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Archive for February, 2011

It is still cold out there, with weather systems still bringing occasional snow, sleet and rain. However, Punxsatawney Phil did predict an early Spring this year, and maybe others in the animal kingdom agree. For the last week or so I’ve observed a flock of Regulus calendula (ruby-crowned kinglet), mostly females and an occasional male, […]

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Is a bobcat roaming the Outer Cape? This question appeared in today’s Cape Cod Times. The clue to this animal roaming the woods in Eastham seems to be some unusual scat that was found in the woods. I understand that the Times needs to be tentative and report on facts and “hard” evidence, but rumors […]

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Deer trivia

Two and a half million years ago, creatures that sort of looked like humans ran from the same predators as creatures that sort of looked like deer. As we humans grew into our new skins and created cultures, deer became part of our religion and way of life – from our creation stories to the […]

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The Pholcus phalangioides and I have a pretty good arrangement, they eat the bugs that come into my house and I clean up after them. I suppose they probably don’t “care” that I clean up after them. Although the way they leave their trash behind makes it seem like it’s almost intentional, like “Here, I’ve […]

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When I decided to write about coyotes for this blog post, I had no idea how strongly people felt about them or how prolific they have become on the East Coast. Whether on Cape Cod or in the Boston area, the presence of coyotes in people’s suburban backyards elicits either awe or outright hatred – and rarely indifference. I am […]

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Squirrelly stats

Today I ask the question: why is it that we see a predominance of the gray squirrel over the red squirrel here on Cape Cod. Gray squirrels are, like rats and pigeons, the type of creature you are more likely to see in urban or suburban areas; they have been able to adjust to locales where […]

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Pre-season

It may be winter and the soil may be frozen, but I find this to be one of the busiest times of the year if you’re into plants.  I find myself pacing the yard already and making guesses on whether such-and-such plant will appear in a few short months.  Now is the time to think about […]

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Soil amending

It’s good to know what your soil is made of.  If I was a gambling man I’d bet that it is sandy around here.  As a matter of fact, most soil on Cape Cod is about 85 percent sand, with some silt and clay mixed in.  That is, if you exclude the rocks and boulders, […]

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