WHAT'S NEW IN NATURE? 2003 Archive

Do you have something happening in your corner of Washington? - Please call a member or e-mail your observations to have them included here

December 2003:
Carol writes: I just saw a beautiful weasel scurrying along the rocks on the shore of Halfmoon Pond. Here’s what Fish and Game has to say about weasels:

Getting ready for winter for some creatures involves more than just finding the right kind of food and shelter. For snowshoe hare and several members of the weasel family, it also means changing their summer brown coat to a winter white one. New Hampshire has two species of weasels that change their coat color -- the long-tailed weasel and the ermine, or short-tailed weasel. In mid-October, both species begin to lose their reddish-brown coats and usually by mid-November they are all white.

Only the tips of their tails remain black. In March, they start to lose their white coats and change back to their reddish-brown summer color. The differences between the two weasel species are slight. Their tracks give us the best clue as to which one we are seeing. Weasels leave behind a "2-2" track pattern. The front feet come down and, as the front feet leave the ground, the hind feet come in immediately behind. This type of movement is called bounding. An ermine track looks like short strides alternating with long strides, with an occasional drag made between the tracks. The trail width is a little over an inch and the stride ranges from 9 to 30 inches. The long-tailed weasel's track is slightly larger. Ermine are 7 to 13 inches long (without the tail) and weigh 2 to 7 ounces, about as heavy as an average banana. Male ermines are larger than females. This can make it difficult to identify tracks, as a larger male ermine may be as big as a small long-tailed weasel. Ermine tend to frequent areas where there is possible prey, like woodpiles, brushpiles and stone walls. Common foods include mice, chipmunks, voles, shrews and rabbits. In the summer, they also eat frogs, small snakes, birds, insects and earthworms. The size of their home range depends on prey availability. Males have larger home ranges and regularly make a circuit seeking food. Females have smaller home ranges of from 5 to 24 acres and hunt with trails radiating out from their den site. In the winter, female ermines often hunt subnivean (under the snow), using the tunnels made by their prey. Ermines can squeeze into tunnels less than an inch in diameter! When temperatures are low and they need additional thermal protection, ermines often will rest in the tunnels and nests of their prey. If there is plenty of food, ermine may eat the internal organs, brains and muscles and leave the rest of their prey. So, a pile of mouse carcasses with the heads missing or the remains of just legs and tails are signs of ermine activity. They kill instantly by biting their prey at the base of the neck. In addition, ermine will cache (store) foods, so they can return to eat more. - Judy Silverberg, wildlife educator

Last Big Social Event for Moose: As the leaves fall off the trees and temperatures drop, moose begin to think about their weight. The rut is nearly over and winter is fast approaching. During the rut, food was not a first priority for the bulls. They were far more interested in courting as many cows as they could find, and they traveled far and wide to find them. As a result, they lost quite a bit of weight. While this sounds like a great weight loss plan -- one many of us could probably follow successfully! -- it has serious repercussions for the moose. In order to successfully survive the cold and poor food resources of the coming winter, moose must have good fat reserves. To enter the winter as a "lean mean fighting machine" is tantamount to a death sentence. So, in mid-October and November, thoughts of romance are set aside and serious feeding begins. At this time of year, moose will visit any area that provides good forage. It's not unusual to walk into a prime clear-cut and find multiple bulls of various ages, along with a number of cows, feeding together. Moose will consume up to 40 pounds of leaves, buds and the new woody growth of young deciduous trees each day. During the oncoming winter, the only food available will be buds and twigs, which are low in nutritional value. Moose movements will be restricted by crust and deep snow, further impacting their ability to get to available foods. Moose have adapted to this regimen, and, as winter settles in, their metabolism and appetite will slow down. They'll rely on the stored fat supplies within their bodies and slowed metabolism to get them through the winter. Regardless of how much food is available, moose will eat and move around less in an effort to conserve energy, in effect protecting their all-important fat deposits. So, for the next few weeks, don't be surprised if you see multiple moose together feeding in a clear-cut or any area that provides an abundance of deciduous browse. These groups won't stay together; they will go their separate ways each evening and eventually part for the winter. Cows will keep their calves and, occasionally, their yearlings with them, and bulls may pair up for the winter. But until spring, this is the last big "social event" for moose and definitely the last good feed. - Kristine Bontaites, moose project leader

If you would like to sign up for Fish and Game’s Wildlife Journal email list: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Inside_FandG/join_mail_list.htm

The Future of Food in New England: report from the citizen panel http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/fas/justfoods/Future_of_Food.pdf

October 2003:
Monarch Butterflies (Dan aus plexippus) are migrating! They travel up to three-thousand miles twice a year: south in the fall and north in the spring. To avoid the long, cold northern winters, monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains winter along the California coast. Those east of the Rockies fly south to the mountain forests of Mexico. Unlike migrating birds and whales, however, individual monarchs only make the round-trip once. It is their great-grandchildren that return south the following fall. Eastern populations winter in Florida, along the coast of Texas, and in Mexico, and return to the north in spring. Monarch butterflies follow the same migration patterns every year. Tens of millions of these butterflies spend the winter in a mountain forest in Central Mexico.



