Another winter collage

Can We Make It to Mars?

Home Sweet Home (NASA Photo)

I watched a NOVA show entitled, "Can We Make It to Mars"? hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. I have been watching quite a few of these shows in the past two years. Maybe because there are more of them.

What I carry away from these shows, is just how wonderful and special Planet Earth is. I have said this before but I truly think some people believe we are just a couple of years away from boarding a spaceship or walking thorough a wormhole to some pristine and abundant planet to start over again.

Boy, are they wrong. They seem to have no idea how dangerous and inhospitable space is for us earthlings, including plants and other animals.

Besides not having oxygen to breathe and being freezing cold, space has these dangers.

Danger One: Meteoroids.
A pea-sized meteoroid can travel at 16,000 miles per hour and pierce the hull of a spaceship. The space programs have lost spacecraft because of bombardment by meteoroids. NASA is developing a hulll than can hold-up to meteoroid bombardment.

Danger Two: Zero Gravity
In zero gravity, sure you can fly but you also lose bone mass and muscle strength.

Danger Three: Cosmic Rays
Yeah, this isn't Flash Gordon's cosmic rays. These bright flashes of light pierce spaceships and astronauts brains (yes, brains) to deliver very heavy doses of radiation predisposing the body's cells to develop cancer. And the astronauts know when they go up into space, the are increasing their chances.

After I watch a show, or read a article or book on the topic of deep space travel, I am convinced humanity is quite insane. We have a beautiful home planet that supports us humans and abundant life, yet some of us dream of hurling through space at mind-numbing speed, picking up radiation and eating food that was cooked and stored several years before.

I highly recommend watching, "Can We make It to Mars?'". It makes me appreciate the home we have in new ways.

And since I plan on staying put on my home planet, I fight to save it.

Photo credit: Image created by Reto Stockli with the help of Alan Nelson, under the leadership of Fritz Hasler (NASA)

http://www.birdcount.org

Circumpolar Stars in the Night Sky

stars in the constellation Cassiopeia

I don't know what it is, but winter makes me look up. When I arrive home after dark, I often find myself looking up at a clear, cold night sky. The stars always seem more sparkling and brillant in the winter sky. And a night sky seems clearer.

When I was in junior high, I used to sit on my front steps, with a star map in hand, and pick out all the constellations. I had a very simple book of star maps for each month. I wish I still had that book, but it disappeared somehow.

After weeks of looking in a cold night sky, I offer this information on star gazing. As always I focus on the basics you need to know to amaze your friends and yourself with your natural history knowledge.

Circumpolar is Latin for "around the pole".  Circumpolar stars are any stars that appear to circle around the Earth's north or south poles.  Each "pole" or hemisphere has its own set of constellations. These constellations always appear in the sky. They never sink below the horizon. They can be seen no matter what the season.

North Pole - the Northern Hemisphere 

The northern hemisphere's constellations circle around the North pole. The North Star is almost directly over the North Pole. Therefore, the northern circumpolar stars seem to circle the North star.

In the Northern Hemisphere, there are only 6 such constellations (above lat. 40 degrees N). The designation of 40 degrees north latitude passes through Philadelphia, Columbus, Ohio, and just south of the northern California border.  The constellations are:

• Ursa Minor  (the Little Dipper or the Lesser Bear)
• Ursa Major (the Big Dipper or the Great Bear)
• Cassiopeia (the Lady in theChair - the constellation shaped like a "W"
• Cepheus (the King)
• Draco (the Dragon)
• Camelopardalis 

Just six? That's right just six. 

And FYI:

South Pole - the Southern Hemisphere

 Southern hemisphere constellations don't circle around a star, because there is no "south star'. The point where it would be if it existed is called the South Celestial Pole. The longest axis of the constellation Crux, the Southern Cross points almost directly to the spot where the "south star" would be if it existed.
In the Southern Hemisphere, there are 11 constellations which circle the south celestial pole. They tend to be smaller than their northern counterparts, so there are more of them.  The constellations are:

• Toucan
• Southern Cross
• Octans
• Apus
• Triangulum Australe
• Musca, Chameleon
• Volans
• Mensa
• Reticulum
• Hydrus
• Pavo

By knowing the circumpolar stars you will know the main constellations. Then it will be easier to pick out the new ones as the seasons change. A star chart is a map of the night sky. Very simple ones show the biggest, brightest stars. More complex charts show hundreds of stars and celestial bodies.

Star maps are available in astronomy magazines.  Sky and Telescope has a weekly "sky-at-a-glance" feature on its website.  This same website has many beginning star-gazing how-to's.

