The babies are out of the nest!

So, yesterday, the baby wrens jumped out of the nest! I saw four out of five of them come out, and the third one left a little--ahem--"gift" on the outside wall (I didn't post any pictures because I figured not everybody wanted to see how nice our little birdies are! Wink wink). So I'll try to get some pics up as soon as possible. :-) 

Love ya!

RTxx

The Wrens are Dandy!

The wrens are fine and perfectly healthy! And one of the parents of the birds just fed the babies right outside the window! And if you happen to have a bird nesting near you with chicks in it, don't hang around it too long, because if the mother smells you on her chicks, she'll abandon them, and then, well, you know, the chicks will be no longer. In other words, they'll die. And if you happen to have abandoned chicks or orphans, call your local wildlife rescue. If anyone can help, they can!

xxRapid Turtlexx

Wren Babies!!!!!! Yay!!!!

<---- (Check them out! :-)

Oh my goodness!! :-D Two days ago Dad found a Carolina Wren nest with little chicks in it. Yay!!! I'll have some pictures of them up soon, hopefully. They gave us quite a scare, too, because the mother wasn't in the nest Saturday night, and we didn't know whether or not the chicks were alive. But Sunday morning we saw the mother flitting back and forth, getting food for the chicks. I think there are four that are still alive, and one that's dead. :-( But from what I can tell, the four that are alive are well and dandy! Their little peeps were so energetic, I just had to smile at them. I'll try to give updates at least every other day or so.

xxRapid Turtlexx <3

The Eastern Grey Squirrel--

Sciurus carolinensis

The Eastern Grey Squirrel is native to the eastern half of the United States, as well as some of Canada. It has been introduced to non-native lands, such as England, some other parts of Canada, Italy, and South America, as well as Australia. In Australia, however, the squirrel population is being maintained. In Great Britain, the grey squirrel has been invading the native lands of the red squirrel, which lives in Great Britain as well.

As their name implies, this species is grey, although it sometimes has patches of brown, white, or it can be albino. Some sources say that there are colonies of albino squirrels in Ontario, Illinois, and North Carolina, although it may or may not be true.

Mating season is twice a year, in December-February and in May-June (which would be about now, at least where I live). Litters have about 2-6 young, but sometimes can have eight. The gestation period is about forty-four days, and young leave the nest after about ten weeks.

They eat a variety of things, like berries, tree bark, seeds, and, what they are most famous for, nuts. They are also infamously known for stealing seeds from bird feeders.

They have a conservation status of least concern.

Sources:

http://www.introsquirrel.ca/invasion.html

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

http://blogshevik.com/squirreltale/natural-history/eastern-grey-squirrel/

http://www.thejump.net/small-game/eastern-grey-squirrel.htm

Canada Goose--

Branta canadensis

The Canada Goose - sometimes mistakenly called the Canadian Goose (I know some people might call it a Canadian Goose because when I was younger I myself called it one! ;-) - is a large bird that is known for migrating in the winter. You can distinguish it for its recognizable honk! and V-shaped flight patterns in a flock. Its head and neck is black, except for a white patch much like a beard. It kind of looks like a bald guy with a beard. The females are often smaller than the males. The base of its neck is white. Most of the body is light brown.

In the summer, they can be found in most of Canada, as well as the northern United States. Year-round, you can find them in the midwest and in areas east and west of it. In winter, the Canada Goose is found in all of the southern United States and a teensy bit in north Mexico.

They are mostly herbivores, but will sometimes eat insects and small fish. When on land, they will eat grass, and also lots of grains, such as wheat, corn, barley, and others. In urban areas, they have been known to get food out of trash cans. When in the water, they feed on seaweed and silt, and sometimes small fish.

They have a "Least Concern" conservation status.

Sources:

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

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/canada-goose/

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/canada-goose

Ruby-throated Hummingbird--

Female

Archilochus colubris

The ruby-throated hummingbird is a small bird, with a wingspan of 8-11 cm (3.1-4.3 in) and a length of 7-9 cm (2.8-3.5). Only the males have the little red patch on their throat. The females usually have no throat patch, though some will have a white-ish throat patch. The females are also generally larger than the males. They are solitary creatures, and all ages of both genders are aggressive and protective of their territory. The only time two birds will be seen together is if they are fighting, but more often it is mating. The females are the sole caretakers of her young, until they are 22-25 days old. Then the young leave the nest.

Male

They are found in the eastern half of the United States, mostly everywhere east of the Mississippi River. When migrating, they can be found a little bit more western areas, as well as most of Mexico. They will migrate to southern Mexico, also to the southern-most tip of Florida.