September 2003:
Mushrooms are everywhere! With our wet, late summer weather there are many mushrooms to see. Grab your mushroom guide and go exploring for the many varieties found in our area. A good beginner’s guide to mushrooms is the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms of North America.

Carol brought in a "Maitakei" also known as "Hen-of- the-woods" weighing in at 9 lbs. These mushrooms grow at the base of really large old oak trees. They are an edible mushroom, and are used medicinally for conditions such as cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes. These mushrooms can grow up to 100 lbs. The Japanese call this the dancing mushroom. It used to be that they could trade this mushroom pound for pound with silver, so they certainly did a little dance when they found it. The mushrooms that we collect and eat are merely the fruiting bodies of an organism that lives underground or in wood. It doesn’t hurt the organism to pick the fruiting body.
Hen-of-the-Woods (Grifola frondosa)

Description: This mushroom really does look something like a large, ruffled chicken. It grows as a bouquet of grayish-brown, fan-shaped, overlapping caps, with offcenter white talks branching from a single thick base. On the underside, the pore surface is white. It often grows in the same spot year after year.
When and Where: Summer and fall; on the ground at the base of trees, or on stumps.
Cautions: Many gilled mushrooms grow in large clumps- remember that hen-of-the-woods is a pore fungus. This mushroom has no poisonous look-alikes, but there are some similar species of pore fungi that are tough and inedible. If what you have tastes leathery or otherwise unpleasant, you probably didn't pick a hen-of-the-woods.
Cooking Hints: Use only fresh, tender portions. Simmer in salted water until tender (requires long, slow cooking), and serve as a vegetable with cream sauce; or chill after cooking and use on salads.

Moose visit! Pamela Russo writes - "I was spending the weekend at a friend's home on Ashuelot Pond in Washington. I was out on the back deck very early in the morning (6:45 a.m. on 9/21/03) thinking what a great picture I could get of the sun coming up on the lake when this little guy walked through the back yard."

Lots of reports of moose in Ashuelot.
A bald eagle has been visiting the upper Ashuelot.
There seem to be more coyote around than the past couple years.

June 2003:
The Loons are back in Washington
John Tweedy had a bear at his house last night (8:44 p.m.)
Carol Andrews reported that the rhodora are blooming in the Bradford Bog
Don Richard saw a salamander the size of a spotted, but with no spots

May 2003:
Salamanders are moving to vernal pools

Mayflowers (trailing arbutus) are in bloom

Listen for woodcock in open fields of about 2 acres or larger, preferably next to a wetland. Listen for their distinctive "peent" call and watch for their spectacular mating displays at dusk.

Black flies are coming! The bad news: Approximately 40 species of black flies are known to occur in New Hampshire. The good news: Of these species, only 4 or 5 are considered to be significant human biters or annoying.

April 2003:
Spotted Salamanders will be moving soon. Watch for them on roads, especially on rainy nights. Get out to see activity in vernal pools.
Suggested Reading: A Field Guide to the animals of Vernal Pools, by Leo P. Kenney and Matthew R. Burne.


Let's Talk Turkey: The Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire was locked down Friday (3/21?) after a "potential intruder" was spotted on a security screen. "Immediately, we locked down the plant.... We called on the sea coast security, the New Hampshire State police and the local Seabrook police," a plant spokesman said. A security worker, however, told the FBI he saw "a large bird (probably a wild turkey) with approximately a 4-foot wingspan fly across the road in front of him" while he was patrolling the area. In its report to the NRC, Seabrook noted the turkey sighting "coincided with the location and time the security operator saw the image on his screen." The NRC called off the alarm.

Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee Report on their hike on 3/15 "Today, several members of the Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee and their spouses hiked on snowshoes down the middle of the Ashuelot River from Mountain Road to the beginning of Ashuelot Pond. It was so-o-o- beautiful!  And we saw tracks of otter, beaver, fisher, red fox, gray fox, snowshoe hare, and mink. Additionally, we saw many bear bites on balsam firs along the edge of the river. There were also a few deer rubs (no tracks) and a moose sign. It is an untrammeled part of the river. The open expanses are lovely, including a vast marshy area (frozen over now) near the Washington-Lempster line. There was one house where we began and houses at the end (as well as noisy snowmobiles on the pond). Otherwise, all quiet except for the yapping of beagles released to help hare hunters."  Ann Sweet (Sullivan)


March 2003:
10' 5.5" of snow so far this winter!

