My Hermit Haven

 July 26, 2023

Good morning from Hermit Hill this very fine Wednesday.

The temps are only in the 70's this a.m., which seems like the days work may just be comfortable.

I noticed the other day when I was pulling weeds, that the sprinkling of white pines we have, all over the lot, are besieged with something that is making the tops curve over, and there's a fair amount of white fungus like sap, all over the stem. I immediately thought fungus, but upon further investigation, it turns out to be a nasty little weevil. Apparently, it doesn't kill the tree, but does confuse it, causing it to send out lost leaders. I will need to keep an eye on it and prune away, so that it doesn't get too bushy. (Pic #1, below). More information: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/white-pine-weevil-5-606/

As it happens, when I was pulling rather tall green plants which I thought were golden rod, turns out I was mistaken. They were actually evening primrose, which I spied blooming today. The flower cluster is a dead give-away, as there is nothing else quite like it. It IS an invasive, and is the first time I have seen it here. It is so pretty, I'll likely leave a few because invasives are only invasive if they go uncared for. (Pic #3, below).

It's so much fun to watch a succession forest make a comeback. The first year we were here, (maybe a year after it had been logged), there was Ironweed just everywhere! The next year, it was New Jersey Tea. The year after, it was Horsetail and now it's Evening Primrose. I just love observing all the changes and the avian visitors that come in response to the food and nesting sites (lots of deadfall and plenty of brush piles). I finally got the Merlin App on my iphone and at any given time, there are at least 10-20 species calling outside the cabin. We even had a Whipperwill earlier this summer, and that's at the bottom of our property (southernmost, which I refer to as downtown); whose to say how many there are, uptown (where the camper is). lol

In any case, microclimates are pretty fascinating. There is just enough altitude between downtown and uptown to make for quite the eclectic mix of creatures. For instance, I haven't seen the beetle damage on the Blacks uptown, that I've seen downtown. There are two white pines up top (that I found, and left alone) that have zero weevil damage, as well. And even the critters are different. We have many pairs of nesting Doves down here, as well as the Woodpeckers thriving (on all those bug populations, presumably). The turkeys love the edges down here and the more solitary birds love the top acreage, where there is less disruption. I haven't got up to the camper yet this summer, mostly because of the rain. When I was up there last fall, I saw a fox walk right across camp one morning and Toodles and I watched a Fisher cat come out of its den, cleaning house. Who knew they cleaned their digs, first thing every day? These are the kinds of jewels I am utterly entranced with, because it's never the kind of thing you read about, even in Northern Forest (a great magazine that I highly recommend). 

Whoever built our driveway, to do the logging, created so many edges, that it's like living in an unfenced zoo. Everything loves edges!

Speaking of which, the Catbirds are already scoping the Blacks up top because there are a lot less down here this year. I adore Catbirds, even if they are considered a nuisance bird. They make so very many sounds that it's just plain good fun to get a squeaking competition going, which I often do. And there are still so many loads of berries up top, that its likely enough to be fruitful for everyone.

I forgot to mention the biggest come back trees.....pin cherries are absolutely everywhere, and man do all the birds just love them! We have been able to watch all of the avian visitors constantly visit between the cherries and honeysuckles for some time, now. I wasn't going to leave the Honeysuckles because they are also considered invasive, but man do the birds love them! Supposedly, they don't have much nutrition, but I am assuming that the cherries do, so since there is a pretty equal balance of both, I am hoping it's a non-issue. In any case, as the rest of my planted saplings grow and produce fruit, I will be weeding out the Honeysuckles over time. 

Todays challenge is to Id the purple being (pic#2, below). Newcombes is less then helpful and Plant Snap thinks its a Spirea, which I highly doubt, so if anyone can help a girl out, you'll get a cup of tea, on me. (I feel like I've ID'd it before, but I am suffering from O.L.D. so my memory just ain't what it used to be!). lol.

And that's likely enough plant talk for today. 

In closing, I would just say, "Be kind, always".