WHAT'S NEW IN NATURE? 2005 Archive

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December 2005:

The Winter Solstice, December 21st, marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere and It marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, "sun" and -stitium, "a stoppage."
Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. The Winter Solstice marks a crucial part of the natural cycle. In a real sense, the sun begins anew its journey toward longer days, times of new growth and renewal of the world once again. In a spiritual sense, it is a reminder that in order for a new path to begin, the old one must end and that spring will come again. No one's really sure how long ago humans recognized the winter solstice and began heralding it as a turning point -- the day that marks the return of the sun.

November:

Loons head for the Coast
A warm summer's night on the shore of New Hampshire's larger lakes wouldn't be the same without the forlorn wail of a loon. It's hard to imagine these lakes in silence, but they are, for months at a time, when the loons leave each fall. Our loons will soon become silent sentinels of the sea, as the storm-tossed Atlantic will be their home for the winter. Based on a few bird band returns and radio telemetry studies, we know that New Hampshire's loons winter along coastal waters from Maine to the Chesapeake Bay. The Loon Preservation Committee's preliminary 2005 numbers show that New Hampshire has 203 territorial pairs of loons and a total of 496 adult loons, about the same as last year. This year's nesting was affected by wet weather in late spring and early summer, and the number of loon chicks hatched (141) and chicks surviving through mid-August (111) were lower than usual. This time of year, loons fade away from our lakes along with the disappearing daylight. First the adults move toward the coast, followed by their young in a few weeks. Loons are common and easily spotted along our coast all winter long. Not only are their voices muted for the winter months, but so, too, is their beautiful summer plumage. Over the winter, the brilliantly white and olive-colored birds will become black-and-white silhouettes against the dark Atlantic waters.
-- Eric Orff, wildlife biologist
Learn more about loons at the Loon Preservation Committee’s website: www.loon.org.

October:

Question: What is a baby porcupine called?
One animal that won't be vanishing this winter is the porcupine, which is active year round in New Hampshire. With thousands of quills on their backs, porcupines are not in any hurry! They sit quietly munching in trees, or waddle along the ground. Clues that porcupines are around include ground littered with short twigs of hemlock. Porcupines break twigs off the larger branches, chew off the tasty needle tips and toss the rest away. Chewed bark is another sign. Porcupine scat looks like a pile of brown elbow macaroni. Porcupines are active mostly at night. This time of year through early December is their breeding season. Between next April and August, females will give birth to one baby. (What's a baby porcupine called? A porcupette! No kidding!)
Our porcupines are also busy eating up a storm, feasting on bark, twigs and acorns. Porcupines are best known for defending themselves with their quills. Quills can be up to three inches long, and a single porcupine can have 30,000. Porcupines can't "throw" their quills, but if another animal comes into contact, the quills release easily. Once embedded, quills work their way deeper and deeper into an animal's skin (up to an inch a day!), so they should be removed as soon as possible. Porcupines don't have quills all over - just on their backs. That's why they lower their heads and turn their back when threatened. Coyotes, bobcats, owls and especially fishers prey upon porcupines. NH Fish and Game
Check out this website about porcupines: www.nhptv.org/natureworks/porcupine.htm

September:

Many mushrooms are fruiting now and Carol shared pictures she had taken recently of a variety of fungi. There were Hen of the Woods, Chicken of the Woods, Puff Balls, Bear's tooth, Berkley's Polypore, Bolete (blue staining), and another mysterious dark colored, hard fungus that she couldn't identify. Mark asked if anyone knew of a spring on the Bradford Road found on the right hand side of the road as you come into East Washington. He remembered it as a place where people filled their jugs long ago but he hasn't been able to locate it now. If anyone knows of the whereabouts of the spring, let us know.

August:
July was the 2nd hottest in NH history. Peter took 2 groups on hikes recently on the Williams property up to Stoddard Rocks. One of the kids found 56 Red Efts and 2 Red Backed Salamanders during the hike. They also surprised a sleeping moose along the trail, who leapt up and ran, which was quite a sight. Here is some information on the
Red Eft & Red-Spotted Newt - Notophthalmus viridescens
The Eastern Newt is unique in that they undergo two metamorphoses. The first is the usual transformation from aquatic, gilled larva to an air-breathing terrestrial form. Three or four months following hatching, the larva loses its gills, develops lungs, and begins life on land as a Red Eft. Efts usually reach about 3 inches in size.

