New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Wow! Expected to hit 90 degrees today and maybe even a hundred by Sunday. Statistically speaking Saturday July 20th is annually the peak of heat here in Central New Hampshire. So summers peaks tomorrow. And you know what. It will cool down pretty quickly if my memory serves me right. Most years by mid August our nights here get pretty cool. Say in the 50's. Looking back at some of my diaries we actually have had frosts here in August. So yes despite the record temps the next few days we are soon to be in a big change in temps. I actually don't mind the summer sun and heat so much any more. Hey I'm not out in the heat working any more. 

 

Are you listening to your yard? Yes our yards and pets have a lot to tell us. Just a couple of nights ago as I called my cat in before dark as he walked across my back yard a blue jay sounded his alarm call. And my cat reacted by coming up on the deck and turning around to hear who was yelling at him. Lots of birds have alarm calls. You just have to learn them. When I hear an alarm call I look outside. Maybe it my cat or a neighbors but it could be a hawk or even a bobcat passing through. So pay attention to the alarm calls.

 

And my cat has shown me other animals in my yard. He often jumps up on my deck window sill. When he goes on alert I know he is seeing something. Thanks to my cat I have looked outside to see turkeys, woodchucks and pheasants and more. My dog alerted me to coyote and bear scat in my yard. Your pets are paying attention to what is going on outside and you should be paying attention to your pets.

 

My garden is really paying off now. I picked close to thirty cucumbers Tuesday and another twenty yesterday. All eaten or given to friends so far. Not enough to can (pickle) yet. Eating new potatoes from the garden and my radishes are ready too. So good eating from the garden.

 

Robins, wrens, a least flycatcher and a few other birds are still around calling and singing. No turkeys here for a few weeks now. Wildlife sightings remain down for me lately. Plenty of water in our local brooks is good news for our Native Brook trout. Plenty of rain to keep everything pretty greened up. No summer die-off yet. Berries are ripening.