Maine Nature News

Vol. 9, no. 31  Tuesday, August 3, 2004

Quick jumps:  This week's report | Editor's column | Home page

Monday, July 28.  Elliotsville Twp (Map 41) Last September I took a hike up Borestone Mountain and from its summit you could see this wonderful lake.  At that time I said to myself "Now, Self, some day you are going to have to come back here and kayak this lake".  Well today is the day and the lake is Lake Onawa.  It's just as nice on the lake as it looked from up on high.  From the launch site I paddled northwest to a big rock at the end of the lake. This made a good lunch spot as a loon swam nearby.  Also had the first 2 blueberries of the season here, very small and very tart but still good.  
    This lake has many nice views up to Borestone on the Southwest side.  While eating lunch I could here the voices of folks as the hiked up this nice mountain.  On the northeast side of the lake is Barren Mountain with its rocky ledges and slides.  
    From here it was down to the other end of the lake.  Saw at least 7 at 8 loons but none with chicks. That's not good.  At the Southeast end of the lake is an outlet stream with a large railroad bridge over it. Made for a good photo spot.  While out on the lake I could not help but think how nice this spot must be when the leaves start to change color.  
    Saw one deer (doe) along the road and a moose (cow) near the state garage as you come into Greenville.  I had just checked into my motel room when a small coyote ran by my window.  This one was much smaller than the one I had seen in Baxter back in June. S.Y.

Thursday, July 29. Chesterville (Map 20)  While searching the Chesterville Hill Cemetery for my ancestors' graves, we noticed numerous red and green/blue berries and some small white cup-shaped blossoms in the very short grass that had obviously been mowed recently. On closer inspection they turned out to be the shortest blooming and fruiting blueberry bushes we'd ever seen!  None were more than 1-1/2 inches tall, and most had no more than four tiny leaves, plus the blossoms or berries. Along the perimeter fence we found normal-sized wild blueberry bushes loaded with ripe fruit, but most of them were bare when we left. C.B.K and G.E.K

Friday, July 30. Phippsburg (Map 6) This week has been a week for amphibian findings. It began on a beach walk where we chose to explore the area above the strand line where grasses, Beach Peas and Rugosa Roses find a rooting. We were looking for insects, but there on the tall grass leaves were insect-sized frogs! It took us a while to capture what turned out to be Spring Peepers. They were tan, marked by an "X" on their backs, with a pointed head... all no longer than an inch in length. There is a Cattail Marsh that backs up to the start of the sand tolerant plants. It is a place where the distinctive call of these diminutive tree frogs can be heard in spring, sounding like ringing bells. Now, they are quiet, but climbing plants to be there when insects fly by.
    Our hike took us over to a small fresh water pond. As we approached the water, tiny toads could be found as they were leaving their birthplace. These were about the same size as the Peepers, but spotted and not as agile hoppers. Some of the larger ones had the prominent glands characteristic of toads.
    Another exciting observation in recent weeks has been finding Painted Lady Caterpillars and watching them go through their stages to flying adulthood.  I first found the caterpillars on trailing Licorice plants that were used in potted containers outside the YMCA where I swim. These larvae eat the foliage of species in the Pearly Everlasting family, but they sure love the Licorice! They spin a small fibrous housing, and can be found inside if not out feasting. These caterpillars are beautiful, sporting branches spines, stripes and dots of green, black and white. They form a chrysalis and emerge in about 10 days. Attached is a picture of a caterpillar and another of a nearly emerged adult on a Marigold.
    No Monarch butterflies here yet, though the Milkweed is in full flower. R.K.

Friday, July 30. Orono/Bangor/Augusta/Windsor (Maps 23 and 13)  I woke in Orono to a still morning. The temperature was quite moderate at 430AM and, though I didn't have a thermometer I'd estimate it was 62 degrees. The birds were busy.
    The day became hot quite quickly and by nine it was bright and hot in the sun.
    At 11:30 am it was a bit breezy on the BMHI campus. Hot enough though that all birds are silent. The dampness of the grass smelled like it might be drying out, but no, it was literally steaming in some places in the direct sun!
    Augusta (Map 13) At about 130 found a stronger breeze and cooler and a bit cloudier than Bangor was! Fumes along the busy streets make it obvious that were degrading air quality with every cylinder that fires. Its hard to smell anything natural around the rotaries.
    Windsor (Map 13) At 3 pm I found a cool breeze coming in from the fields on the Windsor Neck Road. Our old house was built to take advantage of Nature's cool: as the foundation is in ledge and the windows are installed so as to catch the hill breezes. 
    It was cooler and more refreshingly clear aired here even on this ozone alert day.  This evening, 8:30 to 9:15 pm there was a proliferation of mosquitoes. Here in Windsor, the grass is still wet.  P.S.H.

