My Ball Lightning Encounter

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Feature photo: A long-term underground coal fire produces a surface manifestation (steam) in Centralia, PA (June 2001), adjacent to the St. Ignatius cemetery. This is located about 3 miles from the ball lightning observation site.

Article, photo and illustration by FMN Stephen Tzikas

One of the rarest events in nature a Master Naturalist might encounter is ball lightning. Ball lightning is typically a small luminous ball hovering and moving just above the ground around the time of thunderstorms. Variations can exist. I surmise I once witnessed it, and as a scientist I immediately began taking mental notes of it as I observed it. I was sky gazing with friends. On July 24, 1999, at 10:15 PM, I observed a strange object materialize in front of me (less than 20 feet away). It moved upward and

Illustration 1 by Author: My ball lightning encounter was in the shape of a whirling rod. Bushes are to the left of the abandoned road. Two streetlights are in the background with a concrete road barrier between them as it is a closed abandoned road.

forward (about half a foot), and dematerialized, in a short period of about 5 seconds or less. The object was a flamelike consistency and the same color as orange fire. It appeared 3 feet over the road pavement. The rotating bent-rod like shaped object had its long axis parallel to the ground, and was about 1 ½ – 2 feet in length, and 3 inches in width. It flickered slightly in color with a touch of yellow. My camera went dead when I tried to take a photograph of it.

It had just been raining that evening. The materialization and dematerialization of the plasma-like rod looked similar to the process in the original Star Trek TV series transporter to materialize and dematerialize. It was completely silent and I did not notice an odor associated with electrical activity (such as ozone). No heat generation was felt, nor did I experience any psychological effects.

I was in Mount Carmel, PA, on an abandoned road near the corner of Hillside Drive and S. Pine Street. The abandoned road extends from Hillside Drive to Rt. 61. It heads in the direction of the town of Centralia which had been abandoned due to an underground coal fire. My photograph of the fuming ground in Centralia is at the intersection of Locus Avenue (Rt. 61) and South Street (a pull off parking area adjacent to the St. Ignatius cemetery). My ball lightning observation was on a hill top, which might have some significance. Some of the reactive underground activity in Centralia could have driven the electric potential needed for the creation of the ball lighting to an uphill location such as where I was.

I’ve known people who have claimed to see similar activity, which in a broader classification not only includes ball lightning but other rare phenomena such as Earth lights and St. Elmo’s fire. One person was aware of such activity in the Hudson Valley of NY and kept alert for it during his sky gazing activities. He once photographed a floating ball shaped object with short tentacles. A trained observer will take care to eliminate common confounding objects such as illuminated insects and airborne dust that might reflect distant light sources, or be an artifact of the photographic instrument itself (flash or infrared beam). Nighttime photography and video recording, under different meteorological conditions and with different types of recording instruments, can have some interesting and unexpected effects. Another upstate NY observer told me that a faint ball lightning orb approached him and went through him. He noted a short “high sensation” similar to a strong “caffeine buzz.” He contended to have developed a skin rash from it.

Another person I knew in Leesburg, Virginia said he witnessed a small orb of ball lightning inside a home (a couple inches in diameter) that was moving toward him. He decided to touch it and the resulting shock left him unconscious for a couple minutes. Perhaps it came into the house unnoticed, as ball lightning is said to pass through glass windows easily. It can move with varying speeds but typically moves slowly such as the speed of a walking human.

According to some statistical investigations, ball lightning had been seen by 5% of the population of the Earth. I would have thought that 5% was quite a large number. But then again, since I have known a few people who have seen it, perhaps 5% is not unreasonable. Moreover, almost all of us have seen another spectacular type of atmospheric manifestation called the auroras. If you see ball lightning please take care and don’t be tempted to touch it. It is an electrical phenomenon that can electrocute you if it is of high enough voltage. The two people I knew were lucky to survive the bout of unconsciousness and the skin issue with their respective encounters. Since it is electrical it also has the ability to be attracted to you as if you were a lightning rod. Use some caution and maintain your distance. See the internet for images and videos of ball lightning that were recorded.

