Dark Eyed Junco

One of my favorite birds to watch during the long winter months here in Vernon is a peppy medium sized sparrow, the Dark Eyed Junco. There are many variations of this bird with the two main being the slate colored which I often see below my suet and millet feeders, and the brown hooded which is also called the Oregon Brown Hooded due to its range being Western North America.

I more often than not see juncos hopping and pecking around in groups on the ground looking for seeds during non breeding seasons. When nesting time arises they seem to vanish from my yard.  I assume that they move into forested areas like the Town Forest with its abundance of Eastern Hemlock or perhaps Satan's Kingdom which is spruce and pine mixed hardwood forest.

So frequently I see Juncos in the winter, that I used to tell my young children that they were Snow Buntings. My daughter Helen who is now a bird biologist quickly corrected me when she began college at UMaine. Trust me when I say that it has been a steep learning curve ever since she realized that mom is often making stuff up.

One bird I still refuse to concede on its name however, is the Clown Sparrow. I won't tell you the funny little birds actual name though; because sometimes a mom should retain the right to preserve those sorts of memories; even when their children know better. -Norma Manning

This Slate Dark Eyed Junco seems out of place perched in my Lilac bush

Bring Your Story to the Woods

In my mind the meaning of a poem is only in part what the author set out to say.  The poem's meaning is in its entirety, only revealed through the reader's personal experiences. Take this picture of a tree Wayne and I came across while hiking in Roaring Brook wildlife management area. I stopped the mission in its tracks to evaluate exactly what I was seeing. Wayne on the other hand? Well, let's just say that Wayne is a very patient person with these things.

I first noted the big piece of flat rock to the left of the tree jutting up out of the ground and demanding my closer inspection. "It looks like an old gravestone don't you think?" I observed and then moved in closer to take the picture. I suppose that this was my first response to the scene because I love wandering around in old cemeteries reading epitaphs, admiring craftsmanship and wondering about life stories. Without words carved into them, the flat rock seemed fixed, dark and cold but still something about it suggested that it had a story to tell about the past.

On second glance, I encountered something less peaceful than the first. I witnessed the signs of a struggle with many rocks displaced and forced aside by the Hemlock tree that was growing tall in spite of their weighted complaints. No, this was not a place of final rest; but rather a testament to active, persistent growth over time. "Move aside!" the tree seemed to be saying, "I have a part to tell in this story and it's not over yet."

 Remnants of the Hemlock's trials persist at the tree's base; the rock's objections to the tree's presence made clear.  The root that pushed under and upheaved the rock that first caught my attention now terminates above the ground and I am sure that it will someday give way to the rock. This is not however a picture of a scarred, gnarled and stunted tree, this is a story of endurance and just one of many of your stories waiting for you in the woods. -Norma Manning

This Eastern Hemlock pushed rock aside as it grew, but some roots changed their direction.

The Beautiful Ordinary Pigeon

Wayne and I took a break from chasing waterfalls this weekend and I really can't say why. Perhaps it was the muddy trails, Ginny's bad fur day or just that with the world seemingly waiting for impending illness we just needed a break from the mission.

I feel like some days, even if you love the adventure of getting out into the unknown, plodding along on old stomping grounds provides a measure of much needed comfort. It's that place at the bend in the circle where the frogs are courting so loudly that you can't even hear what your neighbor is yelling to you. It's the tall dead tree across the cornfield but in front of the pond where the red tailed hawk scouts for food.  We once saw a fox duck into a culvert and now every time we pass that spot, Luna insists on sticking her nose in so deep that I have to tug and tug to get her out. How many geese do you count? Is there water in the brook? Do you want to go past the place with the Catalpa or maybe all the Hickories? Watch out for Poison Ivy. In all of Vernon that oak along Lily pond access road is my favorite, it's the one standing alone and draped with thick vines. Don't even get me started on rocks, I never saw one that I didn't dream about bringing home!

