A male Baltimore Oriole is shown in this photo courtesy of Paul Cyr Photography

The male Baltimore Oriole  is easily recognized by its solid black head and orange flame body accented with black. The female is olive-brown above with burnt yellow below.  Orioles are members of the Blackbird Family Icteridae  Their call is a distinctive hew-li with a whistling single or double note song.

Gray Catbird

The Gray Catbird is in the Mimidae family that includes the Brown Thrasher and Northern Mockingbird.  These birds are slate gray in color and have a curved bill.  They are found in undergrowth and shrubs in suburban backyards.  They are named for the cat-like mew call but also can have a repertoire of mimicked phrases.

The Seaside Sparrow is one of two sparrows that inhabit Salt-Marshes along the southern coast of Maine.  A dark olive-gray bird with a white throat has a yellow area from the bill to just above the eye.  It shares a similar voice with the Saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow described as  cutcut zhe’ -eeeeeeeee  or tuptup-sheeeeeeeee  This Seaside Sparrow was captured for banding on Appledore Island at the Isles of Shoals Dma&g map 1.  Click here to learn more about the Appledore Island Migration Banding Station....

Also observed this week were a Northern Parula zeeeeeeee-up and a Magnolia Warbler weeta weeta weetsee

Moose have moved down off of the hardwood ridges where they spend the winter months.  The pictures show a cow with her yearling calf standing in the shadows of mixed evergreens.  Their winter coats are shedding making them appear scraggly.  Often seen along dirt roadways, these animals will lick salt and other minerals their bodies crave after the winter depletion.

This time of year the black flies will drive the moose to seek open areas where a slight breeze will bring relief from their relentless bites.  Maine is fortunate to have a healthy Moose population estimated to be about 76,000 animals.

In Woodland Dma&g map 64 this Moose was observed with her newborn calf.

It is a rare week that the weather is not news in Maine and this past week was no exception.  There were reports of frost across the north and west while temps in the southernmost part of the state reached the low 80′s.  On Thursday there were reports of golf-ball sized hail near Calais in Washington County.

This week watch for the evening Waxing Gibbous moon that will be full on the 25th.

Doing the Black Fly Dance?  Send in your observations to be listed on the weekly Black Fly Report!  blackfly@mainenaturenews.com

Click here for the weekly Black Fly Report...

Fiddleheads are a spring delicacy of the Maine woods.  If you are collecting, please be certain to take only 1/2 of each clump of fiddleheads so the plant will remain alive and continue to  produce in following years.  Be certain to have landowner permission before picking on private lands.  Click here to learn more facts about the edible fiddlehead from the University of Maine Extension…..

As the black fly season moves along, we notice that a few more reports are coming in.  As the season progresses, people will send in more reports.  (It helps make the season a bit shorter you know!)

Due to the cooler weather they are being kept under control pretty well this season.  If you get out and stir things up it may bring a few more around to keep you occupied while you are outside.  Nothing like mowing the grass while it is damp on a warmer day to get them excited and hungry!

I did manage to entice a couple of bites today, it makes one know that spring really is here.  The ice that I had in my water bucket the other morning tells me that it is one of the things (cooler temps) that is keeping those pesky varmints at a lower level of activity.

A few more good bites and I will officially declare it SPRING!

So get ready for the “Black Fly Wave”, and if I see you in the yard waving, I will know that you are not just waving to me, cause you will have both arms going!

These reports are provided as a general condition of the black flies around the state.  The data is provided by individuals who email the current condition to me at blackfly@mainenaturenews.com.  In your email tell me if they are light, moderate or severe and what town, city or township you are reporting for.  I will include your report in the next weeks report!

This weeks tip to help endure them a little better is to wash your hair with an unscented shampoo, it does help.  Stay tuned for next weeks tip!

