New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Naked New Hampshire

Tuesday 10/24/2006

And so it has come to pass. Probably the longest and most colorful of falls has nearly vanished with the heavy rains and high winds of Friday into Saturday. Boy was this fall gorgeous. Without a doubt, the colors came earlier and stayed in peak color for longer than ever before. Or am I just getting older and more nostalgic? I really think the very wet spring and ground much of the summer, somehow coupled with the longest and hottest heat wave mid summer put some real stress on the trees this year that showed as early fall coloring. I wonder if there are any accurate records of such things. But the colors were so at peak for so long too.

But now the maples, birches and every thing save the oaks seem to be naked. Still plenty of color. I'm not really complaining, just marveling. Have you noticed the cherry red swamps of late. The leafless shrubs of the wetlands are topped with bright red berries hanging like halos over the marshes. this is the berries of the winterberry holly. Often by now the migrating robins have swooped in to devour these fruits. Not so this year. I think the abundance of fall fruits have spared the holly for now. The high bush cranberries are similarly sporting bright red bonnets of fruit.

I've been at the Region 3 office in Durham since Saturday on "moose check station" duty. And it has been unusually slow for me. By this date most years I have handled at least a dozen moose from the Region. Not so this year as my total is only 6 as of Tuesday afternoon.

I gave my "NH Golden Years of Wildlife" lecture at the Society for the Protection of NH Forests this evening in Concord. It was a great crew with lots of questions. It appeared most were members of the Society based on the numbers of emblems on their clothing. I really enjoy interacting with these folks.

Tonight the Great North Woods is getting a coating of snow. I think the first big storm of the season. The short range forecast suggests a cooling trend below average for much of the northeast. It has me wondering if we will have snow for the deer season. Fall and Christmas snow are a bonus as far as I'm concerned. Then a nice January thaw that lasts til April suits me fine these days. Some nice early ice to get my duck box work done safely would be alright too. I'm seeing deer practically every day again. Plus turkeys here and there and every where.