They love to feed from hummingbird feeders.

The ruby-throated hummingbird has a conservation status of least concern.

Sources:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird/id?wspapp=12227116744&gclid=CPzHq7PNua8CFc6a7QodWFzghA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird

http://www.hummingbirds.net/rubythroated.html

Carolina Wren--

Thryothorus ludovicianus

The Carolina Wren is a small, stocky bird that is mostly brown, with a white belly, white "eyebrows," and white specks on her back. Their range (---->) is most of the eastern United States as well as some of Mexico, including the Yucatan Peninsula. This Wren is a small (being about 4.5-5.5 inches long [12-14 cm] and weighing less than 20 grams [0.75 oz]), but vocal bird, though only the male makes a song. The females don't sing, though they do make other noises, in case of danger or something similar.

When a male and female mate, the relationship lasts for life. They will be in the same flock forever, and in mating season they will be the only ones to mate with each other.

They like to live in highly vegetated areas, scavenging for insects and fruit. They will live up to about six years in the wild, but in captivity one reportedly lived to be 23 years, though that has not been proven true.

Sources:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_wren/id

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/carolina_wren/lifehistory

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

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/carolina-wren/

Tufted Titmouse-

Baeolophus bicolor

The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a bird native to the eastern United States. The Tufted Titmouse has recently begun to expand its range Northward, and it's breeding nicely. He has a "Least concern" conservation status. He is in the same family with Chickadees and other species of Titmice.

He has a distinctive grey tuft or crest on the top of his head. Under his wings there is a little bit of brown. He's grey on top and has a white underside. Why am I calling it a he? I don't know, I guess it just looks like a he to me. His eyes are a pure black, with a more faded black ring around the eye, giving the appearance that the eye is bigger than it is. 

Much like a Carolina Chickadee, the Tufted Titmouse nest in a cavity in a tree's trunk. Sometimes, many birds will stuff themselves inside one nest and some birds might even suffocate because so many birds are in this cavity that they can't get out. It's quite sad, to me. He prefers to live in mature trees, not saplings. Deciduous  forests are ideal for this bird's habitat, but he will live in suburban areas if there are older trees available. 

He is a very active bird; when foraging for food, he will jump from branch to branch, hang upside-down, and even hover in midair when collecting bugs, berries, etc. He eats almost anything small enough for him to eat, such as berries, insects, snails, seeds, spiders, nuts, and seeds. His flight is fluttery, but not up-and-down-y; he tends to remain level.

His song is a high-pitched peter-peter-peter. He does not migrate, remaining a permanent resident wherever he may live, but he does flock with chickadees and nuthatches. 

There used to a be different bird, called the black-crested titmouse, but it turns out, the Black-crested and the tufted titmouse are the same, it's just that the black-crested has, as the name implies, a black crest instead of a blue-grey one. 

Sources:

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

http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/ttitmouse.htm

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/tufted-titmouse-baeolophus-bicolor

http://sdakotabirds.com/species/tufted_titmouse_info.htm

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse/id/nc

Carolina chickadee--

Poecile carolinensis (Try saying that ten times fast! ;-P)

Though similar in appearance to the Black-capped chickadee, they are not the same. They both have little black "caps" on the tops of their heads, little black beards, grey wings, and white bellies. But there are a few differences you can point out to identify them from each other. One is that the beards on the Carolina chickadee have sharper edges, so the edge of the beard is more defined against the pure white cheeks. The Black-capped chickadee has more brown on its belly. Carolina chickadees also have a white tint at the edges of the wings. Also, If you're in a place where carolina chickadees don't live, it's a black-capped chickadee, and vice-versa. But sometimes, in the places where their ranges overlap, the two species can mate with the other and produce hybrids that may sing the song of one, the other, or a mixture of both. Carolina chickadees live in a burrow as a nest, going into small holes in trees to build their homes. They lay 3-10 white eggs with brown speckles each mating season. Eggs are about 1 inch long. Sometimes, a relationship between a male and a female can last several years, as if the birds are soul mates. The average lifespan of a Carolina chickadee is 4-5 years, although the oldest one found in the wild was 10 years and 8 months old. It is a relatively small bird, with a rounded head and fat-ish body, giving the appearance to be spherical in shape.

Sources:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_chickadee/id/ac

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/carolina_chickadee/lifehistory/ac

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

http://www.tnwatchablewildlife.org/details.cfm?displayhabitat=forest&sort=aounumber&typename=FOREST&uid=09041709225531560&commonname=Carolina%20Chickadee

P.S. I'm going to get a picture of my own of a Carolina Chickadee but this one will have to do for now.

