Linda & I like to crunch acorns (especially the caps!), so maybe that is why I am looking down these days and seeing lots of things in the road. Most recently, as of Saturday and the rains, these small seeds, covered in beigeish fuzz, were all over the driveway. Today, I see lots of them in the road in various places. I haven't the foggiest what they come from - I don't see any bushes or plants or trees that have fuzzballs on them.
[Jan 25 -- Shortly after I posted this, Carol told me of an article in the Mass. Audubon Sanctuary Magazine (Fall/Winter 2013-2014--available online ). The article, by Michael J. Caduto, titled, "The Oak Tree's World", talks about the oak galls and says that there are more than 800 species of insects & mites that create galls in trees. The ones we see most on our road/woods are the red balls (common oak apple galls), about the size of the acorns or somewhat bigger. Apparently, the above fuzzy things are also oak galls. Mr. Caduto says,
"While not as common, my favorite galls are the whitish, woolly twig gall and the wool sower gall (white oak), both of which appear like oak-borne cotton balls that are complete with dark spots that look like seeds. These round white tufts are caused by the gall wasps, Andricus furnessae and the Callirhytis seminator, respectively."In his article, Mr. Caduto says many interesting things, but two that caught my attention are:
1) Most of the galls are "mearly cosmetic and harmless to the tree" and that some are even beneficial to the tree. The gall provides food and protection for the growing insect (which is often eaten by a bird!).
2) The tree roots can often distinguish beneficial fungi from damaging fungi and will attack the damaging fungi as soon as they invade the root tissues, but will allow the beneficial fungi to grow!]
A few weeks ago, every night when I'd take Blake out for his pre-bed outing, I'd see daddy-longlegs all over the road!
Last week, Carol and I were walking down Crystal Lake Drive and saw four small (baby?) snakes, run over, on the road. We don't know what the snake is, either. They were near Crystal Lake and Willis Lake, so a water snake seems logical? But I really haven't a clue. I don't know my snakes...
Anyone know? [Oct 9 -- I emailed Mass.Wildlife@state.ma.us and got an answer. They were juvenile Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon).]
(Double click to see the picture larger)
The green webbing is Blake's leash - 3/4" wide. On the snake's lower jaw, there were white marks - a distinguishing feature of all 3 snakes that we saw.
Even looking down, it is interesting around here!!
