Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report
October 1 2021
Yep. Another one just like that…
Highlights – yellow billed cuckoo, mushrooms, snakes, woodland gnome, and
other stuff….
Business - Contact us – hey – send yer photos, stories and
all things nature to vinalhavensightings@gmail.com ! It’s fun to share, or at least I
am told. So here is your chance!
Tiit trick –
click on photos to magically have them grow and fill your screen! Try it with
the woodland gnome shots – you won’t be disappointed!
PSA –it’s
about that time of the year again, and maybe it’s technically that time
already, but deer hunting on island, specifically
white-tailed deer hunting, is happening and is going to be happening for
the next few months. Hunting is allowed on most
preserves on Vinalhaven, with Lane’s Island (and Armbrust Hill) being the
notable exceptions.
This does mean you can’t visit the preserves during this time? No. In fact, it’s highly recommended that you do visit the trails as the next few months are some of the most beautiful times to be outside. But do yourself a favor and wear some orange – a hat, a scarf, a Hunter Pence SF Giants bright orange visitor jersey, whatever – so you can be seen at a distance. Nobody wants to shoot anyone (well, I shouldn’t speak for everyone) – or at least probably no one wants to shoot you, and no one wants to get shot (shouldn’t speak for everyone again) – but the bottom line is it’s an easy way to have one’s day ruined. So slap on some orange and take in the sights! And then share them! This northern woodland gnome is wearing orange, are you?
cool formations
photo by Banner Moffat
Sightings – Banner Moffat sent in this photo of some
cool geology (‘that rocks!’) from Saddle
Island off Isleboro (close enough!). He called it ‘columnar basalt’ and I say…sure. Sounds good and looks even better.
Here’s something I pulled up off the
web about Columnar Basalt. Mixed in with a series of a Common Loon photos
organizing things so this lobster can go down the hatch.
‘You
are looking at a type of formation called columnar jointing. These columns of
rock are most likely a volcanic rock called basalt. (Basalt makes up about 90%
of all the lava rock on Earth.)…. It’s due to a physical process that can
happen in melted lava rock as it cools.
Imagine a huge flow of hot, liquid magma that is settling. The outer
layer is starting to cool and darken in color from orange to black. As it
cools, it needs to shrink a bit, as hot materials usually take up more space
than cooler ones. Because of this shrinking, the surface of the lava starts to
crack. But this cracking isn’t always random.
In this case, the lava starts to crack into regular shapes. Those shapes
are forming because of how the lava cools. It starts at different spots called
“centers.” If those centers are evenly spaced, the forces that pull inward
toward the centers end up creating different chunks of cooling lava that are
hexagonal (6-sided), or close to it. The more uniform the material of the lava
is (or basically how smooth and well mixed it is), the more evenly those
centers pull. That means it is more likely it will cool into hexagonal chunks.
Scientists also think that faster cooling, like when lava is exposed to water,
may also help with the formation of these columns.clearly a lobster in the bill
These chunks begin to form at the top layer of the lava, which is cooling
the fastest. As lower levels of the lava start to cool, they are also pulled
into the shape under each center. In this way, you get lava cooling and
contracting down into these cylinders. It usually begins to shape from the top
down into the middle or even bottom of the lava flow. This is how really tall
cylinders can form. And even when the material is a bit irregular, these
cylinders can still form. They just might not be hexagons… instead of 6, they
might have 5 or 7 sides, or a more irregular shape.’ Arizona State University
‘Ask a Scientist’ section of their website.
And so I am no geologist at all, but
if there is a geologist in the house – is this what’s going on/gone on in this
photo? Either way – cool shot!
Beth Gilford
spotted her first Yellow-billed Cuckoo
on Vinalhaven (VVNM) which is awesome. Cuckoos are one of those birds (ok –
two of those birds (species!)) where timing, patience and a bit of luck come
together for a sighting. Cuckoos can be ‘somewhat
slothy’ (full on exaggeration) at times in behavior - moving slow, sitting
on a branch for what seems like an eternity watching as observers and people
from all walks of life walk by. Some years you see them – I saw 4 last year,
all because I was searching for things completely different – and most years
(in my opinion) you don’t – like the 5 or 6 years prior. So many more tent and
web caterpillar formations in the trees these days may not look the best to
some, but to Cuckoos the webs are strategic location snack bars, like all snack
bars should be. More webs = more cuckoo sightings? Can only hope so! Cool
sighting either way!
Quick update from John Drury – Greens Island - yellow-billed cuckoo, blackpoll warbler,
blue-headed vireo, black and white warbler, yellow bellied sapsucker, ruby crowned
kinglet, Phoebe, parula, Myrtles, Palmer warblers
Mammals – White tailed deer in the harbor. Spotted
from the back of an afternoon ferry.
These two chilled and feasted while
the ferry warmed up
Cat on the roof
– this is ‘moonshadow’ and he had to be physically removed from the roof of my
car one morning on island. This was to avoid injury to him.
This headless harbor seal was seen floating around Lane’s Island at some
point not too long ago. And still may be.
Kinda gross, huh?
Perry Creek -
Legendary hike with legendary executive director Linnell Mather (9/21) turned
up three Smooth Green Snakes on the
tree, all on the return trip from Orchard
Cove and the loop there.
I snagged a few shots of this
particular one – the third one we crossed paths with and the only one that hung
out for any while. North Perry Creek
– best spot I know on island for Smooth
Green Snake!
random goldenrod video
salmon unicorn entoloma. 'SUE'
And of course…there were mushrooms to
be observed along the way.
This is the year of Salmon Unicorn Entoloma! – these old
friends (relationship status may or may not be reciprocated by fungi) have had
quite a summer/fall stretch. Month 3 of seeing these guys! What a year!
young blusher |
Strings of Amanitas were common along the Orchard Cove and North Perry Creek
trail systems.
yellow patches |
Yellow patches
Citron Amanitas – out in numbers,
late season bloomer as they say
young destroying angel |
Destroying Angels – respect to the
power that Amanita toxins have!
fly agaric button |
And Fly Agaric buttons and full on blooming mushrooms.
fly agaic |
its been a fine year for kings
overall they have not responded to summer rains
as much as other mushroom species
…Boletes
are up! Including Kings!....
Bitter boletes
– check out that reticulated stipe! Love it!
The genus Suillus has been especially bold and numerous this year…
Painted Boletes
are having a year like no other…
Suillus boletes have cool looking pores
And Chicken-fat Suillus…
slippery jacks |
and slippery jacks - who's sliminess is legendary, and as far as texture goes it is not the legendary anyone would hope to be known for!
yellow latex milkies from above
Great year for Yellow-latex Milkies -
And chocolate milkies….
purple gilled laccaria |
Purple-gilled Laccaria have also been stating their presence with authority.
Nothing phallic about these shrooms...
and another of the boy on the top of a mountain
and a limited edition...
and in conclusion, i'd like to say 'thank you. this concludes our VSR for today...'
ps - 'see you out there!