The VIC trails ARE OPEN

Hard to pass up a sunny…well partly sunny, day in the Adirondacks. With the recent announcement of the Paul Smiths VIC now officially under the ownership of Paul Smiths College, I thought it worthwhile to get out for a ski.

Many of the trails are still in the good shape that they’ve have always been, however one should avoid and heed the “trail closed signs” when skiing up into the Esker Ski Trail from the Silviculture Trail.

Recent logging(click here and here) has completely obliterated upper sections of the Esker Ski Trail(we wonder if the College will return the Esker Trail to it’s former condition?)

Currently white-tailed deer are feeding on many of the downed/fallen branches that remain behind from the timber harvesting. Some beech and maple bud tips are a welcomed food source.

Skiing the Jenkins Mountain Road I found several good animal tracks to examine and follow for awhile. This Ruffed Grouse set of prints tells us that the warmer temperatures have allowed grouse to feed in comfort rather burrowing down into loose snow to wait out another snowstorm.

Likewise, the coyotes are traveling through the woods. These prints were observed crossing the ski trail. If you look carefully at a canine(dog) print you will see a “X” in the middle of the oval print which results when the toe and heel pads press into the snow leaving behind a raised “X” between all pads. The feline family(cats) have a more circular shape to the print and lack a central “X” mark. Feline toes tend to be more forward in the print.

I hope the public continues to visit the “VIC” and if you do take the time to look at your surroundings. Find some animal tracks to follow and see if you can reveal the story they leave behind. Sit patiently and watch the woodpeckers pecking for food along the tree trunks and branches, or watch the acrobatic chickadees hang upside down along a branch as they look for spider eggs or insects.

The property is under new ownership(and stewardship) but the wildlife that survive there day to day probably won’t take notice of the new “landlords”, and for the rest of us….let’s not forget that we are also just visitors into their realm.

Photo Credits: Jenkins Mt Road ski trail(and all other photos)-Brian McAllister.

What the Lorax knew

It was a beautiful morning for a ski along the trails of what was formerly known as the “Paul Smiths Visitor Interpretive Center”. As I started out on the picturesque trail with snow-laden branches of maple, pine, and spruce, I couldn’t help but  notice a low droning sound off in the distance that seemed to boil-up now and then into a mechanical sound of engine and buzzing.

My interest was certainly peaked so on I skied through the downy flakes, enjoying the hushed, rhythmic crunch of snow, ski, and pole-planting through the narrow trails. The occasional chickadee and woodpecker would lisp or tap a dead tree as I cruised by.

Now the sound grew in volume and the first thing that came to mind was a large truck rumbling down the Jenkin’s Mountain Trail that I was skiing on. Could that be? Was my skiing about to come to an abrupt halt by a Mack logging truck obliterating the ski trail, ripping up mud, rocks, and causing general mayhem?

Well no, that was not the case…so I skied on. But still the sound grew louder.

There!…Off in the forest! A flash of red, the crashing of branches, and nasal-like drone of a chain saw! Peering deeply into the snow covered forest my eyes finally caught a glimpse of a machine that, as best as I can describe, was a hulking, mechanized tree-eater on tank-like treads…and it was coming my way!

Ok, the skiing came to a quick stop at this point. The whirring sound of the engine and the split second buzz of the  saw held  my  rapt attention. But where were the many loggers w/saws in hand felling these trees? There were no shouts of “timber!”, or the steady crack of the ax on a stout maple.

About 50 yards away I encountered a machine (not unlike this one) that would wrap steel “fingers” around a tree trunk, then in the blink of an eye, a hidden saw blade would come out to slice into the 50-year old maple, relieving it of it root-bound feet.  And with no more than a flick of it’s “wrist” the long boom would lift and gently lay the entire tree down to the ground as if it were an injured soldier being tended to by a caring nurse.

Other times the saw would buzz and a tree would give a forceful jolt of it’s top branches and then the sickening, crumbling sound of limbs violently falling to the ground with only a momentary “puff” of new fallen snow to indicate where the tree was laid to rest.

Paul Smiths College is in the midst of harvesting timber on its own land but to the skier and snowshoer along the Esker Ski Trail this tree-harvesting machine may cast a feeling of sadness, and gloom.

Yes “business is business and business must grow” to quote the often-used line of Dr Seuss’ “The Lorax”, and I have laid witness to the “Super-Ax-Hacker” of the same story.

I’ve always been a “on-the-fence” kinda guy when it comes to land use/management, and wildlife conservation because I want to see the big picture and how both sides deal w/things.

And I know the result of this harvest will go far in adding to the economy and furthering us along on our yellow-brick road to prosperity but I wonder if the College’s draft horses and “leave-little-trace” harvesting equipment, that faculty and student alike train on in their classes, wouldn’t have been a better choice.

The almighty “buck” is made much quicker these days by the diesel-fueled power of  technology that giveth and then taketh away.

