Please e-mail
Frank Wihbey, Editor: menature@maine.maine.edu
Vol. 2, no. 42, Tuesday, October 21, 1997
Quick jumps: | This week's reports | Prior weekly Nature reports | Prior Black fly reports |
You are invited to report on any aspect of Nature in Maine
Please e-mail
Frank Wihbey, Editor: menature@maine.maine.edu
This week's reports
Report format = Day, date, [time]. Location (Maine Atlas Map number) Report text. Initials of correspondent.
Monday, October 20. TA R10 WELS/TA
R11WELS (Map 42) Crawford Pond/Cooper Brook area. Moose are coming out onto the roads in
daylight. In separate locations I observed a bull moose and a cow moose approach the
Jo-Mary/Kokadjo Road. Yet these big animals, upon sighting my relatively slow-moving
vehicle hesitated and then withdrew, despite their reputation for standing firm on
"Moose Alley," Route 201 to Jackman. Perhaps the higher speed of the vehicles
there brings out their defensive, stand-your-ground instinct?
In contrast the flicker I observed walking up the trunk of a white pine, to feed in the
bark, showed no sign of wariness as I passed fifteeen feet away. Most migrants seem to
have left the area, and I observed the year-round resident birds by Cooper Brook: a bald
eagle (sounding the classic "kirrrr" call), ravens, blue jays, and black-capped
chickadees. At two separate places on the trail I startled (and they startled me!) ruffed
grouse.
The fall wildflowers are now gone from the forest floor. The remaining signs of life are a
species of still-green fern, two herbaceous species that I could not identify in time for
this report, and of course mosses.
At intervals along the trail I saw small scat deposits in prominent places, like large
stones or bog log bridges. I assumed this was a territorial signal of a weasel. So I was
surprised to see red squirrels active near ground level in this same territory, as they
are weasel prey.
In a trail register, a hiker reported that a red fox had stolen one of his sandals from
the area in front of a trail leanto. This seemed very bold for a fox, near a location
frequented by humans. Perhaps the lighter human traffic of late fall encouraged him/her to
approach so closely? Maybe the sandal smelled irresistibly tasty? F.W.
Tuesday, October 21. E. Orland (Map 23) Toddy Pond near the dam. The lake is lower, low enough to walk on strips of dry bottom. Most leaves have fallen. Remaining, distant yellows, browns and occasional reds dust the patterns of winter limb and twig structure. Some species of birds not seen for weeks have shown in flocks, including grackles (about 30) and sparrows. W.D.
Tuesday, October 21. Orono (Map
23) Last year I reported on the web-spinning activities of spiders on the Ferry Hill
Bridge, Main Street, Orono. By summer's end an incredible number of webs were being
strung, restrung or repaired each evening. Suddenly, on Oct. 1, 1997 the Town put up the
wind-screening boards on the rails on the bridge's West side (that was unusually early.)
The biggest spiders continued to build webs for a while, despite the obstruction and then
seemed to cease in a few days, in response to the poor catch. But I wondered what would
have happened naturally as the cold weather deepened.
This year I have my answer. The boards have not yet been placed. The web-spinning ceased
on October 17 or 18. F.W.