Scientific Name: Daucus carota & Conium maculatum Common Name(s): Daucos carota – Wild Carrot, Queen Anne’s Lace, Birds Nest, Bishop’s Lace|Conium maculatum – Poison Hemlock, Wild Hemlock, Hemlock ©Jane Shelby Richardson ©AnRo0002 Identification: Both wild carrot and hemlock are in the family Apiaceae commonly known as the carrot family which is the 16th largest family […]
Black vultures are in the family Accipitridae which includes eagles, hawks, kits, and harriers. Black vultures have black plumage, featherless black head and neck, and a short, hooked beak. They have broad wings, a short tail, and neat white stars under their wing tips. With a wingspan of around 5 feet, they are relatively small compared to other vulture species. When in flight, they splay out their wing tips almost like fingers. Turkey vultures can be distinguished from Black vultures by their red head and larger size.
Black vulture range includes the south and east coast of North America through Mexico and down to the entirety of South America. However, with increased temperatures, black vulture range has extended into some areas north of their highlighted range such as parts of Kansas, Indiana, and as far north as Maine. Although it is a very common species, its range is more restricted than the Turkey vulture which will live as far north as Southern Canada.
Black vultures are social and live in small flocks where they share food with one another. They nest in caves, hollow trees, or bare ground and produce 2 young per year. The young are well taken care of, and parents feed them months after they fledge. Interestingly, black vultures do not have the vocal organ in birds, called the syrinx, so they communicate in grunts or low hisses.
They are known to eat carrion (dead animals) and eggs. They offer ecological assistance in removing dead animals which might otherwise carry diseases that are a concern for human health. In areas with catastrophic declines in vulture populations, there are increases in populations of coyotes, rats, and feral dogs as well as increases in diseases such as rabies, brucellosis, and anthrax.
Black vultures have keen eyesight, but poor smell compared to turkey vultures. They soar high above the tree line and watch turkey vultures very closely. When they see a turkey vulture dive toward something they follow close behind. The turkey vulture is larger so will win out against a single Black vulture. However, a group of black vultures will easily scare away the turkey vulture, which does not live socially with other birds. Despite their importance in ecological waste disposal, they can become a nuisance species. In large numbers, they can become a menace for property owners, ripping up shingles, boat and car seat stuffing, pulling out window linings in cars, and defecating on property. It is likely that they are using this material for nesting, but there may be other reasons for this behavior.
Unlike other vultures, some people believe black vultures to be predatory. Farmers have given accounts of black vultures predating on newly born calves, calves in the process of being born, or estranged weak cows, in a herd. There is no empirical evidence that backs up these anecdotal observations and scientists believe that they do not kill the animals. Instead, some scientists hypothesize that the farm animals were in the process of dying when they were ultimately taken by the vultures. Increasing temperatures have led to an expanded range of black vultures into Indiana and some northern states where a lot of these predatory behaviors are observed. In 2021, scientists at Purdue University began researching this phenomenon to better understand if black vultures possess true predatory behavior:
<https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2021/Q2/purdue-asks-livestock-producers-for-help-studying-losses-due-to-black-vultures.html>
Here in Bella Vista, black vultures roost behind Allen’s Grocery and by Lake Bella Vista. They can also be seen nesting on the rock bluff at Lake Ann. They may be seen in large flocks congregating around the various lake parks, like Ann Park and Tyree Park.
©Plant Image Library ©Cbaile19
Ozark witch-hazel is in the Hamamelidaceae or witch-hazel family. They are large sized deciduous shrub which can grow between 10 to 12 feet tall. The bush has multiple branching stems that come from the base with non-peeling bark that is brown to gray, often with gray blotches. Along the stem, the leaves are alternately attached and form a spiral as they move up the stem. Ozark witch-hazel has simple leaves which are ovate to oblong with wavy-toothed margins and easily noticeable veins. The leaves’ base is wedge-shaped and uneven at the short petiole that attaches to the stem which stay attached during the winter. They are a winter blooming shrub species which flowers from January into April. These fragrant flowers grow from previous years’ stems and are clustered with several flowers per stalk. The flowers are half an inch wide and long and have symmetry along a central axis, also known as radial symmetry. Four ribbon-like petals that are usually orange and/or red come off the flower. Since the flower blooms in the winter, the petals roll up on cold days to prevent freeze damage. The flowers become fruiting bodies from September to October. The fruit is a half inch hard woody capsule that is elliptical in shape. The seed is forcefully ejected from the capsule and can be propelled up to 30 feet from the original bush. Alternatively, Ozark witch-hazel will create plant shoots from its roots known as root suckers. When left to grow naturally it is an effective ground covering shrub.