Introduction to my BIRD SEGMENT! YAY!

So, since it's starting to get warm again, I want to work on birds! I get a ton of birds flying around in my backyard, such as hummingbirds, the tufted titmouse, and carolina chickadee, so I thought I could snap a few pictures and put up some posts! I spent summer and fall last year doing plants, winter doing spiders, and, officially, I am going to do birds now.

I also wanted to let you know, if you haven't noticed, that I am tagging my posts. I have a lot, so if you want you can scroll through them. I have tags for poisonous spiders, trees, bugs, etc. If you want me to add a tag that you think would be helpful, leave it in the comments. :-)

Remember to take nature walks and see what plants and bugs you can identify on the way! It's fun, and a great family activity.

And spread the word about my blog to friends and family. I don't want to get famous or anything, I just want to know that I do have a few people who read my blog.

I know that this is a long intro, but I wanted to apologize for not getting a post up last week. The ENTIRE family was sick, and it was not fun. Promise. And since google docs is down, I can't work on that essay that I should be, so I'm going to do my research for the next post if going to be doing. Psst! It's the carolina chickadee! Don't tell anyone!

xx Rapid Turtle xx <3

The six-spotted fishing spider--

Dolomedes triton

More commonly known as the six-spotted fishing spider, this spider can be found almost everywhere in North America, in South america sometimes too. Females, without legs, can be up to 20 mm long (.79 in), and with legs up to 90 mm (2.4 in). Males, without legs, are 9-13 mm (.35-.51 in) long. I would tell you how big males are with legs but none of my sources said, and even when I googled it I couldn't find anything. :( But I can surely continue this post while still missing that piece of information. This spider is called such because it has six spots on its back separated into three rows of two, as seen above. It can be a green-ish color or grey-ish and also brown-ish. As with all fishing spiders, they prefer to live in a place where water is abundant, because it will eat minnows, tadpoles, and also insects that live near water, such as mosquitoes and dragonflies. They are able to walk on the water because their eight legs even dispute the weight of the spider, making each leg lighter than the water, therefore floating and walking is a natural ability. Eggs are lain in the summer, and the female will encase the egg sac in a "nursery web" until they hatch. Sexual Cannibalism in present in this species. **The picture in the top left is the eye arrangement pattern of Dolomedes.**

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolomedes_triton#Distribution_and_habitat

http://bugguide.net/node/view/1990

http://hr-rna.com/RNA/Spider%20pages/Fishing%20spider%20page.htm

Dark Fishing Spider--

Dolomedes tenebrosus

Dolomedes tenebrosus, also called the dark fishing spider, is a medium to large sized fishing spider. Males, without legs, are 7 - 13 mm (about .2 - .5 in), and females, also excluding legs, can be around 15 - 26 mm (approx. .2 - 1 in). Including legs, they can be (male and female alike) 50 - 90 mm, or 2 - 3.5 inches. They aren't fatal, and symptoms of the bite are quite similar to those of a bee sting. But as some people are more sensitive, and sometimes allergic, to spiders, they may experience harsher reactions. The bodies of this spider - males and females don't really differ from each other other than size, and, of course, gender - are brownish-grey, with lighter brown and black stripes going down the legs. Like a lot of spiders in this family, it will cocoon things in its web, sometimes even trees!

Sources:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/2011

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

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/fishing-spider

Nursery web spiders, fishing spiders--

Family Pisauridae

Nursery web spiders and fishing spiders are in the same family, which is the family Pisauridae. Sexual cannibalism (when the female eats the male after mating) is common in the family, so the male will give the female a gift before to ease her hunger a little bit, so that the male will have more time to mate before the female gets hungry again. An inedible gift, such as an exoskeleton of a bug, means the least amount of time, while a horsefly (Mmmm, delicious... NOT!), which is a treat for spiders of these sorts, will ensure more--but not infinite--time for the spiders to reproduce before the female eats him. They can walk on water, and will sometimes dive under to get tadpoles, small fish, and sometimes worms. On dry land, they will eat any insect that gets ensnared in their web. It closely resembles wolf spiders, although one difference is the eye pattern of each. Nursery web spiders have four eyes on the bottom forming a straight line and four on the top in a sort of U shape. Wolf spiders have eight eyes as well, although they have two large, main eyes, four other ones on the bottom forming a downward curve, and two smaller ones on the top that seem like oval-ish slits. For more information about their eye arrangements, click here. Females, once the egg sac is laid, will carry it with her by using her fangs. When it is nearing the time for the eggs to hatch, she will suspend it off of a web until they hatch, and will remain there until all of her spiderlings have dispersed. pictures are right here, too, if you are interested in other photos than what I have shown above.

