Nature Notes - Jamie Bodwell

August 29, 2008

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. ~Galileo

Although it's late August this particular morning smells and fells like mid October. I figure the temperature is somewhere in the low forties. The under story of Kuncanowet’s forest has started to thin out, allowing me to see longer distances and Kuncanowet’s residents to see me. The forest floor is damp and there is a heavy fog down in the low areas. It helps me stay somewhat invisible both in sound and sight. As I make my way along to my first stop, I take notice of the birds and smaller critters. They're all up and about attending to their normal routine. They sense Fall is on the way and are starting to get a jump on storing up the necessary food stores that will get them through the colder months ahead.

This last summer was a wet one, with the frequent summer rains and beaver activity Kuncanowet has maintained water in her wet areas most of the summer, that in past years would be bone dry by June and stay that way until the Fall rains. The last few weeks have been rain free and things are starting to dry out. I think to myself that a little rain right now would not hurt. What stands out to me this year is the real gully washers that have occurred and in some areas and the way they have changed the topography of Kuncanowet. The fast moving deluge of rain and it's run off has cut mini trenches between vernal pools and long established wet areas, eroded embankments and has toppled long standing dead trees and limbs that have become heavy with the water.

On my last two hikes I have picked up several trophies, a beaver skull, porcupine skull, a coyote jaw bone and a deer antler. All of them were pretty well gnawed on, all fairly old, and all were found at the toe of a slope or at the center line of one of those newly formed swales, reveled by the recent weather, and washed down grade. As always what is interesting is not always what I am able to see or hear each time I visit but what has occurred in the past. When I come across these bones I wonder how each and everyone got to that point, how they lived their life here and how it ended.

Today is a fairly quiet day on all fronts just a few fresh coyote tracks, and the sound of woodpeckers hammering away. It sounds like they are sending each other coded messages. I'm fairly certain that they're taking advantage of the soft damp wood. They can bore into those trees like a hot knife through butter to get at those tasty treats.

I arrive at one of my sweet spots at the edge of a large wet area, a place that I can scan with my binoculars for a long ways. I settle in, the mist is rising fast due to the suns warm temperatures and the strong breeze. I spy a heron on the prowl for a morning snack and a family of wood ducks out for a swim. As the wind picks up it lifts the lily pads up and off the water. As they come back to rest the clapping noise they make sounds like the applause at the end of an encore performance. It’s nice to hear Kuncanowet giving herself and her residents a little pat on the back! Another summer well done!!

July 30, 2008

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.  ~Kahlil Gibran

For Kuncanowet, July started off badly, sometime on or around the 4th of July, some individuals rode their motorcycles hard through her. I sensed something was wrong while I was gearing up in the dark. It was very quiet. No birds greeting the morning dead silence.  I  soon was in shock at what I saw, a  rutted mess that the bikers had created, the wet areas that I normally walk around were now mud holes, as it got lighter I noticed countless little orange efts that were run over and turned to putty, logs and blow downs that I have been gladly stepping over or using for a place to rest and observe were ripped through with extreme prejudice. I followed their disturbing trail for about an hour. I think it was the work of two motor bikes. They went in about a half mile and when things got a bit thick and they exited the way they came, unlucky for them I was able to track them down. I did count to ten before I headed down the road after them, got their address and passed the information along to the folks at the P.L.C, I am happy to say that they were spoken to by the local police, they claim that they were new to the area and had no idea that motorized traffic was not allowed, I guess that sign on the gate they had to drive around is not big enough?,

I want to thank everyone who was involved in getting to the bottom of this violation and taking care of it civilly. I will admit I am a bit over protective of Kuncanowet, I want everyone to enjoy the same things I experience and part of it is thinking that you are the first one stepping into this wonderful world of nature Kuncanowet has to offer, stumbling over a freshly rutted bike track is a big negative. And takes that feeling right away. I am happy to report that all this rain we have been experiencing and complaining about, has been a big help in healing Kuncanowet’s wounds, most all of the ruts have been washed out and are showing significant new growth in fact I nearly stepped on a porcupine one morning that was snacking on some tender greens right in the middle of what was a mess a few weeks before, it does not take long for mother nature to repair her wounds, the rain has kept the wet areas to capacity this year, normally things are pretty dry, and most  Kuncanowet’s wild life has to travel a little further for water it’s quite the opposite this summer, things are extra lush, plenty of high and low bush blue berries I was able to pick a cup or two before the bears beat me to them !, the weather conditions this summer have provided a little extra help in the food department, perhaps mother nature is trying to make up for the harsh winter she handed Kuncanowet’s residents last season, but as I sit at one of my sweet spots to observe, I notice some of the smaller maple trees outer leaves have already started to turn ever so slightly I can’t help but think to myself maybe she is trying to prepare my friends here at Kuncanowet for another winter like the last, we will know soon enough !

Wetland fact:
Wetlands are an important part of the environment. They help control flooding by soaking up water during storms. Wetlands also act as natural filters for water pollutants and they trap sediment that can clog rivers, streams and lakes. In fact, wetlands are often compared to kidneys because of their ability to clean up the water supply!