Wikipedia has a cool rotating circumpolar graph and a good explanation of circumpolar stars.

Keep looking up.

Photo credit: NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection. IRAC Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA/ESA/STScI Visible Light Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA/DSS

Observation Checklist for Journal Keeping

field notes using observation checklist

I write this observation checklist in the back of my field notebook and nature journal. Following it has improved my note-taking tremendously. I begin every journal entry with this information. It is part of the Grinnell system of keeping a naturalist's field journal.


• time (use 24-hour clock format; 1435 for 2:35p.m.)
• date (use international format: 03 September2007)
• locality (place)
• route (how did you get there)
• weather (temperature, cloud types, wind, rain, etc.)
• habitat (backyard, forest, desert, wetland,etc)
• vegetation (where, insect visitors, blooming?)
• animal behavior
• general notes
• sketches, maps, photos, information
• arrival and departure times
• list of species seen

To ensure that you are someone in the future can read your notes here are some tips.
• use acid-free paper (Moleskin Brand makes several models
• use fade-proof, waterproof ink (Micron, Pilot G7 and Stafford Uniball are good models)
• use numbers ("1") instead of the word ("one")
• use as few abbreviations as possible
• number journal pages in the margins

Catalog for the Grinnell System

catalog page after the Grinnell System

A catalog tracks the objects you collect.

It assigns a number (starting with 1) of all the specimens such as pine cones, rocks, etc. that you pick up during your field observations.

This is a separate section of your Grinnell field journal or a separate book all together.

At the end of the year, the print format record is closed out. The last page of a year ends and a new page is started for the new year.

Professional naturalists employed by museums donate their collections to their employing institutions to preserve specimens. It is often a condition of their employment and they have legal licenses to collect.

Please note: I only pick up fallen objects. Such as pine cones, leaves, shells, acorns, nuts, a feather, rocks, etc. I don't pick live plants or bird's nests.

Setting Up the Page

Title each page "Catalog".
Label or tag each specimen you collect.

For each specimen tag or label. Include this same information in the catalog.

• item number
• date collected
• location of collection
• collector's name
• identification of object

A note about identification for the hard-core scientists among us. For professional naturalist collections, a taxonomist, who specializes in species identification will identify a specimen. The field collector may not. A professional field collector may sometimes write the species scientific name on back of the label - in pencil. In case they make a mistake. But this shouldn't stop us amateurs.

If you draw, photograph or attach an object to your nature journal page, including this information will be very helpful in learning about your area.

A record of where you found or collected an object makes that object more useful to your nature study.

I had a box full of leaves that I had collected over the years that had no record of where I found them. I could only say this is a "Scarlet Oak leaf". But, couldn't return to the tree to see if it was still there or if there was any new to find out.

I eventually composted my collection. It had limited nature study value.

Species Account of Grinnell System

Species account in my journal

A Species Account is a record of animal, plant or other nature observations.
Since little is known about the majority of animal and plant species, almost any information is useful and valuable.

The entries are geared toward recording phenology, ecology and behavior.
In the Grinnell Field Journal System, the journal would narrate general observations. The species account would be for specific birds, plants, weather, rocks, etc, that you are focusing on.

I have read that college biology students are required to make a detailed observation pages of all the plants and animals that they observe. For the amateur naturalist, that might be too much. Choose what works best for you.

These entries are where observation of regularly or intensely studied species is collected in one place. This makes it easy to locate information on behavior, nesting, courtship, bloom times, etc.

To be really valuable, the observations should be made at regular intervals. Professional naturalists plan out a schedule. Perhaps, a certain plant is scheduled to be observed every day at 10:00 am. Or a bird's nesting behavior once a week.

Having this information in one place saves hunting through nature journals to find out about a particular species.

Say, you were asked to write a short article, poem, etc., for your nature club newsletter on the House Sparrows in your local area. Having detailed observations about the birds' habits would make writing that article much easier.

Hints and Tips
• record the locality of sighting, observer and date
• For frequently traveled trails, use standard references or prominent landscape features. State the distance from the pond, the big red boulder, etc.
• use a compass or pace off measurements
• record observations, while you are observing them

Grinnell System - Field Journal

Grinnell style field journal

A field journal is what professional naturalists and biologists use. It is a nature journal which uses the scientific method.

It is where you write out your field experiences and observations in a diary-like format.

The entries are written in complete sentences and narrate what was observed.

It is drawn from the notes taken in the field notebook. You basically take the scribbled notes and partial sentences of your notebook and turn them into full coherent sentences.

It is ideally written in the afternoon or evening of the observation. Don't let too much time past (even 24 hours) before writing. Memories fade very quickly.

