Maine Nature News
Vol. 6, no. 29, Tuesday, July 17, 2001

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Quick jumps:  | This week's report | Wild blueberry report |

Sunday, July 8.  Camden (Map 14) Went hiking at Camden Hills. Wild blueberries still in early stages.  There were a few edible ones, but most are still premature.  W.B.S. 

Tuesday July 10.  Pembroke (Map 27) Witnessed a couple of gladiators on my driveway.  A couple of large (5/8 inch) ants were battling over something on the blacktop.  One was solid black and the other had a rusty colored thorax.  I watched them with a magnifying glass, but even then had trouble figuring out the tactics.  It seemed that Mr. Rusty was losing, as he had Mr. Black by the antenna close to his head.  This exposed  Rusty's neck to Black's jaws but he couldn't quite reach to finish the job.  Rusty had already lost half of a front leg, but it seemed was forced to hold where he was.  That he did not clip off the antenna of his opponent was interesting.  Oblivious to everything else (I moved them when my wife drove the car out of the garage) I watched them for over twenty minutes before a creaky back and other chores forced me to leave and I never found out the outcome.
    A piebald deer in the area.  The deer is mostly white with some brown spots.  We watched her down by the Pennamaquan River and she nursed her normally colored fawn. F.G.

Wednesday, July 11.  Newfield (Map 2) West Newfield.  The black flies are still around.   Not terribly, but still enough to be a nuisance.   
    Oddly, there are very few dragonflies this year, and bats have yet to show up.   We even put up bat houses for them.  D.W.

Thursday, July 12.  Talmadge (Map 45)  Early ripening berries.  There are enough in a 4 x 4 area this morning to make muffins.  R.F.

Tuesday, July 17.  Unity Pond/Burnham (Map 21) Upon closer observation [see report of  W.B.S. for 7-4-01] the chipmunks and red squirrels both have mates and feed on the spillage from our feeders (the squirrels cause most of the spillage.)  Also a breeding pair of Downy Woodpeckers have taken notice of the suet hanging from our porch.  We have seen a pair (male and female) of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds visit for a quick sip from the hummingbird feeders we have set out.
    The water level in Unity Pond has gone down a few inches since we moved in almost a month ago despite all the rain we have been getting.  The mosquitoes have been a real nuisance the past week or so.  W.B.S.

Maine Wild Blueberry Report for July 11-17, 2001

Early ripe fruiting stage:  Northern Washington County
Middle ripe fruiting stage:  Hancock, Knox, and southern Penobscot Counties
No reports: other Maine counties

What is their stage where you are, or have visited?  Please send an e-mail.
    Thanks,
    Frank Wihbey, Editor
    menature@maine.edu