SCORES & OUTDOORS: Where have all the Whippoorwills gone?

/2 Comments/in /by

Whippoorwill

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

While sitting on the deck at camp one lazy afternoon recently, one of our friends asked, “Why don’t we hear Whip-poor-wills anymore?”

Interesting question.

Besides the fact that whip-poor-wills are strictly nocturnal – that meaning they are active at night when I’m sleeping (something that seems to be happening earlier all the time) – whip-poor-wills are elusive.

Often heard but seldom observed, the whip-poor-will chants its name on summer nights in the eastern woods. Sometimes, the song seems to go on endlessly.

The whip-poor-wills, Antrostomus vociferus, have been made famous in folk songs, poems and literature for their endless chanting on summer nights.

Randy Travis features that fact in his song, Deeper than the Holler, with the stanza that goes:

My love is deeper than the holler, stronger than the river
Higher than the pine trees growin’ tall upon the hill
My love is purer than the snowflakes that fall in late December
And honest as a Robin on a springtime window sill
And longer than the song of a whippoorwill.

During the night, they will lay low and fly upwards to catch moths and other aerial insects.

At dusk and dawn, and on moonlit nights, they scurry out of their perches to sweep up insects in their large mouths.

During the day, they roost on the forest floor, or on a horizontal log or branch, and are very difficult to spot. Their brindled plumage blends perfectly with the gray-brown leaf litter of the open forests where they breed and roost.

Look for them in open understories. They can be found in both purely deciduous and mixed deciduous-conifer forests, often in areas with sandy soil.

Eastern whip-poor-wills migrate to Mexico and Central America for the winter, apparently traveling mostly over land to get there. In spring they arrive in breeding grounds between late March and mid-May. Since they are less vocal in autumn, less is known about their southward migration routes and timing, but they seem to leave between early September and late November.

The Eastern whip-poor-wills are medium-sized birds with a large, rounded head and a stout chest that tapers to a long tail and wings, giving them a distinctly front-heavy look. Like all nightjars, they are patterned with a complicated mottling of gray and brown, which camouflages them nearly perfectly with leaf litter and tree bark.

Nesting activities may be timed so adults are feeding young primarily on nights when the moon is more than half full, making it easier for them while foraging. Males sing at night to defend their territory and to attract a mate. They do not build nests in the traditional way. The nest site is on the ground in shady woods but often near the edge of a clearing, on open soil covered with dead leaves. They do not build a nest, but instead the eggs lay on the flat ground.

The entire state of Maine is part of the whip-poor-wills range.

But, getting back to the original question: Eastern whip-poor-wills are still fairly common birds, but their numbers declined by almost 3 percent per year between 1966 and 2015, resulting in a cumulative decline of 75 percent during that time, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. In some areas, parts of their range seem to have become unoccupied. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 2 million with 95 percent living part of the year in the U.S.

The decline in parts of their range is blamed mostly on open forests being converted to pasture urbanizing and agriculture. Although it’s not fully understood, the decline may also be caused by a general reduction in numbers of large moths and beetles.

The Eastern whip-poor-will is on the 2016 State of North America’s Birds’ Watch List, which includes bird species that are most at risk of extinction without significant conservation actions to reverse declines and reduce threats. Also, because whip-poor-wills often fly over roads or sit on roadways while foraging, they are also vulnerable to collisions with cars.

Restoration could occur when abandoned farmlands revert to forest.

So, on those quiet, moonlit nights around a campfire, listen off in the distance, and you just might here the call of the whip-poor-will.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Name these five Major League baseball players: The Bambino, Teddy Ballgame, Hammerin’ Hank, Charlie Hussle, The Say Hey Kid.

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: An unusual story about a woman and a frog

/0 Comments/in /by

Left, gray treefrog on Betsy’s railing, and right, the gray treefrog nestled under the burl. (contributed photos)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Last week, a reader dropped by my office to tell me a nature story that is, to say the least, unusual.

Betsy, a China resident, told me about an oak tree on her property that is a considerable distance from their home. In the branches of this particular tree were multiple burls. One day, one of the burls fell from the tree during a period of high winds.

She picked up the burl and placed it on the railing of their porch, to be used as a “conversation piece,” she thought. That was about to change.

Betsy’s burl. (contributed photo)

Within a week or two, a gray treefrog took up residence under the burl … and stayed for the summer. She said she also noticed a smaller gray treefrog under the burl. Now, female gray treefrogs are larger than the male, so that could have been its mate.

The summer faded into fall and the gray treefrog was still there. As winter approached, the treefrog went away, and Betsy’s husband took the burl and placed it in the storage shed for the winter, in an attempt to protect it.

The gray treefrog, Dryophytes versicolor, is a species of small arboreal tree frog native to much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.

It is sometimes referred to as the eastern gray treefrog, northern gray treefrog, common gray treefrog, or tetraploid gray treefrog to distinguish it from its more southern, genetically disparate relative, Cope’s gray treefrog.

As the scientific name implies, gray treefrogs are variable in color owing to their ability to camouflage themselves from gray to green or brown, depending on the surface where they are sitting. The degree of mottling varies. They can change from nearly black to nearly white. They change color at a slower rate than a chameleon. One aspect that is unique to this frog appearance is that its legs feature a dark bandish pattern which then contrast sharply with the black-marked bright yellow or orange under the sides of its legs and arms.

Dead gray treefrogs and ones in unnatural surroundings are predominantly gray. The female does not call and has a white throat; however, the male does call and can show a black/gray/brown throat during the breeding season. As earlier mentioned, the female is usually larger than the male. It is important to know when trying to identify this frog that the appearance at a younger age is similar to others of the same species, but as the frog increases in age the appearance varies. They are relatively small compared to other North American frog species, typically attaining no more than 1.5 to 2 inches. Their skin has a lumpy texture to it, giving them a warty appearance.

