Maine Nature News

Vol. 8, nos. 33/34  Tuesday, August 19/26, 2003

Quick jumps:  | This week's report | Wild Blueberry Report | Home page | Editor's Column |

Wednesday, August 13.   Scarborough (Map 3) In the last month or so we have had many wild turkeys around the neighborhood. Last week I saw what I thought was a silver fox stalking them. Its back was spotted, with the colors of a tiger cat.  I wonder what it was?  J.F. 

Thursday August 14. Orono (Map 23)  On a late afternoon birding stroll along the University of Maine's Dairy Farm Road, we observed a flock of 31 Canada geese quietly grazing in a field recently planted with a cover crop of clover. 
   I turned down the University's Bike Path and spent a while trying to view and identify warblers undergoing changes into fall plumage.  After sufficiently being frustrated in my pursuit of a clear view of these birds I headed back.  On my way I heard the geese honking as they took flight.  As I drove off I discovered the cause of the disturbance.  At first glance in the glow of the late afternoon sun, I thought I was viewing a deer.  Deer are a common sight in these fields at this time of day.  The animal had it's head held low and its long ears suggested deer ears.  It was about a quarter mile away.  Through binoculars it became clear that I was viewing something canine.  It didn't appear to be a domesticated dog as its fur (especially its tail) looked bedraggled and the self-assured way it moved through the field before it disappeared in the tall grass of a stream drainage didn't appear to be that of a unsupervised domesticated dog.  I captured an image with a video camera mounted with an additional telephoto lens.
    Although coyotes certainly aren't rare, this was the first one I've seen in Orono.  In other parts of the State I'm usually aware of the presence of coyotes when I hear them calling at night.  Most recently I heard them while camping at Cobscook Bay State Park.  Perhaps howling coyotes will be a sound I'll be hearing at night in Orono. M.M.L. 

Monday, August 25. Isleboro (Map 14) From the ferry, I saw 4 migrating  Monarch butterflies, and 2 harbor porpoises.  J.K.M.

Monday, August 25. Lisbon (Map 6) Last night when I went to turn off the outside light I found a large, attractive moth on the screen. It was over an inch and a half long and had a wingspan of about 3 inches. It had a tapered, fuzzy white body. The forewings were generally white and cream with gray and black markings. The hindwings were particularly striking, being dark black with white stripes. My impression was that it was like an underwing but I thought their hindwings were only colored red or orange. It took the better part of an hour of searching my field guides to discover what kind it was: it was indeed an underwing, in fact the only underwing with black and white hindwings. It was called, simply, the White Underwing (Catocala relicta). I found this species in the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Moths on plate 9. It took me a while to find it because the black and white photograph, while accurately capturing the pattern of the moth, did not at first convey the boldness and beauty which I saw. I still feel the picture does not do it justice.
    I read with interest that the adult moth's colors and patterns provide camouflage when it's resting on birch bark. On an excellent internet site (http://www.naturenorth.com/fall/underwing/uwmoths.html) I also read that the moth typically emerges at this time of year, late August to September, in effect signaling the end of summer.  Apparently White Underwings are common northward. If so I hope to have the privilege of seeing one again! A.R.S.

Maine Wild Blueberry Report for August 13-26, 2003

Unripe fruiting stage: 
Early ripe fruiting stage:   
Middle ripe fruiting stage:  Interior Washington County
Late ripe fruiting stage and fruit gone by: Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis and coastal Washington Counties
No reports:  other Maine counties

Editor's column

Last Wild Blueberry Report Appears in This Issue

     The Maine Wild Blueberry Reports were a weekly feature in July and August.  Thank you to all who participated in this interesting and fun natural history project! 
  Past reports can be consulted in the archive

Frank Wihbey
Maine Nature News