Photinus pyralis

Well, friends, it finally happened. After almost 45 years of life, I saw a Firefly for the first time! In fact, I saw a whole bunch of them.

I was cleaning up after an event at Sunset Zoo, and my boss came up to me and asked, “Did you see them?” He said there were fireflies all over the cheetah habitat. His lovely wife, Marla, took me over to where they had seen them, and we waited. And then suddenly, one little flash. And then another. And then another. And soon, it seemed like they were everywhere, ethereal little lights floating in the night sky. They reminded me of embers from a campfire, shining for a moment before disappearing. I’ll admit, I teared up. I realize people who grew up in areas where Fireflies live take them for granted as a part of summer, but for me, this was something truly special.

It turns out, no one should be taking Fireflies for granted, as their numbers are declining at great rates. This is due to a number of factors, including habitat loss, pesticide use, and light pollution. If it is too bright at night for them to see a potential mate’s flashes, they can’t make the next generation of fireflies. The facility where I used to work is breeding them to try and help restore their population. Much more research needs to be done on these luminary insects.

I think the species I saw was the Big Dipper or Photinus pyralis, and this is just judging by the color and length of each flash and the time between them. I was never able to see an insect up close. They are apparently the most widespread firefly in North America, so there is a good chance this was my species. They are often seen in years, meadows, and pastures, so a cheetah habitat is not a great leap.
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I think I’m addicted now. I want to see more! I want to see other species – different colors and flash patterns! If you can’t find me some evening, I’m probably out wandering a field somewhere searching for Fireflies!

Trillium sp.

This week’s Wishlist Wednesday species is the Trillium plant. I feel like I am always seeing them in my flower guides, but not in the wild. I am drawn to their simplicity and symmetry. I was surprised to learn there are 38 species of Trillium found in the United States!

All Trilliums are in the lily family and grow from rhizomes. The species I am most used to seeing in my guidebook is the Western White Trillium (Trillium ovatum). These simple white flowers with three petals placed perfectly over their three leaves are most commonly found in coniferous and mixed forests. This Trillium species is considered a pedicillate Trillium, meaning the flower is raised above the leaves on a pedestal.

In Kansas, we have the Ozark Green Trillium (Trillium veriedescens), which is a sessile Trillium, so the flower looks like it is coming out from the leaves. The other species is the Toadshade Trillum (Trillium sessile), which is an awesome name. This species is also a sessile Trillium.  
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I’m keeping my eyes peeled for these simple, yet stunning flowers and will keep you posted!

​(Oncorhynchus mykiss)

I am embarrassed to admit I don’t know a lot about fish. What little I do know I learned in 8th grade Marine Science or from watching “Tanked” and “River Monsters” on tv. I am determined to learn more about these animals that are critical to the earth’s ecosystems.

The first native fish I remember encountering was the Rainbow Trout. My father and I would often fish for them in the Sierra Nevadas, and I would be momentarily dazzled by their beautiful coloration before we cooked and ate them. I decided to learn a little more about their natural history, other than being food for eager anglers.

I was interested to learn that Rainbow Trout are only called that when they are non-migratory and remain in fresh water, which they can do for their entire lives. Once they become migratory, they are known as Steelhead Trout. They migrate to the ocean and return to freshwater to spawn. The fish actually undergoes physiological changes when it becomes a Steelhead Trout and migrates. Strangely, two Steelhead can produce purely freshwater Rainbow Trout offspring, and two Rainbow Trout can produce a migratory Steelhead. Nature is wild!

Rainbow Trout can grow to about four pounds, but Steelhead can reach 25 pounds or more! Both Trout are native to the watersheds of the Pacific Ocean, and Steelheads are found in coastal waters. They are also found in Asia. Their diet consists mostly of aquatic invertebrates, but they will also go for eggs and worms, which is my father’s bait of choice.

Rainbow Trout have been introduced into freshwater lakes around North America for sport fishing. However, these introductions can be detrimental to native fish species, which are declining due to Rainbow Trout outcompeting them.

In their native habitats, Rainbow and Steelhead Trout are a vital part of their ecosystem. They bring nutrients into the Pacific estuaries as food for predators and decomposition into the soil. They are, perhaps, overly valued by sport fishers to the detriment of other species.