It includes information gathered based on the observation checklist and what you observed. Also how you did something, such as finding tracks and signs, where you looked for plants and animals.

Write on only one side of the paper. Usually the right side.

This leaves the left side for maps, photos, sketches that complement what is written on the right page.

If you are left- handed you can reverse this.

The book usually covers one calendar year.

The journal can be in many forms. The original form Grinnell recommended was a 6X9 loose-leaf notebook. But, 6X9 loose-leaf paper that doesn't yellow is hard to find. I tend to like a hardbound, Moleskine Ruled Notebook Large . Probably because at the end of the year. I have a pretty illustrated book. 

More on the Grinnell System:
Grinnell System Overview

Indian Moon Names

Harvest moon over my house in Philadelphia

 I have always like the Indian names of full moons. Since Philadelphia is Algonquin territory, I use the terms they use. These terms have local variations, but these are pretty basic to follow. The named moons will span across more than one Julian/Georgian calendar month.

These names tell us more about the land than the standard Julian/Georgian calendar names. January is named for the god Janus, but what does it tell about the land we live in?

For each entry in my nature journal, I like to note the moon phases, which is why there is a moon phase widget on the side panel of this blog.

Many people count from full moon to full moon as one moon. A good way to follow the moons through the year is to display full moon on an electronic calendar or mark or buy a paper calendar with the moons already shown. Then it is just a matter of placing the full moon names on the proper spaces.

Full Wolf Moon - January
Apparently, wolf packs howled hungrily outside of Indian villages at night. It's no wonder many Indian villages were palisaded with wooden fences.

Full Snow Moon or Full Hunger Moon - February
The month of the heaviest snowfall. It is also the toughest month to find food, for animals and humans. And remember to feed the birds.

Full Worm or Full Sap Moon- March Moon
This is when the ground begins to thaw and we see the first tiny earthworms wiggling along the ground and their spiral casts appears. The robins should also be back from their winter in nearby woods when the earthworms appear. This is also the time when sap begins to rise in the trees and Maple sap is tapped to make syrup.

Full Pink Moon or Full Fish Moon - April
When the Shadbush or Serviceberry blooms. Also when the shad begin to run and swim up stream to spawn. This happens in the Delaware River here in Philadelphia. The Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia holds a Shadfest in April.  There are an abundance of blooming flowers during this time, like Pink Creeping Ground Phlox. This moon is also called Full Corn Planting Moon.

Full Strawberry Moon - June
Strawberries are ripe and ready to be picked!

The Full Buck Moon or Full Thunder Moon - July
The time when male deer begin growing their fighting antlers in preparation for mating season. And it is also the time of summer thunderstorms

Full Sturgeon Moon or Green Corn Moon - August
Fresh corn on the cob is ready for eating.

Full Corn Moon - September (often the Harvest Moon)
Corn is ready for harvest. The Harvest moon is the full moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox. This bright full moon allows people to gather crops late until the evening, during the rush to gather food before freezing sets in.

Full Harvest Moon - October (often the Hunter's moon)
Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice the chief eastern American Indian staples, are now ready for gathering. The Hunter's Moon is the next full moon after the Harvest Moon. This bright moon makes it easier for hunter's to see at night.

Full Beaver Moon or Frosty Moon- November
Beavers actively prepare for winter and so should we.

The Full Cold Moon; or the Full Long Nights Moon - December
The long night of the Winter solstice marks the longest night of the year.

The full moon names were explained courtesy of the Farmer's Almanac -  http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names.

Grinnell System Format

a Grinnell style journal

The Grinnell Format follows certain conventions that make it easier to write up observations and for others to read them. Once you begin using these conventions they will quickly become automatic. Following these guidelines has improved my nature journal entries, 100%.

Duration Each journal should cover one calendar year.

Margins - 3 cm (1 3/16 inches) on left side of sheet and top

Date day-month-year (example - 01 June 2008).All four components of the system are written based on one full calendar year. One year per notebook, journal, catalog and species account. Use the day-month-year format to eliminate confusion.

Time24-hour clock (example - 1408 is 2:08 p.m.) Remember to note time changes, such as daylight savings time.

Page Numbers - All pages should be numbered.
They can be number consecutively thorough all the observer's journals,where the first journal starts with page one and the numbers continue with each new journal. Say, the first journal has page numbers 1through 218. Then the next year's journal would start with page number 219.
Or each new journal can start with page one.