T. H. Hermit

Maine Audubon, Trout Unlimited and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) are seeking volunteer anglers to survey remote ponds in western and northern Maine for brook trout this coming fishing season. Survey information collected by anglers will be used by the nonprofit organizations and IFW to help identify populations of brook trout to be eligible for conservation management practices.

There are still hundreds of ponds in the state have never been surveyed by fisheries biologists nor have any record of being stocked with fish. We plan to continue volunteer survey efforts in 2013.  The project’s focus on remote lakes and ponds offers anglers a chance to explore new areas of the state.

“Volunteers should be enthusiastic about fishing for brook trout, be comfortable in remote settings and have a sense of adventure!” noted Jeff Reardon of Trout Unlimited.

For more information or to sign up to volunteer, please contact Emily Bastian at Maine Audubon at 207-781-6180 x207, or ebastian@maineaudubon.org.

Making a trip across the pasture to visit the cows at Blaisdell’s Farm in York

This report in from Dave K. in Kittery Point, Dma&g map 1 “from Fernald Cove, Kittery Point Me., I would like to report that local inhabitants of the cove today for the first time have taken 7 goslings for their first swim. Water temp 53 degrees F, their little feet must be cold.

News from the woods that the Trillium are in bloom & Ruffed Grouse are drumming.

Like the name suggests, all Trillium parts are in 3′s.  This member of the lily family is one of the earliest flowers to bloom in the woods.  The Painted Trillium prefers acidic soil and is found in damp woods or bogs while the Red or Purple Trillium prefers rich soil underneath the deciduous canopy.

The Red Trillium is known by several different nicknames such as Wakerobin or Birthroot but it’s most distinctive name, the Stinking Benjamin describes it’s carrion scent reminding us not to pick it.

This picture of the Ruffed Grouse is a female bird that is demonstrating cautious behavior before taking flight.  To attract females, the males make a drumming sound with their wings that some say sounds similar to an old-time tractor motor.  It starts off a bit muffled like a thump that slowly gains tempo until it slows again just as it ends.

Warblers are pushing north, I observed a Black-Throated Blue Warber - zur zur zur zureee and a Chestnut-Sided Warbler – please please please to meet’cha They were busy feeding up on insects in the fading forsythia bush with no time for a picture.

This Black-Throated Green Warbler was in the mood to pose for some pictures for Dan Terrence in Kittery Dma&g map 1 zee zee zee zee zoo zee

Blooming Trillium and arriving warblers can only mean it’s time for Black Flies! Click here for this week’s Black Fly Report….  For questions & to submit reports, the Black Fly Report has it’s own email: Blackfly@mainenaturenews.com  Looking for repellent?  Click on the Bye Bye Black Fly in the upper left sidebar and place your order today!

After a spell of dry weather that put the fire danger across the state on High, there has been some relief with rain over the past few days.  As the clouds clear out the Waxing Crescent moon can be seen in the west just after sunset.

The National Weather Service has begun to issue the Frost and Freeze Reports.  Below is a map from NWS in Gray showing planting dates for Southwest Maine. NWS in Caribou is predicting Frost this week! 

This week as we celebrate Mother’s Day we highlight Rachel Carson.  Although she did not have any children of her own, she tells of taking her nephew Roger outside to explore along the Maine coast.  Rachel’s book A Sense of Wonder is an inspiration for each of us in taking children outside to delight in nature.  This quote is from Rachel,

“I can remember no time even in earliest childhood, when I didn’t assume I was going to be a writer. Also, I can remember no time when I wasn’t interested in the out-of-doors and the whole world of nature. Those interests, I know, I inherited from my mother and have always shared with her.”     —Rachel Carson on her mother.

 Below is a picture of Northern Downy Violet observed in Auburn Dma&g map 5.

Long sleeved shirts, long legged pants and even head nets can help prevent the minor discomfort of being bitten by these critters.  Coupled with a good quality fly dope, you can still get outside to work or play.