During the next two to three years, it will forage on the forest floor, often wandering about boldly during the day, especially during or just after a rain. Although it is conspicuous during this red eft stage, other animals seldom bother it because its skin glands produce irritating secretions and their bright coloration serves as a warning.

During the third year of its life, a remarkable transition occurs. The skin becomes slimy and changes from orange to olive green. The tail becomes broad and wedge-shaped, and the body looks more like that of a salamander than a lizard. At this point, the salamander returns to water to breed and remains there for the rest of its life as a mature red-spotted newt (pictured right). Adults reach lengths of nearly 5 inches. Newts occur sporadically throughout our state in permanent or semi-permanent bodies of water bordered by relatively undisturbed woodlands.
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife and USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Tom was hiking the north slope of Lowell Mountain and came upon a Goshawk who was nesting nearby. He said it was like Pearl Harbor, the hawk was swooping and attacking to protect its nest. Tom also watched a Loon swimming totally underwater on Millen Pond.

June:
John reports that May 2005 was the 3rd coldest May in NH history, since they started recording the weather, and the coldest since 1917. We should expect more extremes in the weather because of global warming.
We have had lots of rain and mushrooms are abundant due to the wet weather.

The bears are out looking for food after rainstorms. There are many blueberries on the bushes this year, which should please the bears. Carol mentioned that porcupines are also out after rainstorms and her poor dog came home with the evidence.
Mark reported watching a pair of deer several mornings in East Washington.

Turkeys are having a good year.

Look for vernal pools in your area, they are filled with eggs right now.


Vernal pools are temporary bodies of water that flood each year for a few months during the spring and summer. Vernal, or "spring" pools fill up with melting snow and early rains, then usually dry up by mid to late summer. Some relatively deep pools may remain flooded for a few years but become completely dry in seasons with very low rainfall. Autumnal pools fill during the fall with rising groundwater.
Because vernal pools are not permanently flooded, they do not support fish populations and thus provide safe breeding sites for several amphibian and invertebrate species, including wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and fairy shrimp. These species have evolved life cycles that depend on temporary pools.
Vernal pools vary in size, ranging from several square feet to several acres. They can be found in a variety of sites, such as isolated depressions in the woods, kettle holes, and gravel pits. Many are within larger wetlands, such as oxbows in river floodplains and pools in forested swamps or scrub-shrub wetlands. Their common characteristics are the absence of fish, temporary flooding regime, and the presence of vernal pool species. Suitable pools must have enough leaf litter and other debris to provide food sources and cover for the species that breed in them. - New Hampshire Audubon Society
For more information about vernal pools and what you might see there go to: http://www.nhaudubon.org/conservation/vernal.htm

February:
Owls are breeding now
By February, Great Horned Owls may already have eggs in the nest.


Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus

• Length: 20 inches Wingspan: 55 inches, weight 3-4 pounds,
• Sexes similar, but females are larger
• Very large owl with prominent ear tufts
• Yellow eyes and dark bill
• Upperparts mottled brown, gray, and black
• Pale underparts with fine brown bars
• Reddish-brown facial disks bordered by black with a lower border of white
• White throat patch
• Pale gray form inhabits northern Canada

Clutch Size:1-4
Length of Incubation: 26-35 days
Days to Fledge:35
Number of Broods:1

Diet: Mostly small Mammals with lesser quantities of birds and reptiles or amphibians.

Owls, with their huge, luminous eyes and haunting calls, fascinate humans. New Hampshire's varied habitats provide year-round homes for several species of owls. New Hampshire Audubon celebrates March as "Owl Awareness Month" and invites everyone to join in the thrill of listening for our owl neighbors.

