lyons

Raccoons, like great horned owls, are nocturnal and tend to sleep during the daytime. This one was resting in a vertical position in the hollow of the tree.

‘Tree Hollow Home’ © Larry A Lyons

Trekking around the ponds at Palmyra Cove Nature Park can provide some great opportunities to observe birdlife and some interesting and bizarre behaviors. One such encounter involved a courting encounter amongst blue-winged teals.

Blue-winged teals are known to be the last duck to migrate north in the spring throughout most of the United States. Once they arrive in their northern breeding areas, pairs of teals will settle in vegetated wetlands and ponds to begin the next generation.

‘Pair of Blue-Winged Teals’ © Larry A Lyons

Blue-winged teals are monogamous during the mating season and are known to have some exaggerated behavior when courting. One such encounter was when another male attempted to intrude upon this pair of teals.

‘One Male Too Many’ © Larry A Lyons

The paired male quickly made it quite clear by grasping the beak of the intruder.

‘The Attack’ © Larry A Lyons

The intruder was able to pull its beak away from the grasp and then was aggressively chased away.

‘The Chase’ © Larry A Lyons

Blue-winged teal are so named because both sexes have some blue feathers on their forewings, but really cannot be seen until they are taking off or in flight. The male, on the other hand, is distinguished with slate gray head and neck and white crescent in front of the eyes.

‘Phew! Got Away’ © Larry A Lyons

Palmyra Cove Nature Center has a frog pond that is inhabited or utilized by several different amphibians. One unusual amphibian that only visits the pond once a year to breed is the Fowler’s Toad. The Fowler’s Toad is generally terrestrial and nocturnal except when this amphibian is in breeding mode. So, come spring to early summer, Fowlers’ Toads will venture out from the nearby woods to a wetland or shallow pond to breed. The male toad, measuring about two to three inches in size (5.1 to 7.5 cm.), will produce a call to attract the females.

‘Fowler’s Toad Calling’ © Larry A Lyons

The toads will proceed into what is referred to as amplexus, also known as the “Latin Embrace”. This embrace is a form of pseudocopulation where the male grasps the female with his front legs. The male then releases a fluid with sperm into the water and externally fertilizes the female eggs. The female lays eggs in clutches up to 25,000 eggs.

‘Latin Embrace’ © Larry A Lyons

There were hundreds of toads in the pond participating in this breeding ritual on this particular day. However, on a return trip of the following week, there was not a single toad to be seen, but there must had been thousands of tadpoles (about one half inch in size) swimming in the pond. Metamorphosis from tadpole to young toad occurs within two months.

The frog pond is also shared with other amphibians, such as, the green frog. This green frog surely would have found the eggs and the tadpoles of the Fowler’s Toad a tasty meal. It is all part of nature.

‘Green Frog’ © Larry A Lyons

Canada geese are so common that their increasing populations have become a nuisance at some locations. However, even though their presence is often taken for granted, their behaviors and their life history are quite interesting.

‘Canada Goose’ © Larry A Lyons

Canada geese do pair for life and will remain together over the entire year. In the spring, pairs of Canada geese will separate from their flocks and establish territories to start the next generation.

When a goose intrudes into a pairs’ territory, a lot of commotion will evolve in which the male will aggressively challenge the intruder by honking loudly, hissing with their beaks open wide and will even grab and collide between each other.

‘No Intruder Allowed’ © Larry A Lyons

The female is responsible for building the nest and incubating the eggs while the male will be nearby guarding the nest. After the goslings hatch they will remain close to their parents.

‘Canada Goose Goslings’ © Larry A Lyons

Canada geese are herbivores and will feed on grasses, sedges, berries, etc. This gosling has learned quickly what is good to eat.

‘Gosling Browsing’ © Larry A Lyons

White-tailed deer is another common resident not only at the Palmyra Cove Nature Center, but also throughout the woodlands and suburbs particularly within northeastern United States. The deer are usually best seen in the early morning or at dusk when they are browsing along the edges of woodlands.

