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Site Discussions

Vincent Letteri
Sep 12, 2018

I have a black swallowtail laying eggs today 9 /12/18 what do I do? She had laid 36 eggs in early summer which turned into caterpillars I left them on the host plant and a cardinal ate every one.

From "The Butterflies of Winter" »

Ian
Sep 08, 2018

Hi, I’m wondering if my two toads can winter in their aquarium in our all seasons room, given enough soil to dig in to cover themselves? We have kept them since they were very tiny, in the all seasons room, so they would feel the seasons as they occur. Do you have any thoughts on this topic that you would please share with my family? Thank you very much.

P.S. They are very good at burying themselves now, and hiding under the mulch or wood we put in their space.

From "How Do Toads Avoid Croaking in Winter?" »

Jeremy Douse
Sep 07, 2018

I like Mr Cadreact’s comment about how finding markets for low grade material is like weeding a garden.  Those low grade markets are so critical to meet stand tending and fuels reduction objectives.  It’s usually fairly easy to find outlets for the large stems but if that’s your only market, high grading becomes an issue, government budgets are used to meet management objectives or the work simply doesn’t get done.  We could manage our forests in all regions of the country much more effectively if we had solid markets for low grade material.  With the forest health/fire issues we are having throughout the country, you would think government officials would want to develop those kinds of markets rather than minimalize it.

From "The Questionnaire: A Conversation with Matt Cadreact" »

Larry
Sep 06, 2018

Dad welded an 8lb maul head to a thick metal pole. Sharpened it too, not too thin. That thing is the best wood splitter you’d ever see. Just got done with 2 cords of knotty oak.  Didn’t stand a chance.  Tired as hell though.

My 2cents.

Have fun split’n!

From "Maul vs. Axe" »

Jeanine Eaton
Sep 06, 2018

Good evening,  I am over the hill from you in East Corinth. Why does there seem to be many less apples this year on my wild trees than previous years?  I’m surprised at how many less there is…..someone told me wild apple trees only produce every other year?  Truth in that?  Thanks

From "Tending Wild Apple Trees for Wildlife" »

Gloria Flores
Sep 02, 2018

I really liked the toad article. I have seen at least 3 types around my yards gardens and sheds. It’s a lot of work keeping my small dog from hunting them and pawing at them. I have to move them to safety constantly, which I don’t mind.

From "How Do Toads Avoid Croaking in Winter?" »

Libertad Brito
Sep 01, 2018

I am always delighted to see the dragonflies.  I love the ones with black and white winds.  Sometimes I forget their names, but thanks to the internet I refresh my memory.  Our state is full of them at every park I visit.
Happy end of the summer 2018.

From "Dragonflies on the Move" »

Tim
Aug 30, 2018

We have a red fox that looks like these pictures.  He has fur, just very short. He has been happily cruising our Kent Island, MD back yard (8 acres, half clear).  We have never seen him scratch.  He has been here since early spring and just keeps on going.  Tail sticks straight out.  He does not act like he is in distress.

From "How Mange, a Terminal Disease, Afflicts Red Fox" »

Ingrid Seadler
Aug 29, 2018

Two weeks ago I saw a HUGE butterfly.  The description of the yellow dots along the front of the wings is the only thing I can say I saw besides marveling at the size.  Huge!  He went for the Joe Pye Weeds and the phlox before flying away in large ‘jumps’ settling on top of a leaf in the shade abt. 3-4 ft off the ground.  It folded it wings and I could see black lines outlining what looked beige-ish fields.  The only thing I didn’t see were the tails.  Could it have been a newly emerged Swallow Tail?  All I can say is that I have never ever seen such a huge butterfly.

From "Giant Butterflies Moving North" »

Kathy Zaffino
Aug 29, 2018

I thoroughly enjoyed the article.  Gave me a whole new perspective on bird behavior. When I canoe on the Contoocook,  I will keep my eyes focused on the riverbanks!

