Quoddy Nature Notes – Juncos
It hasn’t been a very exciting winter in regards to our bird feeder activity. The heavy spruce cone crop seemed to supply all of the nutritional needs of our fine feathered friends, and our black oil sunflower seed bill so far this season has been pretty small. Towards the end of February we got a few more customers with the arrival of a half dozen blue jays, and shortly after that, a dozen Juncos. If your bird guide dates from the 1970’s it might list under ‘Junco’ a bunch of different species that inhabit North America, like the ‘White-winged’, ‘Oregon’, ‘Pink-sided’, ‘Slate-colored’, ‘Gray-headed’, Shufeldts’, ‘Carolina’, and ‘Red-backed’ junco. However it has been determined that these are all the same species, Junco hyemalis, or Dark-eyed junco, which makes life a lot easier for us birders. The only real rarity around here that might cause the birders’ lines to buzz would be if someone spotted a Yellow-eyed junco Junco phaeontus.
A dark eyed junco sits in a balsam fir tree.
Many juncos hang around here all winter, especially the young males, since they want to be here and establish territories for the nesting season. The older males may go south to the Mid-Atlantic States for a little easier wintering. These adult juncos want to get back in the spring, but they are pretty confident of claiming their former territories. The females, however, have none of the real estate worries and may migrate all the way to the Gulf shores for the winter. All of them will be back by late April, have their property squabbles ironed out in short order and begin nesting here in the Quoddy region in May. The female does the work of building the nest. I guess since she is going to use it she doesn’t trust the man of the house to follow her instructions, and she wants it done just right and in the right place. The nest is usually on the ground and pretty well hidden under some roots or overhanging dead grass or shrubs. Dad’s job, during the construction and also the incubation of the eggs, is to stand guard and look important. After the 11-13 day incubation period he does help in feeding the young with small worms and insects. The feeding chore at the nest is only for about two weeks, and then the young are fledged. The parents worry about the youngsters for a few days before starting on brood number two, which is common in this area.
Juncos are pretty rugged birds. One can often see them during a semi or full blizzard foraging for small seeds and grit on the side of a country road. Edward Forbush noted in his book, “Useful Birds and Their Protection” that juncos were a great help to agriculturists because they consumed so many of the seeds of the … “pernicious weeds of witch grass, amaranth, lamb’s quarters and sorrel.” He even quoted a Dr. Judd that timed a junco eating 93 seeds in 2 minutes and 23 seconds. I pretend to help them with an increased bounty of thistle seed and fine cracked corn, and, of course, all of the grit and pernicious weed seeds that they can find.
Since Juncos are ground nesting birds they and their nests are subject to being preyed upon by raccoons, skunks, free roaming cats, weasels and foxes. Sharp-shinned hawks, kestrels, and Cooper’s hawks can catch them in flight. Fortunately, even though juncos may be pretty low on the food chain, they are also quite prolific, and their numbers seem to be in good shape. Other birds, like starlings, crows and quail, have a special word for a group of these birds. I don’t know if there is a distinct word for a flock of juncos. Since they’re my juncos (at least when they are in my yard), I’ll call it a ‘Jehoshaphat’ of juncos.
Embden (Map 20)
We have had a Red Bellied Woodpecker come to our suet on and off all winter. We were excited as we didn’t think they came this far north. He is very shy so we have to be careful not to make a sudden move while watching out the sliding door. Now we worry that he won’t be able to find a mate.
A red bellied woodpecker at a suet feeder in Embden, Maine
Today a flock of 40 Bohemian Waxwings came through. At first I thought they were Cedar Waxwing but a closer look showed them to have a rusty undertail.
Every evening one to three flying squirrels visit. They arrive about 2 hours after sunset. At the end of December they came to the deck about 6 and as the days have lengthened, they are arriving later and later. Last night they arrived about 7:30. They like the suet and the sunflower seeds, but go “nuts” over the shelled peanuts we set out on the deck railing. They grab a nut and jump off the railing to sail onto a nearby tree to eat the peanut. Then they run farther up the tree and sail back down to the railing. Every night they stay for only 20 -30 minutes then move on.
A flying squirrel enjoys his evening meal in Embden, Maine
Fahi Pond is located on DeLorme map 20 in Embden, Maine. Reported by JS
Farmland Conservation in Washington County
Protecting existing farms and creating opportunities for new farmers to continue stewarding this land is a key factor in expanding Washington County's capacity for a sustainable, local foods system.
