The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutJune 12, 2003 - May showers = June flowers The Suffolk Times • June 12, 2003 a s owers = THE RECENT WET WEATHER We'Ve had has dominated the outdoors. �� O�� Hopefully by the time you read this, we will have passed this long period of rain.And what a rain it has been! Most of us dislike that kind of weath- er,but one has to < FOCu$ admit a new green world has Q�j exploded every- ; ,� " �` � where you look. '�� NATURE ,uw.., . . x �� There is only one -» _ � by Paul Word to describe � �- � Stoutenburgh � °�� it and that is � � ,M �"�r.�. ,. « „ �:� - � .. � lush. The rains have created a lush world of green. Everything has awakened from win- � ,�'� �' �`�� .�- � �� ter's sleep and is now showing its size � "� '� � �� * - ��: ��`�"��'��f�� ' 'x � 9 r��-:' � shape and color in all its splendor. � The dandelion buds in rny lawn are �5�� ` �u'� '�� y �` �� R� ' loaded and as soon as the sun warms ' � � = ,„�i �� = � � .: them up they are ready to burst into �� , �''�� ,�, �, ` �` their well-known yellow flowers.Have � ;;� �-��. ,�; � �° � � , �.� you noticed in your lawn how they try � �+ ,� �� `�'�� '��'' ��'�,;� ,+�,�` to outsmart you?You go with confi- _� � � �;� � `�a,, � �� { ��;,� ��`" � � �� z,. � � ��» :� � ,f. ; dence the first time you cut them all �` � ��,r` �� ,�� E�` �� .� r�r °�'- ,� �. down,and then somehow they know �'��w� ��'. � � '�° • r ' 3"a i� #' � y. you're coming again so they duck ; s�Y�� ,��a �,°,�`°� � '� ��,&s .� aV �.'� �k a3 �8iY1�' S'13�, � ' t� x '�. �ff their flower heads just enough to �a � �.�s r�� *"�`� ��, d , ' esca e our cutter.There the blos- J� � ��_°��' �t � �, � ;'�`' ; '� ' ' P Y Y ^ r �� . „. Yk .�� {E � AP �� a ➢� ._ ��.. som in all their glory.Somehow they � �.� �,r�.,�r� } �..��`' ,� �� * know ersistent cuttin re uires short '� �� '��"_��-'��Y ��,�� '"� P g q ��, �'`�.�� >�„r�� r-��'•�� ; y, � �� stems and so they outsmart us.Check '� 9 this theory out the next time you mo �• � � ��,�� Y�.��z��` ��'� �"��'� �f�� ,� �� "i� r,�t��tt�� k�d �'�� your lawn. ;� �- r ��x ��-,��, �ar�� . " I see the buttercups blossoming '� �.,��,�ti�'�`'�'�'`�r � � ` , ' with their wax ellow etals in the `� � ��'��'� ""wk� � "�' � � � :� � � � " �� back pasture.Remember those early �, `�� `��"p � ��'��;�;�� ,,�'� `� ��, ��. days when your cousins came over �� s�;,�� '�`�� 4 Y ,��.��4��;��` �� ' and you would all romp around the �� .�.�' �� _�' �` �� "�°'s <f�_;�-�`�. .� �� fields out back,how you picked a � -�•a�' ��';`�`r � �� '� �� ,�r�' a ��; ' � ��'r'�a��d � � ,��. 't�a u blossom of buttercup and held it �,� b � , � .��'�'.,,�� .x � �, under someone's chin to see if they � p��;��;� ;�� <b��<�� ,,� � � liked or didn't like butter?It was sort p t, �`�p �,�� y �� -� ��b � of a game we all played half-heartedly. ; � '� , �� , '� �' � x� �. � � ��:�� .,�;, �' � If there was a reflection of the yellow s�» � � u� � - � ,:: color of the buttercup seen under the �°.�;f�. -�� -�` � chin,it was su osed to mean we J � YN � PP Times/Review photos by Paui Stoutenburgh liked butter.Most of us did. �IVhen one thinks of buttercups (above and inset), the mind flashes back to And then there were the daisies.Of youthful days when you'd pick one of the waxy blossoms and put it under the course,you had to pick off each petal chin of a friend. If there was a yellow reflection under the chin, it was a sure all the way around,saying"She loves S�gn your friend Ilked butter. Actually, I can't ever remember a time when it me,she loves me not."Secretly we all didn't show ellow. hoped the last one would be"she loves me." And if you didn't do t at with the daisies,you'd hook them near co ect and fly around,calling together,making a garland to hang and making utter confusion all about. around your neck.These simple things It's usually because they've found a amused us in those youthful days hawk or a sleeping owl.Most often it' I called over to Nature wl�en we didn't know what television the great horned owl they get excited Conservancy's Mashomack Preserve was and cell