‘Young White-Tailed Deer’ © Larry A Lyons

Their winter or early spring coats are brownish grey but they will turn to reddish-brown in the summer. The female deer (doe) stands at about 3 feet at shoulder height and will weigh up to 100 pounds.

‘White-Tailed Deer’ © Larry A Lyons

White-tailed deer are herbivores and will forage on a wide diversity of plants, including agricultural crops, at a rate of 2 to 7 lbs. per 100 lbs of body weight each day.

‘Doe Close-up’ © Larry A Lyons

White-tailed deer populations do present significant concerns that have caused negative effects to the deforestation of woodlands. Deer-related collisions with vehicles have also been an increasing problem with the overpopulation of deer. Attempting to maintain or manage deer populations at densities that will not be detrimental has become more and more challenging.

‘Drake Mallard’ © Larry A Lyons

No nature park is without mallards, the most common duck in the United States. The female mallard lays an average of nine eggs and is responsible for incubating the eggs and taking care of the ducklings.

‘Female Mallard and Ducklings’ © Larry A Lyons

To reiterate the take home message of this post: Don’t underestimate what a nature park can offer and teach you. Here was a nature park situated in a highly dense urban area that provided an incredible assortment of habitats. The combination of these habitats allowed for the propagation and sustainability of a diversity of wildlife from amphibians to owls, ducks, songbirds and geese to deer and raccoons.

Let’s get our children outdoors and away from their electronic devices. Let them find hidden habitats and enjoy the many wonders of nature. It is “our” next generation that will be responsible for continuing efforts to protect wildlife and maintain a commitment for preserving habitats.

Observe, enjoy, learn and, if you are so inclined, photograph them.

“A Birder’ © Larry A Lyons

References:

http://www.palmyracove.org

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/

http://srelherp.uga.edu/anurans/buffow.htm

http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/fs1202/white-tailed-deer.asp

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/

The Osprey Comeback

Osprey populations were decimated from the 1950’s to the 1970’s resulting primarily from the widespread use of a persistent insecticide, known as DDT. There were regions in the United States where 90 percent or more of the breeding pairs disappeared. Over 500 osprey nests were present in New Jersey prior to the effects of DDT. By 1974 only 50 nests remained in New Jersey.

‘Osprey Comeback’ © Larry A Lyons

The osprey has become the symbol of how nature can recover from environmental atrocities. DDT was banned in New Jersey in 1968 and banned almost entirely in the United States by 1972. Recovery of the osprey populations began once these bans were implemented.

‘The Food Chain’ © Larry A Lyons

The mechanism of toxicity resulting from DDT to predatory birds, like the osprey, is quite complex that ultimately affects their reproductive success. DDT is a persistent organic pollutant that tends to concentrate as it moves through the food chain. Fish that could be contaminated with DDT from eating shrimp or crabs would further magnify the concentration of DDT in predatory birds, like the osprey. The accumulation of DDT and its metabolites in the osprey prevents calcium metabolism causing the thinning of the eggshells. As a result of the eggshell thinning, the osprey would crush the eggs when sitting on them during incubation.

‘Protect The Osprey’ © Larry A Lyons

The 1962 landmark book “Silent Spring” authored by Rachel Carson clearly expressed how important it is to maintain a vigilance on the use of chemicals and their fate in the environment. This book is often attributed to the environmental movement that was initiated in the 1960’s.

‘Birds of Prey Socializing’ © Larry A Lyons

All of the osprey images were photographed at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge located on the southern coastline of New Jersey. This refuge, situated just north of Atlantic City, NJ, encompasses 47,000 acres of coastal habitat and is an important sanctuary for a wide diversity of birds and other wildlife. A future post will present many other birds that utilize this refuge.

The osprey, also referred to as the fish hawk, has a diet that is almost entirely made-up of fish.

‘The Fish Hawk’ © Larry A Lyons

Ospreys have gripping pad on their feet that aids in plucking the slippery fish from the water with their long curved talons. The osprey will orient the fish head first to reduce wind direction when carrying the fish in flight. Here a flounder is being carried back to the nest.

‘Entree of Flounder’ © Larry A Lyons

The osprey stands between 21 to 23 inches (53 to 58 cm.) and has a wingspan of up to six feet (1.8 meters).

