Dear All,
   Dew beaded cobwebs in early morning are to be expected. But I was
surprised to see a small horizontal cobweb, about 1 cm above ground
loaded with dew drops at 11:50 this morning.
   It is humid and that web has been shaded by the house since sunrise
but is there something about the composition/surface/diameter of web
strands which preferentially induces condensation ?
Dave, Kentville
Dear All,
   Some days ago I asked where O. fagi was present in NS. And today
noticed a reply to the effect that such information would be found at
iNaturalist. The information there was in effect; everywhere which is no
more of use than a map which consists entirely of white paper.
START OF DIGRESSION
  Very briefly; agriculture, settlements and urban areas are generally
on the better soils except for ports where location by a suitable harbor
is key. And woodland tends to be on the poor leftovers.
   But even in farmed soils, unfavorable profile features can make for
a 10 fold difference in rate of apple tree growth and yield on rows 100'
long. Or for heaving and longevity of trees.
END OF DIGRESSION
   The specific locations of even 100 sites where O. fagi has
overwhelmed Beech trees and 100 or less where it has not might offer a
clue for best management of this pest; GPS readings converted to Long. &
Lat.
 In 1972 a good soil survey map was prepared for the entire province
of NS. Surveys of entire provinces are expensive so I expect copies are
still in stock. If not I have a copy.
   For orientation purposes (is there any association between damage
by O. fagi and soil type ?) one would need only (1) a qualitative
evaluation of beetle damage by late August and (2) some evaluation of
tree vigor e.g. typical shoot extension by late August. And a brief site
description; approximate slope, exposure and vegetation. e.g. grassed
lawn, grassed field or woodland.
   These are just suggestions based my a first hand unfamiliarity with
the facts.
Those who have seen O. fagi damage will be in a better position to
improve on the above.
Dave, Kentville
Dear All.
   Went out at dawn to haul a load of firewood, thus beating the heat
a bit, and the route from tier to truck took me past a Hazelnut bush and
a young Beech (~15' tall). Both had about the same degree of leaf
browning. I wonder if some of the leaf discoloration which is being
attributed to the beetle is just wind burn.
Dave Kentville
Dear All,
   So far the emerging picture re O. fagi reminds me of the story of
the several blind men and their differing conclusions about what an
elephant is.
   A list of where in NS the presence of this beetle has been verified
without doubt might be helpful in clearing away some of this fog.
   I am now fairly convinced that none of the Beech, which I have
seen, have experienced effective encounters with this beetle. And this
applies especially to the relatively small Beech in North Alton where
many leaves can be examined at close range as opposed to > 100' up.
Dave, Kentville
Hi Naturens
I need to work out the arguments I occasionally send to naturens. By
nature I'm like to debate, argue and when natural world and our approach to
it is concerned I take it seriously but this isn't the venue.
Very glad we have this platform but if I offend occasionally with my views
on exotic species and our response to them, I think I will take a hiatus to
work out these ideas.
Thanks
Nick
Don’t take too long a hiatus. There’s nothing wrong with reasoned debate!
From: Nick Hill [mailto:fernhillns@gmail.com]
Sent: June 29, 2021 7:39 AM
To: Naturens
Subject: [SPAM] [Naturens] Please remove me, thanks
Hi Naturens
I need to work out the arguments I occasionally send to naturens. By nature I'm like to debate, argue and when natural world and our approach to it is concerned I take it seriously but this isn't the venue.
Very glad we have this platform but if I offend occasionally with my views on exotic species and our response to them, I think I will take a hiatus to work out these ideas.
Thanks
Nick
Dear All,
   In a not so subtle way I have attempted to say that the immediate
cause of Beech difficulties is wacky weather; one component of climate
change.
   So perhaps it is time to be more direct. The real culprit here and
elsewhere is that body of people who do not take the threat or runaway
global warming seriously. Canada, on a per capita basis, is an
outstanding failure with respect to addressing climate change.
   Far more than Beech survival is at risk. Due to rapid change in and
near the Horn of Africa huge areas in that vicinity can no longer
support human life, leading to mass lawless migration into Europe plus a
bleak future for those who remained and that is just a preview of what
lies ahead everywhere.
   This is an old story; and in the late 50's Pogo stood on the edge
of a swamp littered with trash and broken cars and said "I have seen the
enemy and he is us." And he took the words right out of my thoughts.
   Nothing is gained by chasing the horizon, other than a broken
planet. And everything is gained, such as a future for Beech here, if
people can be persuaded to adopt a low fossil fuel profile.
   End of sermon
Dave Kentville
Dear naturalists:
On May 8th, I cared for two freshly hatched barred owlets brought to me
from a neighbour who had felled a large yellow birch with a broken top
that contained a nest. The chicks had just hatched, eyes closed, white
fluff balls, and flopped over on their sides unable to sit up. I was
grateful that Hope for Wildlife exists and that I could arrange for this
organization to care for them. (I've raised young birds before,
including a nest of 4 robins way back in the day for my Honour's thesis
research at Acadia U., and have a clear recollection of how much intense
work is involved to raise young birds.)Â Â Hope for Wildlife arranged for
a very kind volunteer to pick up the chicks plus one unhatched egg that
I tried (unsuccessfully) to keep warm. He provided me with a Hope for
Wildlife file card (file # 9450) for followup if I wished.
This past week, I received an update that I share with you below. Nice
job- Hope for Wildlife!
Cheers!
Donna
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Re: outcome of barred owlets ID # 9450
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2021 16:41:33 -0300
From: Outcomes <outcomes(a)hopeforwildlife.net>
To: Donna Crossland <dcrossland(a)eastlink.ca>
Hello Donna,
We apologize for our delay in response. This is our busiest time of year
and we are still trying to catch up on all emails!
Thank you for your time and efforts in getting these very young Barred
Owls to us in their time of need! I am happy to report that they are
doing very well. Unfortunately the egg was not viable but the two fresh
hatchlings arrived at 37 grams and today they weigh 600 grams! They are
eating great on their own, practicing their flight and will move to our
flight cage within the week where they will remain until they are ready
for release at the end of the summer.
Thank you so much again for looking out for these little guys, we truly
appreciate it!
Sincerely,
The Hope for Wildlife Team
--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus <https://www.avast.com/antivirus>
We took a picnic supper to Smiley's on Thursday as it was a beautiful
day. The Showy Orchids are at their best right now - absolutely
gorgeous - and the mosquitoes are also at their best as usual in the
orchid location! We saw the damage Patricia Chalmers spoke of in the
picnic grounds, identified mainly by brown areas where bushes had been
cut & completely removed. Then we saw a Grey Catbird acting unlike any
Catbird we ever saw. It was hopping about the newly mown lawn looking
for insects like a Robin. I wondered if it's usual feeding areas had
been turned into mulch. There were lots of birds in the Park, but a
dearth of Least Flycatchers which we usually see in the picnic grounds.Â
Perhaps they were able to nest early this year, and have taken their
fledglings elsewhere - we did hear one group across the river.
Lois Codling
I understand that UCCB is using the old convent buildings in Mabou as a satellite campus. The other night a friend who grew up in that area mentioned to me those buildings used to be a great place to see Chimney Swifts. Does anyone know if this location is still an active roosting and/or nesting site for these at risk insectivores? If so, I hope the institution is aware of and protects the parts of the structure being used by the Chimney Swifts for the future. Comments?
Nancy D
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