Veronica Officinalis, Common Speedwell

Day 250: The weeds are winning. This cute little Speedwell (Veronica officinalis) is a European introduction. Admittedly, its status is listed as "not of concern," but that's only because no one but me ever walks through my back yard. It is especially prevalent this year around the foundation where I disturbed the soil to plant the seeds in a wildflower packet. The packet contained its own sampling of semi-invasives, notably California poppies which, it must be noted, I now see springing up along my neighbour's fence line where I can do nothing about them. Sometimes it feels like I've been trying to dip the ocean dry with a teaspoon, fighting invasives. The property behind mine is full of them, albeit ones for which the county does not mandate control. Ox-eye daisies line our roadways, perennial Peavine and Narrow-leaved Peavine clog ditches, and Scotch Broom flaunts its ability to resist our best efforts to remove it by establishing monocultures on private property. I look out the front window, and the view makes me think that Common Speedwell and a few California poppies are rather innocuous when they're fighting for life among the dominating daisies. Or maybe I'm just getting too old and tired to keep fighting this war.

Eurasian Collared-Dove, Streptopelia Decaocto

Day 350: A casual glance at the Mourning Doves searching the ground beneath the feeders might not have caught the one onion in the petunia patch. Slightly larger, greyer, a solitary bird relied on its resemblance to its cousins to effectively camouflage a Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), but when it extended its neck in alert, the dark line revealed its true nature. Introduced in the Bahamas in the 1970s, this species' range has extended to most states except in the northeastern part of the US and is working its way into Canada. These birds do not tolerate extreme cold, a fact which some sources believe explains their absence in the NE, however, with global temperatures on the rise, this may change within a fairly short span of time. At this point in their history, they are not considered detrimental to native bird populations, although their large appetites may affect food-source availability in regions where they occur in large numbers. The internet will supply many references stating that "decaocto" refers to a servant in Greek mythology and her transformation into a dove, but these allegations are unsupported and purely apocryphal.

Cipangopaludina Chinensis, Chinese Mysterysnail

Day 331: Mystery does indeed surround the Chinese Mysterysnail, not only with regard to its ecological impact, but in both its scientific and common names. It may be listed as Cipangopaludina or Bellamya, or more rarely as Viviparus; subspecies may or may not exist. It may be called Mysterysnail or Mystery Snail, or Apple Snail, or Japanese Mystery Snail, or Trapdoor Snail or...well, you see the problem, don't you? The fact is that scientists are undecided on whether there are multiple genera or only one, and until that is determined conclusively, species and subspecies are dangerous waters indeed. I've opted for the scientific name adopted by USGS, since that's where I filed my report. Report? Well, there's another mystery. Currently, this snail is only listed as invasive in Minnesota despite its abundance in the waters of at least 37 states. USGS is tracking the species in an attempt to determine its possible impacts. How did it establish? It may have been imported as a foodstuff (escargot, anyone?), or it may have been released from home aquariums. It is believed to have gained its first foothold in the Niagara River some time in the 1930s. It can host a number of different parasites which affect other aquatic life, and at least one which affects humans. The latter has not been detected in the US. As you can see, these snails are quite large. The shell can be as much as 2.5 inches tall. I found at least two dozen of them while paddling around Swofford Pond. This one was by no means the largest.

Noctua Pronuba, Large Yellow Underwing

Day 255: Breaking away from botany for a bit, I would like to say how much I appreciate the team of entomologists who sit patiently beside their computers under the aegis of BugGuide.net, ready to offer identification of insects to those of us who can't tell a Monarch from a Viceroy. Within fifteen minutes of the time I submitted "Unknown moth" to them, I had a solid ID of Noctua pronuba, Large Yellow Underwing for this critter and the image had been added to their database. It is no small point of pride that I can say I have over sixty photos in the BugGuide files, everything from butterflies to beetles and even a spider or two. None is a particular rarity, but many are those tiny flutterers which others dismiss as "little grey moths," not worth the time it takes to capture photographically. I like knowing the names of things. Once named, I can look them up and find out more about their habits: where they live, what they eat, when they metamorphose. Every scrap of information gleaned as a result of having a name put on a species adds to my knowledge of the world and helps me understand how I and other humans fit into the scheme. For example, Noctua pronuba is an introduced species, accidentally brought to Canada. It sometimes occurs in "epidemic outbreaks" in alpine meadows. It feeds on a wide variety of native wildflowers, and thus could pose a threat to the alpine meadows of Mount Rainier National Park.