Washington County Food Alliance presents:
Farmland Conservation in Washington County
Protecting existing farms and creating opportunities for new farmers to continue stewarding this land is a key factor in expanding Washington County’s capacity for a sustainable, local foods system.Speaker John Piotti from Maine Farmland Trust will present on this subject. Please join us in this opportunity to gather resources, get to know our farming community, re-energize, re-inspire, and participate in an important discussion.
What: An Evening Discussion and Presentation
When: March 7th, 2012
Where: Princeton Grange #293
596 West Street
Princeton, Maine
Time: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Who: Food concerns everyone- please come! Table space for brochures and product display will be available. Homemade local snacks are always welcome too!
For more information, please contact Dana Stevens at dana.stevens@foodcorps.org, 603.809.9231
American Bald Eagle
Saturday, February 18, 2012 (Map 45, Washington County)
I turned around after watching my 11 year old friend Victoria pull her 19″ small mouth bass out of the ice to see Tammy pointing. “Oh my God, look!” This American bald eagle had landed on the ice only 100′ behind us. It slowly made its way over to the pickerel. We were happy to let it have the fish.Tammy gathered the rest of our fish and hid them under a JetSled.
An American bald eagle stole a pickerel from ice fishermen.
It seems someone has been feeding the eagles on a regular basis. I’ve never been near eagles that were as comfortable with people as two of the four we saw. I had my camera in hand already so, in jeans and long johns, no ski pants because it was a warm day, I stretched out on the ice taking photos for 10 to 15 minutes. It was worth being wet and cold for a few hours.
The bald eagles stayed on the ice with us much of the day.
Quoddy Nature Notes – Balsam Fir
Witches broom in summer.
I’m pretty lukewarm on my feelings for Balsam Fir, Abies balsamea. Even though I like all plants and Balsam Fir is our only native fir here in the Quoddy region and it is the provincial tree of New Brunswick, I don’t rate it as high as, say, White Pine, Beech or Red Oak. Fir is sort of a sticky forestry weed, clogging up my trails even under the heaviest overstory. I consider it higher than skunk currant or poison ivy, but fir is not a big part of my scheme of things, as it makes poor firewood and seldom grows big enough to be useful saw logs. I do appreciate our fir a little more after researching it, and for a puny, pesty tree it has a significant economic impact on the area. The big use is during the Christmas season, when the pleasant scented branch tips are collected for wreaths. There are several ‘large’ companies and many small organizations and households that handle a tremendous amount of brush to do this; for example, one local company, “Whitney Originals”, buys upwards of 1,000,000 pounds a year. Balsam fir is pretty shade tolerant, but the best tips are found on a tree with good sun. The lower branches often take root, and I’ve not noticed any other conifers that do this.
The sap of Balsam fir had been used in the past for making microscope slides, as the stuff is a preservative and has a coefficient of refraction similar to glass. Wildlife often inhabit the dense stands of fir that appear in some sections of older forest for winter cover. Deer, bear, moose, hares and grouse may browse firs, but it is not a sought after food. Birds like Chickadees and Crossbills and Red squirrels do seek out the cones for winter food. Native Americans used the sap of Balsam fir for glue and sealant, and also for cuts and bruises. They made a tea from the inner bark and twigs, and also used the twigs on the hot rocks of their sweat lodges, and in all cases this was thought to be beneficial for the lungs. Early European colonists used Balsam fir twigs as stuffing for pillows and mattresses, and prepared a mixture of about 20% fir pitch and 80% bear grease to use as an ointment for joints and muscular aches. Backpackers know that Balsam fir twigs make a much better sleeping mat than even the least prickly Black spruce. Apparently, in the Province of Quebec the properties of Balsam fir are used more frequently, and the pitch is harvested in the summer by woodsmen called ‘piquers’ who collect the sap in a little special bucket called a ‘picou’. The fir pitch is made into many medicinal items and used in soaps and perfumes.
Witch's broom in winter. The needles have fallen off but the twigs are still alive, and will grow new needles in a few months.