June 30, 2008

Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today on my drive to Kuncanowet, was quiet fruitful, although it was misty and overcast the wildlife I viewed from my car was numerous, three deer, two moose, several turkeys, a raccoon and a beaver not bad for a forty plus minute drive, I am not complaining, but because of  my active commute to Kuncanowet, I am a bit late heading into the woods, by the time I step off the pavement and into the now lush and green under story of  Kuncanowet, the sun is up and shining the fog is starting to burn off, still enough mist to offer me reasonable cover I decide to double time my pace so I can reach a spot that will be active with some wildlife, I try to hugto one side or the other of the logging road allowing the wet low hanging trees and their shadows to shield me from anything I may run into, the birds are all out and about singing and chatting up a storm in fact I can barely hear myself think, its very warm now and with the humidity I am soaked through in less than thirty minutes into my hike, I decide to stop and quench my thirst, I slide my pack off, and head over to one side of the logging road and sit down on an earth berm that was the result of the construction of the logging road several years ago, I position myself under the overhang of  a hemlock a guaranteed dry spot almost any day, its water never taste as good at home as it does on the trail and this is the case today, after I was done draining my first water bottle, I noticed  a freshly excavated area on the opposite side of the road, reddish brown earth every place and grass pulled up and out and in some places patches of it mowed right down flush.

I looked up and beyond that and I could see several standing dead trees had been dissected with extreme prejudice, from about six feet up to the base of each one that I could see that number was about a half dozen, I suddenly realized that I was a late guess at one of Kuncanowet’s buffet’s, my gut feeling was move along  ASAP, but it was to late I could hear a faint intermittent wet snaps of branches either being stepped on or broken off, maybe fifty or sixty yards away, I decided to stay put and see what happens. If I had to guess from the sound of things I would say it was a moose or two out for an early morning stroll and snack I was soon proven wrong, what ever it was, was moving in my direction but staying off the road just inside the thick brush I soon could make out a very dark figure fairly close to the ground it was a bear grazing his way towards me, as soon as I realized what was going on I made some noise and stood up to be visible to all, this bear was very surprised to see me as I was him he sat back on his back side and gave a grunt and snort, a bit unnerving I might add, I could make out his/her face, light brown muzzle surrounded by a beautiful shinny wet dark brown fur and alert eyes which were fixed on Jamie, the second our eyes met that was it that bear would rival any race horse he turned and took off in a flash, I could hear him/her escaping off in the direction I was going to visit, soon the sounds of cracking branches stopped, either the bear stopped running or was waiting for me to leave, maybe it was a mother with cubs? Who knows all I know is what have read about black bears first and foremost and that is do not get between them and their cubs if you do you will loose and not knowing what this bear was all about, I decided to cut my day real short and head home, better to be safe than sorry, plus my heart was beating so fast, I needed to walk it off and calm down I figured that was enough for today, as I slid my pack on I could see all the signs around me this bear(s) was feeding in this area for a while eating grass, and extracting plump insects from the dead trees and earth, and as I turned and took a few steps in the direction of my car I noticed all around me was a patch of wild strawberries this bear was going to be back and I can not blame him,  after all Kuncanowet is known for her great eats !!, I have attached one of many Kuncanowet bear photos I have taken in the past this bear seems to be grinning ear to ear, that’s one happy bear!

Black bear fact

Black bears are not true hibernators as they can be roused from their winter sleep. During deep, winter sleep, their heart rate and breathing drops 50-60 percent, body temperature drops by 7-8 degrees, and they lose a quarter of their weight. Black bears usually den in brush piles, logging slash or hollow trees, under a fallen tree or under rock outcrops. Typically, winter dens are 5 1/2 feet long and 2 feet high.

May 23, 2008

"To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug." Helen Keller

It’s a cool morning at Kuncanowet, believe it or not I can see my breath and its May. I am dressed in light layers because I know full well once the sun gets up and over the horizon I will be shedding clothes left and right and will be down to my t-shirt in no time. The good thing with this cool start to my day is that there are no black flies or mosquitoes. At least for the moment and that’s a good thing, and another good sign is the ground is damp from a heavy dew and no wind at moment, excellent conditions for spotting critters!

Even though its still dark the bird activity is ever present. The singing and chatting to one another is deafening and no-stop I can see silhouettes of birds darting through the air out in front of me probably collecting breakfast for the newly hatched, or just grabbing a bite of their own. I can hear a turkey or two off in the distance gobbling and an owl hoot soon after. It’s not always what you see, here at Kuncanowet it’s almost always what you hear. From my winged friends to the larger residents like the moose and deer.

I stop, sit and listen for long periods often during my visits here. My walk is brisk and quiet, the new day is unfolding rapidly and I want to get to a spot and settle in before the larger animals start to move about. I notice things are starting to green up and unfold, the ferns are what I notice the most this time of year depending on where they are some are still tight little fists waving as I brush them by. Others are nearly all open but still not fully extended by the end of the summer they will be chest high in some places and very lush and offer excellent cover for a great number of Kuncanowet’s residents.

