PICAYUNE —
What a wonderful time we live in today. From the comfort of your living room, you can tour the Internet to quickly learn facts, see photographs and videos, and hear audio recordings, on an incredibly wide variety of subjects. With the advancements made during the last decade, so much more information is now available for us to view, and interact with, on our home computers. For those of you who enjoy exploring nature, the whole world is quite literally right at your fingertips. Birdwatchers, you no longer need to don your khakis, dust off your boots and grab your field guide and binoculars, and load up your car with all of the other gear needed for a field adventure. Instead, you can choose to live vicariously through others.
Several days ago, I was quite thankful that I had access to a computer and my favorite search engine, when I found myself in the predicament of not being able to remember the difference between the call of a whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferus) and its relative, Chuck-will’s-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis). Both of these birds are nocturnal bird species known as nightjars. They also have another interesting common name - goatsuckers. They were so-named because they were often seen in the companionship of goats and sheep, and were believed to drink the milk of goats. However, these birds were simply eating the insects attracted to the animals.
Hiding in vegetation during the day, whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will’s-widows are heard calling at dusk and at dawn. In fact, they have been known to call consecutively for a thousand times or more. To me, these birds epitomize summer nights, and particularly summer nights spent growing up in Tennessee. Last week, I traveled back to that state to attend a family reunion, and was treated to a royal welcome there that just couldn’t have been any better.
Part of my family lives southeast of Nashville, in an area having few lights and amazingly, no traffic sounds. After our long day’s drive, we arrived at dusk. As we turned into my sister’s long driveway, there in the woods was a sight that I hadn’t seen for ages – fireflies! For several hundred feet, I crept along in my car drinking in that glorious sight. Until that moment, I’d had no idea how much I had missed them.
But as I stepped from my car and began to stretch, the cry of a Chuck-will’s-widow suddenly added the proverbial icing to the cake. Summer night, fading light, cool breeze after a hot summer day, twinkling stars and fireflies dancing, and then that incredibly beautiful, haunting sound layered over it all. At that moment, I was transported back in time to the woods of my childhood.
The first time I ever saw a photo of a whip-poor-will, I thought the picture had been distorted in some way. These creatures certainly don’t have the appearance of a typical bird. Instead, they have a squatty, squashed appearance, with slits for eyes, and even whiskers! The function of these odd, comb-like bristles are thought to aid in the capture of insects, and it certainly adds to this bird’s unusual appearance. To top it off, their eyes glow an eerie orange or red in the beam of a flashlight, or in a car’s headlights, as they often sit near roadsides at night.
Chuck-will’s-widows are larger than the whip-poor-will, but both of these birds have a brown, black, or gray coloration that allows them to effectively tuck themselves away during the day into vegetation, perhaps roosting on the low branch of a tree near the ground. The whip-poor-will has more white coloration in its tail. Both birds have keen eyesight, and spend time at dusk hunting for insects silhouetted against the fading light.
Both species do not construct nests, but will lay their eggs on the forest floor. An interesting fact is that they will time the hatching to occur during a full moon, when the extra light aids with their collection of insects to feed their young.
Search the Internet for a photo and information on these two bird species, such as the website of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology at www.allaboutbirds.com. Here, you can listen to a recording of each of their calls. Listen closely for the “Chuck” in the call of the Chuck-will’s-widow.
Speaking of birds, reserve your seat now for our special program on hummingbirds on Saturday, July 21 at 10 a.m. Local bander James Bell of the Hummer/Bird Study Group Inc. James will reveal the tips and tricks proven to fill your yard with hummingbirds.
The Arboretum currently has copies of the MSU Extension publication No. 2402, “Establishing a Backyard Wildlife Habitat” in the Visitor Center. The publication includes many lists of plants for your garden that will attract hummingbirds and other wildlife. It is also available for download from the Crosby Arboretum website at www.crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu. (Follow the “Fact Sheets and Guides” link at the bottom of our home page.)
Teachers will have great fun while learning at our upcoming Project Wild workshop, “Wild About Creepy Crawlies”, on Thursday, July 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The workshop will focus on native Mississippi “creepy crawlies” and will be conducted by Crystie Baker, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Educational Outreach Biologist. The workshop is open to both teachers and homeschool educators, and is free for Hancock and Pearl River County teachers. Cost for others is $15. CEU's are available. We still have room in this workshop. To sign up, call the Arboretum office at 601-799-2311 or contact Richelle Stafne at rstafne@ext.msstate.edu.