These reports are provided as a general condition of the black flies around the state.  The data is provided by individuals who email the current condition to me at blackfly@mainenaturenews.com.  In your email tell me if they are light, moderate or severe and what town, city or township you are reporting for.  I will include your report in the next weeks report!

As each persons tolerance of the black fly is different, results will vary, but it gives you an idea of how they are progressing across the state.

You can email questions and I will try to help out where I can.

As a general rule, the worst of the season is from the end of May till the end of June.  Severity is very dependent upon the weather.  Cool weather keeps them under control and very hot weather tends to knock them down as well.  After a cool rainy stretch when the sun comes out and warms things up again, they tend to come out in force again for a bit.

Light colored clothing and not wearing any fragrant essences will help to slow down the attack.  When they are real bad, if you find an open area with a little breeze to spend time in, they will be less intensive.  This is what many of the deer and moose do in the spring when the flies are bad, which is one of the reasons you find the animals along the road sides in the late spring and early summer.  (Felt seasons, not the official seasons)

The good news is, the season is fairly short for the severe stage.  Usually by the end of June, first part of July they are much less a problem.  At times you will go for days without even seeing a single black fly.

So get out and enjoy the spring, just prepare yourself properly and you will find it not all that bad.

T.H. Hermit

 Around the House

A male White throated sparrow

I finally moved Sophie the spider and her mass of eggs out of the house.  I hadn’t seen Sam around, so I don’t know what happened to him.  After communication with the Maine Entomological Society I found out Sophie isn’t a House Spider after all, but more likely a Rabbit Hutch spider, Steatoda bipunctata.  She is, like most of us, an invasive species from Europe.  I was concerned about how Sophie would like her new digs, which is a garden storage shed I built over my septic tank.  I have a pump septic system, and these seem to be characterized by midwinter failures.  After my last catastrophe, which occurred two days after Christmas 2011, I built a ‘Sewer Shack’ over my septic tank for ease of midwinter access and maintenance.  In between pump failures, etc., I use this building to store flower pots and miscellaneous gardening implements, besides housing visiting spiders.  With a hoity-toity European lady living there now, however, I felt I had to change the name to something more continental, like, ‘ Le Chateau de Poop’.

As of this writing I haven’t tilled my garden or gotten as many things started indoors as I had hoped.  Although it has been very pleasant the last few days, a pile of dirty snow in the shade near the woodshed is a reminder not to push the season, as do some of the weather reports for the Midwest.  I’m limited in digging in my pile of mulch because it is still frozen six inches below the surface.

There are quite a few flowers blooming, with Coltsfoot and wild strawberries obvious in sunny locations. Some butterflies have been spotted like Mourning Cloaks and I did take a picture of a Spring Azure.  Black flies are about in some places as are solitary wasps, grasshoppers and Tiger beetles.

A handsome Oblique lined Tiger Beetle Cicindela tranquebarica

Many egg masses of Wood frogs and the mole salamanders are in the local vernal pools, and the Spring Peepers are still calling although the Wood frogs have largely finished spawning and have retired back to the woods.  The birds are still busy at the feeders, and since I don’t have a bear problem I leave them up just about all year.  I have solved the problem of squirrels and raccoons with an electric fence zapper guarding my feeders.  The Juncos are with us all year and should be starting to nest now;  the Robins can’t seem to decide whether they want to nest on the logs or the shelves I put up on the barn; the Chickadees are checking out some of the nest boxes and the White-throated sparrows are a relatively new seasonal addition as are the handsome Purple finches.

I haven’t seen any snakes around yet.  Speaking of snakes, one of the enjoyable aspects of writing this column is the comments or replies (or corrections) that I receive from others who study nature.  The best one recently was from a lady that found snakes interesting.  She wrote, “…We have had many snakes here over the years-Red-bellied, Brown, Green, Garter and Milk.  However, it has been a while since we have had some of them.  A Milk snake used to live in our attic, at least that is where we used to find shed skins.  Our living room ceiling had some missing plaster near the top of the wall and on one occasion a large Milk snake slowly passed over the space and caused some alarm in one of my nephews who happened to be camped out on the couch beneath.  All four of my daughters caught snakes.  My youngest had one attach itself to her nose and she was quite a sight running up the driveway with it…”.  Sounds like a very interesting household.  Probably a good thing they live in Maine and not in the tropics.

