You are invited to participate. Your reports are always welcomed! Tuesday, October 22, 1996
Quick jumps:
| This week's reports | Downeast Birdline -- discontinuation announcement | Meeting of new group: Greater Portland Naturalists Forum | Publication announcement: Biological Diversity in Maine: An Assessment of Status and Trends in the Terrestrial and Freshwater Landscape |You are invited to participate. Your reports are always welcomed!
Please e-mail Frank Wihbey, Editor: menature@maine.maine.edu
This week's reports
Sunday, October 13. Orono (Map 23) and Old Town (Map 33) Crows congregated in nearby trees in flocks of 60 or more birds (or I saw the same flock in two different areas, about three miles apart, at different times of the day.) This is more in a a single flock than I have seen since April 18. Is this seasonal behavior? F.W.
Monday, October 14. E. Orland (Map 23) Toddy Pond near the dam: A few Canada geese overhead today. A walk on Federal land, in the woods near Great Pond Mtn., found numerous mosses, lichens, and fungi, apparently thriving on the regular rains. Neighboring, brilliantly-colored trees seem over 50% disrobed. W.D.
Tuesday, October 15. E. Orland (Map 23) Toddy Pond near the dam: This last day's windstorm has stripped many deciduous trees. Also, our tall Scotch pines are only sparsely foliated now. The wind left us without electricity for hours yesterday. The silence from pumps and fans was a treat last evening. Without light nearby, the dry, cooling autumn night sky of harsh northerly winds showed the lights of Bangor and Ellsworth more than one would expect from such a sky. The intrusion of these lights did not warm my spirit. W.D.
Tuesday, October 15. Bar Harbor (Map 16) Dorr Mountain. Pitch pines on the South face are only now losing their annual quota of needles (I hear that conifers lose about half per year.) Blueberry leaves have all turned a vibrant red -- a dramatic sight here and elsewhere in this area. Ferns on the Mountain have turned color, but do not have the dessicated, dead look of those in inland swamps. There are actually some in higher altitudes that are still green, having not turned color at all, probably due to siting in unexposed places that are also protected from frost by the downhill flow of air. Ice in many places now, at about 1000 feet altitude, remaining even at noon. (Daytime temperature about 40-45 degrees, with strong winds.) F.W.
Friday, October 18. Orrington (Map 23) I saw a Ruffed Grouse and two adult Bald Eagles at Maine Audubon's Fields Pond Nature Center property. J.K.M.
Friday, October 18. Old Town (Map 33) Twice this past week, I saw a fox run across Route 2 near the [James River Paper Co.] mill. The first was just south of the mill, around 5 pm, and the animal (successfully) bolted between cars coming from both directions. The second was around noon near the cemetery next to the mill. The fox slowly trotted along the road for 50 feet or so and then turned to cross the road and entered some brush. I question its health (rabies?) due to its very passive nature along the roadside and at noon. Also, walking to the University through the XC ski trails, I am amazed at the number of deer on the island. Rarely do I make it to the school without seeing at least one and often groups of 5-7. B.D.
Saturday, October 19. Southwest Harbor (Map 16) Long Pond. You have seen white caps on waves, I'm sure; but have you ever seen "blue caps"? My wife pointed out the reflection of the sky colors (mixed: a blue, open sky area to the East, and clouds to the South) on the waves. With careful attention I noticed that only the tops of waves were reflecting the blue, because of the wind direction. As the wind changed from time to time, the phenomenon vanished, then reappeared. F.W.
Saturday, October 19. Lambert Lake (Map 46) I saw a Ruffed Grouse in the township of Lambert Lake. J.K.M.
Sunday, October 20, 10 am. Orono (Map 23) Orono Land Trust. Was surprised to see, at close range, a large bird next to the trunk of a very large white pine. Because of its size and position practically at the ground, for a split second I thought it was a grouse. But I quickly noted the red cap and the fact that it actually was clinging to the side of the tree's trunk -- though practically at ground level -- and quickly recognized it as a pileated woodpecker. This was the closest I have ever gotten to one (perhaps due to the muffling of my footsteps on the layer of fallen pine needles) and the lowest I have ever seen one feeding on a tree trunk. Upon seeing me, it flew to a higher position on the tree and then flew out of sight. F.W.
Sunday, October 20. Kossuth (Map 45) I saw an adult male Spruce Grouse in Kossuth, on Alder Brook Road off Rt. 6 in northern Washington County. I was some pleased to see a "reportable" bird; got photos too. It was picking up gravel from the road. J.K.M.
Sunday, October 20. Alfred (Map 2) Silence in the woods only seems to occur at sunset.
Most other times something is happening around me. All at the same time, a mouse is
popping his head out from under the leaves at various places around me and then going back
under and coming out at another place. On the other side of me a chipmunk is going under a
rock and grabbing a mouthful of leaves and then coming back out to sit on a log and look
at me while he stuffs the leaves into his high capacity mouth. He then darts across the
log onto another log that runs parallel to my legs and hops into his winter burrow, a hole
beside me, to deposit his mouthfuls of leaves. And while both of these are going on a red
squirrel is traveling back and forth raising hell just about everywhere he goes.
Blacked capped chickadees are flying here and there and seem to be unusually quiet
considering they typically chick-a-dee-dee-dee all around me. But this morning I believe
they don't know I'm there. It was a busy time that morning while all the woods animals
were preparing for this Noreaster or just for winter in general.
After staying in one spot until 12:30 PM I decided to take a walk. At 1 PM I came across
these buck rubs on the trees, so I set up a little seat downwind and parallel to these two
rubs which were about 23 yards from each other. I sat there still until 4 PM when along
comes a 6 point 200-220 [pound] live weight buck, just strolling his turf. He was walking
directly towards me and then about ten yards from me he turned and headed east just in
front of the buck rub closest to me. He never saw me as he lazily walked away along his
merry way. About 20 minutes after he walked by I followed his trail and saw where he
scraped up the ground along a path that seemed to be where does frequented, on their way
to feed at night. The path was very pronounced where he scraped, unlike his trail that was
barely visible in the fresh fallen leaves.
On Friday I was in a different area when a coyote came within 8 yards up to me. That was
pretty cool. It was an absolutely beautiful animal. I never expected a coyote to be so
beautiful. The story about the coyote is a rather involved one I might tackle on another
day. This year has been an eventful one for me since September 15. I've had six different
deer come within a few feet of me this year while [I was] bowhunting. I consider myself
very lucky to have the pleasure of the many woods experiences I encountered this
bowhunting season. J.L.
Sunday, October 20. Otis (Map 24) Many eyebright and fall dandelion in full bloom with many in seed. B.G.
Sunday, October 20. Holden (Map 23) Fields Pond. Many fall dandelion in full bloom and large flock of robins in the field. B.G.
Monday, October 21. Farmington (Maps 19/20) Hard frost last week. Hard rains and heavy heavy winds (much power outaging - that is a funny word, I prefer "Help the lines are down") and much of the foliage is kaput. Lots of nuts - beech and beaked hazelnuts and acorns are now on the ground. No "black frost" here yet though - the final killer. Bluebirds seen in large numbers this past weekend and the weekend before, checking out our birdhouses; not seen later in day so trust and hope they moved on. Lots of geese honking overhead. No vultures (turkey buzzards) lately - do they go south? S.M.
Downeast Birdline has ceased -- discontinuation announcement
Downeast Birdline -- transcript of current telephone message
Return to top of this page.