Eastern witch-hazel, also called common or American witch-hazel (H. virginiana), can be easily misidentified as Ozark witch-hazel. Eastern witch-hazel has a much wider distribution range, being found in all the locations of Ozark witch-hazel; however, it is also found in states including and east of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. It also flowers earlier, from November to December. The flowers are more yellow in color and have slightly larger petals. Additionally, the leaves are more dramatically uneven at the base with one side being straight and the other side being rounded or heart shaped. The leaves tend to fall off in the fall rather than staying attached.
Ozark witch-hazel has a limited distribution compared to the more common Eastern witch-hazel. Ozark witch-hazel can be found in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Ozark witch-hazel is best grown in moist, well drained, and acidic soil; however, once established Ozark witch-hazel is drought tolerant and can withstand low nutrient soils. It can live in full sun to part shade but will flower best in full sun. It has a moderate growth rate adding 1 to 2 feet per year. Ozark witch-hazel can persist in disturbed streamside and streambed habitats with consistent flooding. Specifically, it lives in gravel and rocky dry streambeds, bases of rocky slopes, and along riparian or streamside areas. It rarely naturally grows in forested areas. Ozark witch-hazel along stream sites helps maintain soil integrity and minimize erosion, partially because it is a suckering plant which sends up small sprouts from its roots or from damaged limbs. This makes it an effective bushy ground cover. Soil maintenance helps streamside animals gain access to water, including raccoons, water snakes, toads, and fish spiders. Some species of moths and aphids are specialized to feed on witch-hazels such as the spiny witch-hazel gall aphid, the witch-hazel cone gall aphid, and the witch-hazel dagger moth. Ozark witch-hazel along with Eastern witch-hazel are the common sources of witch-hazel extract which is used for various topical ointments, such as shaving lotion and ointments for bruises and irritated skin. When applied, it restricts blood flow which prevents further swelling. Historically, forked switches of Ozark witch-hazel were a common tool known as a dowsing rod. These tools were used to find water sources for wells by “witch wiggers” or “water witches.” Most scientists say this method of finding water sources is strictly pseudoscience but was commonly used in the past.
Here in Bella Vista, you may spot some Ozark witch-hazel by Little Sugar or in Tanyard Creek recreational area. Ozark witch-hazel is widely cultivated statewide and is a good addition to gardens because it adds color to winter landscapes and looks lovely next to freshly fallen snow. It grows best in rich, moist, and well-drained soil, and will flower best in full sunlight. Root suckers should be trimmed if you want to avoid spread, otherwise it will spread and form a colony along the ground. Spring is the best time for pruning. You can prune Ozark witch-hazel to be irregular, rounded, or vase shaped which adds dimensions to your garden. Ozark witch-hazel is excellent choice to plant in erosion prone areas.
Oak mistletoe is a common parasite that prefers the high branches of hardwood trees where it forms into a shrub-like clumping ball of vegetation that can grow up to 3.5 feet in length. It lives on the branches of living trees and is an evergreen, which makes it most visible in the winter when trees are bare of leaves. They form smooth, green, jointed stems with thick leathery leaves which are oriented opposite from one another. Oak mistletoe is a vascular plant which produces flowers and berries. The flowers bloom between September and October and are small and yellow. Their berries form in November and can remain until late winter. The berries are white and around 3 to 6 mm in diameter with a thick wax coating and sticky pulp. The pulp is toxic to humans, but the berries are enjoyed by birds such as waxwings, grouse, mourning doves, evening grosbeaks, robins, and bluebirds.