Sources:

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

http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider.htm

http://www.dpughphoto.com/spiders.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/nursery-web-spiders-mating-gifts_n_1095395.html

The Banded argiope--

Argiope trifasciata

Argiope trifasciata is called such because of the black, white, and yellow bands on it's back. In fact, trifasciata means "three-striped" in Latin. You know, is you input "three-striped" into the Google Translate™ bar from English to Latin, you will receive something sounding very close to "trifasciata." The banded argiope has a darker underside than it's back. Females can be up to (not counting legs) 1 inch long, and males only up to 1/4 of an inch, also excluding legs. The legs have two pairs jutting out forwards and another two pairs extending backwards. Like all orb weavers, it has eight eyes, four main eyes in the middle of it's face and four others, two smaller ones on each side of it's head. Males mature at a different time than the females, in the summer, while females mature in fall. This species prefers drier climates than it's fellow orb weavers and argiopes. Males will die shortly after mating, while females die at the first frost after laying her eggs. Some females might lay more than one egg sac. Egg sacs are flat on one side, rounded on the other, much like a kettle drum. The prefer to build their webs closer to the ground than other spiders. You want to see some pictures? They can be found right here! Yippee!! Yahoo! Yay! Yeehaw!! Go argiopes! Hehe. Well, just remember, that isn't all there is to know about banded argiopes, so go do some research of your own! Also, it would be fun to take a little nature walk and see what plants, animals, and bugs you can identify!

Sources:

http://www.wildsideholidays.com/natural/insects-and-creepy-crawlies/91-spiders-etc/199-argiope.html

http://bugguide.net/node/view/2015

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/banded-garden-spider

http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_argiope_trifasciata.htm

http://www.spiders.us/species/argiope-trifasciata/

Black and yellow argiope

Argiope aurantia

The black and yellow argiope is another orb weaver, and might possibly be confused with the golden silk orb weaver, but actually are quite different. Every night the female black and yellow argiope will eat her web and build a new one in the morning. Both genders are black with yellow and/or red stripes on it's back. The male will wander around looking for a mate in the early fall. The male will build a smaller web near the female's and will try to seduce the female by plucking the silk strands on her web. He then travels up her web, a safety line ready, in case the female tries to attack. The female will lay her egg sac in the fall and will usually die at the first frost. The babies will hatch from their eggs in the fall, maybe a few weeks after being lain. They will stay in the egg sac until spring, when they come out and travel by ballooning* to a different area. Females are significantly larger than the males, as with most spiders, males can be (excluding the legs) up to 1/3 of an inch long, and females can reach up to (also excluding the legs) 1.1 inches long. They will eat most any insect or bug that is smaller than them, although they have many predators too, such as the Carolina Chickadee (will try to do a post in the summer), the Striped skunk, the common yellowthroat, many other birds, some types of ducks, and a few large insects. Want to see some more of these big boys? Neat pictures can be found at this website. And, according to the people at carolinanature.com, argiope is pronounced ar-GUY-oh-pee. Who knew? Definitely not me. Wanna check out some more photos? More are located right here! Click it! You know you wanna... Just one more tidbit of information: this spider, like most orb weavers, is harmless to humans. Well, stay tuned, because next week is going to have EVEN MORE ORB WEAVERS!!! Yippee!

Sources:

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

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/black_and_yellow_argiope.htm

http://bugguide.net/node/view/2025

*Ballooning is when a spiderling will use a strand of silk to float in the air and carry it farther than they're able to walk.

Golden Silk Orb Weaver--

Nephila clavipes

The golden silk orb weaver--also known as the "banana spider," because of it's shape--is one of the largest--and the creepiest, I have to say--spiders I've heard of. As you can see, it is very big, seeing as it's about as big as an adult's hand. And to add to the creepy-meter, it's elbows are furry. A lot of times, because the spider is so big, when people see it, they want to kill it. But this spider is beneficiary to your house. It loves to eat mosquitoes, flies, sometimes even other spiders! So, instead of smushing it, get a long stick, and slowly wind the web around the stick, in a spiraling motion. The spider will follow it's web, and once the spider is on the stick, quickly move it to a spot that pleases you. The females of this species will sometimes eat their webs when they are done with it. And this spider is venomous, but not lethal. It usually causes redness, swelling, and itching, much like the reactions you get fro a black widow's bite, although it isn't as potent. In the fall and winter, the females with lay their egg sacs on a tree that is near the webs. The egg sacs are about an inch in diameter. The females' bodies are about two inches long, and with legs outstretched, they can be 4-6" wide. The males are noticeably smaller than the females, with their bodies being only 1/3 of an inch long. Crazy, huh? The Golden Silk Orb Weavers are called such because the adults' silk is a beautiful golden color. Did you know?: One million female orb weavers from Madagascar made this extraordinarily unique cloth from spider silk. I'm simply astonished at the amazing beauty of this wonderful piece of art. Wow, just wow. Who knew? Well, someone in the late 1890s thought they would try it, and they wove only a small piece, almost nothing compared to the vast size of that wonder. Well, I believe I am done for the day! See you next week! Buh-bye.