‘Six Foot Wingspan’ © Larry A Lyons

They do require suitable tall structures for building their nests. Platforms are often constructed to allow a suitable structure for nest building.

‘Osprey Platform’ © Larry a Lyons

Osprey nests are built of sticks and lined with grasses or seaweed. The male usually fetches most of the nesting material and the female arranges it. At the Forsythe refuge there are at least eight to ten platforms for the ospreys to build their nests.

‘Nest Building’ © Larry A Lyons

Males and females do appear similar in appearance, but there are some slight differences that can distinguish between the sexes. Males have a slimmer body and narrower wings. Also, the coloration of the breast band is either lighter or not present in the males.

‘Osprey Pair’ © Larry A Lyons

Ospreys mate for life and return to the same nest year after year. They migrate back north in the Spring usually around the beginning of March.

‘Feeding The Chicks’ © Larry A Lyons

The female typically lays three eggs and both parents help to incubate the eggs. Osprey eggs do not hatch all at once, but rather hatching is staggered in time so some siblings are older and more dominant. The pair works together to raise the young.

‘Peek A Boo’ © Larry A Lyons

The young fledge at about eight weeks of age and then remain in the area of the nest for about two months.

‘On Watch’ © Larry A Lyons

Juvenile ospreys have buff fringes to the plumage of the upper parts, a buff tone to the underbody, and streaked feathers on its head. Juveniles also have orange pupils that turn yellow when they reach adulthood.

‘Juvenile Osprey’ © Larry A Lyons

The adults and the juvenile ospreys will begin their southern migration by the end of August or beginning of September to their wintering grounds in Florida, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

‘Are You Ready To Head South?’© Larry A Lyons

Ospreys are a conservation success story. Both the pesticide bans and the construction of artificial nest sites continue to allow for the comeback and growth of osprey populations.

‘Enjoy, Don’t Endanger’ © Larry A Lyons

Leave you with a quote by Rachel Carson: “The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”

References:

http://www.fws.gov/refuge/edwin_b_forsythe/

http://www.conservewildlefenj.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/osprey

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/osprey/id

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/osprey/

http://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/osprey.html

The Cheetah

Previous posts about the wildlife of South Africa focused on “The Big Five” animals and “Everyday Faces” . This post will focus on an exquisitely beautiful cat, the cheetah. Cheetahs are best described as graceful and elegant.

‘Cheetah Profile’ © Larry A Lyons

All of these cheetah images were captured while volunteering for the African Impact organization at the Thanda Game Reserve in South Africa from mid-September through October 2012. During this period the Thanda Reserve had two adult males and one female. A second female was introduced on October 28^th.

Distinguishing features of the cheetah are the tan and spotted fur, a small head, sleek frame with deep chest and narrow waist, and a long tail.

‘Elegance’ © Larry A Lyons

The small head has high-set eyes, large nostrils and black tear marks that extend from the corners of its eyes to its mouth. These tear marks aid in keeping sunlight out of their eyes that is advantageous when hunting and seeing long distances.

‘Cheetah Close-up’ © Larry A Lyons

The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal with speeds as fast as 60 to 70 miles per hour (112 km/hr). They have the ability to accelerate for short distances obtaining speeds of 62 mph in 3 seconds. It is suited for short bursts, but not long distance running. It is amazing to think that these cheetahs strolling along here could in the next three seconds be moving at such high speeds.

‘Out For A Stroll’ © Larry A Lyons

These two cheetahs are brothers and were constant companions at the reserve. Male cheetahs are often social and will often be seen living together.

‘Brotherly Love’ © Larry A Lyons

The males are quite territorial. They will attempt to kill any intruders.

‘Grooming Time’ © Larry A Lyons

Females, on the other hand, are solitary and tend to avoid each other. Females do not establish territories and tend to have large home ranges. This female cheetah was introduced to the Thanda Reserve in July 2012. It was fitted with a collar to keep track of its whereabouts.