 

 

“The Inner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Compassion: Surprising Observations of a Hidden World” By: Peter Wohlleben

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(Greystone Books Ltd, 2016, 248 pages)

A book review by Mike Garth, Fairfax Master Naturalist

As an avid nature photographer, I have spent countless hours observing wildlife, waiting for the peak moment to capture a photograph. Through it all I’ve learned habits and behaviors and developed a deeper sense of appreciation for the moment-by-moment nature of the lives that animals lead and endure.

I’m not sure how I came across “The Inner Life of Animals” by Peter Wohlleben (a German forester). But I found the title intriguing as it resonated with my belief (greatly influenced by those countless hours of observation) that there is more going on in an animal’s daily existence than meets the eye.

Indeed, I found the book offers a captivating journey into the emotional and intellectual world of animals. Through colorful narration and anecdotes, Wohlleben reveals the incredible intelligence, emotional depth, and cognitive abilities shown by a wide variety of animal species. From the empathetic behavior of elephants mourning their deceased companions to the intricate communication among ravens, each chapter reveals the profound inner lives of animals that often go unnoticed. There’s grief, courage, and shame to name just a few.

Be aware that this book is not a scientific resource. It does offer some scientific findings and complex concepts that are skillfully blended to complement observations made by Wohlleben. This is one of the book’s greatest strengths, making the book readable for a general audience yet still satisfying those of us who want some science thrown in. The goal of the book, I believe, is to spark curiosity and provoke contemplation about the inner lives of animals and perhaps inspire a greater appreciation for the way that we are all connected in some way.

For a naturalist who appreciates studying and understanding the complexities of the natural world, this book can offer valuable knowledge and a deeper understanding of animal behavior.

 

The 2023 Virginia Geologic Research Symposium

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Feature photo:  Virginia Energy campus, offering impressive architectural style and good birding opportunities. My iPhone Merlin Bird ID found Pine Warblers, Northern Flickers, and Purple Finches among other more common birds.

Article and photos by FMN Stephen Tzikas

Student Posters for Presentation. This one shown is from our local GMU

The 2023 Virginia Geological Research Symposium had resumed with an in-person conference on April 21, after a couple years of pandemic virtual conferences. The 2023 meeting took place at Virginia Energy in Charlottesville, VA. This approved FMN training event brings professionals, students, and the interested public together.   Lectures are held at an undergraduate/graduated university level of knowledge. Geology is such a diverse topic, with appeal to many other types of scientists and engineers like myself.

This year’s agenda featured a diverse selection of topics of interest in Virginia. Technical Session 1 featured information on the heavy mineral sand abundance and mineralogy from paleo-placer and offshore deposits in Virginia. Such economic heavy minerals are of vital engineering importance to the United States as we transition to new technologies requiring new sources of rare earth elements.

Technical Session 2 included a stimulating lecture on the origin of nelsonite in the central Virginia Blue Ridge. Nelsonite is the Virginia State rock. Another lecture discussed preparing for the workforce, of special interest to the many students in attendance.

Nelsonite, the Virginia State Rock. The main building has hundreds of geologic specimens and instruments on display. Outside an impressive 49 large rock and mineral garden exists.

Technical Session 3 was another cross-over over session, similar to Technical Session 1, that had engineering appeal. Three lectures focused on groundwater and hydrology.

Tour of GMR Repositories and Collection. This is a one of a kind fascinating chance to see a unique geological collection.

Technical Session 4 included the investigation of lake sedimentary deposits for evidence of the 2011 earthquake in the central Virginia Seismic Zone. We all remember that earthquake.   Another lecture included geophysical mapping to improve wine quality. Who could not like that? The next time I am enjoying a glass of wine at a Virginia vineyard, I’ll be remembering all the soil science I learned from this lecture.

The Virginia Department of Energy, Geology and Mineral Resources (GMR) Program, is a world class organization, and I highly recommend attending their annual symposium if you are a professional, a student, or have an interest in geology which you would like to develop further.

