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Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --Boundary_(ID_W3uE3I79WBwbNv5BwMNeWQ) Content-type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Content-disposition: inline HI=2C Just a couple of questions-how long was the hike and how difficult was t= he hike=3F Frances Lourie On 05/15/16 11=3A40 AM=2C Bev Wigney =3Cbkwigney=40gmail=2Ecom=3E wrote= =3A =3E = =3E Hello all=2C =3E = =3E The following are notes and observations from yesterday=27s walk=2E = I =3E hope they will be of interest to some of you=3A =3E = =3E ------------------- =3E Tupperville Nature Walk - notes and observation for May 14=2C 2016=2E= =3E = =3E Yesterday=2C Donna Crossland and I set out on the first of what we h= ope =3E will be occasional nature walks in the general area of Annapolis =3E Royal=2E We were hoping for a couple of more participants=2C but the= =3E drizzle may have dampened some spirits -- but not ours! We set out =3E regardless=2E =3E = =3E Our plan was to walk along the forest trails south of the Tuppervill= e =3E Hall=2E I had never hiked there=2C so it was all new territory=2E I = will =3E definitely return=2E =3E = =3E Donna focussed on keeping a migratory bird count and pointing out wi= ld =3E plants=2C while I spent most of my time looking downward for ground =3E dwelling creatures=2E I=27m appending Donna=27s detailed bird counts= and =3E other notes=2E If you don=27t want to read about slugs and beetles=2C= just =3E skip on down to the BIRDS section below=2E =3E = =3E The highlights of my observations are as follows=3A =3E = =3E SLUGS=3A We saw many slugs moving along the trail - no doubt encoura= ged =3E by the warm drizzle=2E An American Toad crossed our path=2C probably= =3E enjoying the good slug-hunting conditions=2E Most slugs that we saw =3E were yellowish-orange and a few were quite orange in colour=2E I=27m= very =3E accustomed to seeing these around my own place at Round Hill=2E They= =3E are Arion slugs - I consulted with Aleta Karstad=2C sending her a ph= oto=2C =3E and she replied=3A =22The yellow slug is probably the introduced Ari= on =3E vulgaris - not usually as strongly striped like A=2E subfuscus=2E Of= ten =3E with no visible stripe=2C and usually with dark tentacles=2C as this= one =3E has=2E We were finding them in New Brunswick=2C at the Jacquet River= =3E BioBlitz (Mary=27s Point area)=2E They were either quite variable=2C= or =3E hybridizing with something striped=2C like subfuscus=2E I have a lot= more =3E dissecting to do=2E=22 =3E = =3E Here at my place at Round Hill=2C the orange slugs tend to get to be= =3E about 6 or 7 cm=2E long and have black eye stalks=2E Very striking a= nd =3E easily seen=2E Here is a photo of one of the orange slugs from =3E yesterday=27s hike=2E I apologize for the poor photos - due to low l= ight =3E and water splashes on my camera lens! =3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224673 =3E = =3E The other slug was what I was quite sure was a native forest slug=2E= It =3E was brown-speckled and found on a bracket fungus on a fallen tree=2E= =3E Aleta had this to say about it=3A =22The speckled slug is the native= =3E forest slug=2C Philomycus (genus)=2E Not sure of the species=2E Ther= e are =3E only two native forest slugs - Philomycus and Pallifera=2C which is = very =3E small and gray=2E Both of these natives have their mantle covering t= he =3E entire body=2C from neck to tip of tail=2E=22 =3E Yes=2C another blurry=2C raindrop splashed photo=2E This slug was ab= out 6 =3E or so cm=2E long=2E =3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224674 =3E = =3E INSECTS=3A Apart from the numerous black flies=2C the only insect of= note =3E turned out to be the big thrill of the day for me -- as you can see=2C= =3E it doesn=27t take much to thrill me -- and that was finding a male a= nd =3E two female Forked Fungus Beetles (Bolitotherus cornutus) on the =3E underside of a bracket fungus=2E These are among my favourite of all= =3E beetles=2E They are difficult to see - being dark and dull and havin= g =3E the habit of =22playing dead=22 and rolling off onto the ground when= =3E disturbed from their spot on a bracket fungus=2E They=27re rarely se= en by =3E those who don=27t know to watch for them=2E However=2C I took a few = photos=2C =3E so you will get to see them for yourself The males have curving =3E =22horns=22 (this is a male)=2E I=27m putting up a top and side view= =2C as well =3E as a view from beneath - as this is how you will often find them=2E = I =3E see a few small parasitic mites on this fellow=2E =3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224665 =3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224666 =3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224667 =3E = =3E Now=2C over to the BIRD report=2E =3E = =3E ----- =3E BIRDS=2C PLANTS and more - notes by Donna Crossland=3A =3E = =3E Despite the showers=2C birds were singing nearly everywhere=2C and a= wide =3E range of species were vocalizing=2E I haven=92t doubled-checked spel= lings =3E on my list=2C and some of the numbers are rough estimates=2C but her= e =3E goes=3A =3E = =3E In the more open landscape of the intervale=2C including pasture and= orchards=3A =3E = =3E =B7 Eastern phoebe-1 =3E = =3E =B7 Black-capped chickadee- 1 =3E = =3E =B7 American goldfinch-=7E6 =3E = =3E =B7 Black and white warbler- 1 =3E = =3E =B7 Northern parula- 2 =3E = =3E =B7 Yellow-rumped warbler- 1 =3E = =3E =B7 White throated sparrow- 2 =3E = =3E =B7 Song sparrow- 1 =3E = =3E =B7 Oven bird- 4 =3E = =3E =B7 Least flycatcher- 1 =3E = =3E =B7 Ring-necked pheasant- 1 =3E = =3E =B7 Black throated green warbler- 3 =3E = =3E =B7 Blue jay-1 =3E = =3E =B7 American robin 2 =3E = =3E =B7 Yellow warbler 1 =3E = =3E = =3E No activity seemed to come from newly installed wood duck nest boxes= =3E and one barred owl nest box=2E =3E = =3E = =3E = =3E As we ascended the wooded trail to the Tupperville Brook hemlock =3E ravine and falls=2C many more birds=2C though the rain came down a b= it =3E harder at that point and there were fewer vocalizations=2E We had a =3E nice look at Northern parula perched close by the trail on nude =3E branches=2E =3E = =3E =B7 Blue headed vireo 6 (we heard a couple on top of the mountain=2C= =3E but then hit a pocket of male BHVI singing below the falls=2C very n= ice =3E to listen to) =3E = =3E =B7 Northern parula- 1 =3E = =3E =B7 American redstart- 1 =3E = =3E =B7 Black throated Green warbler- 3 =3E = =3E =B7 Black capped chickadee- 3 =3E = =3E =B7 White throated sparrow 1 =3E = =3E =B7 Golden crowned kinglet 2 =3E = =3E =B7 Black throated blue warbler 1 =3E = =3E =B7 Blackburnian warbler 1 =3E = =3E =B7 American redstart 2 =3E = =3E =B7 Chestnut-sided warbler 2 (disturbed woods nearer the valley bott= om land) =3E = =3E =B7 Oven bird 3 =3E = =3E =B7 American robin 2 =3E = =3E =B7 Nashville warbler (1)=2C probable=2E Checked its song on return=2C= =3E and it would appear to have b