CLAM SEEDING AND OTHER HAPPENINGS IN MAINE!
As you can see from this photo, our fall colors have lost their brilliance. Now many bare trees take a back seat to the lush green of conifers. The Oaks are holding their leaves, but they are now brown in color. These fall changes haven't halted the activities of clammers. Here they are at Totman Cove, and what do you think they are doing? At first I thought the closure had been lifted and they were actually digging for marketable clams. But no, they were scooping up the surface sand which was loaded with tiny clams that they were collecting to seed elsewhere! I was so excited and fortunate to witness this activity.

The larger clams are deeper, approximately 4 inches down. They have been determined to be polluted so no clams can be taken to the market here at the mouth of North Creek in Totman Cove. However, their offspring can be taken to other non-polluted areas where they will be cleansed and grow. Clams are filter feeders and strain their food from the water. If the water is polluted, they capture the E. Coli or other contaminates which make the clams inedible.

After digging these small seed clams, they shake them in water to remove the sand. Here you see a clammer doing just that. Then they are poured into a larger bin to be carried away. Look at all those tiny clams! The digging moved from place to place, to maximize the effort. These are strong, dedicated clammers that work together to assure their livelihood is productive. Clamming is a year round business, though some clamflats may be inaccessible due to ice. Yes, in these shallow coves the salt water does freeze. I was once told that clams in the winter often "whisper" when they are removed from the mud or sand. These tiny clams could also be washed ashore by stormy seas that cause sand erosion.

I also had an interesting outing at Hermit Island on a cloudy afternoon as we slipped into a new month. The tide was rather high so I didn't do much beach walking. Instead I followed the roads and began counting bird nests that are now visible on bare shrubs and trees. I counted nine that were probably unseen during the busy summer season. All of the foliage is not down, so my count should go higher in the days to come. These nests will not be used again by birds; however, mice may use them during the winter to bed down in warmth. A squirrel caught my eye in an otherwise guiet day for animal activity. I noticed it was carrying something in its mouth and watched as it paused along a branch and deposited a mushroom! Squirrels will do this as a way of accummulating foods for another day. I knew they did this and have found mushrooms up in trees, but this was the first time that this animal had proved to me he actually placed fungi in trees for drying and later dining upon!

I may have seen my last Monarchs flying. I saw two on 10/30/07, the same day I caught the clammers doing their seeding. Halloween has come and gone. It is the same here in Maine........lots of pumpkins on doorsteps, spider webs strung across shrubbery, and of course, Trick or Treaters! I hanged out my luminescent skeleton, and piled a bunch of orange and black lobster buoys at the entrance. I greeted the visitors in costume, which is always a bit of a shock when the door opens. Hope your Halloween was fun and festive! 11/2/07 Ronnie in November!