Site Discussions

To: Kendra Moll → in Du Quoin, IL
Nov 14, 2015

Dear Kendra:

From your description—yes, it sounds like you had a northern short-tailed shrew. The fact that you couldn’t see any eyes or ears is a major clue, plus the short tail. I also know from experience that, when distressed, shrews emit a piercing, high-pitched call.

Good observation skills!

Best,

Michael Caduto

To: Lois Hoyt → in United States
Oct 28, 2015

Hi Lois:

Setting aside the nursery rhyme, Three Blind Mice, there are no short-tailed mice. You likely saw a vole or mole, but it’s hard to tell without more specifics. Both can reach the size you describe.

Keep looking!

Michael Caduto

To Barbara →
Oct 25, 2015

From your description, and the fact that your critter was going after seed, it does sound like a meadow vole.

Shrews are largely carnivorous, but they will eat seeds, especially when food is scarce during winter months.

Thank you for writing,

Michael Caduto

To Nancy Goodenow:

It does, indeed, sound like the small mammal that your dog brought home is a shrew. Please email the photo to me and I’ll try to identify it.

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Thank you for writing,

Michael Caduto

Hi Carolyn, Every year a male Titmouse lands on a lilac and fights his reflection in the window of a “people” garage door. We finally had to put a blanket up on the window to stop his frenetic actions. There was a small corner that we didn’t cover and didn’t he start up on his reflection there!  This year he gave up pretty quickly. Must be learning…thanks for a great article

This is yet another in a string of recent studies that describe the critical role beavers play in our ecosystems and their potential value as an ally in the fight against climate change.

Is it bad to give chipmunks hulled black oil seed in the spring? Do they start storing right away or eat most everything in the sporting? Don’t want their stored seeds to go bad due to no shell.
David

Hi Kevin,

I’ve heard that there is a difference, most recently by wild food harvester Nova Kim on a VPR radio show. I guess the wild leeks have the pure white bulbs (like the ones pictured above) while the ramps have that reddish/purplish color above the bulb. The leeks are said to have a milder flavor. I tend to call everything ramps, which I probably shouldn’t do.

Wow. You nailed it. When I come in from turkey hunting, I collect ramps (and certain mushrooms, if lucky) and smoking turkey is a perfect way to highlight it. We will be having this menu this weekend.
Aging Orion, Bill Shaw

My husband Wade Dimick just caught a Connecticut River Mudpuppy in North Haverhill NH. in the Connecticut River. I noticed in your story that they’ve been found in Lebanon NH. I just wanted to report my husbands catch to you so that it’s documented that they are as far north as North Haverhill NH. I took many pictures of it if you’d like to see them.

Looks tasty.  Some of us have been having a discussion about ramps and leeks. Is there a difference?

We would glue a 6” long dental floss dyed red to the thorax behind the head. You can just see it in the air and you can go all the way back to the hive.

Luckily, robins nest low so my young children can easily view the eggs and nest. Unfortunately, these low nests are prone to predation. Therefore, we tend to view the nests at a distance so as not to give away its location to the potential prying eyes of the chipmunks that live near.

A question for Mr. Jagels:  I have an antique wooden juggling pin with a stamped (ink? paint?) label that is faded so that I’m having difficulty reading the Manufacturer information.  Is there a recommended method (cleaning, oiling, waxing, other?) that I could use to try to recover more of the information from this label?  I believe the wood is oak or maple.  Thank you.

We once had a robin build its nest on the wide rung of an extension ladder, where the sections meet, fully exposed to weather and predators. We left that ladder up for a long time.

Last weekend (April 30th) I witnessed eight(!) Ospreys riding the same thermal together and headed north along the Baker River in Warren, NH near the fish hatchery. I’ve never seen such a group of them. I couldn’t help but wonder where they had spent the winter, or how far north they’d travel before dispersing. Thanks for this article about one of my favorite birds.

My US Forest Service bulletin says this about regenerating oak:  If advance reproduction is scarce or absent new seedlings will have to be established.  There are no known cultural techniques that result in new seedlings established.  In areas of heavy known deer populations it will be impossible to establish natural oak regeneration unless control measures are taken.  Oak seedlings can be planted under an overstory and allowed to develop as advance reproduction.  The overstory should be maintained at about 60%.  Plant the largest oak seedlings available.  Planting oaks after clearcutting has generally been unsatisfactory because the planted seedlings do not grow fast enough to compete with new growth.

I’m guessing the animal under your shed is a woodchuck, Caleb.

I haven’t done this personally, Mike, but we did a story once on it. The author Pat Bartlett, a forester, suggested that seeding in fall was probably a waste of time, as you’re just providing winter rodent food. He suggested waiting until April or May and planting germinated acorns. Collect them in fall, store in refrigerator over the winter in gallon zip-lock bag, moisten from time to time so there’s always condensation on inside of bag, taken them out in spring (keep bag sealed) and in a week or so they’ll start to sprout. When roots are about 1-inch long poke hole in ground and plant.

My husband has had a ruffed grouse following him around even with our two dogs on leashes. It was originally found injured on the side of the road back in the fall. It recovered in a box outside for a few days and left. This spring (such as it is) it appeared & is always hanging around. It goes on walks with the dogs & my husband & sits on our porch or sometimes on my husband’s shoulder. We have never seen another one anywhere.

Such a curious creature.