While I don’t fish for Rainbow Trout anymore, I’m hoping their allure will encourage me and others to learn more about fish and what they mean for the planet.

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P.S. It just occurred to me I chose to write about Rainbow Trout during Pride Month. This was not intentional but a delightful coincidence. Happy Pride everyone!

Vanessa Sp.

The first time I became aware of Painted Lady Butterflies was shortly after I moved to Los Angeles, maybe 2016. There was a massive Painted Lady migration. They were everywhere!  You couldn’t walk outside without feeling like you were in a Disney movie. I had always assumed that all orange and black butterflies were Monarchs, the only butterfly I knew by name. I was sure wrong. West Coast Ladies (Vanessa Annabella), the species I saw migrating, were much smaller than Monarchs, and have a different range and ecological niche. West Coast Ladies are found in Western North America, and their host plant, the one on which they lay their eggs and caterpillars eat, is usually a species of mallow.

American Ladies (Vanessa virginiensis) are found in the Southern US, south to Central America, as well as on the West Coast. I’m likely to see this species of Lady here in Kansas. Their host plants are often sunflowers.

Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui) are one of if not the most widespread butterfly in the world. They are found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. It is crazy to think I may have seen one when I was living in the UK, Africa, or Italy and not known it! They are very adaptable. They have over 100 known host plants!
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I have no idea how to tell the three species apart, especially as they are flitting by my face. The differences can be a subtle as a single white spot. Maybe if a butterfly was sitting on a flower with their wings open long enough for me to snap a photo to later compare to my butterfly books, I could tell them apart. For now, I just appreciate that a beautiful Lady has just passed my way.

Haemorhous mexicanus

You may be asking yourself why I am bothering to write about the House Finch. They aren’t rare; in fact, they may be the most common backyard bird in North America. But this is exactly why they need to be written about. How can we appreciate nature if we don’t value the species we see most often!

House Finches range across the United States, southern Canada, and Mexico, but this wasn’t always the case! They were sold on the East Coast as caged “Hollywood Finches.” When this was unsuccessful, a small number of finches were released on Long Island in 1940. It didn’t take the birds long to adapt and spread. They have also been introduced in Hawaii. As with most nonnative species, we have humans to thank for their distribution.

The male’s cheerful red color actually comes from pigments in the food they eat. Because of this, their colors can vary to more orange or yellow. Females prefer to mate with the reddest male. Score one for the red heads!

House Finches are seed eaters, but the parents feed their young only plant matter.  This is a rare occurrence in the animal world. The adults prefer small, black oil sunflower seeds if you are filling your feeder.

We saw many House Finch babies at California Wildlife Center. Animal care staff had to check the babies’ crops to see if they were full because they would just keep eating! The hatchlings are altricial, meaning they are born with their eyes closed and without feathers. The alternative is precocial – think baby chickens and ducks, that emerge fully feathered and ready to go.

As they mature, the House Finch chicks will grow feathers and become fledglings. They will leave the nest before they are ready to fly and learn to fly from the ground up. Don’t worry! Mom and Dad are still keeping an eye on them and feeding them. If you find a fledgling bird on the ground, meaning a young bird who can stand/hop around and with most of their feathers, leave them alone. This is a naturally occurring part of their development. If they are in a dangerous place like the middle of the street, you can move them out of the street to under the nearest bush, but don’t take them too far. If you watch from a distance, you will likely see Mom or Dad stop by for a feeding.
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I personally love HOFIs (the four-letter banding code given to House Finches). I still smile when I hear their cheerful call, see the male’s striking red head, or, best yet, hear the tiny cheeps of baby finches. I hope I never tire of these “common” yet extraordinary birds. 

Sciurus niger

When I think of squirrels, this is the species that comes to mind. In Los Angeles, Eastern Fox Squirrels are what you would see in your backyard or running across the powerlines. Strangely, they have only existed in Southern California for about 100 years. Confederate Civil War veterans brought the Squirrels as pets when they moved to Los Angeles to convalesce in the warm, dry weather. As the Eastern part of their name suggests, Eastern Fox Squirrels are native to the Eastern United States and parts of Canada, but they have been introduced in other areas, too.  There are now scattered populations throughout California, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, North Dakota, and Ontario.