This species is virtually indistinguishable from Cope’s gray treefrog, the only readily noticeable difference being that Cope’s Gray treefrog has a shorter, faster call.

Both of these similar species have bright-yellow patches on their hind legs, which distinguishes them from other treefrogs.

Gray treefrogs inhabit a wide range, and can be found in most of the eastern half of the United States, as far west as central Texas and Oklahoma. They also range into Canada in the provinces of Québec, Ontario, and Manitoba, with an isolated population in New Brunswick.

The gray treefrog is capable of surviving freezing of its internal body fluids to temperatures as low as 17°F.

The gray treefrog is most common in forested areas, as it is highly arboreal. Its calls are often heard in rural residential areas of the East Coast and the Midwest. It prefers to breed in semi-permanent woodland ponds without fish, but it also lays eggs in swamps, vernal pools, man-made fountains and water gardens, and even in rainwater-filled swimming pool covers.

These frogs rarely ever descend from high treetops except for breeding – that’s what made this particular gray treefrog unique, it lived on the porch railing all summer. Also, Betsy could get within a foot of the treefrog, and it didn’t seem to faze it at all. They are strictly nocturnal. Male gray treefrogs rarely have large choruses, as they are mostly solitary animals, but might vocalize competitively at the height of breeding periods. Gray treefrogs may congregate around windows and porch lights to eat insects that are attracted to the light. During the day they often rest on horizontal tree branches or leaves out in the open, even in the sun. Evidently they are less prone to overheating and desiccation than other amphibians and rely on their superb camouflage to hide them from predators.

In captivity, their needs are similar to that of the American green treefrog.

The frogs are popular pets because of their small size, appearance, and the undemanding conditions needed to take care of them. Unlike many amphibians, they do not require artificial heating. They need a large (at least ten-gallon) terrarium and do best with a substrate that will hold some humidity, such as commercial shredded bark or coconut husk bedding, or untreated topsoil on the floor of their terrarium. Tree frogs are arboreal, so the height on the tank is more important than the length. A variety of things for climbing, such as plants or branches, should be in the habitat. A shallow water dish should be included. Captive frogs should not be handled any more than necessary; when necessary, clean gloves should be worn.

And now, for the rest of the story.

This spring, Betsy remembered about the burl in the storage shed, and had her husband retrieve it. It was put back in the same place it was the previous summer, just in case the treefrog would come back. Within a week, the gray treefrog had returned and taken up its same spot as last summer.

The vigil will continue.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What is the national sport of Canada?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Deer tick population explodes in central Maine area

/0 Comments/in /by

Deer tick before and after engorging.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

There is nothing like beating a subject to death. But, in this case, it’s worth every word.

You have to be living in a cave not to know that deer ticks are at an all time high. They are everywhere. Friends and family have told me stories about their encounters with the pest, and they all have one thing in common: They have all had multiple numbers on them at one time.

Also, as you know, deer ticks are hazardous to your health, primarily because they are the carriers of the dreaded Lyme Disease. In the last decade alone, the population of ticks of all kinds has ballooned in the United States. The number of ticks that carry Lyme disease has been on the rise in the mid-Atlantic states, and has skyrocketed throughout the Northeast. It has gained a reputation as a serious health problem in many areas.

Only adult female ticks and nymphs can transmit infections through their bite. Male ticks attach, but they don’t feed or become engorged. Adult females have red and brown bodies and are larger than males. Nymphs are actively feeding between early April and early August.

Although not all deer ticks are infected with Lyme disease, you never really know. Only ticks that have fed on infected mammals are infected. About half of deer ticks are infected (usually white-footed mice can be other culprits).

a dog tick.

Deer ticks live two to three years, and in that time usually enjoy three blood meals. In the spring and summer of its second year, a nymph will take its second meal. They insert their mouth parts into the skin much like a corkscrew, which ensures them a nice tight grasp. They often take up to five days to complete their meal.

This fact is key to reducing panic when discovering a tick. An infected tick must be attached to its host for at least 24 hours, and up to 48 hours to transmit the disease. It’s the very reason for checking your body right away after any possible exposure to a tick-infested environment.

Deer ticks crawl. They usually grab onto people or animals that brush up against plants near ground level, and then they crawl upwards to find a quiet place for their blood meal. Although many sources will state that ticks don’t land on you from an overhanging tree branch, many people have insisted it has happened to them.

Ticks live in wooded, brushy areas that provide food and cover for mice, deer and other mammals. The ideal tick environment is humid. Your exposure will be greatest along trails in the woods and fringe areas between woods and the border, where they will wait patiently on the tips of vegetation for an unsuspecting host to walk by.

Life is too short to avoid the outdoors during our abbreviated spring, summer and fall. In Maine, that is about half the year. There is no need to be brave, just be smart: cover your body; wear repellant; check yourself for ticks, if you find a tick, remove it immediately; shower soon after being outdoors – last Saturday, after working around at camp, I found four ticks on the floor in the shower; throw clothing in the dryer, that will kill any ticks present; and finally, if you are concerned, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor.

The best way to remove a tick is to use fine-point tweezers and grab the tick as close to the skin surface as possible. Pull backwards gently but firmly, using an even, steady pressure. Do your best not to jerk or twist. Don’t squeeze, crush or puncture the tick’s body, the fluids inside may contain infection-causing organisms. After removing the tick, wash the skin and your hands thoroughly with hot soap and water. If any mouth part of the tick remain in the skin, leave them alone. They will be expelled on their own. It could take weeks. Trying to remove them will only cause you unnecessary pain.