Oak mistletoe is found in the southern, southeastern, and east coasts of the United States as well as Mexico.
Oak mistletoe is a type of obligate hemiparasitic plant. Obligate means it needs its host to complete its life cycle. Hemiparasitic, meaning it is a parasite but produces its own chlorophyll. It does rely on the host plant for water, carbon, and some minerals, which means it remains photosynthetic but also relies on its host plant for water and some carbon or minerals. Mistletoe berries are eaten by birds. Some seeds survive digestion and can form new plants when they are excreted onto living branches. Similarly, birds can wipe seeds on branches when they are cleaning their beaks. Mistletoe can live on up to 60 species of tree but prefer high branches of hardwood trees such as oaks, maples, willows, poplars, elms, walnut, and plane trees. Oak mistletoe can form thick clumps sometimes referred to as “witches’ brooms.” These are used as nesting spaces for many types of owls (spotted, great gray, large-eared) and hawks (goshawk and sharp-shinned). They are also used as homes for many common migratory birds, including gray jays, house wrens, mourning dove, chickadee, cassin’s finch, and pine siskin.
In Bella Vista, mistletoe is visible on tall oaks and other common hardwood trees. Being an evergreen shrub, it is especially noticeable during the winter months when trees are bare of leaves. Our local species is a surrogate for the European species and the tradition of “kissing under the mistletoe” around the winter holidays. Mistletoe is still harvested and sold for that purpose.
Common Name(s): freshwater jellyfish; Moss Animal, Bryozoan; Leech
Freshwater Jellyfish – Chris Fuller
Bryozoan – ©Missouri Department of Conservation
Freshwater Leech – ©Ulrich Kutschera
Freshwater Jelly: Chris Fuller
Bryozoan ©Missouri Department of Conservation
Freshwater Leech – ©Ulrich Kutschera
The ocean isn’t the only place where strange creatures can be found. Freshwater can support its fair share of interesting animals. For example, freshwater jellyfish, moss animals, and leeches all inhabit freshwater environments.
Freshwater jellyfish are most recognizable in their medusa, or jellyfish form of its lifecycle. The small bell-shaped medusa form is translucent with a white- to- green coloring and range from 0.2 to 1 inch in diameter. Jellyfish do not have a digestive system with two openings like most animals. Instead, they have only one orifice for both ingestion and expulsion of waste. The freshwater jellyfish has a digestive system called the gastrovascular cavity which is composed of four radial canals and one central canal, which are easily visible with the naked eye, and a mouth on the ventral surface of the bell. Between 50 and 500 tentacles surround the bell of the medusa, each containing specialized stinging cells called nematocysts which immobilize prey. They are preyed upon by fish and other aquatic life.
Bryozoans are a group of invertebrate animals inhabiting both ocean and freshwater environments. They are a colonial animal. Individuals, called zooids, only measure about 1/64 inches in length, while colonies can range from golf ball to volleyball-sized. These sedentary colonies are usually attached to sticks or rocks. Freshwater zooids are simultaneous hermaphrodites, serving as both male and female with sperm and sometimes eggs being released into the water where they fertilize and settle on a surface. Each zoid has a small ring of tentacles around a mouth for filter feeding. Bryozoans are preyed upon by other invertebrates, fish, and snails.
Leeches are in the subclass Hirudinea and are a type of segmented worm. Other segmented worms include earth worms. Most species of leech live in freshwater, while some inhabit marine or terrestrial environments. They can range in size from 0.5 to 12 inches in length. While most species are
hematophagous, parasitically consuming a host’s blood, some are predatory, preying mostly on small invertebrates. The most well-known and studied leeches are the medical leeches, for example Hirudo medicinalis. Leeches generally prefer a certain type of animal to feed on, some attaching to turtles, some to fish, and others to mammals, including humans. Like freshwater zooids, leeches are also hermaphrodites, containing both male and female sexual organs. They require a mate, with each partner fertilizing the other. Eggs are deposited on the underside of logs, sticks, rocks, or plants. Medical leeches are important for some treatments. Their saliva contains anticoagulants, to keep blood flowing, and anesthetics, to reduce or eliminate pain. They have been used to great effect in aiding the recovery process after certain types of surgery, including body part reattachment.