That time of year again

In an earlier posting I had mentioned how birders anxiously await the coming of winter to see what “exotic” northern birds might come along with the cold and the snow. Well over the past few days we have been hearing about good sightings of Bohemian Waxwing, Common Redpoll, and the occasional Evening Grosbeak throughout northern NY.

And the timing could not be better, as this week begins the much-anticipated 111th Christmas Bird Count. Across New York State and countries all over the Western Hemisphere, birding enthusiast’s will cover many miles by car, on foot, on skis, in boats, all in search of avian critters to count.

New Yorkers will begin there counts this weekend and even through the holidays they will keep an eye on bird feeders, nearby parks, and wood lots and record their findings. Adirondackers can find about half-a-dozen CBC’s in their neck of the woods

Click here for more information on the NYS Christmas Bird Count.

And here’s an additional article from the New York Times

Also…at this time of year, how can we not think about the amazing  winter survival strategies that are going on all around us in the animal world.

Winter World is a book written by Naturalist/Professor(UVM) Bernd Heinrich which delves into the frigid world of winter and survival techniques that animals use to make it through the many sub-zero nights. A must read!

Around my neighborhood gray squirrels raid birdfeeders and local conifer stands by day but what do they do as late afternoon temperatures drop and a clear night sky plunges the thermometer to zero or below?  Heinrich takes great effort to explain the ways animals make it through another winter night.

Finally…snowflakes have been on my mind lately. We all know the wonderful 6-sided shapes they come in as they fall on our face, sleeves, or tongue. But do they all look that way throughout the winter? The answer is no.

Snowflakes can change shape even as they fall from hundreds of feet in the air and finally land on the ground. Flakes of early winter(like now) will usually hold their hexagonal shape with multiple edges. They may even collect other flakes as they fall and give us the big downy flakes right down to the ground.

But as we progress through winter the moisture and temperature levels in the air decrease and as the flakes fall they often collide with one another resulting in broken pieces of the crystal breaking and falling to the ground. We often see these smaller column-shaped or “spicules” landing on our gloves later in the really cold months of January or February.

Go buy some cheap black knit gloves and head outside while it’s snowing to enjoy the shapes of snowflakes all winter long.

Here’s a great thank you to all the Bird Count participants and may your counts be high, your hands be warm, and your bino’s not freeze-up!

Photo Credit: Brian McAllister

Wordless Wednesday

Photo Credit: Wild Raisin (Viburnum cassinoides)  – Brian McAllister

Get this on your calendar…if you like mushrooms!

For those who collect, eat, study, name, write about, and in general just have a passion for the delicate mushroom (aka- “fungus”) you should take note that next year, 11-14 August  will be the “king” of all mushroom events in the northeastern US….and it’s going to happen in our own backyard of Paul Smiths, NY.

For 4 days, mushroom experts with the NorthEast Mycological Federation will comb the forests of the northern Adirondacks in search of prized fungus among-us.  Experts from around the country will be on hand to identify the tasty ’shrooms and tell us of the deadly poisonous ones also.

Click here for video for upcoming Foray! Details will be on the NEMF website after December.

So if fungus is your thing, put this event on your calendar and join us in the mountains.

Photo Credit-Brian McAllister

Champlain Valley waterfowl

November means waterfowl-watching along the still-open waters of Lake Champlain, and right on cue the waterfowl are making their entrance.

On a recent birdwatching trip along the western shoreline of the lake we made several stops to our favorite haunts including AuSable Point Campground, Willsboro Bay, Noblewood Park,  and quaint village of Westport.

Most of what we see on the Lake, over the winter months, would fall under the group called diving ducks (those that feed on fish, crustaceans, and mollusks).  And currently these ducks are just beginning to arrive on the lake. Flying down from Canada’s many lakes and ponds, these ducks will often remain in the area until the increasing ice forces them farther south.

Bufflehead, common goldeneye, lesser and greater scaup, mergansers, and sometimes a scoter species or two will hang out and feed along the many bays, and coves in early winter.

On our recent trip along the lake we found buffleheads in growing numbers as well as common goldeneyes, common merganser,  and lesser scaup. As we approach early winter all these species can be found in large groups or “rafts”, of one species but may often be found in mixed rafts.

Driving along Route 22 south of  Plattsburgh we find a few spots to pull over on the shoulder,  look out onto the lake and scan for ducks. Near Valcour Island we begin to find common loons, and horned grebes in their winter plumages.

In the town of  Westport we can find geese, ducks and gulls all coexisting on a few sand bars near the Westport Boat Launch, and in front of the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

The “broad lake” has quickly become a birdwatchers delight as the north winds howl and the ducks replace the sailboats on the choppy winter waters.

There’s still some green left

As November blows in from the North and often coats the woods in white, we can take comfort in knowing that green and other shades of color still lie under the snow waiting for the big melt next year.

