Deep Woods Maine Wildlife

Posted on July 24, 2017July 24, 2017 by Dusty Roads

Deep Woods Maine Wildlife

My time in Maine is over, at least for this year. So It’s time to do a head count. What kinds of wildlife did I see or experience while I vacationed in Rangeley. Notice I said saw or experienced because the most prolific wild thing were the black flies. They are such pests but also an integral part of the Maine experience.

So here’s the list

Black Flies-in the thousands. For an interesting read about these pests , delivered in a humorous manner check out http://downeast.com/blackfly-survival-guide/

Black flies

2. A Blue Jay – Just one on my front porch

Blue Jay

3. Bat, Just one. Wish there had been more. Maybe they would have made a dent in the Black Fly population.

Flying Bat

4. Crows or Ravens…Not sure which but these big black birds were everywhere.

black bird

5. Wild Turkey…Just one but that counts.

tom turkey

6. Turkey Vultures…6 or 7 circling a bog. Something must be dead in there!

7. Fox Kit..This little cutie gave me hope that I might begin to spot some of the famous Maine wildlife.

8. A Mama duck and 4 little ducklings

Mama Duck and baby ducklings

9. Bald Eagle..Maybe? I know they are in the area but I didn’t get a good l00k; just a big raptor and a flash of white.

10. Lots of little birds. I needed the Audubon Society to figure out what they were.

Little bird in a tree

11. Canada Goose. Not very exciting but still it counts.

12. A grey squirrel …Just the one. Expected to see more.

13. Chipmunk ..a little cutie but again, only one. Where are they hiding out?

chipmonk

14. A Moose…Finally my goal species.

Maine Moose by the side of the road

15. White Tail Deer…I’ve seen them before but they never fail to entertain.

Deer at rest

A Great Learning Experience

I fancy myself a wildlife photographer (amateur) and I’ve had some success. This week showed me how far I still have to go. But I had fun and that’s the main thing when you’re on vacation. I’ll definitely plan another trip to Maine. It’s beautiful country. Maybe I’ll hire a guide to help me locate animals. Some of them use blinds. Yes, That’s going on my list for the next trip.

Cold feet!

Posted on January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 by Dusty Roads

It’s amazing to me where my mind goes sometimes. As I was driving to work I passed the Norton reservoir and noticed that the ice has melted in the recent warm spell. (January Thaw). Out in the middle were about 5 or 6 swans. Made me cold just to see them but then I wondered, why aren’t their feet cold?

swan-family-2a

I thought it would be a short , easy answer to share but even the short answer I found on Askanaturalist.com wasn’t so short.

Let me see if I can give you the Reader’s Digest Condensed version.

Warm blood flowing from the body into the legs and feet passes close to the veins carrying the cold blood back to the body. This warm blood starts warming the cold blood and in doing so loses some of its heat so by the time it reaches the feet it’s cooled off. This keeps the feet just warm enough to avoid frostbite.

This also reduces heat loss to the outside environment. When we go out without a hat we lose a lot of heat from our head but since the blood in the duck’s feet has already cooled , it doesn’t lose much heat to outside air, water etc.

DWParkbirds 030a copy

Literally “pretty cool”.

To take it a bit further, are they uncomfortable at all in the cold?

It seems that the answer is no. Since their feet aren’t “cold” they can sit on that ice with their feathers all fluffed out and be quite content. We know those feathers are warm. That’s why we have down comforters, down sleeping bags and down winter coats. We think their feathers are pretty warm too!

If you want to read the more extensive version with the details about the arterial blood and venous blood heat exchange, here’s the link. They have nifty diagrams too.

042210_1418_whydontduck21 http://askanaturalist.com/why-don%E2%80%99t-ducks%E2%80%99-feet-freeze/

All is Not Calm

Posted on April 11, 2014April 11, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Ahhh Springtime at the Pond. Not so peaceful really. The mating rituals seem to lead to a lot of grumpy behavior or maybe it’s the cold, rainy spring after the long winter.

Bring on the grumpiness!

The Canada Geese are especially temperamental.

They always seem to be rather grumpy anyway but this time of year the grumpiness goes up dramatically.

They don’t seem to get along whether on land or water.

Finally a Moment with Nature

Posted on April 10, 2014April 10, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Spring has been a long time coming this year. If it wasn’t snowing it was raining but finally on Monday, we had a brief respite.

As usual lately my days off are filled with errands. When did that happen? I needed to run to the grocery store, down to Walmat (which is the opposite side of town) and then in another direction to the pet store for filters for the pet fountain but I was determined to get some time with the camera. No cat picture today!

The sun was hiding behind a gray, overcast sky. Rain was predicted for the evening. My first stop was at Oliver Mills. It was crowded today. The herring have started running. You could stand by the fish ladder and see the little fish trying to make their way upstream. A few gulls braved the influx of humans but no Great Blue Herons. I watched from the car for a bit so when the gulls took flight, so did I.

I drove to Plymouth to check on a Osprey nest I found at the end of the season last year. When I got there I discovered that I couldn’t find my binoculars. The last time I had them (that I remember) was in Alaska. This nest is near a park and it was full today too so I didn’t linger there.

Getting to the Grist Mill Pond was a challenge. The main road was blocked for a funeral so I tackled the shore road down past the Mayflower.

That’s undergoing road work but passable. I skipped Brewster Gardens. Nothing appeared to be out and about, not even a duck or robin. But that wasn’t the case at the pond.

Here spring was in full swing with lots of courtship rituals going on…mallards, Canada geese, and Mr. Majestic, the mute swan.

After enjoying the antics here I made one more stop. I went searching for the “haul out” that I’d heard about for the seals. Usually I go to Chatham to view seals. Plymouth is closer but the seals aren’t necessarily any more accessible. I wasn’t sure I’d found them. Without binoculars I simple took pictures and crossed my fingers.