The Balsam fir is attacked by the spruce budworm, the balsam wooly adelgid, and a host of other insects and diseases. An interesting malevolence is the ‘witch’s broom’; a rust fungus Melampsorella caryophyllacearum. This causes a rampant growth of twigs resulting in greenish-yellow blob of needles in the summer that drop off in the winter. The alternate host for this rust is Chickweed. The Balsam fir also is an alternate host for the rust Pucciniastrum goeppertianum. This rust attacks highbush blueberries, and there is no cure or remedy for this once the berry bush becomes infected. The ‘Rancocas’ type of berry is somewhat resistant to the rust, but planting highbush blueberries within a thousand feet of any Balsam fir is not recommended.
I always wondered what was happening to my highbush blueberry patch. I have it all fenced in to protect it from the rabbits in the winter and arrangements for netting in the summer to keep out the birds. Let’s see. If I dig up all my present plants I’ll probably need almost a quart of soothing ointment for my joints and muscular aches. I guess I will need about 6 ounces of Balsam fir pitch and mix that with 25 ounces of bear grease. Hmm. Maybe I’ll use Olive oil instead.
Coyote~America’s Songdog – Stanton Bird Club
CONTACT Kathleen Demers, Stanton Bird Club, 783-1904
Is it possible for human beings to coexist with carnivores—with coyotes in particular?
Conservation Biologist, Geri Vistein, whose work in Maine focuses on carnivores and our relationship with them, plans to offer a forum where people can learn that living with coyotes is not only possible, but also vital to maintaining the biodiversity of our planet.
Photo courtesy of www.ellisonphotography.com. “Coyote~America’s Songdog” is the title of a presentation by Conservation Biologist, Geri Vistein, which will be sponsored by the Stanton Bird Club, on March 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Auburn Public Library. The public is invited to attend.
The Stanton Bird Club has invited Vistein to speak to club members and to the public on Monday, March 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Auburn Public Library, 49 Spring Street. She will present the PowerPoint program, “Coyote~America’s Songdog,” during which she will share her knowledge and wisdom about this often maligned animal, and listeners will be invited to share perceptions about and experiences with coyotes.
Vistein received her undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana, and a Master’s degree in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont. While living in Montana, she participated in research projects concerning carnivores: The Grizzly Bear DNA Study in and around Glacier National Park, The Elk Calf Mortality Study (determining the carnivores that caused their deaths) in the Blackfoot Valley of Montana, and a Snowshoe Hare Study (in reference to an ongoing Lynx study) in Yellowstone National Park. Prior to pursuing her Wildlife Degree, she had earned a Master’s degree in Education. She has educated children in the mainstream classroom, as well as given presentations to diverse audiences throughout Maine on behalf of Living Earth Programs of Boston, focused on environmental issues and endangered species.
Vistein’s presentation comes from a positive place, bringing in Anthropology, Archaeology, Native American life, poetry, Human Psychology, Wildlife Science, and Animal Husbandry. It centers on perceptions and relationships—coyote with Native Americans and European Americans, and with other wildlife and the ecosystem. She is known to have deep respect for the coyote, and to listen with empathy to people’s conflicting feelings about co-existing with it.
All are welcome to attend this free presentation, that they may be enlightened about the ways citizens can play an important role in including the coyote in the protection of a rich biodiversity in the state of Maine.
The Stanton Bird Club is a conservation organization offering monthly natural history programs, and field trips throughout the state of Maine free of charge. We welcome new members whose dues help to support land stewardship at three sanctuaries totaling 782 acres in Lewiston and Monmouth. For more information, please visit us on the web at www.stantonbirdclub.org.
Love in the Wild
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Nature Gone Wild! Little Brown bats live here in Maine.
Burying beetles not only mate for life but also raise their children together. Expectant parents bury dead birds or mice and lay eggs nearby. Photo courtesy of Brett Cortesi, Roger Williams Park Zoo
Nature Gone Wild!
The Nature Conservancy ranks the top 10 strangest ways nature finds love.
So you think you’ve had some strange dates? This Valentine’s Day, The Nature Conservancy compiled the top 10 most bizarre examples of love in the wild.
“Nature can get pretty wild, especially when love is in the air,” said Mike Tetreault, Director of The Nature Conservancy in Maine.
Unfortunately, many of these creatures are at risk of disappearing forever because of habitat loss, climate change, and other threats. To make sure these incredible animals survive in the future, The Nature Conservancy is working to protect the grasslands, forests and waters around the world where they raise their young.
