Photo Caption:  Decked out in breeding plumage, this male scarlet tanager was in the midst of his northward migration when he stopped to forage for insects in our area. (Photo courtesy of Nikki Dahlin.)

Good Natured: The Sharp-Dressed Male… Birds!

May 18, 2018

I believe it was that little ol’ band from Texas, ZZ Top, that noted, “Every girl crazy ’bout a sharp-dressed man.”

As I recall, the 1980-something song explains how things like a clean shirt and new shoes, a silk suit and other accoutrements practically guarantee success with the ladies.

But even though the song was written by, and for, Homo sapiens, it would appear many avian species have taken heed too. Want proof? Just head out, and look up.

Right now the trees are alive with sharp-dressed men. Male warblers, including the stately blackburnian and the stunning prothonotary, are flitting about the newly leafed branches, feasting on insects while sporting their festive breeding plumage. Male scarlet tanagers are doing the same, decked out in brilliant, knock-your-socks off red set off by deep black wings and tail feathers.

Male Baltimore orioles, in orange and black, are also in the treetops but can be lured down to eye level with treats like grape jelly and oranges sliced in half. And at the feeders, male rose-breasted grosbeaks and indigo buntings are gobbling seeds without fear of messing up their Sunday best.

Without a doubt, the woods are alive with color right now. But what of those girl birds? Are they really going crazy?

Hmm, well, crazy might be a bit of an overstatement. But they certainly are paying attention.

In species that display sexual dichromatism–that is, males and females that are different colors–the bolder and brighter, the better, because those beautiful hues are more than just pretty. They also can indicate that a bird has consumed a diverse and nutrient-dense diet. And a male who is capable of finding food and keeping himself well nourished is likely to do the same for his mate and offspring. (My friends who are divorce attorneys may disagree, but remember, we’re talking birds here.)

That fitness extends to other aspects of reproduction as well. A fit male will be able to more effectively defend his territory against all sorts of trouble. His bright colors show others of his species that the space is already occupied and his general hardiness gives him the stamina he needs to shoo away other potential threats.

If you’ve ever encountered a male red-winged blackbird in defensive mode, you know what I mean. He’ll flare those bright red patches as a means of warning trespassers, and follow it up with a dive and even a bump if the interloper doesn’t take the hint.

His females (yes, he’s working to defend more than one nest at a time, which certainly helps explain his diligence) benefit from those efforts by living in a territory that’s well supplied with resources and also relatively safe from harm.

(I know what you’re thinking. Male redwings don’t just defend, they attack. But you know what? They will not fly toward eyes. As you’re out and about and hear their familiar “conk-a-reee” song, try and spot the individual doing the singing. Then stare him down. I guarantee he will not bop you on the head.)

In some bird species, the brightly colored male will even pitch in and help build the nest. Take the male northern cardinal, for example. He might not do any actual construction, but he’s more than willing to help with the heavy lifting, readily bringing his mate nesting material like twigs, bark, grass and moss so that she can make a custom-fitted abode for the offspring to come.

It’s true, many birds show us that clothes-er, actually, feathers-really do make the man. However not every species takes the sharp-dressed route.

Like the boys in ZZ Top, some male birds are decidedly more low-key in their approach to appearance. But, also like the Houston-based band, they can sing. Next week, we’ll take a look at the role of song in avian courtship and breeding success.

Pam Erickson Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, a facility of the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.

Photo Caption:  The beautiful bloodroot, a native woodland wildflower, benefits from the pollination services provided by ground-nesting bees. (Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Hagen-Moeller; photo bomb courtesy a very busy bee.)

Good Natured: Ground Bees – Part 2

May 11, 2018

Ground bees, as we saw last week, are some of our area’s most beneficial insects. They provide spring flowers with the much-needed service of pollination. But plants aren’t the only organisms that benefit.

Humans whose yards are home to ground bees are getting what they need too, whether they realize it or not. The insects’ excavations help aerate the soil, which improves the penetration of water and nutrients. And that pollination? It’s not just for wildflowers. If you or your neighbors have apple trees or berry bushes, their blooms can’t turn into fruits without being fertilized with help from native bees.

Ah, but wait. As soon as the discussion turns to human-bee interactions, the subject of stings comes up. Can ground bees sting? Yes…and no. Some species can give a noticeable poke, while others have stingers too weak to penetrate human skin. Regardless, the likelihood of getting stung is low. You need to really mess with them to provoke a defensive reaction.

In the previous column I told you about a restoration work day that had occurred at Langum Woods in St. Charles, and how we’d discovered a large number of ground bee nests in the lawn. Throughout that afternoon the student workers and I walked along and among the nests without incident. Neither our footsteps nor our voices and excited gestures had any effect on the insects, who went about their business as though we weren’t even there.

(Oh boy, time for sidenote… I have a feeling that yellowjackets may have given ground bees a bad name. Yellowjackets are Vespinae wasps that, like ground bees, also happen to nest in the ground. However, as social insects they have workers whose job is to protect the colony. Their societal norm is to sting first and ask questions later. They react to footsteps, gestures and pretty much any other vibration or movement, leading to painful encounters that leave their victims wary of any flying insect that erupts from the ground.)

Good Natured readers may have by now noticed that, throughout this discussion of these fascinating insects, we have used only the very broad term “ground bee,” with no reference to genus or species. And you know what? We’re not going to. Accurate identification requires examination of parts that are hard to see even when the bees are holding still, let alone when they’re buzzing around doing their important work.

I know what you’re thinking… Take a picture, it’ll last longer! Believe me, I’ve tried. But my marginal photography skills, that are barely adequate for capturing rocks and dead stuff, are no match for these fast flyers.

About the best I can do is identify the insects’ families. Some are miner bees in the family Andrenidae, and some are cellophane/plasterer/polyester bees and belong to Colletidae. (Fun fact: Female bees in this family line the cells in their burrows with a cellophane-like substance that is a bona-fide polyester. Miner bees, on the other hand, secrete a substance that soaks into the ground, then is rubbed by the female to produce a smooth and sturdy cell wall.)

In going over some of those aforementioned photo attempts, I realized I may actually have examples of individuals from both families. One of the pictures I snapped that day at Langum Woods ran with last week’s column. Though blurry, the bee in that image displayed distinct stripes on its abdomen. This feature could, just maybe, indicate Colletes inaequalis, a polyester species that is very common in springtime throughout the eastern United States.

The picture that appears with this week’s installment came courtesy of my friend Elizabeth. She was trying to capture the beauty of a bloodroot in bloom but realized later she’d been photo-bombed by a speedy bee with a dark abdomen. Some, though not all, Andrena species exhibit such markings.

As we proceed through the year, even more ground-dwelling bees will start to appear. Some will be Halictidae, or sweat bees; a few might be Megachilidae, the mason and leafcutter bees. Others will be Apidae, the family that besides honey bees includes bumble bees, those big and bumbly bees that make up the genus Bombus.

This weekend looks to be sunny–or at least it did the day I wrote this. The Langum ground bees should be out enjoying the nice weather, and you might choose to do the same. If you can, take a camera or smartphone so you can attempt to take some pictures of these winged wonders, or at the very least the wildflowers that they visit.

You never know, you might get lucky and get photo-bombed by a bee…maybe even a photo Bombus.

Pam Erickson Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, a facility of the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.