For the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, deer are the preferred host of the deer tick, but they can also be found in small rodents. After the female is engorged, the tick drops off and overwinters in the leaf litter of the forest floor. The following spring, she will lay several hundred to a few thousand eggs in clusters. They are very hardy creatures. Considering the mild winter we just experienced, they are active in record numbers. They will be active even after a moderate to severe frost, as daytime temperatures can warm them enough to keep them actively searching for a host. In the spring, they are one of the first invertebrates to become active.

It may be monotonous to keep hearing about the health hazards of being infected by a deer tick, but it’s one that needs to be repeated.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Before Mookie Betts in 2017, who was the last Red Sox player to lead the team in home runs and stolen bases in the same season?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Clover mites, smaller than a pin head, can be a nuisance to structures

/0 Comments/in /by

clover mite

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Have you ever heard of clover mites? Neither had I. Until, that is, a couple of weeks ago when a friend told me of her encounter with some. So, let’s take a closer look at them.

First of all, clover mites flourish in early spring.

This dark reddish-brown pest, which is smaller than a pinhead, does not pose a threat to human health or cause major damage to homes, but it can be a severe nuisance when it invades structures.

The sight of clover mites in the house can cause distress. However, clover mites do not bite humans or cause adverse health issues. Despite this, most homeowners are not exactly thrilled to see large numbers of these small, red-colored bugs crawling around indoors.

Clover mites differ from many pests in that they prefer cooler weather. Clover mite activity increases as temperatures start to drop, during which time they pay homage to their name by feasting on clovers, over-fertilized grass and many other plants. In fact, clover mites eat more than 200 different plant species, including some flowers. Their activity peaks in the cooler, early spring months when they can become the greatest nuisance to homeowners – so be prepared to see clover mites en masse this time of year.

Once the hotter summer weather arrives, clover mites will lay eggs and go into hiding. In the northeastern U.S., for example, they may go into a dormant state around May and remain that way until September. Any eggs that are laid in fall will overwinter until hatching the following spring. These eggs are often positioned in the cracks and crevices of a home’s exterior or between walls, creating issues for homeowners upon hatching.

clover mite

Home infestations are most severe when sudden changes in weather or habitat occur. Populations typically move indoors in autumn when the plants that clover mites feed on start to perish, causing these pests to invade in high numbers — even by hundreds of thousands. Additional infestations occurring in the spring are typically driven by the sudden growth of lush vegetation around a home’s perimeter, which is especially palatable to clover mites.

When smashed, adult clover mites leave behind a red stain, especially on items such as curtains, wallpaper, rugs and other furniture that are lighter in color. As such, clover mites found in the home should be vacuumed up instead of crushed. This stain is not the mite’s blood, but is the mite’s body pigments.

So, what to do about them.

There are steps homeowners can take to prevent clover mite infestations indoors. For starters, thick vegetation or plants that are known to attract clover mites should be removed in an 18- to 24-inch band around the perimeter of the home. Likewise, homeowners should inspect the structure, including the foundation, window frames and siding for cracks that may serve as entry points. These spaces should be properly sealed to prevent clover mites from laying eggs or entering the home.

If homeowners notice any signs of clover mite activity on their property, they should contact a licensed pest control professional to resolve the issue.

Your pest management professional will perform an inspection and use the inspection findings to prepare an integrated pest management plan for clover mite control. Your PMP will use his expertise and knowledge to recommend the application of effective and efficient chemical control measures to reduce the clover mite problem. However, his control program will likely include some helpful preventive measures the homeowner may choose to employ, as well. Among these preventive measures are:

– Using a wet sponge or a crevice attachment of a vacuum cleaner to remove mites, making sure to take precautions to avoid crushing the mites and causing stains.

– Remove all grass and weeds from around the foundation perimeter and leaving vegetation free strip about two feet wide. This method is especially important on the south and southwest sides of the structure. Clover mites are not as likely to move through bare, loose soil as they are through soil that is supporting plants that touch the structure’s foundation. Use of pea gravel can also discourage mite movement into the structure.

– Sealing holes, cracks and gaps on the foundations, windows and doors, thus helping discourage mites from entering the structure.

– Making sure to use window screens that are tight fitting.

– Making sure not to over-fertilize the lawn or ornamental plant areas since clover mite populations tend to do better in lawns that are well fertilized.

Observance of the reddish colored clover mites crawling on surfaces such as windowsills and siding on the sunny sides of homes are the most obvious indicator of an infestation.

Although clover mites are not a danger to human health and do not destroy furniture, clothing or food items, they can become an indoor nuisance when invading homes, business and medical facilities. Once inside, they will soon die, but not until they have created problems resulting from an annoying presence and cosmetic damage.

Clover mites are not blood feeders, but feed on plants, getting their nutrition from sucking plant juices from grasses, clover and other plants common to lawns. Clover mites can become a nuisance in multi-story buildings since they can live on rooftops and patios where mold or mildew provide sources of food.

Clover mites go through four life stages – eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults. The clover mite overwinters in any dry, protected location primarily in the egg stage. Sidewalk cracks, walls of buildings and logs can host vast numbers of overwintering eggs.

The overwintering eggs hatch early in the spring and clover mite adults become active as soon as the temperature warm above about the mid-40s and begin to climb up the exterior walls from the ground and gain entrance around windows and doors. Overwintering mites hatch in the spring and begin to produce second generations. Spring generations will aestivate, which is a form of summer hibernation where mites go inactive on warm, dry days. Second generations typically complete in the fall.

Clover mite populations may become large since females can lay up to 70 eggs and each becomes a mature adult in 30 days or less under suitable circumstances. Clover mites reproduce without being fertilized by the males.

