Porcelain berry

Porcelain berry

(Ampelopsis brevipedunculata)

Description: Public enemy number one! This woody vine resembles grape leaves early in summer, but mature leaves will develop deep lobes. The vines can be broken easily by hand, while grape vines are very difficult to snap without tools. As the name implies, porcelain berry produces brilliant berries in late summer and fall that resemble porcelain, and one of the reasons it was introduced into the horticulture trade until it became invasive.

Impact: Porcelain berry forms thick mats in open fields and forests, covering plants at such a rate that they can rapidly block out sunlight and kill the plants underneath. Birds will also eat the berries during their migration, but the fruits are not as nutritious as native plants and so birds have to make more frequent stops to refuel.

Management: A large, thick mat of porcelain berry can often be traced back to a single root, and killing the taproot is key. You can easily pull this year’s growth out of trees by hand, and cut down towards the base of the stem with trimmers or loppers. Either remove the taproot through digging or painting the cut stems with herbicide to kill the plant. Removing porcelain berry before it fruits will help reduce regrowth.

American Redstart

American Redstart

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American Redstart, New World warbler enjoys cooling off in My Neck of the Woods on Fishers Island.

– A Snippet from The Field by Justine Kibbe August 22, 2017.

grounded osprey

Help Is On Its Way!

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Grounded juvenile Osprey with injured wing watched over near Dock Beach. Fishers Island community lent a hand this past August weekend- getting the bird across the Sound, where rehabilitators from Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Mystic will assess and keep us posted.

– A Snippet from The Field by Justine Kibbe August 22, 2017.

Queen Anne's Meadow & Melody

Queen Anne’s Meadow & Melody

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Tree swallows soar above a field of Queen Anne’ Lace (Wild carrot) near South beach on Fishers Island.

– A Snippet from The Field by Justine Kibbe August 17, 2017

Spring Eve At Hungry Point

Spring Eve At Hungry Point

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It’s early May off Hungry Point, Fishers Island. Male Eider ducks appearing “handsome” for their mates, while bell buoy lulls Harbor seals to sleep.

– A Snippet from The Field by Justine Kibbe August 17, 2017.

Young Ruddy

Young Ruddy

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Young Ruddy Turnstones rest on rocks off South beach where tidal wrack lines support healthy habitat here on Fishers Island.

– A Snippet from The Field by Justine Kibbe August 17, 2017.

Spotted Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpiper

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Along the dune grasses south side of Elizabeth Field airport, a rarely sighted Spotted Sandpiper perches above its nesting grounds this quiet summer eve on Fishers Island.

– A Snippet from The Field by Justine Kibbe August 17, 2017.

yellow shouldered slug moth

Yellow-shouldered slug

yellow shouldered slug moth

Common Name: Yellow-shouldered slug

Scientific Name: Lithacodes fasciola

Season: One generation, with adults in early summer and caterpillars by July.

Food: Many deciduous trees, including apple, basswood, beech, birch, blueberry, cherry, chestnut, hickory, locust, maple, oak, and willow.

Ecology: Like many individuals in this family, caterpillars of the yellow-shouldered slug do not resemble caterpillars at all, but rather appear like slugs, with their heads projected down towards the ground and transparent bodies. This is one of the most common type of slug caterpillar encountered in the eastern US, feeding on the underside of leaves in woodlands and forest edges. Adults commonly come to lights at night, and have a strange habit of turning their abdomens up in the air like a tail when at rest. Caterpillars overwinter as pupae.

Doug Tallamy Photo

wavy line heterocampa moth

Wavy-lined heterocampa

wavy line heterocampa moth

Common Name: Wavy-lined heterocampa

Scientific Name: Heterocampa biundata

Season: One generation a year, with adults by June and caterpillars by July.

Food: Many deciduous woody plants, including basswood, beech, birch, cherry, hickory, maple, oak, walnut, willow, and witch hazel. Oak seems preferred in New England.

Ecology: Early molts of the wavy-lined heterocampa caterpillar sprout antler-like projections on their pronotum (the “shoulder” of the insect), but are harmless. Later molts will appear like the chewed edge of a leaf, which it uses to hide from birds looking for an easy meal. Adults, in comparison, appear dark and mossy, allowing them to blend in against the bark of trees. In the fall, caterpillars will turn reddish and overwinter, turning to pupae in the spring.

Doug Tallamy Photo

the beggar moth

The Beggar

the beggar moth

Common Name: The Beggar

Scientific Name: Eubaphe mendica

Season: Two generations, with caterpillars common by June.

Food: Maples and violets. Adults do not feed.

Ecology: This moth has nearly clear wings with very few scales, and bare patches that resemble holes in a beggar’s clothes, which is how the moth received its name. As a caterpillar, the beggar looks very much like a twig, and will use this camouflage to protect itself from being viewed as bird food. Caterpillars overwinter as pupae.

Doug Tallamy Photo