Accessible Trails in Mason Neck State Park

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Photo: Courtesy of Friends of Mason Neck Park

Information on the accessibility of some of the trails in the park is now available. Birdability is a non-profit organization that works to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for everybody. Birdability has partnered with the National Audubon Society to create a crowd-sourced map that describes in detail the accessibility features of birding locations throughout the United States. While the map was created with birdwatching in mind, the information about trails shown on the map is useful to anyone who has an interest in the accessibility of trails.  You can get information on the accessibility of the Wilson Spring Trail, the Dogue Trail, the High Point Trail and the Osprey Trail (shown on the Birdability website as the Beach Trail) in Mason Neck State Park, as well as trails all over the United States, here. 

Book Review: Wild Honey Bees: An Intimate Portrait Photography by Ingo Arnot and Text by Jürgen Tautz

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Book review by FMN Marilyn Schroeder.

 Photography by Ingo Arnot and Text by Jürgen Tautz

Enjoy awesome closeups and riveting scientific findings about wild honey bees in their natural forest habitat.  Wait a minute!  Didn’t we learn in class that honey bees aren’t native?  Maybe not in Fairfax, but this book is about the life of wild honey bees in the forests of Central Europe.

Huge honey bee portraits and views inside their tree cavity hives grace this coffee-table book.  Any art-lover would be captivated by the amazing photography.  But naturalists will also be intrigued by the research into their behavior, social life and ecology.  The author draws a thought-provoking contrast between bee colonies in cavity hives in the forest versus bee keepers’ hives in farm fields.  A chapter describing the techniques and challenges of photographing bees in flight, in a nest cavity 66 feet off the ground and throughout the seasons of their life cycle attest to the photographer’s skill and commitment.  Can you tell I loved the book?  Wild Honey Bees is available in the Fairfax County Public Library.

Tool Under Development for Amateur Naturalists – Created by FMN Margaret E. Fisher

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 Article and photo by FMN Margaret E. Fisher

Tool under development for amateur naturalists – created by FMN Margaret E. Fisher


For those of you who enjoy learning the names of the plants and animals that surround us, we are working on a spreadsheet to make it a little easier to identify Northern Virginia organisms. This tool is for people who have enough experience to take a reasonable guess at the identification of a plant, insect, or other organism but not enough to distinguish it from its lookalikes. Using iNaturalist can sometimes help, but only if you photograph the right part. The idea is to create a cheat sheet – one that can be referenced in the field – that highlights one or two features that can readily make the distinction.

 

For example, you might know enough about flowers to identify the two pictured here as Monkeyflower. One is Sharpwing Monkeyflower (Mimulus alatus) and the other is Allegheny Monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens). At first glance, they look very much alike, but the distinction becomes easy once you know that the former has a short flower stem and long leaf stem, and the latter has a long flower stem and no leaf stem at all. Similarly, you may already know that the terms Painted Lady and American Lady refer to butterflies, but you could use a reminder that the former has a band of small eyespots as opposed to the latter which has two large eyespots on the underside of the hindwing.

 

We are only just getting started on collecting information to fill in the blanks as people submit the results of their research. The spreadsheet will never be complete, but it will be fun to watch it grow as our familiarity with our non-human neighbors increases. To contribute your tips (or corrections, which are welcome and needed), email [email protected].

You can view the Google spreadsheet here.

 

 

Ode on a Fish Fossil

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Feature photo: Fish Fossil, Green River Formation, Western United States.

Article and photos by FMN Stephen Tzikas

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear’d,
Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone

So goes the second stanza of John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” that I vividly remember from my High School days. These were the same words that flashed in my mind upon viewing a fish fossil my friend gave me a few months ago. Funny thing it is, how the poet sometimes seems to precede the scientist in me.

The famous English poet’s ode appreciates the timeless art on an urn, and so too, the fish fossil in my mind was a presentation of beauty and immortality, having patiently waited millennia to tell its story. And just as in the original poem, we have the conclusion of the poem which can equality apply to the fish fossil:

When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st,
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,”—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

While these herring fish fossils have their origin in the limestone of the Green River Formation, residents of Fairfax County do not need to go that far, or even leave the county, to find fossils.