I make my way over two different beaver dams without slipping in, small in elevation but long. An accomplishment to be proud of at this time of the day. I am not always that lucky! I reach my sweet spot, drop my pack and settle in. The day it heating up near fifty now and rising. I am sitting on a hemlock stump in a mature stand of hemlocks. Red squirrels and chipmunks are all around and very noisy. My back is to them and the sun. Out in front of me is one or two acres wet area with lots of standing dead and low shrubs within its boundary. On the far edge I can make out half a dozen deer taking in the morning sun and having a drink of water. This goes on for about thirty minutes the drone of a humming bird above me nearly puts me in a trance. I was about to pack up and move on when all of sudden it went quiet, no birds, squirrels, nothing. The deer quickly and calmly moved out and away like ghosts. I sat back down and decided to wait and see. It was not long before I could hear something coming my way hard and very fast. The dead dry branches were snapping I could hear the footsteps. What ever it was it was nearly on top of me it sounded like a herd of buffalos but to my surprise it was a hare. It more or less flew by me and was so close as he passed I could feel a breeze that its two plus pounds body made as it passed me by. It saw me but did it did not alter its course or should I say its escape. Not far behind I could hear more footsteps a deliberate stop and go pattern. Still a distance from where I was sitting so I took a chance and slid off the stump to the ground for a better cover. Soon I could see a nice size outline of a coyote it stopped about thirty feet away and sat down. The coyote could smell me now but could not figure where I was. After fifteen minutes of this, I decided to make a little bird call that I have perfected over the years. Well I did not even get half the call out before he spotted me and disappeared in a flash. I could fool the birds but not this guy!

Oh well time to head out. The ground is alive with Red Eft’s. Kuncanowet is home to a large population. As I walk around some of the larger wet areas I can see the Blue Herons are nesting. I count seven or eight occupied nests. Garter snakes and painted turtle’s are all out basking. I watch ten or more turtles out on a log through my binoculars. All of them are snapping away at the now swarming mosquitoes, food for them a blood transfusion for me.

Time to go before I am eaten alive at a quick pace I head off. I loop around to a cart path that splits another a wet area. To my surprise I notice what looks like a WWII U.S. Army helmet? And its moving, what the heck! I approach with great interest. It’s a turtle, a type of which I have never seen before. About twelve inches long. I snapped a few photos so I could identify it later. Very cool!

A great way to end my day here at Kuncanowet. When I got home I looked it up in my Petersen’s Field Guide. Without a doubt it was a Blanding’s turtle and a nice one. I was thrilled. I have never seen one before and I was grateful for the experience. Once again I have to say that Kuncanowet never fails to educate me and if I am lucky enough she reveals one of her treasures to me!

April 27, 2008

Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.
~George Washington Carver

In the blink of an eye Kuncanowet’s blanket of snow and ice has disappeared. No longer does it restrict its residents and the way they go about their day to day movements. Although the frozen wet areas did allow some to access areas they normally would not venture into and shave time and distance off a commute to access food, shelter and perhaps a chance to be social. I am thinking most are glad the warmer days are here. I for one am happy to hang my well used snow shoes up along with the rest of my winter gear… Tracks will be hard to find but signs of life and activity will be everyplace. Life at Kuncanowet is gearing up for spring.

Excited, I slip into the woods without out a sound. The ground is damp, soft and welcoming. I take it nice slow hoping to catch a glimpse of movement of anything. The sun is just a bit over the horizon the birds are starting to talk to one another. A few chipmunks are scurrying along the now visible stone walls that were under a good amount of snow and ice for two to three months. I see just a head of me an area that’s disturbed about fifteen feet or so in diameter. Fairly fresh bear scat and tracks. You can see where a very hungry critter(s) dug up the ground looking for grubs perhaps and ate a four square area of fresh spring grass. Coming out of winter and into spring these guys are eating machines. What a great show this would have been to watch.

I decide to head for a few open water areas that always are treat. The day is warm in fact its fast approaching the mid sixties and may even hit seventy degrees today. I pass through areas that still have good size snow patches. Its like standing in front of an open refrigerator door on a hot august night. That’s how much the air temperature varies when passing through. As I make my way to a spot where two wet areas nearly touch, I make out a sad but expected sight. The front leg of a deer not sure how or when it died, I am guessing it was a combination of age, weather and finding enough food. I hope this is the only death I find.

I notice coyote scat nearby, it reminds me that it may seem like mother nature is cruel but in the death of this one, many were able to live it’s a hard fact to swallow I know. I continue on, the sun now at my back I head towards open water. I can make out through the trees an out line of ice or what is left of it. I slow my pace down to a very slow walk in hope of catching a glimpse of a critter. I pop out at the edge of wet and very slowly make my way counter clockwise along the edge to a nice spot to sit and wait and of course have a snack. As I settle in, I pour a nice cup of coffee, and lean back into a nice large diameter white pine. Just then I look down to my right about three feet away is a nice size garter snake. I guess I am not alone in thinking this is a sweet spot for relaxing. Its not long before I notice a log out in front of me start to come to life with turtles one by one they inched their cold shells up onto this sunny spot. I lost count at twenty its amazing to me that a wet area this small is home to so many !!

