Site Discussions

The Woodcock has appeared at my farm this last February 2019.  Was beyond excited to find and hear them.  I hope for their return this winter!!

I am an amateur naturalist and Master gardener. I love every bit of nature, Unfortunately, we are losing it to builders who do what they do for money only. Wildlife habitats are disappearing, I did not see any butterflies last year, this year I had plenty. I have nine Butterfly bushes and an extensive array of perennials. Hummingbirds and the like are flourishing. Thanks for your photos, I photograph different stages of the praying mantis, as I have many in my yard, I collected some egg cases years ago and they remain in my yard. I have them in every stage, including laying their egg case, and escaping from their exoskeletons!, They are marvelous creatures.

I have 3 or 4 that visit my yard 2 that actually come on the porch and beg for peanuts ( prefer) as they also store sunflower and safflower seeds they are very territorial I have one that comes up on the porch all the time and he runs everyone else off and I’m pretty sure his cachet is pretty extensive I just love the little guys they’re so cute I do find that they are smarter than squirrels I’ve seen them run birds off squirrels off all I have to do is open the 10 to my bird seed container and he comes running up the stairs one of the other ones caught on to that trick too but he seems to run him off all the time they are funny to watch I’m pretty sure my little guys will have a good winter.

Today my wife and I visited Gorham and Berlin in NH . We had so many complex feelings. That is the pulp making industrial development way since 1995 in the whole world . High consumption, high environmental pollution and high competition electronic products . But we will remember the great history of Gorham and Berlin in NH for ever !!

What a great article!  Many years ago I stayed at a cabin near Rangley Lake, ME…it was so lovely to hear the loons and I keep the memories with me.  It’s fantastic these birds are protected and encouraged.

I rescued a baby. I’m trying to introduce her to the wild. I want to be prepared for winter for her just in case. She’s just started living outside full time. I do put food out for her
Any suggestions?

When the coordinates of property boundaries are reduced to a reference surface, one would assume that the quoted area parameter is different from the actual area due to slope and ruggedness. If land tax calculatiion are based on the convention of area measurement reduced to the horizontal plan, then the amount of land tax is under stated.

I love the above story thank you for sharing. I was researching this creature because dad is now gone but mom is up in the corner of my bathroom with 24 teeny tiny little baby spiders in her web. When I looked it up it said it takes a year for the babies to hatch so I figure I have a very special case here. So do I just keep the family and let them live in my bathroom?  I get the feeling they feel safe in their space.

My husband and I were sitting on the porch yesterday and told me to look at that baby hummingbird. I took a picture and videoed it the best I could but was moving just like a hummingbird. It was on my hanging petunias. Today we told our son and he kept saying it was a moth. It kept bothering me the design on it’s wings so googled a moth that looks like a hummingbird and low and behold there it was a hummingbird moth. The one we saw was red. I had saw one a couple weeks ago in the grass when mowing and it was the spotted one but at the time had no idea what it was and didn’t see it flying. Then I found this article and had to share my experience. Sure hated to admit to my son I was wrong lol.

I recently moved to the California foothills. I have one wild turkey that hangs around. I haven’t seen any others, but yesterday, she had a little chick following her. I had no idea there were any other turkeys around. Needless to say, it was the most awesome site to see! I’m hoping there won’t be any hunting around here, but as long she stays on my property she’ll be safe! (I can’t believe someone would kill these awesome animals! )

i had one bite my arm. felt much worse than a bee string. left a 1/4 inch hole that swelled up and my whole arm hurt

I now have a skunk living in my garage wall. The door is next to the den and when I leave, I open the door a crack and if it’s there, I tell it to “go hide in your den” and it does. So then I can leave w/o fearing to surprise it and risk being sprayed. Ha! I fear it won’t be able to stay there this winter though, it’s too cold. Chipmunks have tried last year and didn’t make it.

Someone mentioned Amber lensed bee glasses earlier?  There is something to that I believe.  Wear a polarized set of sunglasses/goggles and look up.  Bee lines begin to appear as if by magic as do many other types of flying insects The old readers on the subject described squinting techniques and facing towards the sun while squinting.

I was introduced to horn pouting on Sebago Lake, My grandfather - a French-Canadian millworker - took 15 or so people out on his restored Coast Guard lifeboat at night. By gas lantern, we’d pull up dozens of horn pout. Back home in NH, I would have my mom or dad drop me off at a local pond at dusk and they’d pick me up around 10-11. I’d sit there with a flashlight, bucket, and fishing rod getting even alive by mosquitos and catch horn pout. Good memories.

We have a house sparrow, a young female that adopted us. She comes to our porch at night,  jumps in her cage we provided for her and expects to be wined and dined in the house from 8 to 9 p.m until she’s ready to go out and play the following morning.  She’s a joy and quite amusing.

The best thing about wrens is their sing….I love it

I am 68 and saw my first ever one of these two nights ago.  He landed on my arm in my living room and bit my inner arm.  Yes, it hurt a lot, and formed a blister the size of a pencil eraser wthin an hour.  Plus, they are super scary to suddenly look down and see one on your arm in the comfort of your living room.  I took a benedryl, and it was ok the next morning.  But I had a terrible night.  All of my muscles felt like they had restless leg syndrome, and I had shifting pains all over.  I think one of my dogs must have picked him up on their coat and brought him into the house.  I hope to never have another encounter with one.

I came upon a bramble in my yard that was a long, trailing vine that could not support itself. Definitely not a cane; it was climbing up a small oak sapling. It had black raspberries that are cup-shaped and hollow when picked, but are sweeter than regular black raspberries. They are ripening in July. The thorns are particularly prickly and caught on me and my clothing more than my “cultivated” raspberries and the other wild black raspberries I found. Do you know what these are, since they do not meet all the qualifications of any of your descriptions? Or perhaps this a hybrid?

I just saw one big fisher in my pond this spring in south central Virginia. At first I thought it was a beaver or otter but no mistaken identity by its height, distinctive hump and fluffy tail when it emerged from the water and shook its fur dry!  It was huge!! About a foot or more high hump and 30 inches long nose to tail. Loved the Bronx fisher!!

Michael: Green ash sometimes (but not always) has hairs on its new (current-year) twigs; white ash does not. Green ash is also said to favor rich, moist soil and is often found growing near river banks and on lake shores, so the habitat itself is often a good hint.