Write on one side of the sheet only-  i think since most people are right handed, most people write on the right side of the page only. I suppose lefties could do the opposite. Writing on one side makes sure the ink doesn't "ghost" or "shadow" on the other side making the writing hard to read. Also, it leaves the opposite page for sketches, drawing, maps, photos, etc.
Species lists should be written at the end of a journal entry.Sometimes, in our journals we make a list of blooming plants, birds seen, etc. These list should be placed at the end of a journal entry after the day's account has been written.

Numbers Use the numeral instead of the word. Example: use "1" instead of "one".

Abbreviations Avoid them. Instead use the full word, because later you may forget what them mean. Also, anyone who reads your journal or notes after you may not know what the abbreviations mean.

Underline species names Scientific species names should be underlined with a straight line. Common names with wavy line. This may seem a bother, but I have found it is very useful when I want to make end-of-the-year-what-did-I-see species list in the back of my nature journal.

Write in full sentences.You should be able to lift a quote or full sentence right from the journal entry and use it in a publication.

Write with a pen.Write with a acid-free, archival, water-resistant ink pen. Micron, Pilot G7 and Stafford Uniball are good brands.

Grinnell Field Notebook

Grinnell style field notebook

A field notebook is a small shirt-pocket-sized memo pad where you record your nature observations.

It is carried on field trips, hikes and while sitting in your backyard. It is a handy way to record what you see and to always have something to write in your nature journal. I always have mine with me.

I take mine on fast-moving birding walks with my Audubon group. I list birds seen and other observations.

It is your primary note receptacle. It can contain all sorts of notes such as directions, nature observations, books to read, anything you want.

Keeping it with you allows you to take notes while you are observing. Memories can be inaccurate.

Later you may ask yourself was the hawk's eye yellow or red? Had the American Goldfinch's plumage turned from summer breeding to drabber winter colors?

A memo pad fills up quickly. I go through several each year. When you fill up one, file it away.

From the memo pad a full account of your observations are written in the field journal.

Hints and Tips

• date every page
• include your name, permanent address, telephone and email on the inside front cover
• write or tape the daily observation checklist on the back cover

Winter Journal Prompts

• Identify tree twigs 
• Scout out the different colors of winter 
• Learn the circumpolar stars. These are the stars that are always in the sky since they circle the North or South pole. 
• Look for signs of insects - galls, leaf miners and leaf rollers 
• Identifying winter birds - with so few around they are easy to learn 
• Begin to feed winter birds 
• Which birds are still around? 
• What are they eating? 
• Identify winter grasses and plants 
• Learn the difference between evergreen (or conifer) trees 
• Look for winter seed heads and berries - Which are eaten last by birds and other animals? 
• Look for signs of winter mammals - tunnels, trails and tracks. 
• Look for old birds nests in trees, shrubs and under house eaves 
• Learn the difference between evergreen plants. 
• Which plants stay green in winter? 
• Sketch or photograph animals tracks in the mud and snow. 
• Record the activity in the night sky. 
• Record the moon phases, or the setting or rising sun 
• Sketch or photograph trees silhouettes. 
• Record signs of animal activity. 
• Record the different types of pine cones 

I use all the following books to deepen my understanding of winter. Some of the titles are out-of-print, but are available used on Amazon.com and other online sellers. And of course try your local library.

Grinnell System Overview

one of my journals in the Grinnell format

The Grinnell System has helped me become a better naturalist.

I've been keeping a naturalist's journal for a long time. But a year or so ago, I felt my journal writing had stagnated and needed a boost. I went searching for a way to make my nature journaling more thorough.

What I found was this method.

The method is designed to aid scientific investigation. It is the method most often used by professional biologists and field naturalists.

The method was developed by Joseph Grinnell (1877-1939), a field naturalist, teacher and the first director of the University of California's Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. He taught this method to his students and used a variation of the system himself.

The method consists of four parts:
• a field notebook - to directly record observations as they are happening.
• a field journal - of fully written entries on observations and the information
• species account - of detailed observations on chosen species
• catalog - a record of where & when specimens were collected.

It takes practice to use the system but it is well worth it.

My nature journal information has improved probably a hundredfold. My observations are more thorough since I follow the suggested observation list of what to include. The species account has tied together various entries from the span of a year.

The Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology had started a project to put all of its collected field journals online. This is an wonderful opportunity for naturalists all over the world, to read information and see the field notes of professional scientists.

This is the only book that I have come across that discusses the method in-depth. I treasure my copy. It is also available from the original publisher, Buteo Books. At the same price, though.

This is the first in a four-part series. The next part will be published tomorrow at 3 pm.