Another hour has passed, I check my watch its just about eleven, time to head back to the car. As I was standing up I caught some movement along the far edge in the shadows. I quickly sat down an grabbed my binoculars and to my surprise I see the sleek body and stubby legs of Billy mink making his way towards me and the turtles. An unusual sight to see at this time of day I snapped a quick photo and have draw a red border around him. See if you can pick him out ? He made his way to within fifty feet of me before I was noticed. Up until then he was working the shore line hard in search of food and on occasion would glance at the turtle buffet. All I can say is he was fast and on a mission and hard to follow. Minks are good swimmers and can dive as deep as sixteen feet, so those turtles had better watch out. I wondered what had him out at mid-day. I am hoping he was in search of food for his off spring. I always knew that Kuncanowet had a mink or two but I never had seen one with my own eyes till today. It brought me great pleasure to see him which is quiet opposite of his feelings about me I am sure. He vanished in a blink of an eye along with his thoughts of turtle for supper!

March 30, 2008

The sun is the epitome of benevolence - it is life-giving and warmth giving and happiness giving, and to it we owe our thanksgiving. ~Jessi Lane Adams

Take a deep breath its over, spring is here and may I say is pressing forward with extreme prejudice, as I look out along the horizon I can plainly see the welcome color of spring , a maroon hue of the deciduous trees on the horizon, I am sure a text book definition exists but I have yet to come across one, it’s the color that the outer most branches have during the early stages of separation from winters cold relentless grip most noticeable when the sun is low on the horizon, next time you are out take a look it’s a unique sign often overlooked, soon it will turn to various shades of green and so on in the cycle, Kuncanowet has been patient, I must say animal activity has been minimal compared to most winters of years gone by, today is a brisk sunny day with a slight breeze out of the southeast, I am still relying on snowshoes I would say three feet of snow is the average I am hoping the deer and moose were able to get to a safe haven before the early and numerous back to back snow storms caught them in an area that could not sustain them to spring, as the snow melts I will venture into those areas in a few weeks to see how they have faired.

As I move along in a southerly direction I continually run into Snowshoe Hare sign and glimpse one or two motoring by, unbelievably fast and plump they are dirty white now, with brown and grey specks still very difficult to see when not in flight the best way to see one I have found is when you come upon an area that has an abundance of hare scat just settle in for thirty minutes or so, and wait one or more will grown impatient and all of sudden make a dash for it guaranteed, and is the case today.

I make my way to a sweet spot to take a break for snack break and take in the sounds as, always the charismatic chickadee is the first to greet me they crack me up, they are the eternal optimists of Kuncanowet with out a doubt, all in all it’s a quiet day, I hear a woodpecker or two off in the distance hammering away in search of food, and a group of crows nearby talking to one another like its been years since they last met, the sun is creeping higher time to move on, as I was strapping my shoes on I notice mink scat about six feet away from where I was sitting, if I had not turned slightly to get my balance I would have never seen it, there were no tracks to give away its existence from where I was sitting, just got lucky, interesting thing here at Kuncanowet is that there is sign everyplace all you need to do is look. I head out in the direction of an open area that is pretty lively most visits to see what I can find.

A light dusting of snow shows evidence of coyote tracks on an early morning hunt, cruising around the edge of this open area that was once used as a loading area for the last lumbering operation now has become a perfect habitat for the smaller critters in the food chain, the slash piles, stumps and dozed earth on the perimeter offers protection and shelter. I have seen the Snowshoe Hare, Woodchucks, Mice, Voles, snakes, Grouse and more here, and of course it draws in the larger predator today the coyote tracks on one edge and bobcat track on the opposite they look about the same age I wonder if they knew each other was there ? A very interesting situation don’t you think?

Time to head back to the car, one of the reoccurring themes here at Kuncanowet is the great housing it offers, tree cavities which there is an abundance of, small caves, blow downs, old stump and brush piles not to mention the hollowed out banks and active and abandoned beaver lodges, I often wonder how many beating hearts live in one acre of Kuncanowet, it’s a number I am sure that would surprise us all! I am thankful for every one of them, and happy to have the long warm sunny.

February 22, 2008

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to plan in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike." - John Muair

As beautiful as Kuncanowet is, she is now showing signs of winter fatigue, the trees have given up their fair share of branches and limbs, some old and ready to leave their mother tree and in other cases healthy vibrant growth unable to withstand the recent snow, rain ice and wind. They lay in a tangle beneath, they litter the surface of the snow and in some areas cause me to detour from my now well worn snowshoe trail.

I notice an abundance of newly deposited piles of leaves, the forgotten ones that you rarely notice until they rattle in the slightest breeze to remind you they are still hanging on in the dead of winter. Now the majority of them are blowing around on the snow depositing themselves in the low spots, brush piles, and against snow drifts. I notice a good size berm of leaves have been caught at intersecting stone walls, that corner will make a warm bed for someone later. I cannot pass it by, I snowshoe over and lower myself down on one knee and grab a hand full of the leaves expecting them to crumble. They don’t, they have been moistened by the recent snow. I bury my nose into the handful, it smells like spring. You can’t buy that aroma! Call me crazy but I love it- that sweet smell and the promise of warmer weather it brings.

It is a cold morning. I figure somewhere in the twenties. I can see my breath, still on one knee I look out in front of me and I can see someone else’s breath. I am not alone. My heart starts to race. Just a short distance away -I would say about one hundred feet, sitting and watching me sniff leaves is a coyote. I can see him/her from the shoulders up and as soon as we make eye contact off he/she turns and goes away slowly, quiet as could be, only to look back once. It’s amazing how their coats just blend into the surroundings. Within a few minutes I cannot see him/her at all - like a ghost -gone. I decide to follow slowly.

