The Next Step

Day 199: Step Moss (Hylocomium splendens) is arguably the Pacific Northwest's most beautiful bryophyte. In lowland forest, it is frequently observed as a dense carpet on the woodland floor. The foliage is lacy, in shape calling to mind the leaves of vine maple, but each frond is attached to a single red stem. The stems may trail a foot or more, and their age may be determined by counting the number of feathery "leaves." Each frond represents one year's growth. The moss in this photo is taking the next "step" in its development.

Golden-Crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia Atricapilla

Day 198: Another bird who prefers to forage on the ground is Golden-Crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla). They mix quite congenially with the more numerous White-Crowned Sparrows, and sometimes the yellow cap is so faint that I have to look twice before noting the absence of an eye stripe. Golden-Crowned's head marking is a single line; that of White-Crowned is two bands, one on the top of the head and the other through the eye, intersecting at 90 degrees on the back of the head.

For many people (particularly city-dwellers), the only association they have with sparrows is with English Sparrow, and you may hear the remark, "The sparrows drive all the other birds away." Just like many other introduced species, English Sparrows tend to dominate the areas where they occur. However, that's not true with the native species like Golden-Crowned and White-Crowned. They mingle with juncos, finches and siskins without engaging in territorial disputes, although the occasional argument arises over which bird saw a particular seed or bug first.

Fine Feathered Finch Friends

Day 197: Roger Tory Peterson describes Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) as "a sparrow dipped in raspberry juice." While that aptly describes the appearance of the male, the female is a rather blandly coloured bird whose streaky breast and flanks make her hard to distinguish from House Finch where the two occur together (female Purple has an eye stripe, female House has narrow white wing bars; male House has "shingles," i.e., a streaky breast similar to that of the female, a feature the male Purple lacks).

Sexual dichromatism (a difference in colour) is common in birds. Less common is true sexual dimorphism in which there are other differences in characteristics and size. It has been theorized that the female's lack of vivid colouration provides her with greater security from predators, but why would the males be brightly coloured? It is known that birds can see a much wider range of hues than are recognizable by humans, and a Scientific American article suggests that the female judges the male's health and vitality by the strength of his colour, holding up the Purple Finch as the paradigm. If that's true, my yard should be over-run by little Purple Finches in a few weeks!

In Team Kit

Day 196: This would be just a *slight* revision to the Morris dance costume I had originally planned to wear for our May Day performance! I am in full Sound & Fury kit here, thanks to quick shipping of the kilt from Stumptown and the side providing arm-bands and baldric to complete the outfit. The leggings will be shed once the weather warms up, but I still have to figure out something to wear under the kilt. The traditional Scotsman's standby is not socially acceptable when you're dancing vigorously in front of groups of mixed ages and sensitivities.

We will kick off May Day by dancing the sun up at Gasworks Park, rain or shine (the former is forecast...this is the Pacific Northwest). Morris sides around the world will be performing in like manner, following an ancient tradition which dismisses winter and welcomes spring. After breakfast, we will make a "tour" to various schools and other locations until mid-day when we'll all adjourn to a pub. In addition to other local fairs over the summer, we'll be dancing at Folklife, so if you live in the Seattle area, be sure to put the event on your calendar.

White-Crowned Sparrow

Day 195: "Sparrows with racing stripes." That's what I call White-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys), and they're such active little hoppers that it suits them well. They're the most common sparrow in my yard, but even so, the populations of other species like juncoes and purple finches have always outnumbered them by a substantial margin. Not this year! The yard is positively alive with them, a dozen or more at the base of each feeder, scavenging the seeds kicked out by other birds. They prefer to forage on the ground, although they will visit the feeders when discarded food runs short or when I've put out fresh nyger (a favourite with them).

True Morels

True Morel, Morchella angusticeps

Day 194: About ten days ago, I posted a photo of the false Morel, Verpa bohemica (see below). It is easy to confuse with the true Morel, Morchella angusticeps (above). To the untrained eye or sometimes even to the under-informed novice, the distinction between "pits" (Morel) and "wrinkles" (Verpa) is a hard one to make, even when the pits of the Morel make a more or less radial pattern from the top of the cap. The easiest way to tell them apart is to observe how the cap is attached to the stipe. Note that in the cross-section of the true Morel, it is attached at the base. In Verpa, it hangs from the top like a lampshade.

While most people are able to eat properly-cooked Morels, Verpa (also considered edible) causes digestive distress in a greater number of individuals, but with any mushroom where that caution is given, it is advisable to only eat a small quantity until you have determined your tolerance for them. I can eat Morels, but have been hesitant to try Verpa after having had an unfavourable response to another purportedly edible-and-choice species (Hericium).

False Morel, Verpa bohemica

Spring Beaks

Day 193: One of the happiest moments in my year is when I hear the first "Churp?" of an Evening Grosbeak at the feeder. From that point on, I wait anxiously for the arrival of the flock and the time when the querulous "churping" of porch-parrots outside the window becomes almost constant. Yes, they have arrived and are consuming black-oil sunflower seeds as fast as those great green beaks can crack the shells.

During breeding season (i.e., spring), the beaks of both males and females turn a bright chartreuse. In courting his lady-of-the-moment, the male (right) effects a bobbing dance, sometimes fluttering the wings like a juvenile bird soliciting food. Nest-building is done largely by the female (left) who selects a site in the fork of a branch. Locally, the preferred nest-tree is Douglas Fir, although these birds nest may nest in deciduous trees as well. The female will produce 2-5 eggs (generally 3-4). Incubation is done solely by the female; the male will bring her food. Both parents tend the young who will be ready to fly about two weeks from hatching. During the months they are here, I keep a steady supply of sunflower seed in the feeders to assure the return of the flock next year.