Late last summer I saw my first Scarlet Tanager and spent a considerable amount of time admiring him. Though I tried and tried I couldn't get a good picture of the coy bird; so like a fisherman's tale of the one that got away, you'll have to take my word on that. Yesterday while walking along a farmer's field my heart skipped a beat when my eye caught plump birds on graceful wing swoop down into the field. Once landed I couldn't pick them out from the rows of black dirt; but I readied my camera and let the dogs flush them. I captured the beautiful ordinary pigeon. -Norma Manning

The pigeon is native to North Africa, the Middle East and Europe

Treasure in Vernon"s Hills

I'm not saying where; but we found this while hiking today #treasure 

Rodents; Vermin or Amazing?

I hope it isn't true that Alexa keeps track of where I am and everything I ask her. If she does, as my in laws believe, than I wonder under what list she files questions like, "Alexa, how many kinds of rodents are in VT?  Perhaps she files them under Norma's odd character traits.

"I don't know that;  I know of 2,368 species and  1,759 subspecies;  There are more than 2000 species of mammals in the world today making them one of the most diverse animal groups" were some of her responses. Let's just be thankful that Alexa doesn't record some of my feedback to her answers.  Alexa you are my best friend, "Thank you, that makes me smile from speaker to speaker." (just in case)

It's strange to think of all of the members of the rodent family here in Vernon as they range from adorable, to peculiar to yuck. On the one end of the spectrum we have the beloved Eastern Chipmunk with its racing stripes, black marble shaped eyes and full cheeks, then we have the North American Porcupine with it's loping gait, poor eyesight and built in quill defense system, finally in my estimation and on the yuck side, we have the mollusk eating, fleshy nosed, oversized footed Star Nosed Mole.

I have previously posted pictures of the handiwork by Vernon's resident engineer and largest rodent, the North American Beaver.  Yesterday while out walking near Plain road, I came upon our second largest rodent grazing in an open  field like a Holstein. Seeing that American Porcupine in an open field caused me to question; except for the fact that they are vittles, what do these critters share that binds them together into an order?  As it turns out, the Tooth Fairy is going to love this answer! They all have incisors that never stop growing. Rodent comes from the Latin word Rodere which means "to gnaw." So whether or not they live most of their lives in water, forest, field, earth, in stone walls or between basement walls, these small mammals must wear down their front teeth. -Norma Manning

A porcupine has been dining on this tree near the Vernon Hatchery 

Like the beaver, porcupines strip the bark from trees to eat the sweet inner bark

A tree this damaged probably won't survive

Porcupines are nocturnal herbivores but this one was grazing in the afternoon near Plain road

Porcupines weigh around 20 pounds are 2 to 3 feet long and have 30,000 plus quills

American Porcupine predators include bobcat, cougar and fisher. This one wasn't worried about me. 

The Bobber Snatcher

Considered by some to be a nuisance tree, the Bobber Snatcher is commonly found along the edges of favored fishing spots in Vernon. This native to Vermont species is easily identified by the red and white fishing bobbers that adorn it's low hanging branches year round.  Upon closer examination however, you will see that the bobbers aren't actually produced by the tree, but strung there by fishing line. The Bobber Snatcher tree relies on fishing line and sinkers to snare and permanently affix it's prized bobbers. -Norma Manning

One of the most colorfully adorned trees found in Vernon, this Bobber Snatcher is at Vernon Hatchery.

First Grade Science

After a long winter and with the traditional pea planting day being St. Patrick's Day, Kim Kunkle's first grade class recently toured the garden at Vernon Elementary school to conduct a science experiment .  Students who harvested and tasted from the garden at the beginning of the school year planted a row of peas in the ground and planted a tray of peas to be started in the classroom. Unfortunately with school being closed until sometime in April, and peas taking three to seven days to emerge, students will not be able to witness our classroom sprouts coming up.

While our indoor peas may not be observed, I did find on a walk last weekend at Black Gum Swamps, that  several acorns I picked up from the trail had roots emerging. This is also a great time to explore in our own backyards tree buds, sprouts, earthworms in the compost, signs of tunnels left by critters who lived beneath the snow all winter and even rabbit,  porcupine and other animal scat (poop).

A fun family activity is to create a nature and or garden journal with our school aged citizen scientists. Students can date, draw and note their observations every day throughout the growing season.  - Norma Manning; Photographs by Kim Kunkle

Each of Kim Kunkle's first graders planted peas in a tray and in our school garden 

Students exploring what became of last year's garden at VES. Their row of peas are on the left.