Lichens

Lichens are a fascinating type of life.  Actually, they are two types of life living together in a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) way.  The symbiosis is so strong, that often one partner cannot live without the other.

Fungus is the larger of the two partners.  It provides mineral nutrients and a home outside of the water.

The other partner is either cyanobacteria or algae.  Both plants perform photosynthesis, which forms sugars or carbohydrates.  The fungus eats the sugars or carbohydrates.

Lichens grow on rocks, trees, or on the ground.  They come in three overall forms; crustose, foliose, and fruticose.  Crustose looks like a crust, foliose looks like leaves (think foliage), and fruticose looks stringy.

Lichen Covered Cliff

Rock Tripe (Foliose Lichen), and Reindeer Lichen (Fruticose Lichen)

Smile.  This Concentric Boulder Lichen likes you.  I've walked past this spot lots times, but never noticed the tiny smiling face of this Crustose Lichen until I took this picture.

This Salted Starburst Lichen is in the Foliose category, and is growing on a log.

If an Aspen Tree (Populus tremuloides) is a pioneering species, then the Lichens are the natives that showed up 8,000 - 10,000 years before the pioneers.  They are the first life to come in (after several decades) to an area where there has been a glacier, a hot fire, or a volcanic eruption.  Being part fungus (a decomposer), they break down the rocks enough for moss to take hold.  The moss in turn makes more soil, which allows plants such as rock ferns (Polypodium spp.), grasses, and sedges to take hold.  They continue to make more soil, and eventually shrubs and then trees come in.  In order for a forest to start to grow, you need lichens.

Rock Ferns with Reindeer Lichens

The Rock Fern fronds will spread out in the summer, and the spore sacks (brown areas) will be hidden underneath.

Lichen and Moss.

This Foliose Lichen, Moss, and White Pine (Pinus strobus) needles show forest succession in action.

Lichens are also a sign of good air quality, since they are very sensitive to pollution.  The next time you are out getting some fresh air in a wild place, don't forget to look at the lichens!

Hairy Woodpecker vs. Downy Woodpecker

A lot of people have trouble telling the difference between a Hairy Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker.  Both woodpeckers have a white stripe down the back, and a red spot on the heads of the males.  They also have very similar territories.

There are several ways to tell the two apart:

1. Body length - The Hairy Woodpecker is 9 - 9.25 inches in length, while the Downy Woodpecker is 6 - 6.75 inches in length according to The Sibley Guide to the Birds by David Allen Sibley, and the National Geographic Complete Birds of North America edited by Jonathan Alderfer.  The pictures below are of both species on the same suet feeder.

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)

2. The Hairy Woodpecker has a longer bill, and the Downy Woodpecker has a shorter bill.  The Downy Woodpecker also has more bristles around the bill.  Think of the longer bird as having a longer bill.

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)

Note shorter bill, and bristles at the base

of the bill.

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)

with flying Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Note longer bill on woodpecker.

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)

with Pine Siskins (Carduelis pinus)

Note lack of bristles at the base of the bill on the woodpecker.

 3. The Downy Woodpecker usually has dark bars out the outer tail feathers.  This is not always obvious.

4. The single note call of the Downy Woodpecker is "pick," and the single note call of the Hairy Woodpecker is "peek."  I think of it as the longer bird having the longer vowel.

5. The Downy Woodpecker often forages on smaller branches, and the Hairy Woodpecker often forages on larger branches.

Both types of woodpeckers are in this photograph.  The Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) is on the log feeder on the left, and the Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) is on the seed feeder on the right.

It is Spring

It is spring, a time of transitions, rebirth, and new beginnings.  As I was out skiing and hiking this evening, I had time to reflect on what some of those new beginnings have been in my life, and in history.

Growing up, one of the biggest transitions was the end of one school year, and beginning of something new.  For many of the years, it was the beginning of summer vacation.  My job in environmental education and tourism has me a lot busier in the summer as an adult.

In  early June of 1996, I graduated from Roseville Area High School, started working my summer job, and prepared for college.  April 30, 2000 was the day I graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, and April 30, 2002, I arrived on the Gunflint Trail, and began my current job.

My chocolate lab Rudy was born on March 18, 2003, and my sister and I first met him five weeks later.  I took him home (with my sister Jenni's help) when he was about six and a half weeks old.  He was named after the main character in my favorite childhood novel.  Rudy was my great companion for about 12 1/2 years.  We had many great adventures together.

The first picture is of him the day I took him home.  Rudy is seated behind a large snapping turtle (which he ran around on the trail) in the second photograph.  The last picture of him was taken at Kakabeka Falls, Ontario the year that he passed away.

On May 5, 2007, the Ham Lake Fire was ignited.  By the end of it, 75, 850 acres had burned, along with 147 structures.  However, it was a huge rebirth for the forest.  The plant life is extremely healthy right now, including the amazing blueberry crop.  I haven't eaten half of the two gallons of blueberries that I collected and froze last year.  They should last until the new crop is ready this year.

I took the picture of the pond off the Round Lake Road about 11 days after it had burned over.  It was totally black right after it burned.