All these animals are found all over the globe. They inhabit many of the world’s freshwaters to various degrees. The freshwater jellyfish originated in China, but has since been spread across the world. Various bryozoan and leech species are native to much of the earth.
The freshwater jellyfish is not considered dangerous to humans or larger organisms. The stinging cells in this species are very small and unlikely to penetrate human skin. Freshwater jellyfish blooms happen sporadically. Usually, a bloom can be observed every year or every other year on at least one of Bella Vista’s lakes. Bryozoans can be found in all our lake with careful observation while swimming or boating. They may be mistaken for the egg sacs of other animals. Leeches are found on all Bella Vista lakes and streams, but feed almost exclusively on fish and turtles. Although some may try human blood if given the chance!
Scientific Name: Dryocopus pileatus
Common Name(s): Pileated Woodpecker
Identification:
Pileated Woodpeckers are in the woodpecker family, Picidae. Members of this family are found throughout the world except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, and Madagascar. Being around the size of a crow, Pileated woodpeckers are the largest extant species of woodpecker in North America, and the third largest in the world. They are black with a white stripe down their neck and males are larger than females, with a red line between the bill and throat. Their most prominent feature is the red crest or mohawk, for which they get their name “pileated” meaning “capped.” It can be distinguished from other woodpeckers in the area by its prominent red crest and large size.
Range:
Pileated woodpeckers are found in deciduous forests of Eastern North America, the Great Lakes, and Boreal forests of Canada.
Ecology:
Pileated Woodpeckers are insectivores and commonly make almost rectangular holes in trees to retrieve their prey. Their diet is mainly composed of carpenter ants and beetle larvae, but they will also eat fruit, nuts, and berries, including poison ivy berries. They will forage in both standing and fallen trees for food. Some research has concluded that pileated woodpeckers do better in habitats that have been cleared of invasive bush honeysuckle and buckthorn, which help them to forage more easily on the ground and lower levels of the forest.
Pileated woodpecker males excavate nests in dead trees in April to attract females and raise young. Once offspring have fledged, these nests are abandoned; they are not used for subsequent years of breeding. Pileated woodpeckers stay in their habitat year-round and are not migratory. They defend their territories from other woodpeckers by chasing away, jabbing with bill, striking with wings, and calling.
The abandoned nests of Pileated woodpeckers are used by many other songbirds and small mammals as homes, screech owls and wood ducks among them. Therefore, many species rely on Pileated woodpeckers as ecosystem engineers who create housing throughout forests they inhabit. For this reason, they are an important species to consider when understanding the health of a forest.
Special Notes:
Here in Bella Vista Pileated Woodpeckers are quite common in the forested areas. Keeping dead trees can help to attract them and other birds and mammals that are closely associated with them.
Common Name(s): Giant Ragweed, Great Ragweed, Texan Great Ragweed, Tall Ragweed, Blood Ragweed, Perennial Ragweed, Horseweed, Buffaloweed, Kindhead
Photos by Kayla Sayre, Bella Vista POA Fisheries & Water Quality Sr. Technician
Illustration from Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Southwestern US, 1972
Identification:
Giant ragweed is in the Asteraceae family, the second largest family of flowering plants, and is in the genus Ambrosia, which is composed of different ragweed species. Ragweed species originated from the United States where this genus holds the largest diversity. Species in this genus share characteristics of being monecious, meaning they can only reproduce by pollination and cannot self-pollinate like some other flowering plants. They have inflorescences, or flower clusters, that are spikes in shape with some smaller flower spikes around the base.
Giant ragweed grows between 3 and 12 feet tall depending on the soil nutrients. They have many branch stems that come from the central stem in an opposite formation. The branching stems are green, and the central stem is green with purple, both are covered in white hairs. Giant ragweed has two types of simple leaves. The mature leaves are 12 inches long and 8 inches wide and have 3 to 5 lobes with serrate margins, while the newly emerging terminal leaves are lanceolate. The upper stems of the plant terminate into cylindrical, spiked female flowers that are 3 to 6 inches long and produce seeds once pollinated. These flowers are yellow-green and have no petals or sepals. Additionally, the plant has smaller spiked male flowers that cluster around the base of the terminal flower and release pollen.
