Two kinds of corn salad: Valerianella locusta and Corn with black beans (photos from Wikimedia Commons)
Late last month a group of us found corn salad at Enlow Fork (SGL 302) in Greene County, Pennsylvania. Which one did we see? The plant on the left, not the food on the right.
Ah, but the plant is food.
Corn salad (Valerianella locusta) is an edible annual, native to Europe, with a mild nutty flavor. Its smooth-edged leaves form a basal rosette, then opposite pairs on the stem topped by tiny, white, tubular flowers.
Corn salad, Enlow Fork, 28 April 2017 (photo by Kate St. John)
Centuries ago corn salad graduated from a forage plant to cultivation, perhaps in France where it is grown primarily near Nantes today.
According to Wikipedia, it spread through the rest of Europe — and eventually here — after King Louis XIV’s gardener promoted it. Along the way it acquired a lot of other names including mâche and rapunzel. Corn salad wasn’t named for the maiden with long hair. The fairy tale Rapunzel was named for the plant.
Have you noticed there aren’t a lot of crows lately? That’s right. Pittsburgh’s huge winter flock has dispersed and those who remain are nesting. They’re here, but they’re quiet.
Though crows are secretive right now, you’ll sometimes see one hunting for food. Lesley The Bird Nerd filmed one catching frogs and stashing peanuts in Canada.
Common nighthawk pursuing a flying insect (drawing by Bob Hines, USFW, via Wikimedia Commons)
3 May 2017
Common nighthawks are my “Spark Bird,” the species that turned me into a birder.
Nighthawks are due back in Pittsburgh soon but their population has declined precipitously in this century. Fifteen years ago I used to see flocks of 20 to 30 nighthawks swooping over our neighborhood ballpark. Now I’m lucky to see just one.
This week I learned that chimney swifts and bank swallows are declining, too. Most of it happened in this century. Trouble everywhere. And so I wonder: Do these species share a trait that’s causing their mutual decline?
Is it a problem with their nesting sites? The answer is mixed.
In cities nighthawks nest on gravel roofs but gravel has been replaced by rubber. City nest sites have declined so the answer for nighthawks is Yes.
Chimney swifts nest in chimneys. Some reports say the number of chimneys has gone down. (This has spawned projects to provide artificial chimneys.) Other reports say the chimney count is OK. I’ve not seen a decline in Pittsburgh chimneys. Answer for chimney swifts: Maybe.
Bank swallows nest colonially in holes that they dig in the banks of lakes and rivers. These sites seem to be stable. Answer for bank swallows: Probably No.
Is it a problem where they spend the winter? Do they all go to the same place? Not exactly.
Nighthawks spend the winter from eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru and southern Brazil to Argentina.
Chimney swifts winter in western Peru and the upper Amazon basin.
Bank swallows spend the winter in nearly all of South America.
Do they eat similar food? Yes! All of them eat flying insects!
There’s a common thread. Recent studies have shown that around the world invertebrates including insects have declined 45% in the last 40 years and in Germany insect biomass has declined 81% from 1989 to 2014. Though insect decline has happened across the spectrum, it’s not something that’s made headline news except for two species not eaten by these birds: monarch butterflies and honeybees.
With such a massive drop in flying insects it’s no wonder that the birds who eat them have declined. And there’s another interesting side effect. The fish that eat flying insects are declining as well. Discovered in the U.K. in 2003, this problem threatens the fly fishing industry.
A massive decline in flying insects and the birds and fish that eat them indicates we have a large and widespread problem. It’s something in the environment and my hunch is that it’s caused by us.
Dori feeds three chicks, 1 May 2017 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Gulf Tower)
Here’s news of Pittsburgh’s two “on camera” peregrine families:
Dori and Louie + 3 chicks (G1, G2, G3) hatched 19 April at the Gulf Tower,
Hope and Terzo + 3 chicks (C6, C7, C8) hatched 25 April at the Cathedral of Learning.
At the Gulf Tower the chicks are old enough that they don’t need to be brooded. Their parents are nearby but you usually can’t see them on camera … except in this photo.
Adult perched on the ledge (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Gulf Tower)
When peregrine falcon chicks are two weeks old — May 3 at this nest — they walk off the scrape. These chicks have already begun walking (see below) so we’ll try to zoom out the Gulf Tower camera soon. If one chick “disappears” it’s only because he walked an inch out of view and we weren’t quick enough to zoom out.
The peregrine chicks are starting to explore at the Gulf Tower, 1 May 2017 (photo from the national Aviary falconcam)
After a disturbing start at the Cathedral of Learning, the adults are caring for three nestlings. These chicks are smaller than those at the Gulf Tower because they’re six days younger.
Terzo brooding three chicks, 1 May 2017 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
On Sunday April 30, Terzo was seen limping and favoring his left foot (shown below).
Terzo shows his left foot doesn’t feel good, 30 April 2017 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Those of us who’ve watched falconcams for many years know that injuries like this occur fairly often and the parents cope. Yesterday Terzo was limping less, so he’s getting better. If his foot heals nicely, that’s great. If it doesn’t, he’ll compensate. Meanwhile, the chicks will reach the no-more-brooding stage this week and their mother will resume hunting. Hope will help provide for them, too.
During yesterday’s thunderstorm and Tornado Watch(!) all five family members huddled in the Cathedral of Learning nest. Hope fed the chicks at the beginning of the storm, then everyone stood by and waited it out.
Terzo waits in the nest box while Hope feeds the chicks during the thunderstorm, 1 May 2017 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
The Pitt peregrines wait out the storm, 1 May 2017 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
You can see that Terzo, on the left, is clearly smaller than Hope. This male-female size difference is typical of peregrine falcons.
The Big Push of migration is here! I’ve already seen some gorgeous birds that are due this week and there’s more to come. Here’s what we can look forward to.
Scarlet tanagers (Piranga olivacea) were already at Enlow Fork in Greene County, Pennsylvania on Friday. When they get here, listen for two sounds that tell you this bird is nearby: the Chip-burr call and the male’s “robin with a sore throat” song.
American redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) were everywhere at Enlow. Their song can be hard to identify so look for the flash of the male’s black, white and orange colors at mid height in the trees.
American redstart, May 2011 (photo by Steve Gosser)
Schenley Park’s Panther Hollow Lake has a concrete border so I was surprised to find a solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) feeding there on Saturday morning, 29 April. Look for these dark-backed sandpipers with white eye rings along the water’s edge. They travel alone.
Solitary sandpiper, May 2011 (photo by Steve Gosser)
And here are two species that I haven’t seen yet. According to Birdcast, they’ll arrive this week.
The magnolia warbler (Setophaga magnolia) is a tiny bird with a yellow throat and belly that’s accented by a black necklace. He has white splashes on his head, wings and tail that distinguish him from the Canada warbler. Here’s his song.
Magnolia warbler (photo by Steve Gosser)
Swainson’s thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) are probably the most numerous thrush in North America but we only see them on migration in Pittsburgh. Look for the buffy lores and eye ring and listen for their wiry upward spiraling song.
Swainson’s thrush (photo by Steve Gosser)
Bird migration is in full force in western Pennsylvania. It’s going to be a great week for birds!