‘Stealth’ © Larry A Lyons

Cheetahs are often found in open savannah and rely on tall grasses for camouflage when hunting. The tan and spotted fur provides good camouflage while hunting. The cheetah gets as close to the prey as possible and then with a burst of speed springs after the prey.

‘On The Prowl’ © Larry A Lyons

Cheetahs are carnivores that will hunt impalas, gazelles, hares, and the calves of wildebeests or zebras. When cheetahs hunt in groups, they can also bring down adult wildebeests and zebras. While other cats like the lion and leopard tend to hunt at night, the cheetah will hunt in early morning or later in the evening when it is not so hot.

‘Cheetahs Prancing’ © Larry A Lyons

Cheetahs are included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list as vulnerable species. It is estimated that only between 9,000 and 12,000 cheetahs remain wild in twenty-five African countries.

‘Save The Cheetah’ © Larry A Lyons

Update: A second female cheetah was acquired by the Thanda Game Reserve at the end of October 2012 in the hopes that mating would succeed with the two brothers. In December 2012, the two brothers were seen courting the new female. The cheetah has a gestation period of about 90 days. Four cubs were born in March 2013.

Cheetahs are difficult to successfully breed at zoos or in captivity. The cheetah thrives best in vast expanses of land where prey is readily available. The immense importance of conserving habitat like the Thanda Game Reserve is critical for protecting wildlife.

Everyday Faces of South Africa

Like seeing squirrels or rabbits in our backyards, the wildebeests, giraffes, zebras, impalas and warthogs were common everyday faces observed at the Thanda Game Reserve. They help depict the diversity of life on the African prairie. All five of these species are herbivores and also become an important food source for lions, leopards, wild dogs, cheetahs and hyenas.

All of these images were captured in South Africa at the Thanda Game Reserve while volunteering for six weeks with the African Impact Organization (www.africanimpact.com) in September through October 2012.

'Everyday Faces of South Africa' © Larry A Lyons

The wildebeest is an antelope, but it looks like part buffalo, part horse, and part antelope. They are primarily grazers with grasses being their predominant choice.

At the Thanda Game Reserve, the wildebeests are often seen in small herds of about eight to ten cows.

Time for a dust bath says this wildebeest.

Wildebeests can spend one-third of their day grazing with the remainder roaming about or taking a rest.

Wildebeest predators include lions, leopards, wild dogs and hyenas. Everything is recycled on the African savanna.

Wildebeest prefer to stay close to water. They cannot go without water for more than a few days, particularly during dry seasons.

The giraffe, the tallest in the animal kingdom reaching heights of 18 feet (5.5 m), is just simply a gentle giant. Often observed on the reserve’s roadways, it is, of course, given the ‘right of way’.

Giraffes are social with other animals (zebras, wildebeest, impalas). Their size allows them to overlook the landscape for predators and provide an early warning for all.

Because of their long necks, giraffes can feed on foliage from trees and shrubs that would not be accessible to other herbivores. The principal food source at the Thanda Reserve is the leaves of the Acacia tree with its long spikes.

The giraffe has a long prehensile tongue that is able to pull branches even with these long spikes into their mouth and then strip the leaves off the branches with their teeth.

This baby giraffe is less than one month old and already stands six feet tall. Baby giraffes will drink milk from their mother during the first few months. After that time, the babies will begin eating leaves. If the baby cannot reach trees with leaves, mothers will pull leaves off and feed them to the babies.

'Staying Close to Mother' © Larry A Lyons

Baby giraffes will gain most of their height and weight during the first three years of life. Giraffes are considered fully mature at four years of age.

'Young Giraffe Close-up' © Larry A Lyons

Usually the giraffe calves are more vulnerable to predation by lions, leopards, wild dogs and hyenas. However, this adult giraffe became the feast of a lion pride from the previous evening.

Here is a yellow-bellied oxipecker clearing the ticks off of a giraffe.

One of the most wonderful encounters is when you can meet-up with male giraffes while they are engaged in necking. Necking is a ritual in which male giraffes are establishing dominance with their necks swaying and touching each other. You think of “Fantasia” while watching these encounters.

