Binoculars

 

 

 

Observations: Sept 5, 1995
Time: 2:00 pm
Weather: bright and hot

Winkles

Tidal pools are home to a multitude of seashore creatures like the tiny, snail like periwinkles with hard spiral shells. Winkles secrete a mucous that helps them cling to exposed rocks after the tide has left them behind. Irving nature park has three different types of the 20 species of "winkles" found in North America. Common Periwinkle (Littorina littorea) is the largest, about one inch in size, with a teardrop- shaped opening. Their rough tongues (radulae) scrape algae (their food) from the rocks. When exposed to the sun, winkles protect themselves from drying out by pulling into their shells closing their door - like operculum.

  

Beards on Trees?

Older trees in the park's woods are draped in a mossy plant often called "Old Man's Beard". This drooping, pale greenish-yellow lichen (Usnae cavernosa) is a combination of algae and fungi that live together. The soft mass of branching and cylindrical lichen can grow from 10 to 40 cm. In length. Clusters hang from branches looking like a beard. The Northern Parula warbler (Parula americana), sometimes hollows out a space in a soft hanging cluster of Old Man's Beard for its nest in our woods.

Wild Canaries

When the grasses and shrubs are full of fall seeds, bright yellow little birds flit around the open areas of the park hunting for food. These lively male American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) have stubby beaks, black wings and tail feathers with white edges, and black foreheads. They wear their brightest yellow feathers in the late summer to attract mates. Goldfinch feed on the seeds from weeds, and nest when the seeds are most plentiful. The dull-colored female uses thistle-down to line her nest. Usually these birds travel in flocks during the winter, and readily come to bird feeders in the area.

 Irving Nature Park
The Naturalist's Notebook is published quarterly. If you have any questions or topics that you would like to see addressed, please call John Gilbert, Manager, Fish and Wildlife, J.D. Irving, Limited, (506) 632-7777.