By February, the Great Horned Owl, our earliest breeding owl, may already be incubating eggs. You might hear the resonant bass hoot of this magnificent predator anytime during late winter. In late February, we started to hear the familiar "Who cooks for yoou, who cooks for yoou aaal!" of the Barred Owl, our most common owl. Near dense hemlock and spruce woods, listen for the mechanical-sounding, single-pitched beeps of the tiny Saw-Whet Owl. Attentive owlers in southern New Hampshire might be treated to the mournful, descending trill of the Eastern Screech Owl.
You can listen to owl sounds at this website:
http://www.owlpages.com/species/bubo/virginianus/Default.htm

Owlers who take to the woods in hopes of a glimpse of these special birds should remember that the Great Horned Owl is a vigilant defender of its nest. Swooping down silently, the Great Horned Owl, with its formidable talons, can spell real trouble for prey - or an inattentive intruder!

Description: Great Horned Owls can vary in colour from a reddish brown to a grey or black and white. The underside is a light grey with dark bars and a white band of feathers on the upper breast. They have large, staring yellow-orange eyes, bordered in most races by an orange-buff facial disc. The name is derived from tufts of feathers that appear to be "horns" which are sometimes referred to as "ear tufts" but have nothing to do with hearing at all. The large feet are feathered to the ends of the toes, and the immature birds resemble the adults. Females are 10 to 20% larger than males.

Voice: Great Horned Owls have a large repertoire of sounds, ranging from deep booming hoots to shrill shrieks. The male's resonant territorial call "hoo-hoo hoooooo hoo-hoo" can be heard over several miles during a still night. Both sexes hoot, but males have a lower-pitched voice than females. They give a growling "krrooo-oo" or screaming note when attacking intruders. Other sounds include a "whaaa whaaaaaa-a-a-aarrk" from disturbed birds, a catlike "MEEE-OWww", barks, hair-raising shrieks, coos, and beak snapping. Some calls are ventriloquial. Most calling occurs from dusk to about midnight and then again just before dawn.

Hunting & Food: Great Horned Owls hunt by perching on snags and poles and watching for prey, or by gliding slowly above the ground. From high perches they dive down to the ground with wings folded, before snatching prey. Prey are usually killed instantly when grasped by its large talons. A Great Horned Owl may take prey 2 to 3 times heavier than itself. They also hunt by walking on the ground to capture small prey or wading into water to snatch frogs and fish. They have been known to walk into chicken coops to take domestic fowl. Rodents and small rabbits can be swallowed whole while larger prey are carried off and ripped apart at feeding perches or at the nest. Birds are often plucked first, and legs and wing tips discarded. An extremely wide range of prey species (at least 253 identified) are captured, but rabbits and hares are its preferred prey. Mammalian prey includes all coexisting rodents, squirrels, mink, skunks, raccoons, armadillos, porcupines, domestic cats and dogs, shrews, moles, muskrats, and bats. Bird prey includes all other Owls (except Snowy Owl), grouse, woodpeckers, crows, turkeys, pigeons, Red-tailed Hawks, bitterns, Great Blue Heron, ducks, swans, gulls, etc. Reptiles include snakes, turtles, lizards, and young alligators. Amphibians include frogs, toads, and salamanders. Other foods include fish, large insects, scorpions, centipedes, crayfish, worms, spiders, and road killed animals.

Pellets are very large, about 7.6 to 10.2 cm (3- 4") long and 3.8 cm (1_") thick. Pellets are dark greyish-black and compact. Skulls as wide as 3 cm (1.2") are regurgitated whole. Pellets are regurgitated 6 to 10 hours after eating.

Breeding: Nesting season is in January or February when the males and females hoot to each other. When close they bow to each other, with drooped wings. Mutual bill rubbing and preening also occurs. They do not build a nest of their own but utilise the nests of other birds such as the hawk, crow and heron. They may also use squirrel nests, hollows in trees, rocky caves, clumps of witches broom, abandoned buildings, or on artificial platforms. They are extremely aggressive when defending the nest and will continue to attack until the intruder is killed or driven off. Normally, two to four eggs are laid and incubated by the female only for 26-35 days. Young start roaming from the nest onto nearby branches at 6 to 7 weeks, when they are called "branchers", but cannot fly well until 9 to 10 weeks old. They are fed for another few weeks as they are slowly weaned. Families remain loosely associated during summer before young disperse in the autumn. Adults tend to remain near their breeding areas year-round while juveniles disperse widely, over 250 km (150 miles) in the autumn. Territories are maintained by the same pair for as many as 8 consecutive years, however, these Owls are solitary in nature, only staying with their mate during the nesting season. Average home ranges in various studies have been shown to be approximately 2 square kms (1 square mile).