“Nature is powerful, but for many animals their future now depends not only on their mating prowess, but on what help we give them,” Tetreault said. “If we don’t act now to protect the lands and water these creatures call home, they may not be around for future generations.”
Learn more at www.nature.org/wildlove
Do these wild lovers remind you of anyone?
1) Deep sea angler fish: “Losing yourself in love”
Male anglerfish bite their mates and permanently fuse to their bodies. Over time, the male’s brain, eyes and organs dissolve until he turns into a small lump, releasing sperm whenever the female is ready to lay eggs. Scientists first thought the lumps were fins before discovering they were the males.
2) Prairie Chickens: “Strut Your Stuff”
Male prairie chickens attract females with loud “booming” noises that can be heard miles away. They also perform an elaborate dance — lowering their heads, erecting their neck feathers, inflating orange air sacks, dropping their wings and pointing their tails, all while frantically stamping their feet.
3) Burying Beetle: “Family Oriented”
Burying beetles not only mate for life but also raise their children together. Expectant parents bury dead birds or mice and lay eggs nearby. The parents lie on their backs and use their legs like a conveyor belt to move carcasses up to 200 times their own weight. Once hatched, larvae feed on the carcass or the parents rub their wings together to call the larvae and regurgitate meat into their mouths.
4) Freshwater mussels: “The bait and switch”
Male mussels release sperm into the water, which females capture downstream. Larvae hatch inside the females’ shells but must then attach to a fish to grow. To lure fish, mother mussels wave appendages that look like worms, crayfish or other bait. Some emit a smell of rotting flesh to attract scavenger fish. When fish approach, the mussels shoot the larvae onto the fish.
5) Prairie Vole: “Born to be Faithful”
Unlike most rodents, prairie voles are monogamous. Scientists have discovered that prairie vole faithfulness is caused by hormone receptors located in their brain’s reward centers, giving them the sense of pleasure from monogamy.
6) Bower birds: “Bachelor Pads”
Male bowers of Australia and New Guinea build large and elaborate bachelor pads on forest floors, decorated with flowers, leaves, shells and even stolen coins – anything they think will attract a mate. Some paint the walls with chewed berries, others build lawns of moss. Drab males build the flashiest pads to compensate for their dull colors.
7) Lions: “One Track Mind”
When lions mate, the coupling usually lasts only about 20 seconds. But the pair will repeat the act every 20 minutes or so – sometimes up to 40 times a day. This will continue for three to seven days straight, with the male and female neglecting to hunt or eat during the entire time.
Tree crickets: “Smooth talker”
Male crickets bite holes in leafs to amplifier their love songs and attract females. Once they mate, however, male sperm packets don’t fit inside the females’ bodies so a portion hangs out. The ever-ravenous females try to eat the packet before fertilization can occur. To distract her, the male sings and secretes a tasty goo from his back, feeding her until the eggs are fertilized.
9) Day Octopus: “Keep Your Distance”
Female day octopi are known to eat their partners after mating, so the males keep their distance. When a male finds a female, he extends one arm and waves. If she responds, he uses his arm to place a sperm packet under the female’s body covering. The octopi stay at an arm’s length – appearing as though they are holding hands.
10) Little Brown Bats: “Waiting for the Right Time”
Because these bats mate in the autumn — but hibernate during winter – females store sperm for seven months to delay pregnancy until springtime. While bats normally hang upside down, females stand upright to give birth and catch their babies in a membrane between their legs. Newborns cling to their mothers even during nighttime flights as they search for food.
Lisbon Falls (Map 6)
February 1. 2012 Lisbon Falls Map 6
Well the den site that had fox tracks near it one day and on another day fishers tracks proved to be that of a skunk. Very odd to see a skunk active this time of year. SY
What’s Eating The Pumpkins?
Last fall’s cornstalks, pumpkins and squash were loaded into the tractor’s bucket and hauled off to the edge of the woods. I’ve been waiting to see what might grow this summer. Yesterday afternoon I discovered this 2.5″ hole through the snow, into the pile. Something has been enjoying the pumpkins, probably the seeds. I suspect it’s a red squirrel. There are no tracks in the snow today. I’ll go back after the next snow fall to look again.
Red Fox, Lisbon Falls (Map 6)
A red fox passes a trail cam during the night.
January 27 Lisbon Falls Map 6
This red fox passed by the trail camera the other day. I think I have found its den and have moved the trail camera to that location which is not far from where this photo was taken. It it’s not the fox den then we will find out who’s it’s is next time I check the camera.