Similar Species
The terminal height and leaf morphology distinguish giant ragweed from common ragweed, A. artemisiifolia.
Range:
Giant ragweed is native to most of the continental United States excluding Nevada.
Ecology:
Giant ragweed prefers moist soil which is fertile or loamy as well as partly shady. However, they can also tolerate clay or gravel soil in dry conditions and full sunlight. It can grow taller in its preferred conditions and can easily reach heights up to 12 feet. Giant ragweed is commonly found along woodland margins, moist clay prairies, near rivers, and thickets. However, it can also be found in vacant lots, cropland, abandoned fields, poorly drained waste areas, roadsides, railroads, and fencerows.
Giant ragweed is an important food source for insects and indirectly helps insectivorous migrating songbirds. Since giant ragweed is a wind pollinator, pollinating insects are not normally attracted to its flowers. Instead, the primary consumers of giant ragweed are insects with piercing mouthparts which drink the juices in the ragweed’s stem. For this reason, giant ragweed attracts migratory songbirds which eat insects that congregate on this plant in the fall, including indigo buntings, song sparrows, white throated sparrows, American redstars, and yellow warblers.
Giant ragweed can provide habitat and food for a small handful of mammals or birds. Mammals generally avoid eating giant ragweed because it is bitter. However, some vole species will eat their roots. The seeds of ragweed are tough and hard to digest so are avoided by most birds, but the Northern bobwhite quail, mallard duck, and greater prairie chicken do eat them. Since it grows in herbaceous patches, it can be used as habitat or cover for small mammals avoiding predators.
Special Notes:
Here in Bella Vista, giant ragweed is found most predominantly along forest edges and newly disturbed areas such as drainage ditches. It is among the first colonizers to return to powerline easements after tree and brush removal. Ragweed is rarely found in open fields.
Native peoples used preparations from the leaves and roots as astringents, skin disinfectants, fever reducers among other things. The plant is edible, but extreme care should always be used to identify wild growing plants.
Giant ragweed grows in close association with one another and can easily grow in shaded and moist disturbed locations. For this reason, they can be good to keep because they can help combat erosion of soil in drainage areas. It is also a notable seasonal allergen because of its wind-born pollen.
Common Name(s): Mullein, Common Mullein, Wooly Mullein
©Jane Shelby Richardson ©AnRo0002
Identification:
Mullein is in the family Scrophulariaceae commonly known as the figwort family. Their defining characteristic is having flowers which are zygomorphic, or having bilateral symmetry, which means that when cut in half vertically the petals are mirror images. It is in the Genus Verbascum, which is composed of over 450 mullein species. Species in this genus, form as a rosette of leaves on the ground, which later send up a tall flowering
stem.
Common mullein is a biennial plant and completes its lifecycle in two growing seasons. In its first year, the plant is a low-growing, vegetative rosette. Leaves of the most common species appear hairy, are felt like to the touch. The leaves are oblong-to-lanceolate in shape and mature at 4 to 12 inches in length and 1 to 4 inches in width. In the second year, a stalk grows from the base and reaches heights between 5 and 10 feet. The leaves alternate and switch sides of the steam as they grow and decrease in size as they ascend upward. The leaves are cauline and grow directly from the steam without a petiole. At the top of the stalk there are yellow flowers with 5 petals, which are grouped densely on leafy spikes. The plant’s flowers open 3 to 5 at a time and open in the morning and close mid-day. The stalk length on this plant is indeterminate and based on nutrient conditions.
All species in this Genus originated from Europe and Asia, with two being very common and widespread throughout the United States: moth mullein (V. blattaria) and common mullein (V. thapsus). Moth mullein is not easily confused with common mullein since it is much shorter and does not have hair like structures on stems or leaves.
Range:
Mullein is native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. It was first introduced into North America in the 1700’s. It had become so well established by 1818, that it was listed as a native species in books written about East coast flora in North America. By 1839, it had reached the Midwest and by 1876, it had expanded to the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada.