Bluets on the lawn, it surely must be spring! Also known as Quaker Ladies or Innocence they do remind of me of childhood days when I’d find them in the lower part of the field where the cows always kept the grass short.

Wood Duck with female mallard in background courtesy of Paul Cyr

The male Wood Duck pictured above is in the Dabbling Duck Family.  These ducks, like the female mallard that is also in the picture, feed  by dabbling and upending to reach small aquatic animals, plants and insects.  They are usually found on ponds and in marshes and like the name suggests, fly up and perch in trees!  They are very shy and will quickly fly when approached.

Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder

Very exciting news this week is the Alewife run.  Once thought a thing of the past, the term brings up images of spring festivals where women compete in a running event for a fermented beverage.  Not so.  As Alewives are making a comeback we are learning more about this anadromous fish.  Like Salmon, smelt, shad and sturgeon, alewives are born in fresh water, spend most of their lives in salt water and return to fresh water to spawn.  The picture above shows the new Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder at the headwaters of the Damariscotta River  Dma&g map 7.

As 18th century civilization pushed forward into the countryside, waterways were used as a power resource.  The building of dams blocked the path for once abundant species to reach their spawning grounds.  The picture above shows the beautiful new ladder where the fish can travel from the river up through the pools into Damariscotta Lake.  This years fish run began on April 21st and is ‘full on’ as shown by the picture below.  Click here to learn more about the success of the Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration Project.

Alewives fill the fish ladder.

To learn more about the Alewife in Maine read Tom Walsh’s article in the Bangor Daily  Restoration efforts put spotlight on once plentiful alewives

Speaking of Anadromous fish, this Shortnose Sturgeon was found washed up on the beach in Wells. Dma&g map 3  Click here to learn more about this Endangered Species.

Endangered Shortnose Sturgeon

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has reported an illegal introduction of Smallmouth Bass in Kimball Pond in Vienna Dma&g map 20.  The significance of this is the threat to the native Brook Trout population.  The Press Release and other information can be found under Public Policy or click here....

The fire danger is high across the state as a period of dry weather continues into next week.  The North Maine Woods has a ban on all campfires at this time.  I am glad not to be out on a canoe trip, makes it hard to cook the biscuits without a campfire.

The moon will be New on the 9th.  Watch as the Waning Crescent gradually disappears each morning into the eastern sky and the tides become high midday.

Ice is reported out across the state and the amphibians are calling in the northwest elevations. This Spotted Salamander was observed crawling over the moss in T3R11 Dma&g map 50.

Spotted Salamander on Moss

This Pickerel Frog was seen in Kittery Dma&g map 1  An easy rhyme to identify ~ the voice of the Pickerel Frog creaks like a rusty door hinge with square spots and the underside of its hind legs painted orange.

Pickerel Frog

Last but not least the Coltsfoot is in bloom across Maine.  Found along the edges of dirt roads and other damp waste places, this is one of the earliest wildflowers to blossom.  Flowers are similar to dandelions but have a scaly stalk and flower before the leaves appear.  

Brook Trout Threatened by Illegal Bass Stocking

Augusta, Maine – Central Maine may now lose one of its few remaining high-quality brook trout waters to yet another illegal fish introduction.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists confirmed the presence of smallmouth bass in Kimball Pond, Vienna, on April 26, 2013. Acting on complaints from anglers regarding reduced brook trout catches, biologists confirmed the illegal introduction of bass while conducting a survey of the pond’s trout population.

“We are deeply disappointed that another first-class brook trout fishery is threatened by small-mouthed bass,” said Mike Brown, fisheries director. “Someone obviously doesn’t realize Kimball Pond is a brook trout treasure.”