Oriole? Windsor (Map 14)
Windsor, January 30
Could this be possible? Yesterday, while working in the woodpile in the late afternoon the call of an oriole rang out. Clear, consistent and numerous times I heard this bird, and then again this morning. The orioles inhabit trees in our area regularly, but on January 29? Not usually, for 29 winters we have lived here and this is the first time ever.
Could starlings possibly mimic the oriole? Seems doubtful to me but … SH
Ice Fishing on East Musquash, Topsfield (Map 45)
It was windy but it looked like a nice day to ice fish. There are only two shacks on East Musquash Lake today.
It looked like a good morning to be out on the ice.
Quoddy Nature News – Foxes
Foxes
There is actually quite a bit of activity going on in Maine in the bleak midwinter. Bears typically have their cubs (See ‘Lugnut’ and her twin cubs, born 1/16/2012, at http://www.wildliferesearch.org); honeybees are starting a new generation of workers, and foxes have romance on their minds and are marking their territories. We only have the Red Fox here in the Quoddy region and there has been some debate as to whether or not these critters are native or were introduced by the early European settlers. Our Red fox was long recognized as a separate species Vulpes fulva, but it is now deemed the same clever animal of European folklore V. vulpes. Even though some of these animals had been brought over from Europe, the early explorers noted Red foxes and the trade with Native Americans included the furs of the Red fox. Martin Pring, searching for furs and anything of value to trade in 1603, noted Red foxes in the openings along the coast of Maine and especially on the islands. He even named one of the islands ‘Fox Island’, which is now known as Vinalhaven. I checked with Kirk Gentalen, the only naturalist that I know on Vinalhaven, and he wrote that he saw a Red fox there about 7 years ago, but hasn’t seen any signs since. I haven’t seen a fox on our property for many years, even though I encourage native predators, and there is a Fox Island off our shore in Cobscook Bay. I have seen foxes in the town of Pembroke, but I have never gotten a good picture of one.
The Red fox has the widest range of any terrestrial carnivore, and, with over 50 recognized subspecies, it is found on most continents except South America, Antarctica and most of Africa. It may be seen in many colors; including black, gray and silver, but it always has a white-tipped tail. The Red fox has a keen sense of smell and acute senses of hearing and sight. Interestingly, the ears of the Red fox are most sensitive to sounds of about 3.5 kHz; much lower than other predators. It is thought that this sound is more in the range of small rodents gnawing or rustling in the grass or leaves. The eyes of Red foxes are also unusual, being of yellow color with vertical pupils, more like a cat and not much like other canids. Foxes are of the same family as wolves and coyotes but they separated into their own genus about 10 million years ago, so although there have been reports of coyote, wolf, or dog/fox hybrids there have been no hybrids that have stood up to scientific scrutiny.
Red foxes are not very big, and average about 10 pounds. They are pretty immune to the cold weather, and seldom seek shelter for a nap in the most severe blizzard. They just curl up where they feel the safest from predators. The biggest predators around here are trappers and automobiles, even though coyotes will prey on foxes. It’s sort of interesting that there is a strong dislike among members of the canid family. Many years ago I was hunting gray squirrels in Massachusetts, and I had a couple of farm pooches that every once in a while would be helpful in my sport. This time they ran off, and shortly after I heard them barking. The barking was different; there was a distinct hatred conveyed by my normally pretty docile mutts, and I found that they had cornered a Red fox in a bank. I wasn’t after fox, and it was with some difficulty that I got them out of there and back home, because squirrel hunting was done for the day.
Red foxes are clever and considered a challenge to trap. From the data that I have, in the past 10 years the number harvested annually in Maine has ranged from about a 1000 to 2000. The pelts may average about $20, but some exotic silver or platinum colored morphs have in the past brought well over $1,000 each. I hope some plain old Red fox doesn’t get harvested because he rolled around in my wood ash pile. Nah. They’re too smart for that.
Snowy Morning in Windsor (Map 14)
Our domestic fowl, hens and guinea fowl act as if it is springtime all ready, out picking on the grass and spending more time than usual in the yards and fields.
Meanwhile, with the consistently warming storms I am often feeling ominous about the potential for heavy ice; we still have trees standing with damage from the ice storm of 1998 and they are a reminder of how damaging ice can be.