I make my way to where I was being watched. This coyote was sitting there for a while. I think his intentions were to use me to flush out some rabbits or some other form of protein. I start to follow the tracks. We have four or five inches of nice snow so it should be easy to follow.

This coyote seems relaxed- for the first 20 minutes the stride never changes, slow and easy. I come upon a fresh marking - urine on a small white pine. I notice some blood with the urine, a sign of estrus. I am tracking a female now, she is letting every available male in the area know that her dance card is not full and letting any other females know to stay away.

It’s getting warm now. I decide to shed some clothes and have a drink. The sky is clear and blue, the birds are out and about enjoying the warmth - what a day!

I follow the coyote for a little while longer. Her stride never changes and I decide break off and head in a different direction. This is a critical time here at Kuncanowet. Those who have made it this far have weathered the storms, the cold and the constant search for food. They have survived cars and hunters. They all have to hang on just a few more weeks, so there’s no sense in me stressing this animal out more.

Not far from where I broke off I come across another fresh track. It’s either a fisher cat or a well fed mink. I placed my snowshoe between the tracks (lope). This animal was moving fast and was on the hunt I’m sure. My snowshoe is about eight inches wide and using that as a guide I figure track to track there is about thirty to thirty two inches. Nice animal. No chance of seeing this critter!

I continue to follow the fisher tracks a little further as he’s heading in the same direction I am. It’s not long before I am in a stand of tall white pines and hemlocks and the tracks head up to one of the nearby trees. I am probably being watched right now as he lunches on a red squirrel! I keep on moving. It’s getting close to snack time for me too so I find a nice sunny spot and dig in. I am on some high ground overlooking a frozen wet area, a recurring theme here at Kuncanowet.

All in all it’s still pretty quiet. The birds are chatting up the woods. I grab my binoculars and scan an area across from me. I noticed a hemlock tree has fallen victim to a porcupine’s appetite, the tree has been pruned with extreme prejudice. I can see one very healthy porcupine making his way down the tree, looks to me like he may be heading for a sunny spot higher up on a white pine close by, he is moving fast! Never let anyone tell you they are a slow moving animal -they can move right along when they want too and this one sure is! I decide to go have a look at him up close and make my way across the ice to try and intersect his path. He must have heard me because by the time I find him he had taken up a defensive position in a rock over hang - his tail and back side are all I can see. I snap a photo of my bristling friend and head back to my sunny spot.

After about forty minutes I watch him make his way up the tree he had been checking out before I entered into the mix and interrupted him. He succeeds in making it up to a nice warm spot and now he’s relaxed and snacking - just as it should be. Good for him – only a few more weeks to go!

January 14, 2008

“A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers but borrowed from his children." -Audubon

Although winter started with a bang, it seems to have backed down a notch just a bit, temporarily I am sure, I think even one day last week it hit the mid 50’s crazy weather, It’s a mild morning here at Kuncanowet, the temperature I’m guessing is in the 30’s, as I climb the rock hard snow bank I pause for a moment at the top and survey the general area, no one has been here since my last visit I can clearly see my snowshoe pack trail and no others, human that is, I do notice that larger of Kuncanowet’s residents deer, moose and coyote have all made use of my packed path, and why not less work for them allows their fat reserves to stretch out over the unpredictable harsh winter here and could mean life or death in most cases, the fattest survives, just think about those cold bitter nights when you are tucked in your warm bed and think of these critters out in the open curled up under a hemlock, hopefully out of the wind, sometimes together sometimes going it alone, how they get any sleep is a wonder to me, they are rugged for sure.

I jump off and head on in, the sun has inched up over the horizon, it’s clear and quite even though they are forecasting a Nor’easter within the next twenty-four hours, you would not think it by the clear welcoming skies and the promising warm temperatures to come. I don’t expect to see much wildlife, due to the mostly hard crusty snow, which will hold my weight, but with every step still sends an alarm through the forest (crunch!) and announces to everyone “man is in the woods” today I will follow my well used trail and hope to catch a glimpse of someone. As I make my way along I can see that the snowshoe hare’s have been very active, their tracks are everywhere and sign of them socializing and eating, I see evidence all over, these guys taking advantage of the deep snow and their ability to stretch up on their hind legs to get to the highest branches possible and their nutritious bark and buds. I took a measurement at one spot; it was 18 inches from the hind foot prints to a branch that has been stripped clean of buds, amazing!

As I move along I can see that the Pileated has hammered another tree with several large holes, and added another to the tree I saw last visit, the aroma of white pine, along with the wood chips scattered about, would lead you to think you were at your local lumber yard.