Mortality: A long-lived Owl, captive birds have been known to live 29 to 38 years, and wild Owls up to 13 years. Most mortality is related to man - shootings, traps, road kills and electrocutions. The only natural enemies are other Great Horned Owls and, occasionally, Northern Goshawks during disputes over nest sites.

Habitat: Great Horned Owls have adapted to many different places and climates. They occur in habitats from dense forests, deserts and plains to city parks. They have been known to inhabit the same area as the diurnal red-tailed hawk.
Distribution: Great Horned Owls are found throughout North America from the northern treeline and then in Central and South America. They are resident year-round, however, birds living in the northern part of the species' range may migrate south.

Owls can’t really turn their heads all the way around. They can rotate their heads 270 degrees, thanks to extra vertebra in their necks. Because their eyes are fixed in their sockets - they can't move their eyes up or down or side to side - the owl has to move its whole head to compensate for the fixed eyes.

January 2005:
Snowshoe Hare Lepus americanus

The snowshoe hare is one of New Hampshire's wildlife residents that is well adapted to winter. Beginning in the fall, as days get shorter, their color changes from summer brown to winter white, so they're sometimes called "varying hares." This white camouflage serves them well when snow covers the ground, making them less visible to predators. But this white coat also helps the hare conserve up to 25 percent more of its warmth. The hare's entire metabolism changes from summer to fall, so they use fewer calories and require less oxygen while they're finding food that has less nutritive value.

Summer Coat

Winter Coat

In addition to changing color, snowshoe hares have large feet adapted for snow travel. These feet actually allow their bodies to be supported on the surface of the snow, rather than sinking in. This allows hares to more easily escape larger predators such as bobcat. Because they don't sink into the snow, it's easier for them to move during the winter, which means they use less energy than animals of the same weight with small feet. Another bonus: with each snowfall, hares can reach a new layer of twigs to feed on.

Most active at dusk and before dawn, snowshoe hares leave behind large, triangle-shaped tracks. Where they are very active, the place may even appear to be packed down. Hares are found in places with dense cover; their favored foods include birches, willows and aspens. During the day, they rest in what are called "forms" -- hollowed-out areas on the ground with some cover overhead. They feed at night, with peak feeding occurring around 11:00 p.m. While foraging, the animals often follow paths or “runways” which are worn into the vegetation. These runways can be quite obvious in areas of high hare densities. Another sign of the presence of snowshoes is a dust bath, where small groups of hares may gather to groom. Snowshoe hares rarely leave wooded areas. The snowshoe hare's main defense is sitting still, relying on its camouflage to keep it hidden. However, if danger gets too close, they escape using other skills: speed, leaping ability and knowledge of the trails in their home range. So, when you're out and about this winter, look closely in areas of dense cover to see if you can find evidence of the highly adapted snowshoe hare.

Hares are not highly social. During the breeding season, pregnant females drive off intruding males and male hares may actually fight each other by biting and clawing. The home range of female snowshoes average three to four acres, while males travel greater distances, covering the home areas of several females.

Snowshoes have up to three litters in a year, with three to four young per litter. A young hare is called a leveret.

Snowshoes are relatively small animals; about midway in size between cottontail rabbits and jackrabbits. Adults measure 15-20 inches in length and weigh 2-4 pounds. Male hares usually weigh about 10 percent more than females.

Snowshoe hares represent important food for bobcats and are preyed on by a large number of animals, including coyotes, foxes, weasels, great horned owls, and some of the larger hawks.

Track pattern

Track: Hindprints are 4-5" (100-125 mm) long (longer in snow) and wider in front than cottontail's; foreprints smaller and rounder, and placed behind paired hindprints when running, producing a distinctive set of 4 tracks.

Sign: Leaves network of trails in snow (packed down as much as 1'/300 mm deep) and tufts of soft fur snagged on low branches. Clipped shoots are cleanly cut on a slant; deer's are ragged at tip. Scat: Brown, slightly flattened spherical pellets, similar to those of Eastern Cottontail but larger.

Most of this copy comes from NH Fish and Game, written by Judy Silverberg, Wildlife Educator

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