Click on the moss names for pictures:

Delicate Fern Moss sitting on Broom Moss

Pin Cushion Moss

Mnium Moss w/spore capsules

Lung Lichen growing on a tree

British Soldier Lichen(Cladonia)

Top Photo: Red-stemmed moss (Pleurozium schreberi)-Brian McAllister

All photos-Brian McAllister

Background noise

Now is a wonderful time to be listening to that late summer background “noise” that we all hear but never pay much attention to. I’m referring to the myriad of insect sounds that can be heard on these hot and humid days.

Take some time out of your busy day and give a listen to the field crickets, ground crickets, and tree crickets in your yards, and neighborhood. Here’s a great site to help you learn these insect sounds and also learn a bit about their ecology and life history. Click on “Online Guide” for details. It’s worth looking over just for the great common names they’ve been given!

I have fall field crickets, and a species(still trying to figure out which one) of tree cricket calling in my yard and nearby woods. If I listen carefully I can hear the “typical call” of the fall field crickets with their constant “chirps”. But overlaying all the other calls is the very high-pitched whine of a species(?) of tree cricket.

Who knows, maybe some day I’ll hear a sword-bearing conehead!

Photo Credit: snowy tree cricket-/wikipedia

Pine sap, beech drops, and flying ants

August seems to be a good time to find the parasites in the botanical world. First a definition-parasite(in the plant world) refers to any plant that feeds solely off another plant(host plant), but not always harming the host.

In this case I’m referring to the non-chlorophyll-producing plants-like Indian pipes, beech drops(pictured above), pine sap, and giant bird’s-nest.

So what are they living off of? In the soil, growing among the many roots of nearby plants, are tiny hair-like fibers known as mycorrhizal fungi. These fibers are supporting the bigger tree & wildflower roots. But it is these mycorrhizal fibers that the pine sap, and others, are getting their nutrients from.

A slight deviation from that relationship is the parasitic life of beech drops which live entirely off of the nutrients of a host beech tree (Fagus grandifolia) root system. If you could dig down along the stem of beech drops you would find a connection directly to the beech tree root.

Amazing to think that there is a whole other world of plant relationships under the soil that we are just beginning to unravel!

A great spot to observe these parasitic plants(better in early August) is along the new trail system at Henry’s Woods in Lake Placid.

Other notes from the field are the recent swarming of winged ants that are coming out of their underground tunnels to fly around, mate, and then die…all in about 24 hours!

As I waited at a traffic light one early evening I saw hundreds of flying insects flying through shafts of sunlight and then they would disappear in the shadows. As I later parked my car at home I could see thousands of winged ants crawling all over the lawns, looking as if the ground was literally moving under my feet.

Can anyone tell us the species of these ants??

The next day I saw a large group of ring-billed gulls flying in circles and feeding on the flying ants. As a human I can relate to this….when blueberries come into season, I’m all over those fields plucking berries for a few days!

Photo Credit: Beech Drops(wikipedia)

Getting to know the Composite family

I always look forward to the gentle slide from late summer to early fall; the cooling nights that require one more layer on the bed; the sounds of crickets calling through the windless nights; and….having to re-learn all the goldenrods that I forgot last fall. This can be a pain in the aster!…sorry.

Anyways, I truly devote a few days each August to carefully look over the latest batch of goldenrods along the trail. But everytime I open the field guide I’m overwhelmed w/the possibilities.

The Peterson Field Guide to Wildflowers devotes 7 pages to the voluminous goldenrod family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide crams 30 species of goldenrod into 4 pages – not to mention the 37 species of aster that follow on the next five pages.

Well, have no fear, the New York Flora Association is here. On their blog they offer a few websites that look specifically at goldenrods and asters. However, I missed the memo on changing the family “Aster” to “Symphiotrichum”. I need a degree in plant taxonomy to understand that change!

Having said all this I think it best for you to go out to your favorite sunny trail and just admire, and learn if you’d like, all the wonderful goldenrods and “asters” that joyously demand our attention.

Locally I’ve enjoyed “botanizing” along the very level trail of Bloomingdale Bog (access off Rout 86 in Saranac Lake or Rout 55 near the hamlet of Bloomingdale) where I just found New York “Aster” growing. Another good site for both species is the north end of Adirondac Loj Road outside Lake Placid. Just by walking(carefully) along the road you might find 5-8 species of goldenrod.

On a walk up Cascade Mt last year, we found a few species of goldenrod that will only grow at higher elevations.  And while walking  over the boardwalk on the Forest Ecology Trail of the Paul Smiths Visitor Center, you will find Bog Goldenrod peaking its yellow head above her fellow bog plants.

Gosh, I’ve run out of time! Looks like next blog I’ll have to talk about the three species of Joe-Pye Weed and 8 species of Sunflower….you gotta love the composites!

Photo Credit: goldenrods among the blueberries-Brian McAllister