My exposure to fossils began as a child reading the How and Why Wonder Book of Dinosaurs, which indicated that the first, near complete, skeleton of a dinosaur was discovered in Haddonfield, NJ. Since that was in my home state, I hoped to visit the town one day. Eventually I would indeed visit that town to see the Hadrosaurus statue commemorating the find in 1858 that started the field of dinosaur paleontology.

During the Triassic Period (201 – 252 Mya), dinosaurs left behind both bones and footprints in Virginia. Fish from local lakes were preserved during the Jurassic (145 – 201 Mya). In the 1920s, dinosaur tracks were discovered at nearby Oak Hill. The Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) offers many one-day one-credit geology excursions in our general area. I completed many of these courses and had the opportunity to see fossils during these excursions.

On June 24, 2017, I attended the geological field study trip for the

Oak Hill Dinosaur Skin Print, June 24, 2017, 1.5 by 2 Foot Scale

Triassic-Jurassic Rifting of North America in the Triassic Lowlands of Northern Virginia. One of the sites on that trip was the Oak Hill Estate (Home of President James Monroe). This site contains dinosaur tracks. The rock type here is the Lower Jurassic Turkey Run Formation (197 Mya). The fossils are of Eubrontes foot tracks and a rare skin print (see my photograph). Also fossilized was a lungfish burrow from the Jurassic, which had estivated to survive through the summer. Ripples, raindrops imprints, and bioturbation were evident in fossils we saw.

Photo:Holmes Run Gorge Fossils, Nov 18, 2017. Shown here are fossils (Skolithos Linearis) in well-cemented quartzite of the early Antietam Formation. These are Virginia’s oldest fossils and date to the Cambrian Period (485 – 539 Mya).

On November 18, 2017, I took another NVCC geology excursion for the Geologic History of Holmes Run Gorge at the Dora Kelley Nature Park in Alexandria. At the main gorge area we discussed the quartz rocks. Quartz is the last mineral in the Bowen reaction series of fractional crystallization.

I find the Bowen reaction series fascinating as it has some correlation to fractional distillation in my field of chemical engineering. I collected a sample of cloudy white milky quartz, which is extremely resistant to weathering. The cloudiness of milky quartz comes from microscopic inclusions of fluids that have been encased in the crystal from the time the crystal first grew. Our professor showed multiple examples of Quartzite with slashes (see my photograph). High-energy waters transported these cobblestone size rocks originating from the Harper’s Ferry Antietam Formation. The formation was largely quartz sandstone with some quartzite and quartz schist. This formation underwent metamorphic changes. This Quartzite is a hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone. The sandstone was converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Most noteworthy were the tubeworm line burrows, about a half billion years old. Samples were numerous.

Book Review by FMN Debbie McDonald: Red-Tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in Central Park, by Marie Winn

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Review by FMN Debbie McDonald

Among the wonders of spring, watching the soaring, graceful courtship of red-tail hawks high above the trees has no doubt, brought awe and joy to many of us. Observing love blossom between birds and animals along with the trees and flowers is a ritual and gift that never grows old. Red-Tails in Love by Marie Winn is a true story which follows these rituals in a unique and personal way. It is a beautiful and moving novel that weaves together the lives of Pale Male, a red-tail hawk, and a band of nature loving human friends who watch for him and over him, his mates, nests, and hatchlings through the years.

The author transports the reader to New York City and Central Park where the journeys of the hawks and their human guardians are shared as they pass through many seasons, relationships, and adventures. Activities that resonate with bird watchers and nature lovers, such as the Christmas Bird Count, the spring return of warblers, or spotting a species new to the park add warmth and realism throughout the tale. But Winn’s engaging storytelling is appealing for a wide range of readers and interests.

The story of the hawks, what can be learned about them, their loyalty to each other and their little families is quite compelling and rewarding. The band of bird watchers reminded me how lucky we are to have our Virginia Master Naturalist community. This is a book to read more than once and to pass along. Enjoy!

Red-Tails in Love by Marie Winn, 1999, Vintage Departures, 352 pages.

