SMALL,
BUT IMPORTANT, CREATURES.......
Boy, you should be up here in Maine
now! We are having a spell of beautiful and mild weather on to
p of colorful autumn colors. The
Monarchs are still flying, and the bees are busy feasting on the
last of the floral display. I actually found two Monarch caterpillars
on the still green Milkweed behind the beach at Bounty Cove. Most
Milkweed is sending up fuzzy seeds, but not all. The last chrysalises
have taken a good three weeks to produce butterflies equipped
for flying, so it looks like these last ones will wait it out
until Halloween to show their orange and black colors. In the
pictures at the top of this page, on the left is a freshly emerged
adult on a geranium; to the right is one of those caterpillars
I found this week, chewing on the Milkweed
As for other animals, I found
a small Pickerel Frog this morning in the wet grass at West Point.
Somehow, it escaped my mowing of the day before. I often see these
small frogs over there, and I can't help wondering where they
started life since there are no permanent pools of water close
by. I don't think they are considered vernal pool inhabitants
either. I also found a Garter Snake this week when tramping down
on the north end of the island. I think it was found as I turned
off the blue trail between Spring Beach and that cobblestone cove.
It was enjoying the sun on a warm rock, but didn't stay still
for a picture. These cold blooded creatures are still out and
about!
I retrieved two more whale vertebrae
after enjoying an early morning hike out to Small Point. I had
to shield my eyes from the sun which seems to rise directly south
these days. I only saw one boat out on the water which didn't
surprise me. The news is that lobstermen are only getting about
$2.75/lb. at the wharf these days. I guess you might say, the
prices have bottomed out. People aren't buying due to the economy,
and so these fishermen are thinking of staying in port. The cost
of bait and fuel barely covers the cost of their catches. I'm
wondering if these conditions will favor stocking of the lobster
pound. Last year it was left empty because the price 
of
lobsters never came down.
There is some good news, probably
due to the good weather we have 
been
having. Totman Cove is now OPEN to clammers at long last! The
source of pollution was detected ( an overflow septic system up
the creek), and the rains have held off for a while. I think it
has been a good two years since this area was open for clamming.
It is a favorite spot for me who loves to hunt and chase down
all kinds of mollusks and crustaceans. On Sanddollar Beach, I
was interested to find a small Asian Shore Crab that had washed
up and partially bleached in the sun. The striped legs are an
unmistakable characteristic. I am curious as to how large these
invasive species grow. I only find very small ones, not more than
several inches across, and not too many of those.
To the right, you see that small
Pickerel Frog I saw recently. They are fast hoppers, and rarely
stay still for a photograph. I wonder where it will spend the
winter? The leaves from my Ash tree are now all down, and they
make nice hiding places for these frogs.
10/10/08 Ronnie having fun in the natural world........