I finally arrive at one of my many favorite spots to sit; snack and listen, I drop my pack, clean a spot to sit pour a cup of coffee and settle in, I toss out a hand full of birdseed that I sometimes carry with me, just to see how alone I really am, within seconds chickadees are the first to show up one or two at first then I am in the middle of a deleted scene from a Hitchcock movie! Jays, Nuthatches, Tufted Titmouse, nice to watch and the company is always welcome. Unafraid of me they feed inches away, the next to show was a pair of red squirrels, chattering at me loudly and twitching their tails, they are red fire balls with white eye liner, they bluff, don’t mess with me! They seem to say, one them zips down the tree to the scattered seed, does a sideways dance around me to the seed, scoops up as much as he can and in a flash back up the tree while the other keeps watch until his turn… I would say each got few sorties in, before their high pitch warnings hit a new level of urgency … everyone disappeared almost as fast as they arrived, birds and all, I notice a shadow out of the corner of my eye, a lot like an air craft would cast on a sunny day when it flies between you and the sun that’s how noticeable it was … I looked all over to see what the fuss was about , it was an owl, a very large one, type unknown, he kept far enough away, perched in a stand of dead pines, using them as a blind, kept him a mystery to me, I figured he was close to 24 inches tall, grey brown and very hungry to be out mid morning and to risk being viewed by me, he peaked out every few seconds from behind the trees it almost seemed like a game at first, after about 20 minutes he grew bored with me and the now empty buffet and disappeared.

I decided to do the same, time to head back, the sun was high and warm and the woods were alive once again birds, squirrels and the like, all making the best of the warm day … near my jump off point I decided to take a small detour and check an area on the back side of a beaver pond that has a nice grove of hemlocks and a south facing ledge which gives refuge to anyone that may need it I am hoping it will have something interesting for me … sure enough it does… a recent kill site, (a few days old) feathers although wet and twisted upon examination appear to be from a ruffed grouse all in an area about two feet square, hard to say who the predator was, the feathers were clipped not plucked, no tracks were visible at this time, my best guess was a light weight mammal weasel or mink, because of the lack of tracks, if it was a fox or fisher the tracks would have been left behind, but I am still guessing! I am tempted to continue on my detour but its time to go, it will wait until next week, the pulse of Kuncanowet is alive in a matter of speaking and I am happy to report very well.

December 24, 2007

"Every child is born a naturalist. His eyes are, by nature, open to the glories of the stars, the beauty of the flowers, and the mystery of life." -R. Search

Winter has settled in upon Kuncanowet in a hurry this year, a good amount of snow over two feet in fact has fallen in a short time period and cold temperatures has guaranteed it to stay with us for a bit as I work my way up the snow bank the plow has left me snow shoes in hand I am excited its been at least two winters since we have had enough snow to warrant the use of them, the moon is full, the sky is clear, hot coffee and snacks in my pack, its 5 am in the morning, life is good ! Its quiet, as I slowly make my way in along the logging road no one has ventured before me in I am the first, as I move along I can make out tracks cutting ninety degrees to my direction of travel not sure what though, the moon light is casting its light at such an angle each track is black as coal and given the depth of the snow, seems bottomless, who ever left these tracks was moving slow and deliberate, looking for protein I am sure, I could take my flash light out and identify who the night stroller might be, but I decide against it, its not often you get to enjoy this scenario, a flash light would just ruin it. As I moved along I quickly realized that I over dressed my glasses were beginning to fog up and I needed to shed some clothes, I stopped and dropped my pack, hat, gloves and vest quickly removed and strapped back on my pack I start off again the moon light being replaced by the sun now a blaze orange sunrise cast a warm glow on the white and frozen terrain, I find a place to sit and listen I am looking out over one of Kuncanowet’s massive back water areas as the sun inches up I notice about thirty or forty feet away a Moose has been stripping bark off a stand of saplings, its referred to as incisor scraping, I counted about thirty plus small diameter trees the Moose had been snacking on this tasty treat by the looks of it for a few hours if not a whole day. I read once that a full grown moose consumes about 100 pounds of food a day wow ! After a while of sitting and listening I hear a tap tap and then a pause tap tap again, still not enough light to see clearly I can make out several figures making their way along the far edge of the back water pond White Tail Deer! a half a dozen on their way to a soon to be sunny breakfast spot their hooves clicking announced them to me and anyone else in the nearby area, it’s a risk they take, they have survived the recent hunting season now surviving the next few months is the business at hand, getting to food and open water and where it can be obtained easy without expending any of their precious body fat is their goal each and every day till the warmer weather is here, and walking on the ice will get it done !, I wonder how many of them are experiencing their first winter and their first time on ice ? Best of luck to them!

Time to move on my next discovery is an Otter slide and tracks, a few days old but still worth a look, I follow them down to the low side of a Beaver Dam, I discover that this Otter has taken up residency in a abandon cavity in the bank of the same pond, who’s it was I have no idea? its old, I have noticed it from previous visits, up till now it has been empty, nearby a hole has been dug through the thin ice and an “Otter haul” is quiet visible, in addition to the greens, a tadpole and a small fish was left for later …it’s amazing how they can zero in on a food source under these conditions. I start to head back I decide to cut across the frozen wet area and pick up my packed snow shoe trail being the first time out on shoes I have to admit I am getting sore and a bit tired!

I quickly intersect my trail and head north about half way back I noticed a ten inch white pine right on the edge of the logging road with a huge oval hole, freshly hammered out, A woodpecker for sure probably a Pileated by the looks, a spectacular sight ! How this bird knew that this tree was a gold mine of sleeping insects is a wonder this tree looked in great shape to me yet this wood pecker knew it’s amazing! Time to head back to the car its Christmas Eve and my wife is cooking up a storm for us family and friends, a huge 9 pound prime rib roast and baked haddock and everything that you could imagine to go with it. All I need to do is show up and eat, yes I am spoiled, I have it easy, not like my friends here at Kuncanowet it’s a daily struggle to stay warm, find suitable shelter, find a meal and not end up on someone’s dinner table, I am always reminded of this with the change of seasons especially during the harsh weather, of how mother nature has gifted everyone of these creatures with the necessary skills to survive each day, I never take it for granted, you have to respect all the living creatures here and what they need to do to make to the next day, week, month, and year !

