Site Discussions

Great article about Patty! We are very lucky in Maine to have her as the State Forester!

I fill my feeders for the little birds in my yard. I have chickadees, cardinals, I think nuthatches & little tree crawlers ( Them I’m not sure). I notice they really like safflower sunflower & black-oil sunflower seeds. I had hummingbirds earlier (only 2) ruby-throated ; they left in early Sept. They would chase each other away from sugar-water! Hope they return next yr.  Well as ling as the birds are here I will continue feeding them! It’s so relaxing watching them & listening to their songs when they decide to sing!!

Thank you for the kind words, Angela.

Thank you for this frank and inspiring portrayal of such much belied birds. I find a certain love and indifference in their presence, but now appreciate them more.

Nicely written. I shall think a bit differently about the marauding jays that call my backyard home.

I collected 32 pounds of acorns to donate to orphaned bear cubs.  How long will that last approximately?  For instance, do bears eat a pound a day?  Thank you.

We have these weird caterpillars eating our blueberry bushes-they are a light chocolate brown with a green section with a spike below the head. Does anyone know what they are? I am in eastern MA.

Hi there!
A few weeks ago I received 4 luna moth cocoons from a teacher who intended them for her (now cancelled) classrooms. Two of them already emerged and I set them free shortly after last week. One of them has never shown signs of life, so I fear it didn’t survive. The other has yet to emerge. Is it possible it will overwinter and if so, how should I care for it? Should I put it outside in the leaf litter and let nature take it’s course? Thank you!

Nice article. They were gone from Danby Hill for a long time but are now back, chewing on our little log house.

Question: den in the winter, a group or a pair.

WHAT the WHAT THE?
You hit it out of the park again, Declan!

Hi Lucy

thanks for the comments.  Now I need to collect a jar full of grasshoppers to see if I can replicate your observations.

Usually I get them in samples from streams.  It’s unpredictable really; in more than 64K macroinvertebrates collected over the years, I found about 100 horsehair worms.

But now I’ll round up a few grass hoppers and see what emerges!

Cheers

Declan

Full disclosure, my nephew. So rewarding to see Connor combine his passion with a career and to be so enthusiastic about his service to the general public, to Forestry, and to private industry. Connor’s outgoing personality, kindness, sincerity and professionalism make him a natural ambassador for the Forest Service. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

A clump of yellow lady slippers on our forested property did not grow this spring.  Has not been moved in 13 years. The shoots are now poking out, as if they are looking to grow now.  What is going on?  I told them they are late, please stop, or you are going to see what winter feels like in Ontario.

Thank you for another marvelous post - and for providing the link to KQED’s “Deep Look” cricket video.

BTW: There are numerous other videos of interest to readers of this site on the YouTube sidebar.

Great timing on this article. I’ve seen a few horsehair worms over years, both in ponds and in grass, and knew what they were, but not all the details. I collected a few grasshoppers last week as pet mantis food. After a couple days there were more than 10 horsehair worms in the jar, outside of the grasshoppers. I was amazed. Thank you for this article!

Have just had one flying around around our yard for about a month. At first we thought it was a baby hummingbird until I saw it getting nectar from some pink fragrant flowers which I was watering one evening and noticed the probiscus. Quite amazing had to look it up to find out what it was

I am so lucky to have found your site! I found the cutest Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar on top of my backpack while rock-climbing up in Rumney, New Hampshire. I put it one a safe place. Finally, I was able to find out all about it today! Thank you!!  Silvia

Libby,
Jim Andrews told me that milk snakes eat other snakes, so it may have been going after the garter snake. I don’t know if the birth sac has calcium in it. My understanding is that the mother doesn’t provide parental care, but my guess is that she may protect the young from predators for a few days.

Richard, Black racers are rare in Vermont, and probably in adjacent states. If in Vermont, you should report your sighting to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas. Did you get a photo?

It’s encouraging to know that young people like Breton are helping to promote and enhance the health of northern forests and their complex ecosystems. A new generation of good stewardship to ensure the woodlands are thriving in the future.

Great resource - very well done!  You have inspired me to put away the mower next summer.  I’ll do a lawn meadow with a pathway through it.