I had the opportunity to work with Eastern Fox Squirrels when I worked in wildlife rehabilitation. They are feisty and the babies have a very definitive off-switch in their development when they will no longer tolerate being fed/handled by humans. They build dreys in trees made of twigs where they bear their young. They have two litters a year: once in the spring and once in the fall, usually of two to four kits.

The “fox” in their name comes from their reddish color; however, they can be black, brown, or a combination of all three colors. My aunt in Menlo Park, California, has a population of black squirrels in her neighborhood. I was quite excited to see one minding his/her own business in my aunt’s backyard.
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Eastern Fox Squirrels are quite adaptable to suburban life, taking easily to the mixed woodlands of neighborhoods and parks. They are very vocal, and you can often hear them chittering in the trees. I love seeing these fluffy hooligans on my walks. Now we just need to teach them to stay off the road!

​Phrynosoma douglasii

I finally found the answer to why Horned Lizards are often called “horny toads” as they are clearly not amphibians, but reptiles. Turns out the genus name means “toad-bodied,” which I can see.

I ran across one of these cuties while on a walk in Colorado Springs. Our little friend was in the middle of the street, so I gently escorted them across so he/she wouldn’t be in danger. This one was super tiny. Pygmy Short-Horned Lizards only get up to about three inches long. Sadly, I didn’t get a photo because I was busy trying to keep my curious nephews from messing with the Lizard.

Despite being tiny, Horned Lizards are well equipped to fight of potential predators. First of all, they are spiky, as their name suggests. They can inflate their bodies to twice their size, which I know would freak me out if my food did that. Most exciting/disturbing of all is they can shoot blood out of their eyes up to nine times their body length! The blood is full of toxins collected from their food, and their aim is impeccable. They are the Annie Oakleys of blood-shooting animals.

Unfortunately, these incredible animals are in decline. Their diets consist mostly of ants, subsidized by other insects and arthropods. The increased use of pesticides has greatly depleted the Horned Lizard’s food supply.
You can help the Horned Lizard as well as numerous other species by reducing/eliminating your use of pesticides. Consider natural repellents as opposed to super-harmful chemicals. These are better for your health, too and will keep these crazy, blood-shooting Lizards around!

Calochortus species

I apologize for the hiatus. I’ve been getting settled into my new life in Kansas. Expect to see more Kansas species posts in future! But for today, we travel to California to look at one of the most beautiful flowers in the world – the Mariposa Lily.
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To me Mariposa Lilies are the flowers you would make a tea cup out of or one that fairies would nap in. They are aptly described as goblet-shaped. Mariposa Lilies are bulbs, so they return year after year and are most likely to sprout after a fire. They begin sprouting in March and die off at the beginning of the dry season, which is usually May-June. They all have three petals and come in a variety of colors.
 
There are five identified species in the Santa Monica Mountains.

• Catalina Mariposa Lily (Calochortus catalinae) – From my experience, these are the most common Mariposa Lilies, at least judging by the number of photos I have on them. They are white with hints of pink or blue and are not hairy.
• Plummers Mariposa Lily (Calochortus plummerae) – This Lily reminds me a bit of the Sarlacc from Star Wars because the interior is so hairy. It is yellow with pink edges and obviously quite hairy. 
• Yellow Mariposa Lily (Calochortus clavatus) - This Lily is super eye-catching. It stands out like a beacon in a field. As you would expect, it's notable characteristic is that it is yellow.
• Splendid Mariposa Lily (Calochortus splendens) – I'm fairly certain I have not seen one of these because I had come across a purple Mariposa Lily, I would have remembered! They are lilac with hairs near the base of the flower.
• Butterfly Mariposa Lily (Calochortus venustus) – The name of this Lily cracks me up because "Mariposa" means butterfly in Spanish, so this is the Butterfly Butterfly Lily. I'm not sure why they didn't name it the Venus Mariposa Lily like the scientific name. I don't believe I have had the privilege of seeing one of these either. They are white with pink spot on each petal.

I hope you all have the opportunity to hunt out some of these flowers. They are worth the effort!