Friday, July 30.  Phippsburg (Map 6) The plan for today was to just spend a lazy summer day at the Popham Beach State Park.  When I got to the park at 11:00 am it was full so plan B was put into effect.  A short trip down Route 215 brought me to the Bates-Morse Mountain, Seawall Beach Conservation Area.  From the small parking area it's a 2 mile walk to the beach down a gated road (no traffic).  You first pass a salt marsh, then start the short climb up Morse Mountain.  (Look for the summit sign on the right which brings you to a nice overlook of the Sprague River Salt Marsh and the ocean.)  From here it's downhill past a nice stand of Pitch Pine and another salt marsh, before coming to the beach area.  
    Now this beach area is only a beach at low tide.  At high tide the water has it completely covered.  It's a nice fine sand beach with the Morse River to your left and Sprague River to the right.  Head off to the left as at low tide there are a number of tide pools to check. On a trip here a few years ago I sat next to one of these pools as terns and plovers dove all around me catching the small fish trapped in the pool.  
    Saw a number of Sandlings running in the surf. One of the sand bars must have had at least 200 Black Back Gulls on it.  With the long hike, in there are never too many people (around 20 or 30) so the only sound you hear for the most part is the sound of the surf.  A really nice place to pay a visit to, with a nice woodland hike and a nice beach as your reward.  S.Y.

Saturday, July 31. Grand Falls (Map 34) While paddling along the Passadumkeag Stream near Saponac Pond, we found a Large Purple Fringed Orchid.  We also found many Duck Potato and Swamp Milkweed in bloom, and saw 2 Great Blue Herons and a Kingfisher. J.K.M.

Sunday, August 1.  Windsor (Map 13)  Early Sunday morning, before 7 am, we had significant rainfall. When I awoke at 5 am it was pouring, and it continued to do so with alternating periods of drizzle until about 7 am. At 8 am, I left for Unity under cloudy but dry skies. By 8:45am it was raining in Unity and, in fact, by 9 am it opened up and poured again with some lightning and thunder. My wife said it rained hard in Windsor, but no lightning.
    During the day, in Unity, the sun came out a few times, but by 3:30 or 4 pm it was raining again. I headed back to Windsor and it hadn't poured there, but when it did, it really came down hard. For almost an hour and a half it rained quite hard most of the time. A very little thunder, off in the  distance, and mostly hard rain. The ground on our hillside was saturated, and my basement took some water, a fairly rare occurrence in the summer.  P.S.H.

Monday, August 2.   Saco (Map 3)  I had occasion to travel along the former Mountain Division Railroad tracks from Steep Falls to Hiram last week, right thru the great swamps in the wildlife management area south of Steep Falls. I was prepared with repellent, and was amazed that on a day without a breeze, while I was stopped to clear brush and drainage problems, we saw NO mosquitoes! Even in the middle of the swamp!
    The week before that, Daughter and I were tromping thru the bushes on Wood Island, off Biddeford, and, after spending 5 hours on the island, checked in back home clear of ticks! Once again, the only flying creatures were birds (Mainly nesting gulls!)
    As a sideline:  very few red raspberries or blueberries were found on either excursion. Definitely not up to normal crops.  J.B.

Tuesday, August 3. Mount Vernon (Map 12) This 200-year-old house we've lived in for 6 years has a long history of bats under the roof line, much to our delight. I've counted more than 75 of the little brown a night coming out at sun set. This year for the first time we've found more than a dozen around on the ground during the day, generally at the base of the house. Within about 24 to 36 hours they are dead. We always find several a summer, but never by the dozens.
    This week about 9 at night, twice a seemingly live bat has been flying around in the house. They have been calm and easily closed into one room and then out the window when it is opened. Never had we had bats in the house. So we searched and plugged any possible holes. The third unusual happening is the normal exit in the roof cap of the largest numbers seems greatly reduced and they exit from under the roof line all around the house.
    Last summer we built and hung on the barn and on an old shed, per Bat Conservation International guidelines, two bat houses in hopes the bats would move in as we hope to roof the house within a year. So far the bats seem uninterested in the houses.
    Any one have unusual bat activity this summer?  M.A.B.

Tuesday, August 3.  Rangeley (Map 28) Here are two scanned pictures of the beautiful Cecropia Moth we encountered in Rangeley earlier this summer.  A.S.