Site Discussions

Welcome and best to you in your new position.

My city south of Boston is replacing many old and diseased maple and ash with what looks like sweetgum trees.  What might be attacking the maples and ashes and why is the sweetgum a good replacement?

Thank you very much for this article about one of my favorite artists.  I have admired her work in Northern Woodlands and galleries for many years.

Congratulations on your gift. I have subscribed to Northern Woodlands for 20 years.

Dear Meghan, 
Thank you for the insightful article about Adelaide Tyrol.  I had the pleasure of taking a course in field journaling with Adelaide at the North Branch Nature Center several years ago. Adelaide was inspiring. It gives me great pleasure to continue working in this area.
Judy Brook

This so cool! Thank you for the information! I did not know only 10% of leeches suck blood, that’s very interesting. I think the thing people get squeamish about with them is the potential bacteria they can carry. I didn’t know they eat necrotic materials (decaying plant/animal matter), but that makes sense. They seem very interesting! (And I think the medicinal uses for them are really really cool! who thought something so seemingly disgusting could in reality be beneficial? Hah! I love it! Thanks again!

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