Kimball Pond is one of central Maine’s premiere brook trout waters. Kimball is renowned for good catch rates and quality sized brook trout (fish commonly reaching 18 inches in length). The main factor that contributes to the successful fishery at Kimball Pond is the lack of competing predatory fish species: the pond contained only brook trout, sunfish, and a few species of baitfish. The presence of bass in this small pond (55 acres) will result in competition with brook trout for food, and larger bass feeding on small brook trout.

Department biologists believe that this introduction is in its early stages because bass numbers appear to be low in Kimball Pond. While it may be impossible to eradicate bass from Kimball Pond, anglers can do their part by removing any bass they catch.

Introducing fish into a Maine water is illegal. It is a Class E crime punishable by a fine of up to $10,000.00 dollars. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is  offering a minimum reward of $2,000.00 for information leading to the apprehension of persons responsible for the illegal introduction of fish. Call Operation Game Thief at: 1-800-253-7887.

Cowslip or Marsh Marigold

Each spring I love to see the bright yellow blossoms of the Cowslips (Caltha palustris).  Also known as the Marsh Marigold, flowers have 5 regular parts, with alternating heartshaped leaves that are toothed.  One of the earliest and most showy of the spring flowers, this member of the Buttercup Family are found in swamps and wet meadows.

The Journey North maps show Hummingbirds arriving in Maine.  I haven’t observed one yet but the feeders are filled in anticipation of their return.  In years when I have been late in putting the feeders out the little creatures will look in through the window at me as if to say ‘Hey, we’re here, did you forget about us’?  Click here to look at the maps…..

Spotted salamanders are laying their eggs.

Joan in Skowhegan Dma&g map 21 writes, Today I have been cleaning up my flower gardens and interrupted the snakes pictured below.  I observed the snakes for about an hour. The party broke up and the snakes spread all through the garden and swam around the little pond and appeared to be having a great time!

Garter Snakes basking in the April Sun

Jed in Kittery, Dma&g map 1 found this Brown Snake under the leaves near the compost pile.

Brown Snake

We turn the calendars once again this week.  Higher elevations report that the snow is disappearing quickly and the last of Maine’s lakes and ponds will soon report ice-out.  The last quarter moon is on the 2nd.  Click here for Bernie Reim’s May Astronomy Report in the Portland Press Herald....

Public Policy is a new category found on our menu.  Throughout the history of human culture our relationship with the natural world has been deeply entwined with our moral and ethical values.  Society is continually faced with the question of how to balance the needs of humans with the sustainability of natural resources.  Our new Public Policy category focuses on human actions that impact the health of organisms and ecosystems in the State of Maine from the point of view of Nature in hopes that we can make informed decisions regarding issues of concern.  The first topic is a link from Maine Audubon covering information and a hearing on Open Pit Mining.

We have a link on the menu for Volunteer & Events.  Hover over the link to access the drop down list of organizations.  If you have a favorite organization that you would like to see listed here, please connect us via email listed on the LEFT side of our news page.

?Question: What animal does this tail belong to?

The picture on the left is the top of the mystery tail.   Fred says, “I found this on 25 April, after the rain.  I assume it was there less than a day, and probably harvested by a Barred owl.  I’ve seen these owls around.  I’ve never seen mink tracks around, but I have seen weasel, but this looks too big and doesn’t fit with color, as I assume it was a youngster of something”.  The picture on the right is of the bottom of the tail.