Clover mites are found throughout the United States.

I think I will keep a closer eye out for those little pests.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Former Red Sox pitcher Wade Miley recently pitched a no-hitter for the Cincinnati Reds over the Cleveland Indians. Who was the last Red Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: What happens in those vernal pools of spring

/0 Comments/in /by

A vernal pool. (photo by Maine Department of Environmental Protection)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Like an idiot, I decided to stop into the office on my way to camp on Sunday. However, every chore has its rewards. On our way to camp afterwards, I noticed a small vernal pool in its customary spot on the Cross Hill Road, in Vassalboro. It’s always there, but it’s usually dried up during the summer. Vernal pools are a very important occurrence in our ecosystem. Let’s take a look at what actually happens there.

Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds, are temporary pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of amphibian and insect species unable to withstand competition or predation by fish.

Despite being dry at times, vernal pools teem with life when filled. The most obvious inhabitants are various species of breeding frogs and toads. Some salamanders also utilize vernal pools for reproduction, but the adults may visit the pool only briefly. Other notable inhabitants are Daphnia and fairy shrimp, the latter often used as an indicator species to decisively define a vernal pool. Other indicator species, at least in New England, are the wood frog, the spadefoot toad, and some species of mole salamanders. Certain plant species are also associated with vernal pools, although the particular species depend upon the region.

Vernal pools are shallow depressions that usually contain water for only part of the year. In the Northeast, vernal pools may fill during the fall and winter as the water table rises. Rain and melting snow also contribute water during the spring. Vernal pools typically dry out by mid to late summer. Although vernal pools may only contain water for a relatively short period of time, they serve as essential breeding habitat for certain species of wildlife, including salamanders and frogs. Since vernal pools dry out on a regular basis, they cannot support permanent populations of fish. The absence of fish provides an important ecological advantage for species that have adapted to vernal pools, because their eggs and young are safe from predation.

Species that must have access to vernal pools in order to survive and reproduce are known as “obligate” vernal pool species. In Maine, obligate vernal pool species include wood frogs, spotted and blue-spotted salamanders (two types of mole salamanders) and fairy shrimp. While wood frogs and mole salamanders live most of their lives in uplands, they must return to vernal pools to mate and lay their eggs. The eggs and young of these amphibians develop in the pools until they are mature enough to migrate to adjacent uplands. Fairy shrimp are small crustaceans which spend their entire life cycle in vernal pools, and have adapted to constantly changing environmental conditions. Fairy shrimp egg cases remain on the pool bottom even after all water has disappeared. The eggs can survive long periods of drying and freezing, but will hatch in late winter or early spring when water returns to the pool.

Not all vernal pool habitats are considered “significant”. In general, a vernal pool habitat is significant if it has a high habitat value, either because a state-listed threatened or endangered species, such as a spotted turtle, or a rare species, such as a ribbon snake, uses it to complete a critical part of its life history, or there is a notable abundance of specific wildlife, such as blue spotted salamander, wood frog, or fairy shrimp.

Do you have a vernal pool on your property and don’t know whether it is significant? The specific criteria describing a significant vernal pool are listed in DEP Rules, Chapter 335, and allow these resources to be identified in the field. Using these criteria, a person who has experience and training in either wetland ecology or wildlife ecology may identify and document a significant vernal pool; or the DEP may provide a written determination concerning whether or not a vernal pool habitat is significant.

“Significant vernal pool habitat” includes the vernal pool itself and the area within a 250-foot radius of the spring or fall high water mark of the pool, which is considered critical terrestrial habitat.

Since September 1, 2007, significant vernal pool habitat is protected by law under the Natural Resources Protection Act (NRPA). An activity in, on, or over these areas must avoid unreasonable impacts on the significant vernal pool habitat and obtain approval from the DEP, through a Permit by Rule or individual NRPA approval.

A permit by rule will be available if certain standards are met, and can be approved within 14 days. The standards do not create a mandatory setback or no-build zone, but do affect what can be done, so it is advisable to plan ahead. For more information on the NRPA, a copy of the rules addressing significant vernal pools, application forms, and related materials, see the NRPA page.

If you have questions, need hard copies of materials, or would like to request a field determination, contact your nearest DEP regional office, and ask to speak to the “on-call” person in the Land & Water Bureau, Division of Land Resource Regulation.

The Central Maine Regional Office is located at 17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0017; Phone: 207-287-7688 or 1-800-452-1942.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which pitcher, who started for the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series, later enjoyed success coaching the Chinese national team?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: It’s spring and the bugs are coming out

/0 Comments/in /by

Left, the pumpkin bug or squash bug. Right, the brown marmorated stink bug.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

I have seen this bug around my house recently – like two in the last couple of weeks – and I was wondering what it was. I’ve seen it many times before, and merely dealt with it. But this time, my curiosity was peaked, and it was time to find out who these little critters are. Turns out they are called pumpkin bugs, or squash bugs.

The pumpkin bug, or squash bug, are also called stink bugs, but are not the traditional stink bug. Although some pumpkin bugs are called stink bugs, not all stink bugs are pumpkin bugs. If you ever spot a sizable green stink bug, there’s a good chance that it’s a pumpkin bug. They are similar in appearance to stink bugs because they both have a foul odor when squashed. However, stink bugs are wider and rounder.

The squash bug, Anasa tristis, is common throughout the United States. It primarily attacks squash and pumpkins but can also attack other cucurbits, such as cucumbers.

They are the bane of a gardener. They are difficult to kill and can cause a lot of havoc.

The adult bugs are somewhat flat, large insects, measuring 5/8 inch long and 1/3 inch wide. They are usually dark gray to dark brown. The edges of the abdomens protrude beyond their wings and typically have alternating orangish and brown stripes. They are able to fly, however they often simply walk around on plants.

