Site Discussions

Great article. Possums should be allowed to live as long as possible. They are good not bad. If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.

Thank you for the detail on the sharp-shinned hawk hunting habits.

I have spent the last two mornings researching the net & bird books trying to identify the hawk who raided my bird feeder. She was a very dark brown color overall, with very little variation and a buff colored breast with very dark rivulets of color overlaid. Her tail had a few horizontal alternating brown & dark grey bands & did not seem overly long. But her fluffed up feathers made her look quite broad. I first noticed the hawk eating her prey & when she was done, she hopped 4 feet forward in the feeding area fluffing up in the cold. She seemed to jump around here & there, then over a border hedge, moving swiftly very close to branches, the ground, & other plant debris, including a discarded fir tree from the December holidays. She flew quickly throughout this area & flushed out another sparrow which she was forced to chase with seemingly no success.

My best guess is that she is an immature female sharp-shinned hawk. She seemed quite large with her feathers fluffed up which made me decide female, and your description of their hunting behavior seemed to confirm my guess.

Thank you!

I lived a few years in Illinois and knew Carolina Wrens well.  Back in Maine in the early 1950s, I was astonished to hear that familiar call.  Confirmed through binoculars.  I didn’t hear or see it again.

Thank you for the fantastic article! I wonder, is there an application for the blackberry thorns, whether medicinal or culinary?

Enjoyed the article … I inherited the family home in an old Tannery town. As a child I visited my grandparents here in the 1940’s & early 50’s, we got use to the smell. My grandfather retired from NOXEN TANNERY but he still remained here. Several hotels in town housed foreign workers, many farms in the area too but when Tannery closed population dropped. Also the closing of lumber mills & ice harvesting business left the town with no businesses & only about 900 people. Great place to retire to with beautiful mountains & a creek to enjoy.

Thank you so much for your article…
I so love crows.. and my little everyday flock of 13 get 2 lbs of diced hotdogs every morning.
Capt ed

Excellent article and very informative. I have noticed increasing numbers of American Robins in my neighborhood in the winter months.
Thank you.

Great article. I have possum that had to have his eye taken out as a baby because something had popped his eye out of socket. He is 1 and 1/2 yrs.old now. and I use him to educate others about the benefit of possums.  His name is One Eyed Willie.

I enjoyed reading your article about the Carolina Wren …. They are the cutest and spunkiest birds …. The first time I saw them at my backyard feeder, I wondered what they were too.  They often hopped around the bushes by my bedroom window waking me with their songs.

Someone here recommended using boiled linseed oil “only” because normal, raw linseed oil doesn’t cure. Pretty obvious they haven’t tried it. It cures fine and doesn’t get gummy at all.

Boiled linseed oil has drying agents and lead in it. You really shouldn’t put it on anything you plan on touching often, and never apply it without PPE.

When using raw linseed oil you’re talking about waiting an extra day for it to dry. To avoid exposing my family and myself to lead, I’d say it’s worth it. I really can’t afford to get any dumber. So no BLO for us.

I have to admit that it was an episode of South Park that brought me here. I’ve never heard of “water bears” or Tardigrades before but reading this article has me very intrigued.

This was a great read! I became really interested in these boletes after noticing a large group of them right next to my house, near a water hose. I thought they were soggy leaves until I saw the bright underside of their caps. they’re fascinating!

When I was in the Swedish arctic one winter, our guide described watching a male reindeer dig down through the snow to get to the lichen, only to then be nudged away by a female.  The females retain their antlers in winter, unlike the males, and this gives them the edge on feeding when they are pregnant in the winter.

Great article.
I cut some Oak logs for making a mallet next year. I want to dry them out and get ‘‘em strong for camp task. Should I remove the bark right away or let the bark stay in a few months if I’m storing the logs in the house?

DO MILLIPEDES BITE WHEN PICKED UP?

Great story Roger. When I came to Maine to live the first 2 people I became friends with were real old timers. Lewie Smith worked in the logging camps but only mentioned oxen and horses. Percy Storer only worked on his own properties but made a meager living selling wood. Lewie taught me many things about growing food [he was a truck farmer with 13 kids working his fields why he drove and sold veg around the state in warmer months], working in the woods and general knowledge no one cares about anymore. #1 tip was how to use and more importantly how to sharpen a scythe! His son Norman still lives in Lagrange and at 87 still cuts pulp with chainsaw and tractor. Such simple times back then but little time to relax for those old folks.

Interesting article!

Loved this article!

Have just begun reading Ed Yong’s new book called And Immense World, and your article really put legs on what I’ve been learning about how an animal’s sensory perception is so much more advanced than most of us know. It’s too late in my lifetime to begin a new career, but it was a joy reading about your discovering the work you do!

Another tearful mom, this one in NH raised skiers.  The great migration West to the sun, snow, wide open spaces and now great jobs to match!  Judy, your writing spoke to me, thank you for sharing your gift.

Yesterday we purchased a winter shelter box with places to perch, a lower entry hole, etc. Will Chickadees and Nuthatches share this shelter with our Downies? Also, we leave the nest boxes out all year. Do you think a Downie might use it for shelter. They are sized for Chickadees and Nuthatches. Thanks.