(Via The Voltage Gate)

With Blogger Bioblitz 2008 happening a bit later in the year than the 2007 version, those eager to get out and observe beautiful nature have another opportunity (not that you need an excuse to get out there, do you?), next week:

Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of National Wildlife Week

RESTON, VA –Wildlife lives all around us, in our neighborhoods, communities, and parks. Take the time to enjoy wildlife this spring and observe National Wildlife Federation’s National Wildlife Week from April 19-27, 2008.

This year’s annual event marks the 70th anniversary of National Wildlife Week. In celebration, people of all ages should get outside and spend time with nature by joining in the Nature Quest™ Wildlife Watch. Taking part in the Wildlife Watch program is easy and free. Just visit www.nwf.org/watch to download wildlife a watch list for your state, share your sightings online and even talk to other Wildlife Watchers.

“Through National Wildlife Week and the Wildlife Watch, it is easy for people across the country, in all types of communities, to spend time outdoors and develop an appreciation for nature. Watching for wildlife is simple, fun, and builds environmental stewardship,” says Eliza Russell, Director of Education.

National Wildlife Week was first observed in 1938 under the name “National Wildlife Restoration Week”. Past spokespeople of National Wildlife Week include Walt Disney, Shirley Temple, and Robert Redford.

Founded in 1936, National Wildlife Federation’s mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. The organization is currently developing programs to counteract nature deficit disorder in children by encouraging parents and other caring adults to help children spend more time outdoors everyday. Learn more at www.nwf.org.

Sounds awesome to me!

Tags: bioblitz, biology, holidays, nature
Current Mood: cheerful

Abby and I had an awesome time communing with the critters this week. Major kudos to Jeremy at the Voltage Gate for putting together the First Annual Blogger Bioblitz-- we're already looking forward to the next one!

I've combined the two days we were blitzing into this final list, and organized it by subject (ie, birds together, plants together, etc...) rather than by stage in the identification process (which I had done in my previous posts). So:

Birds:

• 2 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)
• 1 white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
• 5 Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)
• 2 American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
• 2 osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
• 2 common grackles (Quiscalus quiiscula)
• 2 American robins (Turdus migratorius)
• 3+ Black-capped chickadees (Parus atricapillus)
• 1 ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis)
• Swallow (Family Hirundinidae)

Reptiles:

• 1+ Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)
• 3 ribbon snakes (Thamnophis sauritus)
• 1 brown snake (Storeria dekayi)

Amphibians:

• 2-3+ northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens)

Mammals:

• 1 eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
• 1 deer mouse or white-footed mouse (genus Peromyscus)

Fish:

• Unidentified small fish (Superclass Osteichthyes)

Invertebrates:

• Midges (Chironomidae family)
• Water striders (Family Gerridae)
• Hard-bodied ticks (Ixodes genus)
• Little black beetle (Order Coleoptera)
• Tiny comb-footed spider found on walkway (family Theridiidae)
• Immature orb weaver spider in web on tree (genus Larinioides, family Araneidae)

Fungi:

• Aged rot fungus (Merulius Tremellosus)

Plants:

• Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
• Red clover (Trifolium repens)
• Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota)
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
• Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
• Goosegrass (Eleusine indica)
• Creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens)
• 4 pitch pines (Pinus rigida)
• 1 eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)
• Oldfield cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex)
• Common cattail (Typha latifolia)
• Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
• Goldenrod (Solidago species)

Finally, a picture of how I spent a good half hour of bioblitz day two-- squatting down, alternating between squinting at the turf and perusing the identification keys in Weeds of the Northeast by Uva, Neal and DiTomaso, as I chased down identification for that most wily of adversaries: grass seedlings (it turned out to be goosegrass, Eleusine indica). I now know a lot more about auricles, ligules, and other things I had never heard of before that are critical to identifying grasses. Note the turkey vulture tee shirt, which Abby and I won at a geocaching event at that very same nature center.

( Ohh, Look-- Grass! )

Tags: bioblitz, bioblitz2007, biology, birds, critters, local, nature, photoblog
Current Mood: pleased
Voices in my Head: "John, Jim and Me" by Gravity +

The reptiles at the pond where we bioblitzed were more camera-shy than the amphibians (who mugged for shots here and here), but Abby did manage to get a few turtle pictures, including this one:

( Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) )

Tags: bioblitz, bioblitz2007, biology, critters, photoblog
Current Mood: cheerful

Another day, another frog pokes his head out of the pond:

( Northern Leopard Frog II )

Tags: bioblitz, bioblitz2007, critters, photoblog
Current Mood: cheerful