These bugs overwinter as adults in sheltered places, such as under plant debris, around buildings, or under rocks. When adults emerge in the spring, they fly to growing cucurbit plants to feed and mate. Females lay eggs individually in small clusters of about 20 commonly on the undersides of the leaves, especially between the veins where they form a V. The females usually begin to appear in gardens in early June, and continue to lay eggs through mid-summer.

These bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts they use to suck the sap out of leaves. This process produces yellow spots that eventually turn brown, and disrupts the flow of water and nutrients, which can cause wilting. Young plants are more susceptible to extensive damage. Larger, more vigorous plants are more tolerant of feeding damage, although they can also be injured or killed if they are severely attacked.

These bugs inject a toxin into the plant and suck the sap right out of it with their sharp mouthparts. This causes yellow spots that eventually turn brown. The leaves will wilt because the damage prevents the flow of nutrients to the leaves, and then they will dry up and turn black.

The most important times to control squash bugs are when the plants are young seedlings and when they are flowering. Early detection is important because adult squash bugs are difficult to kill.

Remove or knock off and kill nymphs and adults by dropping them into a bucket of soapy water. This can be challenging because the bugs hide under leaves and move quickly when disturbed.

Crush the eggs that are attached to the undersides and stems of leaves.

Trap the bugs by laying out boards or pieces of newspaper. The bugs will congregate under the boards at night, and then can be collected and destroyed in the morning.

Check your plants daily. If there are no more than a few vines infected, keep collecting and destroying the bugs and crushing the egg clusters that you find.

Insecticides are not generally needed to control these bugs. They can be used if cucurbits are found wilting early in the season. Carbaryl/Sevin, is most effective if applied when eggs are hatching. Consult your local garden center for controls that are locally approved. When using an insecticide, make sure to read the instructions well.

Planting time is approaching. Make sure your garden is free of these little pests. There is no worse feeling than seeing your plants being destroyed and you have no idea what is causing it. Check under the leaves.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

In addition to pitching a one-hitter in game two of the 1967 World Series, who became the first Red Sox pitcher to win the AL Cy Young Award in 1967?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: A closer look at the significance of the beaver in our ecosystem

/0 Comments/in /by

A beaver lodge in the Muldoons, in China, near the China Road. (photo by Roland D. Hallee)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Part of my daily routine is when I first get up in the morning, I grab the local daily newspaper, and a cup of coffee, and get caught up on what happened the day before. A ritual that I have done for more than 50 years.

Recently, I noticed articles, and letters to the editor, that have brought beavers to the forefront of conversations. From articles about beaver trappers, to critics of the avocation.

So, let’s take a look at those rodents and their contributions to the world around us.

North American beaver.
(internet photo)

Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Beavers are the second-largest living rodents after the capybaras. We all know what a beaver looks like so I won’t go into any descriptions.

Beavers build dams and lodges using tree branches, vegetation, rocks and mud; they chew down trees for building material. Dams impound water and lodges serve as shelters. Their infrastructure creates wetlands used by many other species, and because of their effect on other organisms in the ecosystem, they are considered a keystone species. Adult males and females live in monogamous pairs with their offspring. When they are old enough, the young will help their parents repair dams and lodges and may also help raise newly-born offspring. Beavers hold territories and mark them using scent mounts made of mud, debris and castoreum, a urine-based substance excreted through the beaver’s castor sacs. Beavers can also recognize their kin by their anal gland secretions and are more likely to tolerate them as neighbors.

Historically, beavers have been hunted for their fur, meat and castoreum. Castoreum has been used in medicine, perfume and food flavoring, while beaver pelts have been a major driver of the fur trade. Before protections began in the 19th and early 20th centuries, overhunting had nearly exterminated the species. Their populations have rebounded, and they are listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of mammals. In human culture, the beaver symbolizes industriousness and is the national animal of Canada.

The English word “beaver” comes from the Old English word beofor or befor (recorded earlier as bebr) and is connected to the German word Biber and the Dutch word bever. The ultimate origin of the word is from an Indo-European root for “brown.”

Beavers belong to a rodent suborder along with kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice, pocket mice and spiny pocket mice, and the gophers.

Beavers have massive skulls adapted for withstanding the forces generated by their powerful chewing muscles. Their four chisel-shaped incisors grow continuously. The incisors’ outer enamel is very thick and colored orange due to the presence of iron compounds. The eyes, ears and nostrils are arranged so they can remain above water when the rest of the body submerges. The nostrils and ears have valves that close underwater while membranes cover the eyes. Unusual among mammals, the epiglottis ­ – the thin lidlike piece of cartilage that folds back over the opening of the windpipe during swallowing thus preventing food from entering the lungs – is contained in the nasal cavity rather than the throat, preventing water from flowing into the larynx and trachea. In addition, the back of the tongue can rise and create a waterproof seal. A beaver’s lips can close behind the incisors, allowing for chewing in water.

Beavers can hold their breath for as long as 15 minutes. However, they typically remain underwater for no more than five or six minutes. Dives generally last less than 30 seconds and are usually shallow. When diving, their heart rate decreases to 60 beats per minute, around half its normal function, while blood flow to the brain increases. Beavers also have a high tolerance for carbon dioxide in their body. When surfacing, the animal can replace 75 percent of the air in its lungs in one breath, compared to 15 percent for a human.

The North American beaver is widespread throughout most of the United States and Canada and can be found in northern Mexico.

Historically, the North American beaver was trapped and almost extirpated because its fur was highly sought after. Protections have allowed the beaver population on the continent to rebound to an estimated 6.2 million by the late 20th century; this is a fraction of the originally estimated 60 – 400 million North American beavers before the days of the fur trade.

