Site Discussions

I noted your article said that tree sparrows breed in Alaska and Northern Canada but I am seeing them here near Albany NY at the present. What do you think would explain this? Thank you!

Is Magnesium Sulphate any better than Salt? Mass has been switching over to it. The state is also building a plant to produce it to lower costs.

A very nicely written article, informative and comprehensive.  Unbiased in that there is no judgment, personal opinion, or emotional response as to why cowbirds and others birds parasitize nests, just good and factual information. Thank you for such great writing!

Hi,
was fishing near a solitary loon tonight. Its mate was nowhere in sight but I have observed the pair numerous times this season. They had recently lost their eggs to a predator (probably a raccoon) as their choice of nesting site this year was a poor one. Anyway, this loon seemed to be softly moaning and sort of sadly sighing. Maybe I am anthropomorphizing but wanted to report this to you and hear your impressions. Thanks!
Bill

Nancy- So nice to see the start of the garden. I met you at the Natural History conference in Albany this April and you were talking about this project. Love the design. Best with the project. Hopefully the rains didn’t damage it.

I will say that when I was a child, my brother and I helped our neighbor break old cornstalks to tidy up her garden. I felt a horrible pinch in my hand and didn’t know what it was. I looked down the hollow cornstalk at an earwig running away with its pincers raised. My finger swelled up to Shrek size but vitamin c and orange juice brought it down. They definitely can bite and that bite hurts. I still don’t want to kill them but instead we relocate them if we find them inside.

Thank you for this! I recently saw what looked like a mouse run across about 8 feet of deep water, and was unable to find anything that explained what I saw until I came across this! I know what I saw but couldn’t determine the specific animal.

We have had an infestation of Red Neck False Blister Beetles in our fireplace wood pile in our garage. They seem to have chewed into the logs. Very up setting when you are trying to sell the house. I have never heard of this around here before

My partner and I wanted to see a logger exhibition and finally found one earlier this year at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Jct, Vermont. Truth be told,  we didn’t care what gender the performers were but watching the Axe Women Loggers of Maine was both educational and entertaining. It’s a fun, not too long, exhibition. I highly recommend.

Great article on a great guy! Thanks for sharing.

I cut mine in April while the catkins are still intact.

Informative article. I was wondering why I’m not seeing as many fireflies on my largely unchanged, rural property. Any clues? Also the amount of bees and butterflies seems to have dropped off.

Thank you for this information. A lady ruffed grouse became sociable with me a few days ago, and sort of hung out close, making eye contact. I was concerned she was trying to communicate something. That evening I looked out the bathroom window, and there she was looking up at me. We chatted and by the time I went out she was off somewhere. Next day, I saw small grey, fluffy under-feathers, lots of them, but no bird nor bird remains. Husband thinks she is fine and the scat in the midst is her droppings. I am concerned a hawk or other creature got her. I see that the scat does indeed look like grouse shit, vs predator. I am concerned. I realize no way to know, but do you have an opinion as to why she chose to hang out so close with me (someone said maybe she was eating exposed bugs as I dug a new garden spot) and what may have happened based on the flurry of fluffy little grey feathers on the ground? Thank you.

I recently found what I now believe is a hookaroon at the bottom of a dam/spillway in central Maine.  I’ve cleaned it off, but dont see any identifying markings on the head.  Saw your article, which helped me figure out what type of tool it was, and was wondering if you might have any insight into how old and or who manufactured it.  Cleaned up pretty nicely.

Thanks,
Dave

Hi Susan,
Great article. Unbelievable to have this wilderness in our area of NE. Thanks. - Alan

Enjoyed your story and found it interesting that Jumpy demonstrated that quick moving, jumpy behavior, at such an early age. Red squirrels always seem so in a hurry, on alert, agitated, whenever they are about. Rarely sitting calmly like a grey. Thanks for sharing.

I have a few (half a dozen) cherry trees on my property in southeastern Vermont. They are generally tall and straight, with a 15 or 20 foot trunk before a splitting in a very narrow crotch. By your description they sound like Black Cherry, but I’ve always heard them referred to as Pin. Are there other characteristics that I can look for to help me tell if they are Pin or Black ? Thank you!

What a wonderful and valuable gift you gave to your daughter Ben.  As a child growing up in England ( late 1940’s early 50’s) I played outside in the woods - trees were friends and I created a whole mythology of place. It has left me with a passion for nature and conservation of natural areas.

Back to the present, I have been looking up Sheep Sorrel on google, as a component of Essiac tea. I am not a herbalist, but read it was good for detox of the liver. 

Wouldn’t mind finding some.. but a bit concerned about look-alike plants. Do you know of anywhere where the seeds could be purchased ? The teas and capsules advertised are way beyond my budget.

Thank you Ben for your post, and best wishes.

Sandra

Another great article in TOS!

For me, wintertime was a great time to start birding - before the influx of winged summer visitors. For sparrows, there are basically four: House, Song, American Tree, and White-throated - all easy to ID with a good guide. Then when all their sparrow cousins show up in the warming months, I’ve already removed these four from the yet-to-be -ID’d mix of migrant little brown birds and could focus on the new ones. It’s the same with all the other birds where there are fewer species in the winter to ID than the confusing assortment in the summer.

But it is really the act of discovery that is the most satisfying, no matter the season.

I grew up in Hamilton, New York, gave me a strong connective feeling from the start when reading this fabulous article. I’m in awe of what Ryan has an accomplished!  His gifts in helping those who are struggling to breakthrough their trauma is so powerful!
The programs he has worked with sound so worthwhile, and I only wish there were more of them available and less prisons. There are so many different groups of people that could benefit from this type of approach for treatment and life!