THAT SOUND: “While hunting this week in the Wetmore area, I
heard the first Whip-poor-will I have heard in 35 years or more. It
reminded me of times on the front porch sitting on my father’s lap
listening to the Whip-poor-will’s call in the night. What a treat
it was to hear this again.”
We were so envious when we received this note from Phil Williams
of Kane last week. We, too, have not heard this calming sound for a
very long time.
Phil continues, “Has anyone else heard one? They must be fairly
uncommon. I spend a great deal of time in the forest and this is my
first in a very long time.”
When we find a few extra minutes, we hope to do some research on
this bird. We know it has been pretty rare for many decades in this
region – we don’t know why. In any cases, it warms our hearts to
think we might again some day hear the rhythmic “whip-poor-will” on
some warm summer night.
MORE INFO: We recently carried an item on skunk cabbage, noting
that it had been used at one time to help people with breathing
difficulties. A gentlemen called to get details on this medicinal
purpose but we didn’t have any information. If you know, we’d be
glad to pass it along. Or, it will go on our to-do list for
Internet research.
BEAR NOTE: Sally Cross of Cornen Street was awakened at about
3:45 a.m. May 7 by a noise. She looked out the window and observed
that one of her bird feeders had been broken. (Her two feeders are
close to her house to provide amusement to her indoor cat.)
Later that morning, when she went around to pick up the pieces
of the feeder, she saw two huge muddy paw prints on her vinyl
siding. “If I spread out my fingers, it was about the size of my
hand,” she reported.
The bear reportedly also made two stops on Chamberlain Avenue.
Sally tells us her sister, a resident of nearby Chamberlain, had
paw prints, including the claws, on her driveway. Sally’s nephew,
who also lives on Chamberlain, said the bear had gone on his deck
covering it in muddy prints.
“He must have then strolled down to my house after that,” she
said.
