Nature is full of mesmerizing and fantastic moments if you know where to look or just get lucky. There is a standing invitation to each of us as the days warm and daylight lingers past 8 p.m. Most days I let chores and obligations take me inside by 7 p.m., but a chance encounter with a large population of intensely flashing fireflies last May had me planning a late evening excursion to Lee Tartt Nature Preserve to get a fresh look. It turns out the stars of the light show are synchronous fireflies who flash all together twice a second low to the ground in forested bottomland habitats. As I have been reading up on fireflies and spending more time outside after sundown I have learned there are 125 known species in the US. Mississippi has 21 of those species. One of the ways to know the different species is the flashing pattern. That’s all I needed to know to begin to see multiple species at LTNP. All this time I have assumed there was only one kind!
Synchronous fireflies flash twice every second continuously. Common eastern firefly holds its light on and flies in a J pattern once every 6 seconds which looks like slow motion when both species are together. In 2017, a firefly was noticed at Wall Doxey State Park in Holly Springs flashing in the cypress trees with 4 - 9 quick flashes with the last flash dimming in a long hold. This observation led to the naming of a new species - Cypress Firefly and has been found in many locations around the south since its discovery. I decided to look for that pattern over Chakchiuma Swamp at LTNP and to my amazement I saw it - syncopated lights out over the water! And sure enough they matched the description perfectly. This event only lasts a couple of weeks in late May and would be easy to miss.
These recent experiences have brought other things to my attention, like how much more I notice the smells of the forest in the dark. The sweet, rich scents might be mulberries, blackberries, lizards tail, decaying leaves, mushrooms or any number of flowering plants. Subtle sounds are more noticeable - the drones of katydids, crickets and frogs with occasional bursts from barred owls. With my eyes adjusted to low light I was startled by a green glow from the center of the new trail at LTNP. With a little apprehension I picked up a piece glowing like fairy treasure realizing I was holding rotten wood. It turns out this is “foxfire” - one of several bioluminescent fungus which glows as it oxidizes.
Paying deeper attention outside my normal routine is becoming a practice. Being in a familiar place but at different times and seasons can make all the difference!
I encourage you to try this in your own yard or property. Go there with a comfortable chair, a cold drink and maybe a Thermocell. Make yourself comfortable, silence your phone and your mind then get ready to notice something new.
A Mushroom Foraging Workshop was held last Saturday at Lee Tartt Nature Preserve.
For young people only, a Summer Discovery Camp will be happening from June 14-17. We invite 9- to 12-year-olds inviting them to “find your place in nature” exploring nature on foot, in canoes and with creative activities.
For more information or registration friends-of-cs.org
Robin Whitfield is director of the Lee Tartt Nature Preserve, which was previously called the Chakchiuma Swamp Natural Area. She can be reached via email at rjwhitfield@gmail.com