Beavers prefer areas with flatter terrain and diverse vegetation close to the water. North American beavers colonize an area where trees are near the water but can harvest trees several hundred feet away. Beavers have also been recorded in mountainous areas. Dispersing beavers will use certain habitats temporarily before arriving at their final destinations. These include small streams, temporary swamps, ditches and even backyards. These sites lack important resources, so the animals do not remain there for long. Beavers have settled increasingly at or near human-made environments, including agricultural areas, suburbs, golf courses and even shopping malls.

Beavers need trees and shrubs as building material for dams, which impound flowing water to create a pond for them to live in, and lodges, which provide shelter and protection. Without such material, beavers dig burrows into a bank to live. Construction begins in late summer or early fall, and they repair them whenever needed.

When chewing down a tree, beavers bite the trunk at a 45-degree angle and chew with the side of the mouth; alternating between the left and right sides. Tree branches are cut and carried through land and water using the powerful jaw and neck muscles. Other building materials, like mud and rocks, are carried under the chin with the forelimbs.

The sound of running water appears to stimulate dam-building, and the sound of a leak in a dam triggers them to repair it.

Beavers make two types of lodges; bank lodges and open-water lodges. Bank lodges consist of tunnels and holes in steep-sloped banks with sticks piled over them. The more complex freestanding, open-water lodges are built over a platform of piled-up sticks. The roof is sealed up with mud apart from an air vent at the top. Both types are accessed by underwater entrances. The space inside the lodge is known as the living chamber which is above the water line. A dining area may exist near the water.

Beavers are mainly nocturnal and spend the daytime in their shelters. They do not hibernate during winter, and spend much of their time in their lodges.

Beaver pelts were the driving force of the North American fur trade.

Beavers have been hunted, trapped and exploited for their fur, meat and castoreum. Since they typically stayed in one place, trappers could easily find the animals and would kill entire families in a lodge. Ancient people appear to have believed the castor sacs of the beaver were its testicles. Aesop’s Fables describes beavers chewing off their testicles to preserve themselves from hunters, (which is impossible because a beaver’s testicles are inside its body); this myth has persisted for centuries. Tools for hunting beavers included deadfalls, snares, nets, bows and arrows, spears, clubs, firearms and steel traps. Castoreum was used to bait the animals.

Native American myths emphasize the beaver’s skill and industriousness. In the mythology of the Haida, beavers are descended from the Beaver-Woman, who built a dam on a stream next to their cabin while her husband was out hunting and gave birth to the first beavers. In a Cree story, the Great Beaver and its dam caused a world flood. Other tales involve beavers using their tree chewing skills against an enemy. Beavers have been featured as companions in some stories, including a Lakota tale where a young woman escapes her evil husband with the help of her pet beaver.

The beaver has long been associated with Canada, appearing on the first pictorial postage stamp issued in the Canadian colonies in 1851 – the so-called “Three-Penny Beaver”. It was declared the national animal in 1975. The five-cent coin, the coat of arms of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the logos for Parks Canada and Roots Canada use its image. Bell Canada used two cartoon beavers, Frank and Gordon, in their advertising campaign from 2005 to 2008. However, the beaver’s status as a rodent has made it controversial, and it was not chosen to be on the Arms of Canada in 1921. The beaver has commonly been used to represent Canada in political cartoons, typically to signify it as a benign nation, and as subject to both affection and ridicule. In the United States, the beaver is the state animal of New York and Oregon. It is also featured on the coat of arms of the London School of Economics.

But one thing beavers don’t have, and it’s a cartoon character. You have a rabbit, mouse, duck, moose, squirrel, and many other animals used as cartoon characters, but no beavers. The closest you can come is Theodore “the Beaver” Cleaver, on the TV show, Leave it to Beaver.

Sometimes, they just don’t get any respect.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which two Red Sox stars share the record for the most All-Star Game appearances with 18 each?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Cottontail population has direct affect on Canada lynx numbers

/0 Comments/in /by

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Walking through the woods following a snowfall can show evidence of many wildlife tracks. This past winter, I did see tracks of the Eastern Cottontail rabbit.

The Eastern Cottontail, Salvilagus floridanus, is actually a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is one of the most common rabbit species in North America.

Here in Maine, its numbers has a profound affect on the Canada lynx population. The survival rate of the lynx is dependent on a healthy cottontail population.

The Eastern Cottontail is chunky red-brown or gray-brown in appearance with large hind feet, long ears and a short fluffy white tail. Its underside fur is white. There is a rusty patch on the tail.

Its appearance differs from that of a hare in that it has a brownish-gray coloring around the head and neck. The body is lighter color with a white underside on the tail. It has large brown eyes to see and large ears to listen for danger. In the winter, its coloring is more gray than brown. The kittens develop the same coloring after a few weeks, but they also have a white blaze that goes down their forehead. This marking eventually disappears. The average adult weighs between 2-4 pounds. However, the female tends to be heavier.

They can be found in the eastern and southwestern United States, southern Canada, eastern Mexico all the way down to South America. Originally, it was not found in New England, but it has been introduced here and now competes for habitat with the native New England cottontail.

The rabbits are active at night, and do not hibernate in winter. Predators include hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes, wolves, the aforementioned lynx, bobcats, weasels, raccoons, and even domestic cats and dogs. Trace amounts of eastern cottontail remains have been detected in black bears. On farms and in gardens, they are considered pests and are often trapped or shot to protect plants.

Reproductive maturity occurs at about two to three months of age. The average period of gestation is 28 days, ranging from 25 – 35 days. The young are born with a very fine coat of hair and are blind. Their eyes begin to open by four to seven days.

