Tuesday, July 2, 1996
Quick jumps:
This week's reports | Downeast Birdline -- transcript of current telephone message | Weekly black fly reports for May-June, 1996 |This week's reports
Wednesday, June 26. Orono (Map 23) The Canada mayflowers (wild lily-of-the-valley) are all at the fruit stage here in town. This is quite a contrast from the earlier development stage of specimens at higher elevations, in Andover Surplus Township, which I reported for June 23. F.W.
Wednesday, June 26. Garland (Map 32) A small skunk, with what looked like predation-caused injuries, was found in the woods. The obvious question: what would prey on a skunk?!! Some felt it might have been a strike by a hawk; or that a fisher might be aggressive enough to try to tackle a small skunk. M.J.
Saturday, June 29. Garland (Map 32) Redbelly snake observed in a woodpile. A first sighting of this species for us. M.J.
Sunday, June 30. Dexter, Hudson (Maps 32/33) Sweet clover now in bloom on roadsides. M.J.
Sunday, June 30. Bar Harbor (Map 16) At Great Head, a rocky peninsula on Mount Desert
Island near Sand Beach, two sides of the hill are exposed to the elements, and one side
faces West into the relative shelter of the Sand Beach area. A one-mile trail circles this
land feature, starting from the North end, where the Head connects to the mainland.
We noticed at least 20 species of wildflowers in bloom. Notable on the East and South
(seaside) were: blueberry, dewberry, sheep laurel, a species of sedge, and even a few late
blue flag irises. Just a few hundred yards away (straight line distance) on the West side
of the hill the prominent flowers were: blue vetch, oxeye daisy, raspberry, red clover and
white clover. What a dramatic example of microclimate and the niching that occurs due to
differences of exposure, soil type and water budget.
A hare, in light-brown summer coat, was observed feeding on grasses in a small trailside
bog. It tolerated our presence, at a 15 foot distance, for several minutes while it
continued to feed, facing us in profile, with us in view of its left eye and with ears
erect. F.W.
Monday, July 1. Alfred (Map 2) I saw a grand total of one (1) blackfly, that is, in Colorado! On Thursday (June 27), I called my wife from Denver. She had just returned from weeding our garden. She said the Blackflies were HORRIBLE (50 per cubic feet). I have not been out this morning (July 1), but suspect the damp weather has fueled the Blackfly population. We should start seeing a decline in the population early this month as the temperatures warm. By July 15, we should see a dramatic reduction in population. J.L.
Tuesday, July 2. Orono (Map 23) Main Street (Route 2) crosses the Stillwater River on the Ferry Hill Bridge. Swallows dart below the bridge, feeding on the insects, which are somewhat propelled by a nearly constant westerly breeze into the hollow formed by the river banks where they turn and narrow at the bridge. The railing on the West side was festooned with spider webs, heavy with dew. Every bay of the railing seemed to have two, a total of nearly one hundred spider webs, a maximum for this year. With the "easy" sites all taken there were even some webs woven precariously from the lamposts to the railing. These require a much larger span and are vulnerable to tearing by the breeze. The swallows, the spiders and the dragonflies (and probably the bats at night) all feed from this small ecological niche created by a combination of a natural setting and a human construction. F.W.
Downeast Birdline -- transcript of current telephone message
Downeast Birdline -- transcript of current telephone message
Maine black fly report in map form
Weekly black fly reports for May-June, 1996
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