Friday, January 29, 2016

Let's Take A Closer Look: Wow ! That's A Really Large...

So Great-horned owls stay on the north side of the village, while Barred owls stay on the south, Washington Avenue and Wood Road. Great-horns will go after eggs, young, and the adult Barreds, themselves, so understandly, Barred owls keep their distance. Walking my dog through the ballfield, I came across what I thought was poop with lots of hair in it. I went back for a closer look and with a stick, broke one open. All hair and bones. An owl pellet! A Large owl pellet. I decided to scoop them up and take them home so I could dissect them. Don't do this after eating a meal! I was a bit quesy but very interested. I have saved the large one to show a preschool class but will show you what I've found so far.
Pellets Found Under Tree in Foreground

Mole Hills right by Tree

Larger Pellet

Smaller Pellet Pulled Apart by Me

Transport

WOW, That's a Large Pellet

Smaller Pellet

Bones and Hair

Incisor Tooth and Molars indicate a rodent

So, I will be getting back to you with more info, bones, and pictures!

Around the Village in Photos: January 22 - 28, 2016 Is Winter Coming???

Queen Anne's Lace

DRAGON

Turkey Tracks, Ball Field


Really???

Female Downy Woodpecker

And that's what's for dinner tonight! Owl pellets to dissect. Stay Tuned

Friday, January 22, 2016

Around the Village in Photos: January 15 - 21, 2016 Ice and Cold

American Tree Sparrow

Round Lake's Inlet, Goldfoot Road

Fox Tracks Inlet Maltaville Road

Fox Tracks on Lake Across from Covel Avenue

On the Rocks


Cattails

Great-horned Owl Pellets Ball Field

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Let's Take A Closer Look: Tree Canker and Oozing Sap Discovered by Reed Cullinan, Age 5

A few weeks ago, neighbor and Green Hour participant, Reed Cullinan, age five, asked me if I would look at a tree by our houses. He said it had  something sticky on it and wanted to know what it was. We walked together to Prospect Avenue to the small garden area in front of the Wade's house. The tree, indeed, had a reddish, oozing, sticky substance coming out of a wound in its trunk. A fungus? I was not sure what it was. I told Reed I would look into and let him know. It was a great find! He also told me that he had taken some of the sticky stuff off the tree back to his house and left it outside. It got soft and squishy.
I found out that a tree with a wound is susceptible to fungus and bateria. The wound could be from a lawn mower, weed wacker, or an environmental condition like frost or fire. The air borne fungus gets into the tree through the damaged bark(wound). A small, bumpy fruiting body that's called a pycnidia forms in the wound and oozes amber/reddish jelly textured sap. This is what Reed discovered. Since our weather had been warm, Reed was able to pull some off the tree. Now that it's colder it has stiffened and looks like small dripping icicles. A woodpecker has been making a hole in the wound too. This is because insects are attracted to the sap and woodpeckers are looking for insects.
Perhaps the tree can be pruned in spring which is the only cure for this disease. So there we have it. Thanks so much for noticing this and pointing it out to me, Reed!
Wound

Curled-back Bark

Oozing Sap





Friday, January 15, 2016

Around the Village in Photos: January 8 - 14, 2016 Mother Nature Runs Hot and Cold

Snoshroom




Framed

Rain/Warmth

Ice/Cold

Go 'Round in Circles

Streaming

Mole Hill


No Mountain

Mole Tunnel: All on baseball field closer to Goldfoot Road

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Around the Village in Photos: January 1 - 7, 2016

I have to keep taking pictures for each and every day of the year. Is it habit, devotion, drive... I don't know but it's fun, gets me out and keeps a record of our little village which is a GEM!!!
Snow Scallops

Fungus Amungus

Red-tailed Hawk at Auditorium Circle

Sittin' Waitin'

Who Goes There? Me, Squirrel, Dark-eyed Junco

Line 'Em Up Line 'Em All Up (James Taylor)

Incomimg..Ice Ice