The other picture is of the back burn that they did on May 9, 2007.  We were in reserve in the Cross River Gravel Pit, which gave me one of the few opportunities to take pictures of the incident.  The red fire engine is still being used by our department.

It was in the spring of 2009 that Adam (local fishing guide and dog musher) and I went to Nashville.  The recession was at its lowest point, and we got a little extra time off.  I was thinking of taking a trip, and when I told Adam that I was thinking of going to Nashville, he said he would be interested in going along.

The main reason I was thinking of Nashville was that I was about to start being a substitute host for the Classic Country show on North Shore Community Radio (WTIP), and wanted to learn more about Country Music.  We had a wonderful time, heard lots of great music, saw some great sites, and got a whole new appreciation for the Music City.  I became one of the regular hosts of the Classic Country Show a few months after the trip.

Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN.  Longtime home of the Grand Ole Opry.

Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, TN.

Piano inside RCA Studio B.  Many of the great musicians have recorded here including Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, and Charlie Pride.  Elvis liked this piano so much that he tried to buy it from the studio, but they would not let it go.

The late great "Little" Jimmy Dickens.  He was 88 years old in this photo, and was the longest standing member of the Grand Ole Opry, having joined in August of 1948.

Historically, there were some major milestones in space exploration in the spring.  Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space on April 12, 1961.  Alan B. Shepard became the first American to enter space that same year.

The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861.  Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant in April of 1865.  The Civil War ended completely in June of the year, and peace began.



 The last three pictures were taken today.  A white pine with the golden light of the sunset is the first picture.  The other pictures are of the sunset from Lookout Point.

The snow is giving way to ice and bare ground.  Soon buds will appear on the trees, and other plants will poke out of the ground.  Birds have already began their spring migrations.  Animals such as bears and chipmunks will be waking up from hibernation.  In a month or two, the ice will leave the inland lakes, and it will be time for canoeing and kayaking.

I look forward to exciting new adventures this spring.

Snow Goose and Ice

I traveled down to Grand Marais today to host the Polka Time and Classic Country shows on WTIP, and had extra time to walk around and see several birds, as well as some of the great scenery next to Lake Superior.  Most of the birds were already on my life list, but the Snow Goose was new for me.

Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), and Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis) in Grand Marais Harbor

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

Tree covered in ice from the recent wind and waves of Lake Superior.  The above picture is a close up of the tree below.

These two pictures are of the spray coming up from the waves of Lake Superior.  The Sawtooth Mountains are in the background.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's day.  In honor of this Irish holiday, I have uploaded some pictures of the Emerald Isle that I took on the trip with my Mom in May of 2015.

Dunguaire Castle, County Galway, Ireland

Burren, County Clare, Ireland

Botanists love this place because plants from the Artic and Tropics live in one spot due to the Atlantic Ocean currents.

Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, Ireland

This town is home to an annual Matchmaking Festival.

Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland

These cliffs are the tallest in Europe, at just over 700 feet tall!  Notice the castle at the top.  It was also a great bird sanctuary, with everything from Rooks to Razorbills.  The cruise departed from the town of Doolin, the birthplace of Celtic Music.

Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland

Town of Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland

St. Coleman's Cathedral, Cobh, County Clare, Ireland.

This is one of the most famous port cities in Ireland.  The cathedral was put up in memory of those who left during the potato famine.  It was also the last port of call for the Titanic (it was known as Queenstown back then).

Planes of Tipperary, County Tipperary, Ireland

There are 40 shades of green in this county.  The sheep in the foreground were wandering all over the countryside in Ireland.  The marker on the side is to identify which sheep belong to which farmer.

Blarney Castle, County Clare, Ireland

The famous Blarney stone is at the top.  It is outside the main wall, but inside the parapet.  My Mom and I both climbed to the top to kiss the stone.

St. Patrick's Cross, Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary

St. Patrick's statue on the Hill of Slane, County Meath, Ireland

St. Patrick got the attention of the High Kings of Ireland from

this spot.

Newgrange, County Meath, Ireland

This ancient 5,300 year old passage tomb predates Stonehenge,

and the Egyptian Pyramids.  It was put up in pre-Celtic times.

Every year on the Winter Solstice, the sunlight comes in through a box above the

main entrance, and lights up the entire inside of the tomb.

River Boyne, County Meath, Ireland

The Boyne River Valley contains many ancient passage tombs,

and was the site of one of the biggest battles in Irish history.

Kytler's Inn, Kilkenny City, County Kilkenny, Ireland

This pub was founded in 1321.  It still has a great atmosphere, and wonderful music.
The band in this picture is called the Raglan Rogues.

Old Library, Trinity College, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

The picture on the top is of the main room in the library.  The picture on the bottom is of the Brian Boru Harp, one of the oldest harps in Ireland, and one of the major symbols of the Emerald Isle.  That harp is one of the many amazing exhibits inside the library.

Molly Malone Statue, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

This is the most famous statue in Dublin.  Many of you have

probably heard her song (also called Cockles and Mussels).