November 23, 2007

“Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”  - Henry David Thoreau

 On this November morning, I sit in my car and wait, its early very dark and dead quiet, I can see off to the east a thin band of blue grey on the horizon the sun pushing away the night, that’s my cue to head in and if I am lucky I will catch a glimpse, of someone heading back home from a night out on the town! I notice that Kuncanowet’s complexion is changing rapidly, October has slipped by once again here on this little piece of the world, and change is good, it’s what keeps me coming back. Its heavy sweater weather for me as I slip my pack on I need to adjust my straps, its cool and can see my breathe and I get a little chilled, I know the will disappear 5 minutes into my walk and my internal furnace kicks up the temperature.. off I go, the first thing I notice when I step off the pavement is the frost covered leaves and the noise they make under foot, and I quickly realize the chance of me crossing paths with a critter are slim to none, noise is unavoidable, mother natures early warning that man is in the woods, the second thing I notice is the under story has nearly lost most all of its leaves allowing greater visibility, a month ago you would be lucky to have a line of sight hundred feet, now depending where you are you have three or four times that distance maybe more if you get down on one knee, Kuncanowet stonewalls always welcome me and now that the vegetation has died back they clearly reveal what was once pasture land, I am always amazed no matter where I am in new England by these walls. Not long into my walk  I notice fresh scat, real fresh I would say minutes old and in an area I always seem to find it, my best guess is coyote, its near previous droppings maybe the same animal or maybe a new one in the area announcing himself, I decide to snap a picture or two to share with you, one of the new and one of the old, notice the bones in the aged scat not sure what it was, but very interesting, notice the tooth, I wonder chipmunk or red squirrel ? Nothing goes to waste with this animal everything gets eaten, I wonder to myself, how many it consumes a day or a week, I think popular opinion is to blame the coyote for taking down large game, my experience shows the opposite mostly small game based on the scat that I have found, I did come across one white tail deer three or four winters ago that fell victim to the coyote here a Kuncanowet, it seems mostly small game though. A few years back (8-19-2001) I broke apart an old coyote scat in the same area and found a leg bone with a band on it … a trophy of sorts, I reported it to the U.S.Dept. Of The Interior Wildlife Research Center, they sent a card back thanking me and with information on the bird, it was a wood duck they estimate it was hatched in 1995 or earlier, they banded it May 23, 1996 in the Peterborough area and its life journey ended in the Kuncanowet area, you never know what story you will unfold when you examine some ones scat.

I notice that it’s getting lighter by the second; I decide to head to one of the backwater areas and find a nice place to sit where the sun will be at my back and offer me a good field of vision. It takes me about thirty minutes to make my way to a suitable spot. I find a nice dry area under a large diameter hemlock close to the edge of beaver pond, I wonder to myself if this tree is on borrowed time being so close to the ambitious beavers; although they usually prefer trees between 2-6 inches in diameter. I had read in one of my field guides that a busy beaver can chew through a 5 inch willow tree in 3 minutes! And a pair of beavers can take down about 400 trees per year, amazing! Pack off and settled in I can’t see a thing due to the lack of light and the heavy mist rising off the pond, a good time for a “Clif bar” and a cup of coffee, and to sit back and listen and wait for things to clear, It was not long before I could hear an eerie sound, across the pond a beaver one for sure maybe more gnawing away, I listened for a while is sounded like a wet rope being dragged intermittently back and forth quickly over something, this went on for about twenty minutes or so, the sun was still low and the heavy mist is shielding the beavers actions they are nocturnal and the current conditions are allowing him to cheat a bit and extend his day, I finished my coffee, grabbed my camera and started to slowly work my way around the pond toward the sound, the high wet grass helped  shield me and cut down on the noise factor, so I thought……about a minute into my so called stealth walk it all went silent, end of show, they sensed danger and slipped into the water and back to the lodge never to re-emerge I continued my walk to where the sound came from and found where the beaver was camped out, the evidence showed that he or she were trimming the branches off a small diameter sapling eating some and gathering and caching the rest for the long winter ahead, I snap another photo to share and again I wonder to myself how much do they need to make it through a typical New England winter, and the day to day work needed by all here at Kuncanowet just to make it to another day never mind through a winter, as I grab my pack and continue my walk I can here the day shift come on the scene birds, chipmunks, red squirrels all fully involved in what ever the day shall offer, all good I hope! The third shift is now well on its way home if not already there. Kuncanowet never sleeps that’s a fact!

October 2007

Greetings for Kuncanowet!

Let me start by saying that I really love this place!  It’s one of the few tracts of land I have been to that offers so much; it feeds my passion for observing nature’s beauty and its living creatures as it unfolds through our New England seasons. I always seem to come away with a trophy of some sort, it could be a track, sound or sighting- even a smell. If I am lucky enough an artifact such as a piece bone, antler, shell, feather but always the faithful view!