For more information on the Arboretum, call the office or visit our website for our current program schedule and social media links. We are open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are located in Picayune, off I-59 Exit 4, at 370 Ridge Road (south of Walmart and adjacent to I-59).
For further exploration: Search the Internet to read more about fireflies. What causes their glow and why do they do this? Read about areas where they are known to flash in unison, such as Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Lifestyles
Related Photos
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Fireflies are not flies, but soft-bodied beetles. Do you still see these insects twinkling in your woods on summer nights? Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org
July 3, 2012
Fireflies and whippoorwills add magic to summer nights
- Lifestyles
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- St. Paul’s hosts Third Annual Choral Festival There was standing room only at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on May 5 for the third annual Spring Choral Festival featuring singers from the four Picayune elementary schools. It was an opportunity to recognize and celebrate contributions to the vocal arts by the singers and their directors.
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St. Barnabas Anglican Church dedicates Memorial Garden
Recently, several members of St. Barnabas Anglican Church, located at 201 Norwood Street, gathered in the newly created garden space, adjacent to the main building. Plantings of sago palm, forsythia, elephant ear and lily brought calm and sweetness to the air. Wrought iron seating and garden art sat nestled below the trees.
At the center of the garden is a large trellis, covered with blooming clematis, with a kneeling bench provided below.
- Troop return eminent Picayune residents are advised to be on alert next week as the troops are rumored to return to Gulfport, on this coming Thursday or Friday, time of arrival to be determined. Picayune Fire Chief Keith Brown said, “We urge residents to stay connected to us through Facebook and Blackboard Connect which is located on the City of Picayune website, on the bottom left hand side.” Blackboard Connect is the orange link that lead to: http://picayune.ms.us/blackboard-connect/, and will let residents in Picayune register as either an individual or business. It communicates news via email blast. Both sites will have late breaking news on official time of troop return at the earliest possibility. Those already registered, need not register again. Those without Internet access are welcome to call Janet Guidry, at the Picayune Fire Department, at either 601-798-6513 or 601-799-0614 to be put in the system.
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Wreaths laid for Memorial Day
City officials, along with Picayune Main Street, Inc. president and director gathered at the Veteran’s Memorial Monument by city hall to hang Memorial Day wreaths in honor of all who serve our country. Also present was one of the original planning committee members on the Brick by Brick committee which funded the area and monument.
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Arboretum Paths
At the recent Master Naturalist training held at the Crosby Arboretum, Master Gardener Susan Swope discussed how using more natives in our landscapes can save us both time and money. She went on to describe some methods well-suited to lazy gardeners. One was to create planting beds in lawn areas. First, mow the grass as short as possible, then add layers of newspaper or cardboard, add a thick organic layer such as leaves, and there you go— less grass to mow.
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CBAC Did you know? program highlights dangers to senior citizens
Senior citizens face many dangers, said the speakers at the Did You Know? seminar at the Senior Center, and they sought to give the seniors information to help them navigate the risks. The Community Business Advisory Committee (CBAC) hosted the seminar at the Senior Center on Friday, May 17.
- 2013 Partners for Pearl River County By Jodi Marze The 10th class of Partners for Pearl River County celebrated its graduation at First Baptist Church on Friday, May 10, in the Fellowship Hall. The graduating class included: Jason Bounds, Nacole Dillon, Christy Goss, John Huck, Jeff McClain, Teenia Perry, Paul Reese, Brooke Rester, Eric Stafne, Richelle Stafne, Kristin Thibodeaux, Pat Tidmore, and Jim Walker. The staff is comprised of: Jo Woods, Tricia Knight, Shirley Wiltshire, Marilyn Bailey, Rod Lincoln and Scott Langlois (Program Chairman).
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Tami Harris takes state
Local business owner and community volunteer Tami Harris has won the coveted title of 2012 Greater Federation of Women’s Clubs-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs (MFWC) Club Woman of the Year for the state of Mississippi. A member of the Civic Woman’s Club of Picayune, Harris is one of only three club members, along with Darlene Adams and Leslie Lincoln, to take the state title.
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Arboretum Paths
Last week, students participating in the 2013 Mississippi Master Naturalist Program visited the Crosby Arboretum for an all-day training. The session was part of 40 hours of field and classroom instruction they will receive, educating them about natural resource management and environmental stewardship, and is a part of their preparation to become Certified Mississippi Master Naturalists.
- Chamber Ribbon Cutting Children's International Medical Group held a grand opening and Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting at their first Mississippi location, located in Picayune.
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