Please e-mail Frank Wihbey, Editor: menature@maine.maine.eduVol. 2, no. 19 Tuesday, May 13, 1997
Quick jumps: | This week's reports | Black fly report for May 7-13 |Downeast Birdline -- discontinuation announcement | Meeting of new group: Greater Portland Naturalists Forum | Publication announcement: Biological Diversity in Maine: An Assessment of Status and Trends in the Terrestrial and Freshwater Landscape |
You are invited to participate
in our weekly "black fly report" network during May and June. It's very simple. Send me an e-mail with:Location, Maine Atlas Map number, and black fly
severity on a scale of 1 to 3 (1=none or few, 2=some, but tolerable; 3=many, a royal
pain). The more reports we get the better, for statewide coverage in the weekly maps.
Please e-mail Frank Wihbey, Editor: menature@maine.maine.edu
This week's reports
Report format = Day, date, [time]. Location (Maine Atlas Map number) Report text. Initials of correspondent.
Tuesday, May 6. Alna (Map 13) Black fly severity = 1 (few or none). Saw a towhee. Today the swallows drove the bluebirds out of the house that they had been preparing up for the last week or so -- it seems to happen every year. A.G.
Wednesday, May 7. Presque Isle (Map 65) Black fly severity = 1 (few or none). T.W.
Wednesday, May 7. Alfred (Map 2) Black fly severity = 1 (none) J.L.
Thursday, May 8. Orono (Map 23) Poplars in flower: long red blossoms falling to the ground. Peepers heard in neighbor's pond. F.W.
Thursday, May 8. Vanceboro (Map 46) Chiputneticook Lake is at the lowest level ever seen. The St. Croix River below the dam at the end of the lake is very low. J.G.
Friday, May 9. Mars Hill (Map 59) No snow in town, but there are still huge patches on the ski slopes, and the North face of Mars Hill (summit 1748') appears to still be deep in snow. Peepers were heard in two places here. No tree flowers noticed yet in this part of "The County." F.W.
Saturday, May 10. Easton (Map 65) At
the international border. Pasture and potato fields reverting to forest. Moose scat and
tracks encountered frequently. Chipmunks seen among fallen logs and openings in rock
piles.
Great habitat for birds. Robins and blue jays noted in abundance. Ruffed grouse heard
drumming. Red tailed hawk heard from time to time during the day, then seen briefly on
Sunday. According to a noted bird call guide the call of the white throated sparrow
resembles "Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody" but is heard as "O, Canada,
Canada, Canda" in the neighboring country. There were white throated sparrows here,
so this was my golden opportunity to test this out. Sure enough, the American sparrows
sang about Sam Peabody, the ones across the border sang about Canada. (Just kidding!)
Pussy willow in full bloom. In a large copse of red osier dogwood I noticed a bird's nest
in the top of one low dogwood and wondered why a bird would build it where it was so
exposed. Then I noticed that all the dogwood were trimmed to a five foot height -- almost
certainly browsed to the snow line by moose feeding throughout the winter.
No black flies. Only a couple of mosquitoes.
In a stand of red pine, the frost was still right up to the surface
of the ground, just under the pine needle duff. F.W.
Sunday, May 11. Hiram (Map 4) Near the town of Hiram in southwestern Maine there were black flies about but they weren't biting and there weren't many of them. I'd rate them a one on your scale... Z.K.
Sunday, May 11. New Sharon (Map 20) The black flies hit in New Sharon, this past Sunday, May 11. We have a lot of standing water in fields - looks like a good bug year. It has been cold (30's with wind chill!) But bugs still out. Bluebirds back - why don't they eat the bloody things? S.M.
Monday, May 12. Presque Isle (Map 65) Black flies: there are NONE - it is still too cold here as we still had snow patches on the ground up this far in the county yesterday. However, I was in Gorham over the weekend and the forsythia is in bloom down there so it is coming! V.F.
Monday, May 12. South Orrington (Map 23 ) (Location exposed to wind.) Black fly severity: 1. A.S..
Tuesday, May 13. E. Orland (Map 23) Toddy Pond near the dam: Water level varies week-to-week by almost a foot here, apparently controlled by other than this lake's interests. This can't be good for the loons and others who are now trying to nest at the shore. This week's new-species-for-the year included a baltimore oriole and a rose-breasted grosbeak. Many trees are budding. The hills in the distance are beautiful with subtle, bud coloring. Noisy motorcycles destroy hearing the unfolding season, as do the increased truck and camper traffic. Not to cry: there's said to be lots of unspoiled biosphere to spare; but not here. W.D.
Tuesday, May 13. Fort Kent (Map 67)
Northern Maine is still covered with some snow. I look outside my window and see snowbanks
on the hills. It is a late spring. On Saturday night, the first sounds of the
"peepers" came from the lake shore. This is really a good, welcome sign of
spring. The next welcomed sound to come is the croak of the bullfrog. The last
"unwelcomed" sound -- the hum of the Blackfly.
With the colder than normal spring, I don't expect the blackflies to come out until May
31st in Northern Maine. However I did speak to a colleague from Portland yesterday. He was
outside this weekend and saw some of the invaders. D.R.
Tuesday, May 13. E. Orland (Map 23) Toddy Pond near the dam: 0 (zero) black flies. That is, we haven't detected any. Maybe one. Maybe two. But not a significant multiple of either of those possible observations. W.D.
Tuesday, May 13. E. Orland (Map 23)
Toddy Pond near the dam: I put up the hummingbird feeder last week amidst local deri-shun.
I pointed out how the hummingbirds might be waiting just offshore for the blooming of big,
red plastic flowers such as this one I just filled with 1:3 solution of too old,
confectionery sugar. This morning at least one h. bird came inland at least this far.
Canada geese flew east overhead this morning. Apparently they know the shortest direction
to the border. W.D.
Tuesday, May 13, 2:00 pm. Alna (Map 7) Black fly severity = 2 (moderate). Shadbush are out. A.G.
Downeast Birdline has ceased -- discontinuation announcement
Downeast Birdline -- transcript of current telephone message
Return to top of this page.