Ecology:
Common mullein blooms throughout the summer from bottom to top. Mullein is most effectively pollinated by bees, as their flower morphology does not accommodate other insects as well. Alternatively, they are autogamous, which means they self-pollinate just prior to closing, if not accomplished by insects. The flowers produce a fruit shaped like a round capsule, which splits in two when matured. Each plant creates 100,000 to 200,000 seeds and mature seeds fall a few feet from the parent plant when the stalk is moved by the wind or a large animal. Common mullein does not have a method to disperse seeds over long distances, so populations tend to grow in dense stands.
Common mullein can be found in a variety of soil types but are very shade intolerant. Its deep taproot allows them to live in low water environments. Mullein does best in disturbed soil, as disturbed soil brings seeds from the under layers to the top. The seeds need plenty of light to germinate, so they need to be near the surface. If they are buried, they can remain viable for decades. Populations of common mullein often reappear in soil that has been recently upturned, or the top layer eroded away. Localized populations can be short-lived in undisturbed areas where they disappear into the seedbank until the next disturbance. Common mullein is common in neglected meadows, pasture lands, along fence rows, roadsides, vacant lots, wood edges, forest openings, industrial areas, powerline right of ways, and along open riparian corridors. Interestingly, common mullein can increase soil quality over time, since they have a deep root that can help break through and aerate compacted soil. Additionally, after their second year of growth, they die and compost into the soil adding nutrients to the top layers.
Mullein is an interesting plant historically, as it was brought to North America in the 1700’s for its pharmacological uses. It has been used to treat respiratory ailments, skin issues, digestion problems, hemorrhoids, sore throat, coughing, muscle and joint pain, insomnia, allergies, ear infections, asthma, migraines, inflammation, gout, and constipation. The leaves have been used for at least 2,000 years and go back as early as first century Rome. The leaves are steeped into tea as well as used to create extracts and syrups. The seeds contain rotenone, which is widely used as a pesticide as a fish toxicant.
Special Notes:
Here in Bella Vista, mullein is very common along roadsides or newly disturbed lots where seeds have been brought to the surface layer of soil. It can sometimes be found along streams and on dams of our lakes.
©Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova ©Bob Peterson©R. A. Nonenmacher ©Nicholas A. Tonelli Identification:
Poison Ivy are in the Anacardiaceae family which are commonly referred to as the cashew or sumac family of plants. Specifically, they are in the Genus Toxicodendron which also contains Poison Oak and Poison Sumac.
Poison Ivy can grow as a climbing vine, a low trailing plant, and a shrub depending on the conditions. They have compound leaves, which are grouped into threes. The edges of the leaves can either be smooth, serrated, or lobed resembling a mitten. The compound leaves are grouped in an alternating pattern around the main steam of the vine or bush. Poison Ivy changes color with the season. Summer leaf color is green, changing to yellow and orange in the fall. It loses leaves in the winter. Rootlets extend from the vine to help it grasp surfaces and grow towards the light. Poison Ivy have small flowers with orange centers, and small, white, and oval fruits. They can be found in heavy to moderately shaded areas.
Similar Species
Box Elder, in the maple family of trees, resembles poison ivy when immature. Box Elders have compound leaves that are in groups of 3 to 5. Unlike Poison Ivy, Box Elders have an opposite arrangement of their leaves along the main steam. This means that the compound leaf set arises from the same point instead of alternating points like poison ivy. Virginia creeper resembles poison ivy except it has leaflets in sets of 5.
Poison Oak, Toxicodendron pubescens– Low growing upright shrub with thick, shiny, oak-like (lobed) leaves grouped by threes. It grows to about 3 feet high and prefers high light and low water conditions.
Range:
Eastern Poison Ivy is found in East Canada, the Eastern United States, and Arizona. The Eastern (T. radicans) and Western (T. rydbergii) Species of Poison Ivy ranges overlaps in Texas, Arizona, the Northeastern United States, the midwestern United States and Eastern Canada.