Females can have one to seven litters of one to 12 young, called kits, in a year; however, they average three to four litters per year and the average number of kits is five.

The leading cause of mortality is probably by predators. The second highest number of deaths occur with automobile collisions. The peak period collisions is in the spring, March through May. The annual adult survival rate is estimated at 20 percent, and the average longevity is 15 months in the wild.

Mating occurs from February to September. Males will mate with more than one female. Females have 2 to 4 large litters of up to nine young in a year. After the female has given birth to her offspring, she can mate again immediately thereafter. The kittens are weaned after three weeks and leave the nest after seven weeks. The kittens then reach mating age after three months.

The Eastern cottontail is a very territorial animal. When running, it can jump from 15 feet, which can aid in avoiding predators. When chased, it runs in a zigzag pattern so the animal chasing it will lose its scent, making the rabbit harder to follow. They can run up to 18 miles per hour. The cottontail prefers an area where it can hide quickly but be out in the open. Forests, swamps, thickets, bushes or open areas where shelter is close by are optimal habitation sites for this species. Cottontails do not dig burrows, but rather rest in a form, a shallow, scratched-out depression in a clump of grass or under brush. It may use the dens of groundhogs as a temporary home or during heavy snow.

Typically, eastern cottontails occupy habitats in and around farms, including fields, pastures, open woods, thickets associated with fencerows, wooded thickets, forest edges and suburban areas with adequate food and cover. They are also found in swamps and marshes, and usually avoid dense woods. They are seldom found in deep woods.

I had one appear in my backyard a few years ago and seemed to have settled in very well. It apparently found a buffet of clover that grows wild around my garden area. It stayed around for about a week. Unfortunately, although it seemed content where it was, the constant attempt of neighborhood kids to capture it led it to run off in a desperate escape attempt on several occasions. I found it dead one Sunday morning, apparently the victim of a road kill collision with a car.

We once had one reside near our camp. Our neighbor had a patch of clover that it seemed to enjoy, but liked to raid the other neighbor’s garden. I think it met with an unfortunate demise – commonly referred to as lead poisoning.

Wild rabbits. Adorable little creatures, but they can wear out their welcome.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which MLB team won the 1994 World Series?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Porcupines are plentiful and not in danger

/0 Comments/in /by

Porcupine.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Porcupines. Nuisance, or ecological necessity?

It all depends with whom you talk. I know some people who are overrun by the animals to the point where they are raiding the gardens, and having to deal with their dogs being injured by porcupine quills due mostly to their own curiosity. While others find a use for them.

Simply put, porcupines are rodents. That puts them in the same class, and are actually related, with raccoons, rats and beavers. They are indigenous to the Americas, Southern Asia, Europe and Africa. They are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and beaver.
They can grow in size to be 25 – 36 inches long with an 8- to 10-inch tail, and weigh from 12 – 35 pounds.

The common porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, is an herbivore, so look out gardens. It eats leaves, herbs, twigs and green plants. They may eat bark in the winter, evidence of which I have seen in many places. The North American porcupine often climbs trees to find food. Like the raccoon, they are mostly nocturnal, but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Because of the scarcity of predators, porcupines are plentiful and are not endangered.

The name porcupine comes from Middle French porc espin (spined pig). A regional American name for the animal is quill pig.

The porcupines’ quills, or spines, take on various forms, depending on the species, but all are modified hairs coated with thick plates of keratin, and they are embedded in the skin.

Quills are released by contact with them, or they may drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. The porcupine does not throw quills, but the flailing muscular tail and powerful body may help impel quills deeply into attackers. The quills’ barbed ends expand with moisture and continue to work deeper into flesh. Porcupine quills have mildly antibiotic properties and thus are not infectious. Quills, however, may cause death in animals if they puncture a vital organ or if a muzzle full of quills leads to starvation.

Once embedded, the hollow quills swell, burn and work their way into the flesh every time a victim’s muscles contract, digging a millimeter deeper each hour. Eventually, they emerge through the skin again, some distance from the entry point though sometimes they spear right through the body.

I have had first hand knowledge of how painful a porcupine quill can be. Many years ago, my children had chores to do after they got home from school. One of them was to make sure they picked up after themselves following their after-school snack. Upon returning home from work, I found a folded paper towel on the counter. I grabbed it to crush it into a ball to throw away when this sharp pain shot through my hand. When I unwrapped the towel, I found a porcupine quill inside, but now imbedded in my hand. It turned out my daughter had brought it home from school to show it to me. She obtained the quill from a “show and tell” session at school.

Because they have few effective predators, porcupines are relatively long-lived. The average life span of the porcupine is 7 – 8 years, however, they have lived up to 15 years in the wild, and 18 years in captivity. A predator needs to learn only once to leave a porcupine alone. Bobcats, great-horned owls, mountain lions, coyotes and wolves, when extremely hungry and unable to catch anything else, may give it a try, anyway. The fisher, however, is a skilled porcupine killer. It uses its speed and agility to snake around a porcupine’s rear guard defense and viciously bite its face until it dies.

Porcupine in a tree.

At one time, however, especially when game was scarce, the porcupine was hunted for its meat and considered a delicacy. A practice that continues in Kenya today. Because they are slow, and can remain in the same tree for days at a time, they are about the only animal that can be killed simply with a large rock. Native people of the North Woods also wove elaborate dyed quillwork decorations into clothing, moccasins, belts, mats, necklaces, bracelets and bags. Because the work was so time-consuming and highly valued, quill embroideries were used as a medium of exchange before the coming of Europeans.

When not in trees or feeding, porcupines prefer the protection of a den, which can be found in rock crevices, caves, hollow logs, abandoned mines and even under houses and barns.