Please keep in mind as you read these blogs that I am, as one of my brothers once called me, and I would have to agree with him, an “amateur professional”. I have a large collection of field guides in my personal library which I crack open quite often to reference, and I carry a camera with me almost all the time to document the days events and use for reference. I love to share stories with anyone and everyone on the subject.

With all that being said lets get down to it!

My last hike to Kuncanowet was on September 30, 2007, it was different from most of my hikes I normally start out at the break of day (which I prefer) but because of family duties I arrived at mid-day. The sun was high over head, the weather was clear, the temperature in the mid 70’s- a perfect day!  As always I double check my pack and restock my vest just in case I am separated from my pack and unable to make it out of the woods.  I can be comfortable for a night with the items in keep in the pockets.  As they say “better to safe than sorry”.

My main objective today given my late start is to check my stealth trail camera that I have set up. Those of you that have joined the PLC and I on the “Walk in the Woods!” events have seen some of the photos this camera has yielded.  It’s set up in a natural wildlife funnel about a half a mile into the woods. Depending on a number of variables it takes me on average 2 hours to get to and check the camera, mostly because it’s never a straight shot … lets just say I wander to it, stopping quite often.

I start off I by heading south down the logging road that starts at Mansion Rd., stone walls to either side of me still serving as guides and boundaries as they once did many years ago for livestock (now for the occasional visitor like myself.) The chipmunks are out collecting food and chasing one another. I swear sometimes they sound like a charging rouge elephant. In a short while I enter a clearing that the road cuts through and boom! a grouse flies up and scares the you-know-what out of me! I never see them until I just about step on them!  I continue south at good pace. The ground is damp and there is no breeze. I think to myself “advantage for Jamie”. As I make my way past the clearing further south I see fresh scat!  Nice! Good size, approximately ¾ of an inch in diameter.  It’s where I have seen scat before, approximately center line of the logging road on an exposed rock outcrop, the owner is coyote, the scat seems very fresh. I break it apart. It contains bone fragments, hair, and acorns. I think to myself “the coyotes are eating- machines- anything they can find goes down the hatch!”  

The coyotes that pass through this area have several “post office” spots, this is one. Nearby this fresh scat is some older scat- but very old.  They are white and dry and nearly dust, a good sign just the same. Off I go. The woods here are thick in most spots due to the recent past logging (ten +/- years back) of the upper story trees. The woods are broken up by swamps and the backwaters that the beavers have created.

This year due to the heavy spring rains quite a few of the ancient dams let go and the water level has dropped a significant amount. It’s the lowest I have ever seen in my time spent here and in some place’s its dried right up due to the lack of rain. I noticed this is the case with the wet areas either side of the road. I continue along the road. All is quiet - just the chipmunks. 

The logging road I am walking on slowly disappears. The woods are reclaiming it; in some spots the only evidence left are the ruts left by the skidder, now almost ten years old. I stop for a bit where a wet area crosses the road or vice-versa and look at the muddy area that was once covered with water. It’s almost dry, let’s see: moose, deer, beaver and I think bear tracks along with several smaller critter tracks. Things are busy! Everyone is one the move.

I sit and have a snack and a drink of water and listen for thirty minutes or so.  There is a slight breeze. A woodpecker and wood ducks is what I hear.Time to go. As I start off I notice I am working up a sweat now, it really is warm out!

My next stop is the stealth camera.  It’s always a thrill to check and I am thinking as walk up to it that based on the activity at the last stop I will have a spent roll of film. Its been a few weeks since I replaced it with a fresh roll, but no….only two photos have been taken since my last visit. Oh well.  I change out the batteries since I could not remember the last time I replaced them with fresh ones. I noticed that the sun is low in the west now I glance down and its 4:15pm. Man time flies. Time to head back to the car.

About half way back I stop and notice one wet area that I am usually able to walk through only during the colder months – walking on the ice.  It is void of standing water; you can clearly make out the thread of the seasonal stream which has seldom been seen due to the beaver’s handy work. I glance at my watch – it’s just about five o’clock more or less and I figure I have a few hours of daylight left at most. I made a promise to myself - just a twenty minute loop then straight to the car!  So off I go to explore. It’s a different world. These wet pockets, I love their smell, a sour-sweet smell; ferns chest high and, at least for today, no bugs.

It doesn’t take much time for something to happen -maybe five minutes at most.  I hear crack! snap! crack! and before I know it .. Moose!  A cow, and I think her calf but I’m not sure, come running down through the wet area. The adult moose is in front of me and the other is twenty feet more so behind me.  The one in front of me kicks up a mud clod that is the size of a softball – it bounces off my chest but neither one sees me.

It always amazes me how they move given their size. Just as I consider why they were on the move I catch a fleeting glimpse of a coyote’s back as it bounds out of the woods far in front of me. 

All of this happens so fast,within 20 seconds I would say, I am left a bit shaken. Wow!!!  is all I can think to myself as I head back to my car. An unexpected show and I am grateful for it.

That’s all I have for now.   I am including a few photos taken this past summer from the camera I have set up, one of a family of bears; a mother and three of her young.  It looks like two were born this year and one last year.  The other photo is of a moose that came out to join me for breakfast one morning.  I’ll share stories on both subjects down the road. It’s my intention to always be honest with you and share my experiences.  I hope it will inspire your interest in wildlife and their habitats.