This is the season to hear Owls!
Who's Who in the Owl Family
Owls are much more numerous than people realize. Unless you live deep in a treeless city, there is likely to be an owl within walking distance of your house. This is the time of year when it's easier to find them. A cold night in midwinter is a good time to locate owls as they call to each other during their breeding season. Eleven species of owl occur in New Hampshire. The most common species live in forests, swamps, woodlots, farms and even suburban yards. None of these owls are easy to see by day; they spend most of the daylight hours hidden in tree cavities or perched in thick vegetation. Their plumage color and pattern is designed to blend in and their nocturnal activity period makes them difficult to detect. Owls see and hear what humans cannot. Many special adaptations combine to make owls superb nocturnal predators. Owls can see 35 to 100 times better in dim light than we can. Their eyes are fixed in their sockets. The only way they can move their eyes is rotating their head. Their large, sensitive ears, located to the outside of their large eyes enable them to locate distance and direction of sound with amazing accuracy.
Here is a little bit about the four most common owls found in New Hampshire.

Saw-whet Owl
At 7-8 inches high, the saw-whet owl is the smallest of the owls found in New Hampshire. Though this owl does give a rasp call like the sound of a saw being sharpened, its most common call is "too-too-too." It can repeat this call more than 100 times per minute. It is most likely to be found perched in or near a dense stand of evergreens like hemlock or spruce, and feeds primarily on rodents.

Barred Owl
"Who Cooks for you? Who cooks for you, all?" is the call of the barred owl, the state's most vocal owl. This large brown and white owl, with large dark eyes and no ear tufts, is common. Barred owls also produce a startling array of wails, screams, whoops and cackles. They are especially noisy during their March and April courtship period. Prey include small mammals, frogs, snakes and fish.

Great Horned Owl
Great horned owls are the real "hoot-owls." Their large size, ear tufts, yellow eyes and white throat bib of this owl are unmistakable. The deep, rhythmic hoots can be heard as early as January. Their five-note call has been likened to the phrase, "Who's awake? Me Too!" An opportunistic predator, the great horned owl feeds mainly on mammals, including skunk and porcupine.

Screech Owl
The screech owl is a bit larger than the saw-whet and is also a cavity nester. These owls have two typical calls, neither one a screech; the "whinny" is a mournful descending whistle and the "tremolo" is a one-pitch whistle. Screech owls feed mainly on insects and small rodents.

February 2003:
John Tweedy remarked on the incredible ability of squirrels in his yard to find the acorns quickly and efficiently, even under all this snow. How do they do that?

Carol Andrews saw a flying squirrel on her deck a few nights ago. It was eating the seeds that fell into a hole in the snow under the bird feeder. Apparently flying squirrels are very common, but we don't see them because they are nocturnal.

Here are a few facts about the flying squirrel:
There are two species of flying squirrels that are likely to be here in Washington. The northern flying squirrel prefers conifers and the southern prefers the mixed deciduous forest. They don't actually fly, they glide.
Flying squirrels roll their babies into balls for transportation from nest to nest.
Northern flying squirrels grow fur on the soles of their feet in winter.
They tend to aggregate in numbers in hollow trees (or in your house). They are much less territorial than other rodents. The furry vestment that drapes from wrist to ankle on each side of the flying squirrel's body is called a patagium. The patagium contains a complex arrangement of muscles. These control the direction of flight. Ropelike muscles along the outer edge hold the airfoil taut. Additional muscles are used to hold the patagium close to the body when they are on foot. This patagium also acts as a blanket to keep the babies warm.
Glides of 150 feet are not unheard of, and downslope distances of 300 feet have been recorded.
Their eyes shine orange at night.

There seem to be a lot of Tufted Titmice at the bird feeder this winter.


January 2003:
Townspeople have reported seeing groups of moose traveling together.

Itching to get outside? Watch out for snow fleas!
"There are thousands of these little black things jumping around on the snow in my front yard. Are they fleas?"
These little critters are referred to as "snow fleas." Actually, they are not fleas at all. They belong to a very primitive group of insects named Collembola (CO-LEM-BO-LA), commonly called spring tails. The group is so primitive that they do not possess wings. They get around by cocking and releasing a spring-like mechanism at the tail end of their body and by crawling.
Snow fleas are active adults from November to March. They are most apparent when the snow pack starts to thaw in late winter. Their black color allows them to absorb heat from the sun. They congregate in great numbers on sunny days to feed on microscopic algae, bacteria, and fungi on the surface of the snow and to complete mating. As the trees absorb heat and the snow melts away from the base of the trees, the snow fleas move down this pathway to the leaf litter and deposit their egg load. The young hatch in the leaf litter later in the spring. They are less than a millimeter long and pinkish in color. They mature throughout the summer and become sexually active adults the following fall, usually in November. Snow fleas do no harm! They are a part of the natural processes that take place on the forest floor. Snow fleas are part of that complex of organisms that break down leaf and other organic matter. They are soil builders. They are not harmful to people or pets and they won't contaminate foodstuff if they are tracked into the house.

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