The long trip toward fatality for these giant damaged trees is interesting and sad; they were our beautiful shelter in summer and winter and reminders of a time long ago when our house (built in 1820) was not here. One particular maple that lost its top in 1998, stands dead now and as the water drops into the top of the trunk the rot works its way downward. The woodpeckers of various species love this tree, it must harbor all sorts of food for them all year round. In windstorms and minor ice events, it drops branches and larger limbs and someday, when we least expect it, some large portion of the giant trunk (nearly 4 feet in diameter at the base) will come crashing down seriously damaging or destroying anything in its way. The expense of removal is beyond our means and, in fact, the tree is in the town’s right of way, so we continue to watch the demise of this giant happening Nature’s way. SH
Maine’s Black Bears – live video
The Wildlife Research Foundation has live video of Lugnut, an adult black bear, and her two newborn cubs online now. The cubs were born on January 16. This is an opportunity to learn a lot about Maine’s bears. I made a donation this morning and will be checking in on Lugnut and the cubs daily until they leave the den in the spring. You have to watch closely to see the cubs. They are tiny and are snuggled against Lugnut to stay warm. You can hear them, sometimes loudly, often.
Skowhegan (Map 21)
The photo I have attached is of our “Hemlar” tree. Years ago we
planted the hemlock on the right. Several years later we planted the
cedar and they now look like one tree. JF
(It bet it’s a nice shelter for birds during a storm. RF)
Windsor (Map 13)
In 2012, I hope to regain the resolve I once had about reporting here. I enjoyed the observing and writing so why did I stop? Just the “nature” of a busy lifestyle I guess…
The quickly moving weather fronts have certainly made for strange conditions from the front yard to the woods. Wind, water and warmth have combined to create an open winter thus far and its hard to believe that we’ve had over 20 inches of snow here — there’s certainly no sign of it even in the deepest woodland spots. The surface water is incredibly high so its sort of an ongoing mud season then freezes as hard as a rock.
We do seem to have gray squirrels returning and they actively tease our dogs almost as if it is sport.
PSH
Robin’s Journal – Upta Camp for Thanksgiving
Mother Nature could have put a damper in our Thanksgiving plans with a snow storm the day before Thanksgiving. Parts of the state were blanketed under close to a foot of fresh now. Upper Sysladobsis (Upper Dobsis, pronounced dob-see) in Lakeville (Map 35) had only 6″. We put the trucks in four wheel drive and hit the road. Routes 1 and 6 weren’t as well tended as the winding, dirt camp road.
The ride in was beautiful. Coyote tracks crossed the road in two places.
We drove through tunnels of snowy trees. Folks who live at the lake year round plowed the road. It’s primitive, no electricity other than generators, no phones except cells with iffy reception, no oil-burning furnaces, only wood stoves and propane heaters for year.
We cross the bridge over Brown Brook on the way in. The beavers made a half-hearted attempt at building a dam years ago.
An ermine visited the deck before we arrived.
This is not the view of the front deck we’re accustomed to. There weren’t any ice-cold drinks served out there.
The old wood cookstove helped warm the camp and cook part of our Thanksgiving dinner.
The back door is used to record stories of hunting season. Uncle Bobby shot a big buck, the boys did the dishes in record time, Brush got his deer and more.
We had turkey, stuffing, cornbread dressing, rutabaga, winter squash, mashed potatoes, gravy and pies. Food was the minor part of Thanksgiving. Being together with family at our family camp was most important. We could have had PB&J for dinner and been perfectly happy.
Deer and Coyote Tracks – Molunkus (Map 44)
A coyote followed a deer for several miles sometime between November 23 and 25. The track on the left is coyote. On the right, a deer track beneath a coyote track. 
Ring Necked Snake (Pembroke Map 37)
I found this little snake in my garage on Nov 18th. I knew he was injured, as I had apparently driven over him, but I didn't know how badly. Sadly, he died a couple of days later.
Northern Flying Squirrel
This essay was originally published in February, 2007. A thank you to Fred Gralenski, the author, came in today. I think it’s well worth repeating. The email is at the bottom.
