Black Friday Shopping or Cold Friday Hiking ..........

No decision really…. Just thought is sounded good! Headed over to Gate 35 at first light. My hike today would start at the water to watch the sun rise, then I would hike over to Gate 31 boat launch to pick up the shoreline back to Gate 35. Dawn on the calm water is always a treat. No wildlife on the move this morning. Would be a good morning for a fire in the standing fireplace at Basset Pond. You can begin to feel winters grip settling in. The shoreline hike back did reveal a pile of bear scat. Upon return to my truck I met a fella that has seen several bears in the past week or so in the area. Surely the bears travel range will tighten up with these cold days and minimal food sources. I would think bear sign and sightings are just about done for this year. I did see a red tail hawk perched way off on top of a white pine tree The hike today put 5.5 miles on the ole hiking boots. j
Jim

Bald Faced Hornet

With the fall foliage completing its cycle, the number of beehives or should I say bald faced hornet hives are everywhere. By everywhere I mean in central Massachusetts,  driving through the towns of Rutland, Oakham , Barre , Hardwick & Petersham  nests are easily seen .To quantify the increased hive activity, a late fall hike in Quabbin I counted 24 bald faced  hornet hives over a twelve mile stretch. The hives were built as low as four feet from the ground and were as high as forty feet in a variety of trees. I don’t believe I have ever seen twenty four hives of any type in my lifetime, never mind in one season. That’s what has me so inquisitive. Why are there so many hives in central Massachusetts this year, Was the winter of 2012 mild enough where temperatures  minimized the death toll of the queen bald face hornets. The queens will typically protect themselves from the winter by borrowing into a rotten log or under bark. Is there something more to the increased bald faced hornet activity? My next questions were, how do they build their nests, what is there purpose, do they pollinate like the honey bee?

The bald face hornet uses their saliva mixed with the wood that they chew in fabricating the paper that makes the hive. I have not figured out there purpose.  They do pollinate but it doesn’t appear with the intensity of a honey bee. Bald faced hornets are aggressive and will attack other small insects.

I have always found hives catch most peoples eye and make for an interesting conversation piece. Taking a hive in the late fall has no impact on the inhabitants or the hive. The drones have all died off with the female seeking winter cover elsewhere in hopes of making it to spring where she will start a new hive with a small cone.

Jim

Cold & Windy !

Wind made hiking a challenge this morning. We had more snow in Rutland than the Quabbin region. On my ride to Quabbin I was hoping the snow was consistent in central Massachusetts. Not the case at all. When I reached Long Pond there was barely a dusting. Oh Well! We will just have to make the best of a cold wind day

Sun was just hitting the tree tops and I was on my way. It wasn’t long before catching movement.

Continuing on I was thrilled to find this bobcat track in the trace of snow.

Dressing in layers made for a comfortable hike this morning

Jin