Maine Nature News

Monday, January 24. Medway (Map 43) Last Monday at 7:30 in the morning, as I was riding [on I-95 South] to work, I saw six deer in a line crossing the East Branch of the Penobscot on the ice in Medway. P.W.

Monday, January 24. West Cumberland (Map 5) In the early afternoon of January 24, during the height of the storm, I watched two red squirrels from my kitchen window. As the intense chase progressed from tree to tree, the lead squirrel launched itself across a substantial gap between tree stands from a height of approximately 14 feet and landed, splat, in the snow about 3-4 feet short of the next tree. A miss, I thought, until I watched the second squirrel, 6 or 7 seconds later, perform the same maneuver, and from this squirrel's trajectory toward bushes, not another tree, it certainly seemed planned. Undaunted, the squirrels resumed the chase. I trust they wouldn't try that today with the thick crust!  L.P.

Wednesday, January 26. Farmingdale (Map 12) The snow storm sent us at least 40 sparrows, doves by the dozens, a seagull, four bluejays, a single nuthatch, a downy woodpecker, one chickadee and a pair of cardinals. The heated water seemed to be most appreciated. Four grey squirrels came to enjoy gray sunflower seed and raw peanuts. One little red squirrel with bad manners drove them off. L.S.

Thursday, January 27. Scarborough (Map 3) A Red-Breasted woodpecker regularly visits my bird feeders in Scarborough. My "BirdBook" indicates it seldom visits so far north. M.F.

Thursday, January 27. Holden (Map 23) Found a fresh deer carcass in the woods behind the house. I cannot determine if the doe died from illness, starvation or predation. Could someone tell me the usual manner in which a coyote or dogs kill a deer? Is it typical for a coyote and/or dogs to leave their prey; or will either animal return to a carcass to feed? A robust red fox and several crows fed from the carcass this morning. L.N.O.

Sunday, January 30. Mattamiscontis (Map 33) On my way to Orono on I-95 I was delighted to see, about a mile north of the Howland town line, a Barred Owl perched on the very top of a snag about 10 feet off the ground. It was on the east side of the road just basking in the sun watching the traffic go by -- not a worry in the world it seemed. I saw it about 1:00 pm. I also saw a Ruffed Grouse not far down the road, at mileage 203, getting ready to cross the road. P.W.

Monday, January 31. Holden (Map 23) On Jan. 29 there were Mink tracks along Maine Audubon's lakeshore of Fields Pond. Tracking was generally terrible on a thick, hard ice crust, but loose snow blew into depressions in the ice crust and I could follow the mink's paired, 5-toed, 1-3/4" wide tracks all along the lakeshore. J.K.M.

(This report is also an answer to L.N.O.’s question in the Thursday, January 27 report above.)
Tuesday, February 1. Holden (Map 23) A deer was also killed by coyotes alongside the ravine at the Nature Center this past weekend. Its neck was quite uninjured so it apparently was killed by evisceration, not a pleasant thought. The coyotes have come by every night to feed more on the carcass -- I have heard them. But they have not left a single track on the hard crust. They left a few claw scratches on the crust where the deer was eviscerated while still standing. Ravens have fed on the carcass during the day too. J.K.M.