New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff
No snow and none in sight!
Wednesday 02/08/2006
Much of NH is snowless. It really is. I went up to the Fish and Game Region 1 office in Lancaster last Friday and there was actually LESS snow there than in Epsom. And that was before the Friday and Saturday rain storms that totally wiped out the snow around here, except for where it had been plowed into piles. There is virtually no snow in the woods either. Although the temperatures have dropped down to seasonal averages, it was 17 degrees here this morning, the short range forecast is for no new snow. No doubt those of us who worship spring will be given a winter reminder before too long. Still the prospect of a snowless, and nearly ice less, winter with a very early spring has me smiling.
Mel Listen from Strafford sent me an email of the results of a bear getting his bird feeder last weekend. In fact there are reports statewide of bears hitting bird feeders all winter long, even well to the north. Deer and turkeys have been wandering and feeding at will. Monday mornings dusting of snow revealed a couple of the local turkeys had walked right up to my front door minutes before I fetched the paper. My bird feeders have more squirrels than birds. And the gray squirrel chase is on this week. It is gray squirrel breeding time again. Spring really is here! At least according to the squirrels. It's nice to be able to agree with the squirrels now and then.
The Suncook River remains ice free. I mean April ice free. There is no ice along the river's edges at all and only ice in the back cove of the meadow below my house. The weekend rain did bring another high tide in the corn field below flooding a third of the field this time. The local mallards were quite happy with that event.
I'm off to the sportsmen's show in Worcester from Friday to Sunday. I have worked the Fish and Game booth there for about two decades. It is always an interesting time. I enjoy interacting with all the sportsmen and women who stop by the booth. Stop by and say "Hi" if you are at the show Friday or Saturday.