A Work Group Experience with Fairfax County Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) Program

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Photo: By Sara Tangren, Participants of March 21st work trip for the Fairfax County Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) program

Article by FMN Susan Martel

Photo: Corydalis incisa by Gary Fleming, Virginia Department of Natural Resources(throughBugwood.org)

FMN members and other volunteers took part in a work trip on March 21 as part of the Fairfax County Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) program to search for emerging invasive plants.  This trip focused on finding incised fumewort (Corydalis incisa), a member of the poppy family.  Naturalized populations were first reported in New York in 2005 and have slowly made their way through the mid-Atlantic region.  Led by FCPA staff member Jas Darby, the team of 10 found the invader in Difficult Run Trail near Leigh Mill-Ramey Meadows Park and mapped it over an area of 10 acres.  Pink flags and ribbons were used to delineate the extent of the spread, and photos were uploaded to iNaturalist to document its presence.  Control measures will now be directed at the plants the group found.

 



Identifying incised fumewort is tricky when not in flower, because it can be mistaken for a native species, C. flavula, which has a similar appearance.  A careful look at the sub-leaflets is required to discern the invasive species from the native species.  The sub-leaflets of the native plant has about 5-7 teeth or lobe tips whereas the invasive plant has two or three times the number (see line drawing below).  When in bloom, the two are easily distinguished because the flowers of C. incisa are purple and those of C. flavula are yellow.  Incised fumewort reproduces by seed capsules, which open explosively to spray small black seeds up to 10 feet away.  The goal of the EDRR program is to eradicate this and other early detection species by taking rapid action to prevent their spread.  Additional work trips are planned for April 10, 11, 17, and 18 at locations to be determined.  Use this link to sign up:  https://volunteer.fairfaxcounty.gov/custom/1380/opp_details/179794.

 

 

 

 

Line drawing of the two types of leaves by Sara Tangren, National Capital PRISM, CC BY.

Five Myths about Trees

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Article and photo (Sara Holtz) by Plant NOVA Natives

It’s no myth that trees hold a special place in our collective psyche. Trees play a prominent role in myths, often symbolizing life and rebirth. Unfortunately, some of the stories about them are just plain wrong.

1. Trees need big piles of mulch. Or perhaps we should call this The Myth of the Angry Volcano Gods, who are appeased by stuffing trees down their maws. It’s hard to know how this harmful practice got started, but we are seeing it everywhere. Trees should be planted with the top of their roots level to the ground, just as in nature. Mulch should never be allowed to touch the trunk, as it causes bark rot. Shredded mulch can form a barrier to water when it mats down, so arborist wood chips are preferred – assuming mulch is needed at all – and no more than 2-4 inches deep. The Fairfax County Tree Basics booklet, which you can download for free, shows proper tree planting and care practices and is available in multiple languages.

2. Tree wounds need dressing. Trees cannot heal the way we do after they are cut, which is one reason why topping a tree is such a bad idea. A broken limb should be trimmed back to just beyond the branch cuff then left alone to try to close over, which with luck it may accomplish before fungi set in. Painting tar on the surface just encourages rot.

3. All leaning trees are dangerous. It is normal for trees to grow toward the light. They reinforce their wood to make themselves stable. If you are worried that a tree may become hazardous, you can get an opinion from a consulting arborist who is certified by the International Society of Arborists (ISA) and who has no financial interest in cutting it down.

4. Trees litter. Well, trees do create leaf “litter”, but that’s an unfriendly word to use to describe feeding the soil and providing habitat for fireflies and wintering grounds for butterflies. The best thing you can do for a tree and the ecosystem is leave the leaves underneath where they fall. If you are afraid they will smother the grass, you can chop them up with a lawn mower so they at least add organic matter to the soil, a practice that is good for the trees and the grass (but hard on the critters).

5. One tree is as good as another. Not so! All trees can provide shade and capture stormwater, but only native trees support biodiversity. In fact, native trees are the very backbone of our local ecosystem, providing the majority of the leaves upon which our native caterpillars feed, which in turn provide the diet required by baby songbirds. In fact, not only do some non-native trees do nothing to feed the birds, they are actually invasive, taking over and destroying what is left of our remnant woods and starting to threaten our bigger forests as well. With few exceptions, there are native trees to serve any landscaping need. Find out all about them on the Plant NOVA Trees website.