Summer Heat Settles In Along the Haw River, NC

Well the heat and humidity are really settling in now that June is over and summer is here for real.  Outdoor activities are best carried out in early morning and early evening but the oppressive weather does not seem to affect the critters too much.  Phenology or the cycles of flowering/fruiting continue so that different species are noticed as you make your daily rounds.

I am always trying to predict the past ecology of an area from the present vegetation.  This is actually quite easy once you separate shade intolerant plants from the shade tolerant species.  The pine is a good example since it is a shade intolerant early colonizer of abandoned fields.  This loblolly pine was cut from an area that used to be a field about 20+ years ago- note that there are about 20 annual rings on the stump.  Already hardwood trees such as sugar maple, sweet gum, and tulip poplar are rapidly growing up and will soon overtop the pines, leading to their decline and eventual death.

We have had a prolonged drought and it has been necessary to water our backyard flowers and shrubs.  Several years ago I cut down several large S sugar maples to gain some sun so that it would be possible to grow flowers.  I have planted a mixture of native and non-native perennials that provide flowers for pollinators.  I have used some non-native shrubs, butterfly bush and althea because they are very attractive to bees and butterflies and they bloom for an extended period especially when they are dead-headed.  I leave many areas undisturbed so that native blackberries will thrive.  Some areas are mowed occasionally so that the beautiful native Carolina petunia will thrive.  We planted some sunflowers which sprouted from bird seed and they have just started blooming and attracting insects.  One of the unusual and interesting plants that has grown along the river in a washout is the Jimsonweed, Datura.  It is a very early successional plant that only grows in disturbed dirt, most often in pastures and feed lots.  It is a famous nightshade that has been used as a herbal remedy (as the thorn apple) and sometimes smoked or ingested despite the presence of atropine, scopolamine and other poisonous compounds:
https://botanical.com/~botanid5/botanical/mgmh/t/thorna12.html

I recently noted that a few monarchs are coming to our flowers.  This female is attracted by the non-native butterfly bush for nectar.  We do have some native milkweeds growing nearby and I am hoping to see some caterpillars soon.  A smaller butterfly that has become common recently is the pearl crescent.  This individual is finding nectar on our purple coneflowers and you can marvel at the beautiful but different patterns on the inner and outer wings.  Usually the inside of butterfly wings is brightly colored as a species marker and the outer wing surfaces are camouflaged, as is the case here.

Of course insects are common in summer and this mydas fly is especially interesting.  It is rarely seen and short lived as an adult.  It is a very large fly that mimics a wasp for protection against bird predators.  The larvae are predators on beetle grubs and could thus be considered beneficial if the grubs are harmful.  Another peculiar fly is the tiger bee fly which looks a bit like a bee and in fact its larvae are predators on carpenter bees.  Given how irritating carpenter bees can be drilling holes in wood, we could use more of these predators!  Speaking of predators a careful inspection of your flowers may reveal spiders waiting for insect prey to come and visit.  This young green lynx spider has captured a small bee.  It will rapidly grow larger during the summer and the females will lay eggs and guard them without eating until they hatch in early fall.

Summertime certainly means that snakes will be more active and seen.  This tiny Dekay’s brown snake is one of the several small species along with worm and red-bellied snakes that can be common in lawns and gardens.  They are of course harmless and an indicator of a good ecological balance in your backyard.  The black rat snake is one of the most common large snakes that will be seen both on the ground and climbing in trees.  It is a beautiful constrictor that is likely a serious predator of bird nests and the reason that you must put a baffle below any nest box that you erect.  A somewhat less welcome snake is the copperhead, a very beautifully camouflaged pit viper and not often seen member of the ophidian community.  This young copperhead was lying directly on one of our river trails at dusk.  I left it alone and hope I am lucky enough to see it again some day.

One of the pollinator attracting plants I have in my garden is the Brazilian vervain/verbena.  The tiny tubular flowers are very attractive to insects and the seeds attract goldfinches.  I hear warblers singing a lot but they are very hard to photograph in a natural habitat without using playback calls which I refuse to do.  So I was very lucky to see this spectacular male prothonotary warbler as it worked its way along the riverside vegetation.  The male is a spectacular color presumably the better to attract a mate by advertising its health and virility (the “pretty boy” strategy).  The female on the other hand is a dull color, the better to remain camouflaged on the nest.  When I took a quick photo of the male I did not realize that the female was just below him on the lower edge of the photograph.    Another of our often heard but rarely seen beautiful warblers is the yellow throated, which sings all day from the tops of our tall pine trees.  Occasionally one will come down to our dripping water bath and I can see it and sometimes get a photograph in an adjacent fig tree.  It is interesting that the male and female are identical in their bright coloration.

In summertime you may need some incentive to get outside in the heat, humidity and bugs to walk and enjoy nature.  I can guarantee you it is worth the effort to experience the panoply of sights and sounds as various species breed and feed.  Summer is very different from spring but still very rewarding for the naturalist to experience.  Force yourself to leave the air conditioned box you live in for most of the day and just get out there!