Spiny-Backed Orb Weaver--

Gasteracantha elipsoides

The spiny-backed orb weaver (you can obviously tell why it is called such) is quite easy to identify, as the spines on it's back are uniquely conspicuous. Spiny-backed orb weavers--also spelled Spinybacked, and Spiny Backed--usually have at least two colors on them, and are usually red, white, yellow, black and/or orange. It spans all across the southern United States from North Carolina to southern California. It is usually 0.08 in. to 0.4 inches, and you can see a comparison here. Like most orb weavers, the adults lay their eggs in fall-winter, die in the afterwards, and let their eggs hatch in the later. Although males have been found in every month--except December and January--they are most common in October and November. Females are found year-round, but they are most common in October-January. They are poisonous, but not poisonous to harm a human. Probably not even harmful enough to hurt a gerbil. Not saying that that I tried it, though... In October-January, the females will lay their eggs on the underside of a leaf, much like many butterflies do. The eggs hatch after about two weeks, after which for a few days they remain in a pink and white stage until molting into their adult figures, but still small, as are their webs. In late summer-early fall both their webs and bodies grow significantly in size. They live their boring lives until October, when they begin to mate. Webs can be from 1-7 yards from the ground.

Sources:

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/g_cancriformis.htm

http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Spiny-Backed-Orb-Weaver

Orb Weavers--

Family: Araneidae

Genus: Araneus

That spiny-backed orb weaver on the left looks pretty neat, huh? And on the right is a comparison between male and female orb weavers. Guess which one the male is? That would be the tiny speck near the top of the picture. Who knew that the female (if she could) would easily be able to swallow him whole. But she can't, luckily. Orb weaver females are usually the only ones to spin webs, as the males are usually on the ground trying to find a mate. This makes the females the ones most seen by humans. They spin webs very large, up to six feet or more in width. Just watch where you're going, as one of My sources say, just "be careful not to walk into their webs at night--the fright of this spider crawling over one's face can be terrifying and may cause a heart attack...*" Yes. Absolutely true, I say. And don't worry about getting bitten; their venom is not powerful enough to harm a human, although, as with all spider-bites, they should be washed thoroughly, as to prevent infection. Orb weavers make the kind of web that you would normally think of when you say "spider webs"(see image on the right). Some of them will make beautiful and intricate patterns on their webs. Most likely, Charlotte, from Charlotte's Web, was an orb weaver. Orb weavers lay their eggs in the late summer to fall, after which they die at the first frost. The eggs will survive through the winter, hatch in spring, mature in the early summer, and then
start the cycle all over again. Well, it's time for my post to die, but its eggs will hatch next week! Good-bye!

Sources:
http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-

description.asp?identification=Arboreal-Orb-Weaver

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orb-weaver_spider
http://bugguide.net/node/view/1972

http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/venanimals/ven_spidorb.html
*See the orb-weaver section.

Crab Spider--

Misumena vatia

The goldenrod crab spider is what my focus is this week! Another name that is used for this creature is the flower spider. It is yellow all around, and the young females can change colors at will, but over a long period of time. Changing from white to yellow take a little less than a month, about 10-25 days, while changing from yellow to white takes only about six. The reason crab spiders can change colors is because of a liquid yellow pigment they make secreting into the cells of the spider. It takes longer time to change from white to yellow, because the spider has to make the pigment before she can distribute it into her cells. The crab spider usually lives in flowers such as dandelions, which they blend in well with the petals, and sometimes the females will go to daisies, and change color to white. In spring and summer, the crab spider will eat bees and wasps pollinating the flower that little Miss Spider lives in. Crab spiders in general are called so because their front legs curve forward, much like the claws of a crab. In the picture above, the crab spider is pretending to be a flower. This may happen if one cannot find a flower to latch onto. Crab spider eggs are lain in late spring and summer. They will also eat mites, flies, butterflies, and pretty much anything it can get it's mouth on.