Maybe the animals know something about this winter that we dont?
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I thing it was about as good acorn growing conditions as you could get this year, whatever exactly good acorn growing conditions are. It makes sense to me that all the plant, animal, and insect things you see each year are much more likely due to the conditions occuring as all these things grew rather than in response to what's going to happen. Kinda like all those non-wood burners who put on quite a few extra pounds this past summer. I doubt that has a bit to do with what this winter's going to be like.
took the kids on a field trip today (one of the joys of home schooling) to Lexington and Concord, MA, turns out today was the 50th of the founding of the park and lots of things going on. Some of the old houses from that time period were open that normally aren't, inside they had people dressed for the revolutionary war period. We got talking about the fireplaces in the house and he mentioned that on average 14 cords were needed for the winter (from the records of the house), and that those 14 cords would keep the house in the 50s or so, the hardest part to believe was that the whole area had been cleared and was being farmed so that the wood had to come in by ship and wagon from Canada! Seems that buying wood (pellets) from Canada has a historical precedent.
Does reinforce the old time adage that " when your wood pile equaled the size of your house you were ready for winter", and why so many ancient houses in ME equal about a quarter or less of a modern house.
Does reinforce the old time adage that " when your wood pile equaled the size of your house you were ready for winter", and why so many ancient houses in ME equal about a quarter or less of a modern house.
Here in central New York we will probably have little more snow and cold weather than I enjoy but what the heck, life is good.
Bats disappeared about three years ago. Bull frogs are well down this summer. Deer, geese, turkeys, chipmunks, rabbits, foxes and coyotes are plentiful as usual.
I may have learned a little about how geese learn how to find a southerly flight path. Noticed last year and this year that when adult geese are teaching the juveniles to fly together they frequently alternate their patterns between clockwise and counter-clockwise. This is the same technique we used to calibrate fluxgate compasses in boats many years ago. Perhaps geese have some kind of neurological fluxgate compass they need to calibrate before heading south. Just a thought on a cloudy, chilly and lazy Tuesday morning.
John_M
Bats disappeared about three years ago. Bull frogs are well down this summer. Deer, geese, turkeys, chipmunks, rabbits, foxes and coyotes are plentiful as usual.
I may have learned a little about how geese learn how to find a southerly flight path. Noticed last year and this year that when adult geese are teaching the juveniles to fly together they frequently alternate their patterns between clockwise and counter-clockwise. This is the same technique we used to calibrate fluxgate compasses in boats many years ago. Perhaps geese have some kind of neurological fluxgate compass they need to calibrate before heading south. Just a thought on a cloudy, chilly and lazy Tuesday morning.
John_M
I hate those F'ing acorns! My wife suggested its the trees way of fighting back against me and my chain saw LOL! I have also noticed the squirl population way down this year.
Got Wood said:
LOL thats a great one. now that she let the cat out of the bag, while driving my work van down streets with oaks the acorns were hitting the van. it sounded like someone was shooting at me.
Less stink bugs around here this year, last year they were all over everything. Even had one flying around in my projection tv.
You can check them out here (broken link removed to http://www.asktheexterminator.com/Household_Pests/Stink_Bugs.shtml)
No birds or squirrels here either.The birds used to empty the feeders in 2 or 3 days. They haven't been touched in over a week. Is this the beginning of the end?
I get those stinkbugs too. I read the brown ones infesting PA these days came over from China to Allentown about 15 yrs ago. The NY and NE folks will be enjoying them soon enough. I get em coming down my chimney in the fall, and squeezing around my block-off plate to fly around in my house and die.
I'd love to have a hard winter....but....
Oak tree acorn production is cyclic. they do not produce at a standard rate each year. Some are 2 year cycle and if I remember correctly some are 3 year cycle (all based on an obcessive amount of reading from when I started deer hunting years ago). Squirrels don't hibernate. In the winter they usually come out in the morning, and the evening.
And the possum. Geez.....it's a possum. It was "playing possum".
but I still really hope we have a hard winter with lots of snow.
David
Oak tree acorn production is cyclic. they do not produce at a standard rate each year. Some are 2 year cycle and if I remember correctly some are 3 year cycle (all based on an obcessive amount of reading from when I started deer hunting years ago). Squirrels don't hibernate. In the winter they usually come out in the morning, and the evening.
And the possum. Geez.....it's a possum. It was "playing possum".
but I still really hope we have a hard winter with lots of snow.
