May's Collecting

This is all I've gotten for May, except for the mourning cloak. I did include the upper and lower views of two, (the Mustard White and the skipper,I haven't had time to sit and identify.) Click on the photo to see larger.

Tiger in the sand

With it being so cool and wet the past week, I didn't expect to see any tigers, but the sun made a brief appearance and one came out. Then the clouds came back and it didn't make it back to cover. Now, I'm not certain what species he is. I'm thinking it might be C. scutellaris. But ...

Rhodora

It's been raining for most of the past week. This morning I went out and took a look at how things have been going. Walking down a woods road, I looked ahead and saw a coyote about 100 feet ahead. And just as quick, he was gone.

The rhodora is in bloom. I checked the bog and it's about a week before it will be blooming there, and when it does watch out.

T's available

I just created a t-shirt. and I'm offering it for sale over at Yerzie's. You can add your own type if you want or just have it plain .Tiger Beetle T's. The design is big, and bold. Take a look. It's $18.62 and it's on a large white cotton t-shirt. I will do custom colors if you want, just let me know.

And oval stickers and mugs are available over at Cafe Press, The Wild Edge store.

An idea.

Possibly a t-shirt?

Or I could leave out the title and anyone could have a tiger beetle running across their body.

C. tranquebarica

I cheated.

Home ground.

This is one of my favorite places. Spruce-fir forest, old logged area, an old railroad bed,riverine and a bog. The white area is all sand (300' x 700') and right now loaded with tiger beetles.Gravid Wood turtles will be arriving to lay eggs in the sand. Loaded with birds from spring to fall. I just love the varied habitats that exist in such a small area.

Maine woods in bloom.

False Hellebore (Veratrum viride)
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara )

Fern

Purple or Red Trillium (Trillium undulatum )
?


Violets

Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniesis)

Confessions of a bog walker

I spent yesterday walking in a bog. It's an old bog, completely filled in, thick mat of sphagnum moss, and a tangle of leatherleaf,Labrador tea, and rhodora. All in search of butterflies. Upon spotting one across on the other side, I would, well you can't run,it's like running over semi frozen jello, with a million tripping hazards and ice water. So I would just walk over, way too late to even see the butterfly. Once I got lucky and a mourning cloak flew to me.

It was hot, I got soaked. Got "misplaced".

I had fun.

False Morel

Window Strike

Thump! The distinctive sound of a bird hitting a window. Rush outside and see a crippled body on the porch. Gently scooping the warbler up after checking for life, I brought her inside for recovery.

My procedure for this goes like this: Very gently place the bird into a box, close it and and let them rest for a minimum of half an hour. Usually they will recover within that time as long as I keep the box dark,quiet and warm.

I've done it for a lot of birds even a saw whet owl,( imagine putting your hand into a box of needles, wear gloves!)

She recovered fine and was released. A female Blackburnian Warbler. (Dendroica fusca)

Nature Programs at Wilhelm Reich

Here's the summer line up of the Wilhelm Reich Museum.If you are in the area, stop by and take one in, it should be a good year. Starts every Sunday afternoon, from 2-4 pm.

July 12- Derek Lovitch,"Backyard Bird Feeding"

July 19- Kirk Betts, "Point & Shoot Nature Photography"

July 26- Warren Balgooyen, "Tree,Enriching Our Lives"

August 2- Michaeline Mulvey, "Mushrooms"

August 9 -Jeremy O'Neil, "Outdoor Activities & First Aid"

August 16- Peggy Betts, "Bats & White Nose Disease"

August 23- Warren Balgooyen, "Apples"

August 30-Herb Wilson, "Butterflies"

Spring Day on Aziscohos

One of the nice things about having mountains in your backyard is that you can go hike anytime you get the itching for it. So a trip out to Wilsons Mills and up Aziscohos Mt. Elevational differences in Maine's western mountains is wild. At Rangeley, (elevation 1518') it's at least 2 weeks behind Farmington (elevation 480'). Wilsons Mills (at the trailhead for the trail is 1730') and the Hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) is in bloom, trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is out and the trilliums are bloomed. In Rangeley we only have trilliums in bloom. Aspens are out in both locales.

Black flies are hideous out to Wilsons Mills, just getting underway in Rangeley.

On top, a stiff breeze kept the blackflies at bay, while it made for some good acrobatics for s couple of mourning cloaks, the commas kept lower. While sitting watching the view,(Mt Washington was very clearly visible and remarkably I believe Katahdin was also spotted. A perfect day.

A trio of bald eagles soared overhead and then in habitat that I didn't expect it, a tiger beetle showed up.No sand, just spruce-fir trees and bare rock, scrub, lichens and moss. He was pretty, green head,thorax and abdomen, and bronzy elytra. Maculations were just dots, 4 I believe.

Maine Butterfly Survey

On Saturday I attended the Maine Butterfly Survey's workshop at Colby College in Waterville,Maine. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, along with UMF and Colby College, and a few other agencies support and run this annual survey to establish what species of butterflies and where they are located in the state. Up until now we really don't know what we have and this project is helping to fill in the gaps.
Today, I spent some time to go over some maps and plan my survey spots. I have 7 stops, and a couple of other places I'll check when I can get to them. One I will be hitting is Bigelow Mt, which I will be able to do when I do the Mountain Birdwatch this June. I hope to make another trip there later in the summer. I also have the summit of Saddleback Mt , (just outside of Rangeley), on my list.
It should be very interesting, can't wait to get started.

Snow

Front finally moved through last night. Temps dropped down to 36f (2 C) and snow was on the mountains from 2500 ft and higher.

Name the Bird.

This should be interesting. Three photos of three birds. Name them. And one hint, two are the same.

Dung Beetles on NPR

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103775784

Boreal Long-lipped Tiger Beetle

C. longilabris

Taken from the same spot as the outhouse. So far this year this one will make 4 species of Cicindela from one spot. This place is crazy with them. And solitary bees. I also was found by my first blackfly of the season. Don't listen to their "season". They stay until freeze up.

Porcupine & the Outhouse

A few years ago, the local boy scouts got a little more interest and the place they use as their campground needed some "improvements". I could editorialize a bit and say how the interest won't last, and the idea of Boy Scout improving a campground isn't really the best, but it willcause someone angst, so I'll stop.A new outhouse was built, which the local red squirrels and deer mice found useful. They shredded the toilet paper left over winter. A year or so later, the porcupines found it and due to the sodium content of the plywood, porcupines like to gnaw it. As you can see they are good at what they do.

Last summer, I was riding my bike and stopped by, it's a great place for birds, tiger beetles and critter tracks. It's located along a river and in the middle of a spruce-fir forest, with a closed bog. Anyway, I heard a noise, walking around I came to the outhouse and a porcupine blissfully munching. I was able to walk to within 10 feet of him. The camera was back in my jeep. The area outside the door is littered with quills and scat.