The Backyard Science group regularly publishes The Daily Bucket, which features observations of the world around us. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds, flowers and anything natural or unusual are worthy additions to the Bucket and its comments. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record we can refer to as we try to understand the patterns that are unwinding around us.
We have 200 feet of fence line, and used to have groups of arborvitae, a small evergreen cypress, every ten or twenty feet along the fence. The squirrels used the fence as a combination freeway and buffet line. They would eat some (or all) of the grapes, stroll farther down the fence, and decimate the berries. Then on to the tomatoes, If we saw them and dashed, yelling, from the house, they would vanish into the bushy arborvitae.
Below the arborvitae root, you can read how things have changed.
Here you can see the former arborvitae "groves" to either side of the heron.
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Here were the arborvitae near Pear Pond in the FMA. They're all gone now.
We replaced the fence and cut down all the arborvitae. Now the squirrels cannot make a leisurely stroll and decimate our crops at will, with hiding places just a leap away. Instead, they must line up at the starting blocks and make a mad dash the full length of the fence to find good cover.
"Scree, scree," Is that a young eagle circling overhead? I hope so.
"Spotlight on Green News & Views" will be posted every Saturday at 1pm and Wednesday at 3:30 pm Pacific Time on the Daily Kos front page. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.
Now It's Your Turn What's interesting to you? Please post your own observations and your general location in the comments.
Thank you for reading. I'll work this morning so I'll respond to comments before lunchtime, PDT.