Beauty in the Unknown

Field Observations:

I continue to be in awe of the beauty that lives in the Kessling Wetland.  As I headed out to do my observations on a humid 80 degree (F) day, I was struck by the incredible volume of sound coming from the creatures that live in and around the wetland.  This was by far the loudest that I have ever heard these animals.  The crickets, frogs, and other "critters" were so loud that I could just barely hear the crunch of the gravel beneath my feet.

As I looked around, I noticed that the beautiful milkweed flowers are continuing to fade.  Although the blooms are not as vibrant, they continue to attract a wide variety of insects and other pollinators.  I saw a beautiful bumblebee lazily crawling around the flowers.  A pair of giant swallowtail butterflies stopped briefly to take a drink of the nectar before moving on.  Moments later, a lone graceful monarch butterfly danced around the remaining blooms, then hurried off to wherever it was going.

While standing a short distance away from the milkweed flowers, I noticed a strange flying animal.  At first glance, I thought it was a hummingbird.  The animal beat its wings so quickly, I could barely see them as it hovered by the flowers drinking their nectar.  Its body was slightly smaller than any hummingbird that I have seen, and as I looked through the zoom of my camera, much to my astonishment, I noticed that this "bird" had antennae.  After attempting to take some pictures of the "bird", struggling with field guides, and asking for help, I eventually discovered that the strange "bird" that I saw, was in fact a hummingbird moth.

Non-native species in the Wetland:

It is a bit disheartening to know that nearly every wetland has at least one species on non-native plants or animals.  While doing observations at the Kessling Wetland, I have seen Purple Loosestrife, Reed Canary Grass, and Narrow-leaf and Hybrid cattail.  All three of these species are aggressive invasive plants.  They grow quickly and in thick mats that will choke out all other plants, creating a sea of one single species.  Since these plants are not native, many of the native animals that live in the wetland are not able to use these non-native plants for food or shelter.  This causes the native plants and animals to have difficulty surviving in the ecosystem due to decreased available space for native plants to grow, inadequate food for the native animals, and loss of the necessary shelter that was provided by native plants.

The images above were taken in previous weeks of observations in the wetland.  The image on the far left is Purple Loosestrife, characterized by the spike of purple flowers emerging from the top of the plant.  The center image is Narrow-leaf or Hybrid Cattail.  It is nearly impossible to distinguish if a plant is the invasive narrow-leaf, or a hybrid with the native common cattail.  Only genetic testing can determine the exact species.  The far right image is Reed Canary Grass, a cool-season grass that is characterized by its flat, rough leaves and tendency to grow in thick mats due to its use of rhizomes and seeds in reproduction.  All three of these plant species are further described in previous blog posts.

Campbell, S., P. Higman, B. Slaughter, & E. Schools. (2010). A Field Guide to Invasive Plants of Aquatic and Wetland Habitats for Michigan.  Michigan State University Extension. 

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. (2010). Common Wetland Invasive Plants in WI.  Retrieved from: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/documents/wetland_species.pdf

Four New Species:

Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus)

The Golden Northern Bumble Bee is characterized by its mostly black face and head, and a black band that is present on the abdomen between the wings.  The thorax of these bees is mostly yellow, with the location of the black band determining the sex of the individual.  These bees both drink nectar and eat honey.  This individual was observed using its "tongue" to slurp up nectar from these milkweed flowers.  The Kessling Wetland continues to have many flowering swamp milkweed plants that are favorite sources of nectar for the Golden Northern Bumble Bee along with several other insects.

Milne, L., & M. Milne. (1980). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 

Hummingbird Moth "Common Clearwing" (Hemaris thysbe)

This magnificent insect was given its name because of they way that it looks and behaves similarly to hummingbirds.  The Hummingbird Moth, when fully developed, has 1.5 to 2 inch wings that it pumps back and forth with incredible speed allowing it to hover and fly in a similar manner as a hummingbird.  Like the hummingbird and most butterflies, the Hummingbird Moth feeds on the nectar of flowers.  

Hummingbird Moths are usually found along forest edges, meadows, flower gardens, and wherever there are plenty of flowers available.  Since several flowers continue to bloom around the Kessling Wetland, the Hummingbird Moth is right at home with plenty of food to sustain itself.  

Milne, L., & M. Milne. (1980). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 

Soft Rush (Juncus effusus)

This plant was growing along the edge of the open water of the Kessling Wetland.  Since the Soft Rush is a strictly wetland plant, it is well adapted for the wet soils that are present at this location. Soft Rush has clumps of small, scaly flowers that emerge from one point on the side of the stalk near the top.  These flowers are greenish-brown and typically bloom from July through September. The leaves of the Soft Rush are spearlike basal sheaths that wrap around the base of the stalk where they gently swoop away from the plant.  Soft Rush is important in the wetland ecosystem.  The roots of the Soft Rush are a food source for muskrats and other wetland animals, while the stems serve as shelter for many wetland birds.








Niering, W.A. (1998). Wetlands. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

While the Common Evening Primrose does not typically occur in the moist areas of wetlands, this one secured a preferable location along the edge of the Kessling Wetland.  This beautiful wildflower grows from 2 to 6 feet tall with yellow flowers that are up to 2 inches across.  What makes this wildflower rather interesting is that these flowers open at night and close by noon.













Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. (2014). Oenothera biennis. The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved from: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OEBI

United States Department of Agriculture. (2014). Oenothera biennis L. Retrieved from: http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=OEBI

Creative Reflection:

A haiku:

Incredible sights.

A diversity of life.

Beautiful wetland.