‘Fantasia I’ @ Larry A Lyons

There is almost absolute silence when this necking is occurring and then they just seem to gently make-up.

‘Necking’ @ Larry A Lyons

The zebra belongs to the horse family. Zebras are sociable animals and are often seen with other herbivores, like giraffes, wildebeests and impalas.

Zebras live in small family units, called harems, led by a stallion.

Stallions disputing over dominance of the harem.

Each zebra has its own striking pattern of stripes. They are like the fingerprints of humans. Members of a family supposedly can recognize each other by their patterns. The stripes provide good camouflage, particularly from a distance, from predators.

Zebras are prey to lions and hyenas. This zebra has a visible scar on its neck. The scar is its’ “badge of courage” from escaping a lion attack.

The greatest threat to the zebra is habitat loss from farming and ranching, as well as, competition for water with livestock. Game reserves, like Thanda, provide an important refuge for their livelihood.

Beauty only a mother can appreciate. The warthog is a wild member of the pig family.

Male Warthogs have two large pairs of warts that are situated below the eyes and between the eyes and the tusks. The female warthog has one pair of warts below the eyes. Two pairs of peculiar looking tusks protrude from its mouth. The tusks are used for digging, combat between each other, and defense.

At the Thanda Reserve, warthogs can never be missed since they are commonly seen browsing within the camp.

This warthog was observed exiting a tunnel during a night safari drive.

Predators of the warthog are humans, lions, leopards, crocodiles and hyenas. The warthog’s primary defense is to quickly sprint from the scene.

Impalas are one of the most common antelopes in South Africa. Male impalas are quite distinct with their graceful lyre-shaped horns.

Female impalas look like the males without the horns.

Impalas graze on grasses and shrubbery.

Male impalas become quite territorial shepherding females about their land. These dueling males are displaying a common ritual over maintaining dominance of the herd of females.

'Herd of Female Impalas' © Larry A Lyons

Most large carnivores will prey upon impalas. They are always on the alert and will snort an alarm when there is danger. The whole herd will scatter.

Impalas have a distinct scent gland that is covered with tufts of black hair on the back of their hind legs. The scent gland releases signals that aids in keeping the herd together particularly when they are rapidly running away from a predator.

So were you able to imagine these “Everyday Faces” roaming in your backyard. There is nothing like a wildlife experience in Africa.

There will be forthcoming posts on South Africa and the Thanda Game Reserve. So stay tuned.

The Big Five of South Africa

“The Big Five” animals of South Africa are the elephant, leopard, rhinoceros, buffalo and lion. The term “Big Five” game was a term derived by hunters designating the most difficult and dangerous animals to hunt. The impressive conservation practices and extensive national and private reserves in South Africa has significantly aided in protecting the survival of these animals. However, poaching of rhinos and elephants for their horns and tusks continues to be a significant problem for the survival of these species.

All of these images were captured in South Africa at the Thanda Game Reserve or nearby reserves while volunteering for six weeks with the African Impact Organization (www.africanimpact.com) in September through October 2012.

The Big Five of South Africa © Larry A Lyons

This family portrait of a baby, young teenager and two adult female elephants was photographed from a boat when a herd of 50 or more elephants gathered at the lake for a drink and bath. Herds of elephants are made-up of related females and their young. Male elephants usually leave the herd when reaching adolescence forming bachelor herds. Later, the adult male elephants lead a solitary life.

Calves are the primary focus of the family unit and are cared for by their mothers during at least their first three years.

These dueling male elephants were photographed from a boat with a long lens. Male African bush elephants weigh up to 12,000 pounds and have periods of extreme aggression not only between each other, but anything that comes across its path. Here the two bulls are fighting for dominance. Besides fighting, tusks are also used for marking, feeding, and digging.

Poaching of the tusks for the ivory trade is one of the greatest threats to the elephant populations.

The elephant’s trunk has many functions including breathing, feeding, smelling, touching, grasping, producing sound, drinking and bathing.

Elephants are herbivores and will consume leaves, fruit, twigs, bark and roots. They also will consume up to 11 gallons (40 liters) of water each day.

Elephants prefer to stay near water.

Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild. This bull elephant has a crust of bark on its forehead probably from recently mowing down a tree for consumption.

The leopard is the most secretive and elusive of the large carnivore cats. They are basically solitary and go out of their way to avoid one another. Leopards are primarily nocturnal and their spotted coat provides almost perfect camouflage. They move about their home ranges and seldom stay in an area for more than two or three days. Subsequently, leopard sightings tend to be rare. While at the Thanda reserve, the opportunity to see a leopard on three different occasions was most fortunate.

Leopards are opportunistic hunters that will consume a wide variety of animals including antelopes, monkeys, foxes, jackals, rodents, amphibians, and birds. The leopard’s stealth, rapid speed, and strength to drag their prey up into a tree provide a forbidding predator.

Leopard is a stunning beautiful animal.

Lions are the only cats that live in groups called prides. Lions once roamed most of Africa, but today they are only found in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Two prides co-exist at the Thanda Reserve. It is the through the conservation efforts of South Africa and private reserves like Thanda that make it possible for lion prides to roam free.

This young adult male with its mane still growing in and the two females perched in the tree belong to the North pride. Male lions defend the pride’s territory while females are the pride’s primary hunters.

This female lioness is staking some high ground to keep vigilance over the savanna. Female lions, being the pride’s primary hunters, often work together to prey upon wildebeest, antelopes, zebra and other large animals of the open grasslands. Many of these animals are faster than lions, so teamwork pays off.

The roaring sound of these lions when mating was quite intense. The rolling eyes and their display of teeth further imply that nothing interrupts this activity. This image was captured from a safari jeep at a distance of 20 feet.

These cubs were about one month old.

Lions within a pride are quite affectionate and attentive between themselves and their cubs.

Hunting is often a nocturnal event. Here a team of female lions stalked and ambushed this wildebeest.

Everything is recycled on the African savanna. Here are the remains of that wildebeest.

Lion populations have been reduced to 21,000 in all of Africa and are now only found in parts of the south Sahara desert and parts of eastern and southern Africa. Reserves, like the Thanda Game Reserve, are crucial for their survival.

Don’t let this smile fool you, the African buffalo is known for its unpredictable behavior. It is regarded as a very dangerous animal and is supposedly responsible for killing 200 people per year.

Adult bulls can be observed sparing quite regularly. Most sparing seems to be harmless and short-lived.

Yes, Buffalos do it too! Mating occurs between March and May.

Single Calves are born between January and April. They are gregarious with herds varying in size of up to several hundred.

Buffalos are herbivores. These female beauties are distinguished by their smaller horns.

This older looking bull posing here had just come from a mud bath. Its particular thick horns would indicate that it is a dominant bull within the herd.

The African Rhinos, both the Black Rhino and the White Rhino, are facing extinction. This White Rhinoceros, which is actually grey in color, has a square muzzle that is adapted for grazing on grasses.

This Black Rhino, photographed during a night safari drive, has more of a beak shaped lip that is used for browsing leaves, buds and shoots of bushes and trees. The cause of the injury to this rhino is unknown, bit it appears that it may have been gored by one of its own.

Both White and Black Rhinos are at risk of extinction because of poaching of their horns. There is a fallacy that the horns have some medicinal value, even for curing cancer (in Asia), and as a result there is market that provides a premium price for the horns. However, Rhino horns are simply made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. Poachers brutally kill the rhinos and remove the horns. An averaged sized rhino horn can bring a quarter of million dollars in Vietnam.

Rhinos are also in trouble because of the lack of habitat from agriculture and deforestation. The importance of game reserves, like Thanda, is crucial for their survival.

The female gestation period lasts 15 to 16 months and usually only one calf is born.

Baby rhinos begin to grow their horn when they are only a few weeks old. During the first year the calf only feeds on the milk from the mother. A calf remains near its mother for the first four to five years for protection.

Rhinos have no natural predators, except for man. Rhinos are considered critically endangered. There are several organizations, including the African Wildlife Foundation, that have programs working to “Save the Rhino”.

‘Save The Rhino’ Larry A Lyons

See the Big Five of South Africa gallery