David
No oaks in our neck of the woods, and few visible squirrels, also, so I can't comment on those.
However, while clearing brush, found a wasp's nest (active) 6" off the ground. I believe lore has it that means very little snow, not good news for snowshoeing. >:| Our beaver couple haven't been noticeably more active than in previous years. The Mountain Ash are absolutely LOADED with berries, the most we've seen in the 3 years we've had this place.
However, while clearing brush, found a wasp's nest (active) 6" off the ground. I believe lore has it that means very little snow, not good news for snowshoeing. >:| Our beaver couple haven't been noticeably more active than in previous years. The Mountain Ash are absolutely LOADED with berries, the most we've seen in the 3 years we've had this place.
Noticed it was awful quiet for birds last weekend.
White oaks have a good crop of acorns here.
IIRC, acorn production has a lot more to do with bees, pollen and sunny days in the Spring than anything else.
There was a good crop last year, too. Loaded with little white worms. The ones that land in the bird bath try to escape the nut and drown.
The deer do seem to like the white oak acorns over the reds, here, too.
This year they even ripped my tomato plants right out of the ground. Must be a bunch of young 'uns because they are taste-testing EVERYTHING.
Only thing oddly missing around here this year is skunks (and maybe possums and raccoons) . Haven't seen or smelled one all year and a neighbor in the hollow down aways usually gets more than his share of road kill in front of his house.
The coyotes have moved on (where they've moved on to has been in the news) so maybe the two are related. Could be rabies, too.
White oaks have a good crop of acorns here.
IIRC, acorn production has a lot more to do with bees, pollen and sunny days in the Spring than anything else.
There was a good crop last year, too. Loaded with little white worms. The ones that land in the bird bath try to escape the nut and drown.
The deer do seem to like the white oak acorns over the reds, here, too.
This year they even ripped my tomato plants right out of the ground. Must be a bunch of young 'uns because they are taste-testing EVERYTHING.
Only thing oddly missing around here this year is skunks (and maybe possums and raccoons) . Haven't seen or smelled one all year and a neighbor in the hollow down aways usually gets more than his share of road kill in front of his house.
The coyotes have moved on (where they've moved on to has been in the news) so maybe the two are related. Could be rabies, too.
Michael6268 said:BrotherBart said:north of 60 said:
Oh great. This whole area will be under three feet of goose crap in a couple of months.
LOL Honk, Poop, Honk, Poop, Honk, Poop!!
Sounds like me the day after too many hot wings
Just to chime in:
- feeding wildlife regularly is frowned upon a bit where I come from. Maybe folks feel good about it and get good pictures but...well...whatever...
- Acorns? Acorn crops are variable. Depends on the individual tree as well as the weather/moisture. 3 yrs ago was the biggest crop I have ever seen near me. The year following was pretty big and last year was nil. This year looks pretty good so far....
- feeding wildlife regularly is frowned upon a bit where I come from. Maybe folks feel good about it and get good pictures but...well...whatever...
- Acorns? Acorn crops are variable. Depends on the individual tree as well as the weather/moisture. 3 yrs ago was the biggest crop I have ever seen near me. The year following was pretty big and last year was nil. This year looks pretty good so far....
Acorns, pine nuts, tree fruits, smaller reptiles etc. and their respective annual average counts are great natural indicators of the current health of that species and a prospective health of species higher up in the food chain.
Are we trying to relate lower counts in certain species to upcoming weather?
Are we out of scope here, measuring dissimilar entities?
I see lower counts as a result of the past not a prediction of the future.
For seasonal weather forecasting I use the Farmers Almanac.
Are we trying to relate lower counts in certain species to upcoming weather?
Are we out of scope here, measuring dissimilar entities?
I see lower counts as a result of the past not a prediction of the future.
For seasonal weather forecasting I use the Farmers Almanac.
billb3 said:
I think I found your missing skunks . . . lots of them roaming the neighborhoods during this time of year and many more splatted in the roads. If you want them back, just let me know and I'll start sending them back to you.
We're experiencing the same thing. We feed the squirrels and birds, and for the past month we've noticed that they've disappeared. No squirrels at all, and the nuts are accumulating on the ground. Occasionally a small bird will come to the feeder, but no cardinals at all, and we usually have an abundance of them. We love all the animals and birds in our yard, and we're concerned about their absence! Our neighbors have noticed the same.
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