Ecology:
Poison Ivy are in the Anacardiaceae family which are commonly referred to as the cashew or sumac family of plants. Specifically, they are in the Genus Toxicodendron which also contains Poison Oak and Poison Sumac. The plants in this genus produce an oil called urushiol. This oil helps protect the plan from herbivores since it is toxic when ingested. Urushiol oil is lipophilic which allows it to be readily absorbed into our skin.
The oil does not commonly affect other animals’ skin like they do humans. Up to 90% of the population is allergic to poison ivy and will experience a rash when they rub against any part of the plant or touch an object or animal that has contacted the plant. An allergic reaction can even occur in winter when the plant is dormant. We can also be exposed to urushiol oil by breathing in smoke from burning poison ivy. When the skin is exposed to poison ivy for the first time, the urushiol oil will readily absorb into the skin and bind to proteins forming protein complexes. The first time this occurs, usually the immune system will slowly remove the foreign entity but will keep a memory of the chemicals with future “attacks.” Once exposed more than once, the immune system has registered the oil and employs more robust and rapid immune responses to clear the foreign material. It is this act of clearing the oil from the inner layers of skin that causes the rash and burning associated with Poison Ivy exposure. Furthermore, the more exposure a person has to poison ivy, the more robust the immune response and the more severe the rash.
It can grow in a variety of light and soil conditions, but are most commonly abundant along forest edges, open forest, and in moderate sunlight. They produce toxic pale green-whitish berries ripening in late summer to early fall.
Special Notes:
Here in Bella Vista, Poison Ivy is very common. Immature box elder, and Virginia creeper can be easily misidentified as poison ivy. The main feature that distinguishes the two, is the pattern of the compound leaves around the main stem of the plant. Many people believe that they are not allergic to poison ivy because of previous misidentified contact with look-a-likes, only to find out differently the hard way.
Painted buntings are songbirds in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). They are often regarded as the most beautiful bird in North America and are given the nickname nonpareil meaning “without equal.” In the second year of life, the male comes into his breeding colors with a dark-blue head, green back, red bottom, and red chest. The females and juvenile males are a vibrant green and yellow color which helps them to camouflage. They are 4.5 to 5.5 inches in length and weigh about half an ounce. They have a wingspan of 8.3 to 9.1 inches.
Painted Buntings have two subspecies based on their breeding locations (red/orange) which results in subsequent genetic variation. Passerina ciris ciris breeds in the Southeastern United States. Passerina ciris pallidir breeds in the South-central United States and Northern Mexico. Painted Buntings overwinter (blue) in tropical forests or densely vegetated savannas in Southern Florida, Cuba, the Bahamas, the Coast of Mexico, and Central America. Between seasons they travel overnight to reach new territories.
Painted Buntings live in thickets, woodland edges, riparian (vegetation along streams) areas, brushes, and shrubbery. They breed in hammocks (usually hardwood ‘islands’ surrounded by wetlands) and scrublands.
Painted Buntings mainly feed by hopping around and foraging for food such as seeds of grasses, sedges, and forbs. In the winter they exclusively eat seeds. During breeding season, especially when females are nesting, they seek-out small invertebrates such as spiders, snails, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. Interestingly, they sometimes pick off insects caught by spider webs.
Mating season begins in late April and extends through the beginning of August, but most activity occurs mid-May to mid-July. Males arrive one week prior to females to establish territories. Males are most visible during mating season as they sing on exposed perches to advertise their territory and alert females of their presence. In addition to singing, male buntings will fly in a bouncing manner that is similar to butterfly flight. They also have an upright display of fluffing feathers, bowing, and wing quivers that are used to attract females.
Females weave their nests into low, dense vegetation. Each brood is around 4 eggs which are grey-white with spots of brown. The female incubates the eggs for 10 days. Young are born underdeveloped “altricial” and require parental care. Females alone will care for the young after hatching. Young fledge 12 to 14 days after hatching. Females lay another brood 30 days after the first set hatches.
You can see Painted Buntings along roadsides, on forest edges, and in gardens. The males are especially noticeable at the peak of their mating season when they display for females. Painted buntings stay in Arkansas from late April until August and begin migration to their wintering habitat late August to early September.
_(19563585038).jpg){kind=link}