Thank you Ms Morrissey for your research and excellent writing.

From "The Birds of Middle Earth" »

ken rimmer
Aug 29, 2018

Keep planting seeds, especially from trees that show no sighs of disease.
I’m a landscape/forester and encourage people to plant Butternuts when ever they can. They are a fast grower and some die young, the disease rarely kills them, but simply shortens their lifespan. We (and wildlife) can still harvest the nuts a good many years before they do die.
It’s a beautiful tree even if short lived… KEEP PLANTING THEM!

From "Butternut, Juglans cinerea" »

Kat
Aug 27, 2018

Have two red foxes in the neighborhood with terminal mange. Feel so sorry for them the article said they will soon die. I’m used to helping the wildlife that have been coming into our city, but after reading all the comments from others around the USA, I feel so helpless in the face of this scourge.

From "How Mange, a Terminal Disease, Afflicts Red Fox" »

L.D.Bintliff
Aug 26, 2018

Twice now I have dug into some piles of old logs and other debris left over from land clearing.  After I spread the dirt and decaying wood, etc.  I have gone out after dark and saw my lawn glowing. Is this probably the Oyster fungi? And can I keep it alive for awhile to show my grandkids?

From "A Light in the Forest" »

Jody
Aug 25, 2018

I found a dead Wood Thrush on the edge of our driveway. It looked like it had just fallen over dead (feet up and pristine). I’m so sad. It is so beautiful and I love hearing them. It didn’t look injured or old. We have lots of slugs and snails on our property. We are surrounded by trees and bushes. Do they mate for life? Could it have had some disease? I hope this won’t be the last we see or hear of them.

From "The Disappearing Wood Thrush" »

Dave Elliott
Aug 24, 2018

A good example of how area is measured. I met a forester who had just graduated. His first job was to slash alder within a cut block. His bid was based on $/acre. He won the bid but later realized that all the land was in very steep terrain and was effectively a substantially larger and more difficult area to work in.

From "Does an Acre of Hilly Land Contain More Land Than an Acre of Flat Land?" »

dave mance
Aug 24, 2018

It’s hard to say, John. They’re opportunistic nomads, so if they find the habitat around your house amenable in winter, they might be back. Of course their diet will change in fall and then again in winter, so it’s probably more likely that they’ll have a separate winter range. And the birds will be bigger, which might make those particular trees less desirable.

From "Wild Turkeys" »

John
Aug 22, 2018

I have a family of turkeys spending the night in my trees nightly for about the last three weeks. Will this continue into the winter? They are locust trees, but there are also scrub pines around. Just wondering if they’re around for the winter- I have three fish ponds and they probably drink out of them in the morning before I get up because I find feathers around the yard.

From "Wild Turkeys" »

Hope mccliud
Aug 22, 2018

We observed that the deerflies chase our car down the driveway (wooded) and attack the side view mirrors.

Effective solution - tape a glue pot to each mirror and drive up and down three times.  They nose dive into the glue and are stuck.

Record haul for one day was over 100 flies. 

Why do they attack the mirrors? My theory is they look like big ears.

From "Deerflies" »

Jan
Aug 20, 2018

I’m interested in introducing American bullfrogs into my small farm pond.  I see there are many places online to buy bullfrog tadpoles.  Would these be successful in my pond? What time of year would be best to release them into the pond?
Thanks!

From "The Tadpoles of Winter" »

Corinne Stridsberg
Aug 20, 2018

How interesting to find this. In 1932 Christine Magoon bought a house out in Worcester with my husband’s great grandfather, Carl Stridsberg. They worked together at the Hotel Barre, not sure if that is where they met. They sold the house and Carl bought property in Berlin. I believe they were still together until at least the mid 60’s but not really sure. He died in 1971. I would be interested in her obituary which I haven’t been able to find, a photo of her from during the time they were together, and any other information as I’m working on the family history and clearly she was an important part of his life.

From "An Old Journal" »