Porcupines are highly attracted to salt. They may chew on any tool handle that has salt left from human sweat. They have even been known to chew on outhouse toilet seats. Road rock salt is very tempting to them, and puddles of water from the snow-melt in the spring are especially luring and could account for their high road-kill mortality rate. They have even been seen gnawing on automobile tires that have been exposed to rock salt.

In Maine, porcupines join a short list of other animals that are open to hunting all year, including coyotes, woodchucks and red squirrels.

So, are porcupines a nuisance, or do they have a role in the grand scheme of things, ecologically?

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which pitcher, who played for the Red Sox between 1977 and 1989, is the only player from the state of Maine to receive All Star honors?

Answer can be found here.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: The beneficial, destructive, disease carrying, smart European starling

/1 Comment/in /by

European Starling

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Last week while while doing some work in my backyard, specifically, dealing with the compost bin following the winter, spreading fertilizer in the garden, pruning my black raspberry bushes, and just doing some general clean up, I noticed a flock of starlings in a bush in the corner of my property. I had seen them before, but it seemed a little early for them.

The common starling, Sturnus vulgaris, also known as the European starling, or in the British Isles just starling, is a medium-sized bird about eight inches long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. It is a noisy bird, especially in communal roosts and other gregarious situations, with an unmusical but varied song. Its gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the Mabinogion and the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare.

The common starling has about a dozen subspecies breeding in open habitats across its native range in temperate Europe and western Asia, and it has been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, South Africa and Fiji.

Large flocks typical of this species can be beneficial to agriculture by controlling pests; however, starlings can also be pests themselves when they feed on fruit and sprouting crops. Common starlings may also be a nuisance through the noise and mess caused by their large urban roosts. The species has declined in numbers in parts of northern and western Europe since the 1980s due to fewer grassland invertebrates being available as food for growing chicks. Despite this, its huge global population is not thought to be declining significantly, so the common starling is classified as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The European starling ranks third, behind only the red-winged blackbird and the American robin, as the most abundant species in North America.

After two failed attempts, about 60 common starlings were released in 1890 into New York’s Central Park by Eugene Schieffelin. He was president of the American Acclimatization Society, which tried to introduce every bird species mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare into North America. About the same date, the Portland Song Bird Club released 35 pairs of common starlings in Portland, Oregon. These birds became established but disappeared around 1902. Common starlings reappeared in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1940s and these birds were probably descendants of the 1890 Central Park introduction. The original 60 birds have since swelled in number to 150 million, occupying an area extending from southern Canada and Alaska to Central America.

The global population of common starlings was estimated to be 310 million individuals in 2004, occupying a total area of 3,420,000 square miles.

A majority of starling predators are avian. Their ability in flight are seldom matched by birds of prey. Adult common starlings are hunted by hawks. Slower raptors tend to take the more easily caught fledglings or juveniles. While perched in groups by night, they can be vulnerable to owls, including the little owl.

Common starlings are hosts to a wide range of parasites. A survey of three hundred common starlings from six U.S. states found that all had at least one type of parasite; 99 percent had external fleas, mites or ticks, and 95 percent carried internal parasites, mostly various types of worm. Blood-sucking species leave their host when it dies, but other external parasites stay on the corpse.

Common starlings introduced to areas such as Australia or North America, where other members of the genus are absent, may have an impact on native species through competition for nest holes. In North America, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, purple martins and other swallows may be affected. For its role in the decline of local native species and the damages to agriculture, the common starling has been included in the IUCN List of the world’s 100 worst invasive species.

Common starlings can eat and damage fruit in orchards such as grapes, peaches, olives, currants and tomatoes or dig up newly-sown grain and sprouting crops. They may also eat animal feed and distribute seeds through their droppings, which is how I think I got my patch of black raspberries in my garden area. I never had them before, but they showed up about eight years ago. Agricultural damage in the U.S. is estimated as costing about $800 million annually. This bird is considered to be damaging to agriculture the United States.

The large size of flocks can also cause problems. Common starlings may be sucked into aircraft jet engines, one of the worst instances of this being an incident in Boston in 1960, when 62 people died after a turboprop airliner flew into a flock and plummeted into the sea at Winthrop Harbor.

Starlings’ droppings can contain the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, the cause of histoplasmosis in humans. At roosting sites this fungus can thrive in accumulated droppings. There are a number of other infectious diseases that can potentially be transmitted by common starlings to humans, although the potential for the birds to spread infections may have been exaggerated.

The common starling’s gift for mimicry has long been recognized. In the medieval Welsh Mabinogion, Branwen tamed a common starling, “taught it words,” and sent it across the Irish Sea with a message to her brothers, Bran and Manawydan, who then sailed from Wales to Ireland to rescue her. Pliny the Elder claimed that these birds could be taught to speak whole sentences in Latin and Greek, and in Henry IV, William Shakespeare had Hotspur declare, “The king forbade my tongue to speak of Mortimer. But I will find him when he is asleep, and in his ear I’ll holler ‘Mortimer!’ Nay I’ll have a starling shall be taught to speak nothing but Mortimer, and give it to him to keep his anger still in motion.”

Mozart had a pet common starling which could sing part of his Piano Concerto in G Major (KV. 453). He had bought it from a shop after hearing it sing a phrase from a work he wrote six weeks previously.

After all of this, I wonder where the starling fits in our ecosystem. Is it beneficial, is it destructive to agriculture, is it a carrier of disease, or is it smart enough to learn Mozart? Whatever the outcome, I hope the black raspberries make it to fruition.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What manager led the Boston Red Sox to their first championship in 86 years in 2004?

Answer can be found here.