]]> http://mainenaturenews.com/2013/04/weekly-notes-april-28-2013/feed/ 0 http://mainenaturenews.com/2013/04/action-needed-open-pit-mining-in-maine-ld-1032/ http://mainenaturenews.com/2013/04/action-needed-open-pit-mining-in-maine-ld-1032/#comments Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:18:19 +0000 Admin http://mainenaturenews.com/?p=4101 Continue reading →]]>

Action Needed: Open Pit Mining in Maine, LD 1032

by jgray  via MaineAudubon

We need your help to protect Maine’s waters, wildlife and communities from mining pollution! Support LD 1302, An Act to Amend the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act to Protect Water Quality (sponsor Rep. Jeff McCabe)

You Can Help in Two Ways

1. Please attend a hearing at the Environment and Natural Resources Committee on Monday, April 29th at 9:00 a.m. in Room 216 of the Cross Office Building (directly behind the State House) to support a bill that would strengthen standards for mining in Maine.
   Contact Jenn Gray at jgray@maineaudubon.org or (207) 798-2900 if you can attend the hearing on Monday, April 29th beginning at 9:00 a.m., or if you have questions.
2. Contact members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee to ask them to support LD 1302! (Please see contact information below)

The Facts – The mining industry has an extremely poor track record of polluting the environment and leaving taxpayers with the costs of clean up. In 2012, the Maine Legislature passed a bill that rolled back Maine’s mineral mining laws. Proponents of last year’s legislation are considering mining Bald Mountain in central Aroostook County. Should open pit mining occur in that location, the impacts could be dramatic – open-pit mining leaves large toxic acid ponds which could potentially drain through ground and surface waters into the Fish River and the Fish River Chain of Lakes, which provide some of the best brook trout fishing in the country.

Learn more on our Open Pit Mining page »

Why we need your help – LD 1302 amends last year’s law to protect water quality and Maine taxpayers from the risks of mining.  A huge turnout of concerned citizens at the State House last year helped improve the bill – we need your help!

Specifically, LD 1302 – An Act to Amend the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act to Protect Water Quality (sponsor Rep. Jeff McCabe) would:

• Protect Maine’s groundwater by requiring DEP to measure compliance with groundwater standards as close as possible to mining-related activities;
• Require an independent, third-party estimate of clean-up costs and ensure that mining companies place a sum equal to that cost in a secure trust;
• Make any mining permit contingent on a company proving that at least one mine has operated elsewhere in the U.S., in a similar climate to Maine’s, without polluting groundwater or surface water;
• Not allow any mines that would require wastewater treatment or other waste management activities in perpetuity (such as a tailing dams or liner maintenance). Specifically, LD 1302 would mandate that mining companies complete all clean-up, waste management and water treatment activities within 10 years of ceasing mining operations.

Maine Environment and Natural Resources Committee

Contact Information

House Phone Number: (800) 423-2900
Senate Phone Number: (800) 423-6900

• Cooper, Janice (D) – Representative, District 107
  RepJanice.Cooper@legislature.maine.gov
• Harlow, Denise (D) – Representative, District 116
  RepDenise.Harlow@legislature.maine.gov
• Chipman, Benjamin (Ind) – Representative, District 119
  Ben.Chipman@legislature.maine.gov
• McGowan, Paul (D) – Representative, District 149
  RepPaul.McGowan@legislature.maine.gov
• Saviello, Thomas (R) – Senator, District 18
  SenThomas.Saviello@legislature.maine.gov
• Reed, Roger (R) – Representative, District 023
  RepRoger.Reed@legislature.maine.gov
• Ayotte, Bernard (R) – Representative, District 003
  RepBernard.Ayotte@legislature.maine.gov
• Gratwick, Geoffrey (D) – Senator, District 32
  SenGeoff.Gratwick@legislature.maine.gov
• Campbell, Richard (R) – Representative, District 040
  RepDick.Campbell@legislature.maine.gov
• Welsh, Joan (D) – Representative, District 046
  RepJoan.Welsh@legislature.maine.gov
• Grant, Gay (D) – Representative, District 059
  RepGay.Grant@legislature.maine.gov
• Boyle, James (D) – Senator, District 06
  SenJames.Boyle@legislature.maine.gov
• Long, Ricky (R) – Representative, District 009
  RepRick.Long@legislature.maine.gov