SNOWY APRIL!
April will be remembered for its snow. We had more, just as we were digging out from the last storm. Now, they say we may get more on Sunday, so who knows. As for me, the snow means more tracking opportunities so I was out early this morning. There was a different mix of animals out and about. Not as many coyotes, but definitely more Porcupines. Those rodents are rapidly becoming persona non grata at the campground. They are climbing and chewing the bark off some of our precious pines. Many of these were planted by Nick and Dave years ago, which makes it especially hard to take.

In the picture to the right, you can see where a Porcupine has climbed this tree and systematically removed the bark, his prized food. As you walk the trails, you can see the absence of bark by the yellow peeled areas. I have not caught these animals in the trees this year, since most of their dining is nocturnal. I did follow their tracks from tree to tree, and back to their dens - usually under a latrine. Their tracks have a rounded pad, but if the surface they are walking on is just right, their claws will print. They are excellent climbers. Here are their tracks below. Again, I have my glove for size comparison. Porcupines are relatively free of predators, though Fishers and large owls may take them.

I did see more birds and bird tracks. I saw the first Snowy Egret feeding in the mudflats, so they are back. I also had a close encounter with a Woodcock. I had heard that these well camouflaged birds had been sighted, and one flew over my head today! These are rather plump birds, sporting a long flexible beak that they use to probe the ground for worms. I hope the ground has thawed enough to enable them to feed. These birds have a distinctive mating routine that the male performs in late afternoon or early morning. He flies up in to the air issuing forth a "peent" sound, only to descend with a rapid fluttering of wings. This goes on and on, in hopes of attracting the female. This ritual is performed in an open area - someone's unoccupied campsite in this case.

I also followed turkey tracks, finding places where they had scratched through to the leaf litter in search of food. These birds prefer walking to flying, though I am always looking for places they might have roosted, and landed. I did find some scat, which again is part of the tracking story. Come to think of it, birds seem to be the harbingers of spring. The Ospreys are back and claiming nest sites. The one near the Bath Shaw's shopping center was seen this week, and I saw a pair on another nest over near Bisson's Moving business just off Route 1. So between the Snowy Egret, Woodcock, Ospreys, Great Blue Herons, Phoebes and Red Winged Blackbirds, spring has sprung as far as they are concerned. High winds are now being forecast for Sunday into Monday. Let's hope the nests survive. 4/14/07
Breaking News! I heard my first Wood Frogs vocalizing in the pond at Totman Cove today! No Peepers yet, but I also saw a Garter Snake sunning on the pond's shore. It was 50 degrees and calm. Now I have to worry not just about the birds, but also the frogs and ...snakes? Ronnie, the worrywart.