ph�nes weren't in our on Shelter Island and spoke to Mike wildest dreams.Both the buttercu about.This owl is their archenemy Scheibel who is one of the authorities P and,once spotted,it's harassed by all on os re s hereabouts.He's been tak- and the daisy came from Europe until it moves out of the area.This is P y probably as seeds,for they both love doubly true if there's a nest of crows ing an aerial census of these birds for to invade the farmers'fields. the past 10 years.You might see him around,which we have. hovering in a helicopter over a nest in We have a huge birdbath in our Yesterday I think,and this is not front yard and around it I've planted exaggerating,we had 50 to 100 crows Your neighborhood soon.He checks ferns.We got the ferns from upstate milling around the trees,as only excit- all the nests from the air each year near a friend's cabin,where they grow ed crows can do.They were darting in and reports them in a final tally.He, down by a brook.Seems there are and out and above the trees,at one too,is concerned that th�rainy weath acres of ferns there.The ones we point rising up like a cloud of black er has done in many of the osprey brought back were called cinnamon smoke.The sky was full of them.We nests.Over there on the island at leas ferns because their fruiting bodies rise tried to see what they were harassin two nests so far are in the same situa- g tion as ours,where the female has left up in a cinnamon color.They grow to but we weren't able to.We assume it the nest.This problem of rainwater in four feet tall and completely encircle �'as a great horned owl that had got- the nests is particularly true of old the birdbath,which.gives the birds a ten too close to the nest of young nests to which the osprey has added bit of privacy when taking a bath. crows and an alarm went out,bringing , out every able-bodied crow for miles each year until It s surprising how many birds come around. they become to bathe in that birdbath,everything Evidently the family of crows had impervious to from a catbird to a grackle,to the been able to survive the rains we've rain water and pesky starling and the colorful oriole. had and were successful in raising the water cannot All come and bathe and drink.Water their young.How any bird could pro- get through,but is most important for birds.The prob- tect its young from those torrential puddles in the lem with most bought birdbaths is tha downpours I don't know.The osprey bottom.These they dry up so quickly and people for- at the end of our creek we think is no are the tragedies get to keep water in them.We have longer sitting on her eggs.I think what that go unz�oticed one right off the happened was that tHe cold rain pud- in nature's often patio,where it's dled in the bottom of the nest and cruel world. easy to keep ruined the eggs.Therefore she's left Sometime in filled.A plastic the nest.In their real world the most June Mike will be underground important thing is that the female sur- ta mg is survey and perhaps then pipe fills the big vives.There is always next year,when �'e'll have some idea of the damage one,where we we hope she will try again. this foul weather has had on our have a makeshift ospreys.It's not only the ospreys that fountain.How might be affected,but I'm sure all the the birds love the ground-nesting birds such as terns, spray.The sound piping plovers,horned larks and oth- of falling water ers will feel the wrath of those down- draws them. �� ' � pours as well.Yet,when we look The family of about us and see the lush greenery of crows that nested in the woods to the trees,plants and lawns,we must admit west of us is starting to call for food there is much good that has come What a noisy family they are.The from these heav rains. worst part about the young crows is that their food now is probably made � � up mostly of baby birds robbed by the parents from a neighboring song- ` bird's nest.That's why you often see small birds chasing crows.The crows most likely have just robbed their nest. Every once in a while something stirs crows up,and crows from far and