Flying Squirrels
by Frederick Gralenski
Flying squirrels are a cute but mysterious critter that we have here in the Quoddy region. They are quite common, but since their normal hours of business are from dusk to about midnight we don’t see them very often. There are two species of flying squirrels in North America, the Northern Flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus, which is the larger of the two species and comes in at a plump 4 ounces (which is about half the weight of our Red Squirrel), and the Southern Flying squirrel Glaucomys volans, which tips the scale at about 2 ½ ounces. The literature is a little contradictory as to whether we have both species here in the Quoddy region, but we probably just have the Northern Flying squirrel. The Southern variety prefers a more deciduous habitat, and there is a precarious population being studied in southern Nova Scotia. There are 25 subspecies of the Northern Flying squirrel, and not all are recognized as such by wildlife biologists. Around here this squirrel is sometimes called a ‘Night squirrel’; the French Canadians call it ‘Grand Polatouche’; the First Nation call it ‘Assapanick’; but my Passamaquoddy reference book lists only generic squirrel, ‘Mihku’.
Flying squirrels don’t fly, but they are very good at gliding. On a calm day (night) they can glide about 2 ½ times the distance of their launch, i.e., if they launch from a 50 foot tree they can traverse about 125 feet horizontally. At the end of their glide they swoop into a stall condition and make a very controlled four point landing, immediately scamper to the other side of the tree then peek around with their big eyes to see if anything saw them. How they first learn to do this is another one of nature’s mysteries.
Our flying squirrel is the generally accepted subspecies G. s. macrotis. Its winter survival here (even when we did have winters), is pretty intriguing. There is agreement among references that these flying squirrels are gregarious and during cold temperatures as many as a half dozen may nest together in a cozy pile of ‘Old Man’s Beard’ high up in a spruce tree, or in a hollow tree, or in a woodpecker hole, or birdhouse, or, if tolerated, in our house or barn. There is disagreement among references as to whether or not this critter stores food. If they do store food do they all store food together and all get to share? They are active in temperatures below –20 deg F, but do not hibernate or enter torpor (like their Southern cousins). Flying squirrels have figured out that if they add fat reserves they glide like a quarter pound of butter, so they stay pretty lean all winter. And what do they eat? I have seen them on our birdfeeders and at times they feast on the black oil sunflower seeds and at other times on the suet. In the wild our flying squirrels will eat just about any type of seed or anything else, but their normal diet consists of a lot of arboreal and subterranean lichens and fungi. Reportedly Indians would not eat flying squirrels because they ‘ate dirt’. It has been shown that the spores of some lichens and fungi pass unmodified through the digestive tract of flying squirrels, effectively propagating these organisms that are so necessary to the ecology of the forest.
The breeding season of the Northern Flying squirrel usually begins in late March, and there is only one litter of about three per year that are born in the summer. Timid and among the most docile of mammals that we have here, some writers state that the flying squirrel won’t bite if handled. Don’t bet on it. Each animal has his own personality, and there are some that may not bite. I cringe when I see an episode in the allegedly educational nature cartoon ‘Mark Trail’ where some character calmly carries an injured wild beaver under his arm, petting it while he brings it to the vet. That’s probably good fodder for some dreamer in Brooklyn, but I hope our local folk, who are more likely to find a compromised wild animal, know better.
Thanks from PC in Norway, Maine
Many thanks to Fred Gralenski for his piece about Flying Squirrels! I just had the prifilege of rescuing one who was trapped in a corner in the house by my cat. I AM a local Mainer, so know to protect myself from possible defensive gestures. After herding it into a plastic bucket, I wrapped the whole thing in a bath towel and carried it into my woods to release it. I only saw glimpses of cute face a couple of times, but did notice the big eyes–it was either a baby or something I hadn’t seen before in all my years in the woods of Maine. I carried it to the stone wall a bit of a distance away so that it would have plenty of places to hide. When I uncovered it, it fled to a young tree and scurried up so fast I couldn’t get a good look. It did just as you said: near the tiny top of this tree I could just see the paws and claws, a small, tapered tail, and edges of it’s underside–the rest was hidden on the far side. Eventually it scrambled up a bit higher, launched itself, and soared a great distance to another patch of trees. I saw it sailing gracefully against the blue sky for several seconds–a treat I’ll never forget. Your informative article was the first I found, and I am grateful for that! It’s the very first encounter I’ve had with one of these beautiful, shy animals.
PC
Norway, Maine
Safety Warning
What most people think of as “hunting season” opened Saturday morning. If you’re going to be walking in the woods in Maine during hunting season please think seriously about wearing blaze orange so that you can be easily seen.
