Maine Nature News

Vol. 2, no. 34, Tuesday, August 26, 1997

Quick jumps: | This week's reports | Wild blueberry report | Prior Black fly reports |

You are invited to report on any aspect of Nature in Maine

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, August 19. Woolwich (Map 6) Saw the following in bloom along the Kennebec: Cardinal Flower; Turtlehead--there is a nice picture of the Turtlehead in the original water color paintings of Audubon: on the plate that has the Wilson's Warbler; Joe-pie weed; Seaside Gelardia; Wild Rice--had to wade out a bit in the mud to pick a stalk of this--very low tide; Wintergreen--most have set berries, but there are still some flowers. A.G.

Saturday, August 23. Richardstown Township/Rangeley Plantation (Maps18/28) I saw twelve loons in a cove at Mooselookmeguntic Lake, swimming and diving. I rarely see this many loons in a group. C.R.

Tuesday, August 26. Augusta - Palmyra (Maps 12/13, 21/22 ) Late this afternoon, as I drove on I-95 North, I successively traveled in and out of two thunderstorms. As we exited the first one I saw a double rainbow, each with a full arc. After exiting the second thunderstorm I saw a single rainbow. As I watched the apparent motion of the rainbow out the car window I saw it pass BETWEEN the horizon and moderately distant objects, like trees and roads no more than a half mile or so distant. L.W.

Tuesday, August 26. Orono (Map 23) At the edge of a thunderstorm that bypassed town I saw a double rainbow. The primary arc had two sets of the VIBGYOR colors, but the inner group was more condensed. Just the Eastern half-arcs appeared.
Now is a time when late summer and early fall seasons concurrently hold sway. The days are still very warm, but the nights are starting to be cool, sometimes bringing fog. Singing cicadas, always a sound of late summer for me, are now heard in the trees. Crickets are singing 24 hours a day. Anytime I move large pieces of wood outdoors, several scramble away. Gray squirrels are in oak trees nipping off acorns in rapid-fire fashion, letting them drop to the ground for later gathering. On a very few maples, the tops are turning colors. (Is this always the weakest trees? I see this every year in late August, but we've had no frost.) Poplar are spreading the silk from their now-open seed cases. Wild roses have developed unripe green fruit, the hips. Thistles have gone to seed: a 1-1/2" structure like a tiny whisk broom. Purple vetch have formed seed pods like miniature string beans.
But wild cucumber (bur cucumber) is still in flower, as are buttercup, heal-all, horseweed, Lady's thumb, sour grass (wood sorrel) and yellow hawkweed. F.W.

Wild Blueberry report for August 20-26, 1997

Middle ripe fruiting stage: Southern and Central Piscataquis County; interior Hancock and Washington Counties; Penobscot County (most areas)
Late ripe fruiting stage: coastal Washington County
No reports: other Maine counties

Return to top of this page.

 
Return to Maine Nature News home page.