Hairy Woodpecker Fights Back - Project Feederwatch Update

A female Hairy Woodpecker keeping House Sparrows away

There was a little ruckus at my suet feeder the other day. Even though Hairy woodpeckers (Picoides villosus) will share a feeder with other birds, this female was not putting up with the gregarious and pushy House Sparrows (Passer domesticus).

You can just make out the woodpecker hiding behind the center stick.

Whenever a House Sparrow tried to eat some of the suet, the woodpecker hid, then lunged at them and drove them away. I don't blame her. If she hadn't, a gang of House Sparrows probably would have done the same to her. Hairy woodpeckers eat suet and black oil sunflower seeds at my feeders. These foods supplements their basic winter diet, of overwintering beetle larvae and ants found in tree bark.

I know this is a Hairy Woodpecker and not a Downy (Picoides pubescent), because I finally learned a reliable method to tell them apart. The Hairy doesn't have black spots on the white tail feathers, a Downy does. The Downy does have a smaller beak and head than the Hairy, but sometimes it is hard to judge.

Hairy Woodpeckers don't migrate. They are year-round residents here in Pennsylvania. They are often seen in residential areas in winter. Hairys mate for life and keep the same territory all their lives. So, this is probably the female that visits my feeders in the summer nesting season. Her mate is probably the male that also visits from time to time. Hairy Woodpeckers roost in tree cavities during winter nights.

Hairys begin courtship display in November and continue throughout the winter. During courtship, woodpeckers drum on large trees and branches rather than sing. So, listen for the sound of fast drumming, echoing in the still winter air.

Enjoying a quiet, undisturbed meal.

The Most Common Winter Birds in Philadelphia

Dark-eyed Junco

Learn the birds on this list and amaze your family and friends with your Philadelphia natural history knowledge.

You don't need to know hundreds of birds, just the ones that occur in your area during particular seasons. There are only 20-30, common and easily found, species of birds living in cold winter areas. This list has 26 species.

There are some birds that I need to know better. Sparrows still confuse me. They aren't called "little brown jobs" for nothing. I would also like to know Red-tailed Hawk plumages.

Using this list, helps me to focus on what is important to know.

Below are the most widespread and easily found birds in the City of Philadelphia during the winter.  The information holds for areas close to the city, give or take a few species.

The information was gleaned from the 24th annual Philadelphia Mid-Winter Bird Census, held on Saturday January 9, 2010 and conducted by the Delaware Valley Ornithology Club.

Starting with the most common and widespread species:

1. Downy Woodpecker
2. Northern Cardinal
3. Carolina Chickadee
4. Song Sparrow
5. White-throated Sparrow 
6. American Robin (often hanging out in wooded areas)
7. Carolina Wren
8. Mourning Dove
9. Tufted Titmouse
10. House Sparrow 
11. Blue Jay (wooded areas)
12. White-breasted Nuthatch
13. Northern Mockingbird
14. Red-bellied Woodpecker
15. Red-tailed Hawk
16. American Goldfinch
17. Dark-eyed Junco
18. European Starling
19. American Crow
20. Canada Goose
21. Rock Pigeon (the common gray jobs that frequent city streets)
22. Ring-billed Gull
23. Mallard
24. House Finch
25. Hairy Woodpecker
26. Northern Flicker

Project Feederwatch offers free posters of common eastern or western winter feeder birds for download and printing.

Find out about birds at All About Birds http://www.allaboutbirds.org/, a comprehensive resource for information on North American birds by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Bird Feeders Replaced after Squirrel Attack

Three weeks ago, I had to replace my hanging tube feeder, the Squirrel Buster.  My old one succumbed to the skills of the squirrels. The squirels can not eat the seeds with the feeder hanging from a post, so they teamed up to knock it down.

summer photo of squirrel working on the Squirrel Buster.

The squirrels destroyed it by knocking the stand down, which cracked the plastic tube which holds the seeds. I just saw the stand crashing to the ground as two squirrels high-tailed in out of my garden.

I was so ticked off, I wouldn't write about it until I cooled off. Which is now. It took me three weeks to get over the annoyance, forget the money I had to spend and like the squirrels again.

This is one of my new feeders. It is a Squirrel Buster Classic. I stuck with the Squirrel Buster because they do work and last awhile. I bought two this time, a small and a larger one. I like the wire cage on the outside, which will protect the plastic tube from cracking during squirrel attacks.

House Sparrows on new Squirrel Buster

I ordered my new Brome 1055 Squirrel Buster Mini and Brome 1015 Squirrel Buster Classic from Amazon.com.

For those of you who are just starting out feeding birds, here is a good article on what types of feeders to use, 5 Best Bird Feeders for Winter | Audubon Magazine Blog