Don Holt,
As a matter of fact, I have seen fox squirrels in the same area as
red-headed woodpeckers on 2 occasions I can recall. But I expect this is
general coincidence since both species like open country. Another good
habitat to check is in any limestone areas where there are shag-bark hickory
trees standing separate from thick woods. Black walnut trees also help.
Often around here there will be shag-barks standing along fencerows, etc.
One place in WV not far from Alderson where the women's federal prison is
located is a prime habitat. The whole countryside east and southeast of
Alderson is a massive limestone area. We often ride a certain road there and
there are huge, old shag-barks and fox squirrels. Since you are interested
in birds I can tell you that we had golden-winged warblers on this same road
last spring and just before Christmas we saw a white doe deer over there.
Her head and neck were regular deer brown but from the neck back, including
her front legs, she was as white as a sheet.

With all the limestone you have there in NE TN, you should be able to find
some shag-bark hickory trees in open country and I expect there will be fox
squirrels close by.
Stan
----- Original Message -----
From: "hltdnld" <dnldhlt@...>
To: <butternuts@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 5:13 PM
Subject: [butternuts] Re: Sightings: odds & ends


> Stan Bentley,
>      Thanks for the location and the history.  I wonder, if fox
> squirrels like open forest, are they likely to be found in
> association with Red-headed Woodpeckers?  Also, would both of these
> species have been more prevalent in this region in the days when
> the native peoples regularly burned the forests as a management
> technique?  I guess I should try reading more history.   -Don Holt
>
> --- In butternuts@y..., "Stan and Mary Ann Bentley" <samorchids@i...>
> wrote:
> > Don Holt,
> > These days, fox squirrels are rather common around here (Pulaski,
> VA). I see
> > them every time I go out - saw several today. One of the best
> places, and
> > not far from you, is Burke's Garden in Tazewell County, VA. No doubt
> you
> > already go there birding anyway. Try entering the "garden" from the
> Tazewell
> > side (hardtop road). Go all the way toward Garden Mountain to the
> last
> > hardtop road to the left before reaching the mountain. Take the left
> and
> > watch all along, especially near a beautiful white (mansion like)
> house on
> > the left side. In the area just before and just after this house my
> wife and
> > I saw, at virtually the same time, 16 individual fox squirrels there
> about 5
> > years ago.
> >
> > It wasn't always this way. When I was growing up, about 45 years
> ago, fox
> > squirrels were a real rarity. One never saw one unless some hunter
> got
> > "lucky" and brought a dead one into the neighborhood. But the
> population
> > began to boom here about 20 years ago. I suspect it has something to
> do with
> > the thinning of forests creating habitat more suitable for fox
> squirrels. At
> > the same time, this more open forest is less suitable for gray
> squirrels
> > thus cutting down on their population and benefitting the fox
> squirrel.
> > Stan Bentley   samorchids@i...
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "hltdnld" <dnldhlt@a...>
> > To: <butternuts@y...>
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 1:40 PM
> > Subject: [butternuts] Sightings: odds & ends
> >
> >
> > > Christmas Day I had a Sharp-shinned Hawk eating a bird beside my
> > > feeder.  At dusk the same day a Cooper's Hawk just missed a meal
> > > beneath another feeder.  That night I heard coyotes howling on the
> > > hill behind my house.  Cool day!
> > > On the Bristol Christmas Bird Count Sunday, Dec. 30, Wallace
> Coffey,
> > > Andy Jones, Kevin Hamed and I saw a fox squirrel.  I'll have to
> get
> > > the location from them later.  We decided it was the 'bird of the
> > > day'!  I would be interested to know where anyone else has seen
> fox
> > > squirrels in the region as we seem to be at the edge of their
> range,
> > > and a little precision might be useful.    - Don Holt
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > > butternuts-unsubscribe@y...
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> butternuts-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

Stan Bentley,
      Thanks for the location and the history.  I wonder, if fox
squirrels like open forest, are they likely to be found in
association with Red-headed Woodpeckers?  Also, would both of these
species have been more prevalent in this region in the days when
the native peoples regularly burned the forests as a management
technique?  I guess I should try reading more history.   -Don Holt

--- In butternuts@y..., "Stan and Mary Ann Bentley" <samorchids@i...>
wrote:
> Don Holt,
> These days, fox squirrels are rather common around here (Pulaski,
VA). I see
> them every time I go out - saw several today. One of the best
places, and
> not far from you, is Burke's Garden in Tazewell County, VA. No doubt
you
> already go there birding anyway. Try entering the "garden" from the
Tazewell
> side (hardtop road). Go all the way toward Garden Mountain to the
last
> hardtop road to the left before reaching the mountain. Take the left
and
> watch all along, especially near a beautiful white (mansion like)
house on
> the left side. In the area just before and just after this house my
wife and
> I saw, at virtually the same time, 16 individual fox squirrels there
about 5
> years ago.
>
> It wasn't always this way. When I was growing up, about 45 years
ago, fox
> squirrels were a real rarity. One never saw one unless some hunter
got
> "lucky" and brought a dead one into the neighborhood. But the
population
> began to boom here about 20 years ago. I suspect it has something to
do with
> the thinning of forests creating habitat more suitable for fox
squirrels. At
> the same time, this more open forest is less suitable for gray
squirrels
> thus cutting down on their population and benefitting the fox
squirrel.
> Stan Bentley   samorchids@i...
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "hltdnld" <dnldhlt@a...>
> To: <butternuts@y...>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 1:40 PM
> Subject: [butternuts] Sightings: odds & ends
>
>
> > Christmas Day I had a Sharp-shinned Hawk eating a bird beside my
> > feeder.  At dusk the same day a Cooper's Hawk just missed a meal
> > beneath another feeder.  That night I heard coyotes howling on the
> > hill behind my house.  Cool day!
> > On the Bristol Christmas Bird Count Sunday, Dec. 30, Wallace
Coffey,
> > Andy Jones, Kevin Hamed and I saw a fox squirrel.  I'll have to
get
> > the location from them later.  We decided it was the 'bird of the
> > day'!  I would be interested to know where anyone else has seen
fox
> > squirrels in the region as we seem to be at the edge of their
range,
> > and a little precision might be useful.    - Don Holt
> >
> >
> >
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > butternuts-unsubscribe@y...
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >

Don Holt,
These days, fox squirrels are rather common around here (Pulaski, VA). I see
them every time I go out - saw several today. One of the best places, and
not far from you, is Burke's Garden in Tazewell County, VA. No doubt you
already go there birding anyway. Try entering the "garden" from the Tazewell
side (hardtop road). Go all the way toward Garden Mountain to the last
hardtop road to the left before reaching the mountain. Take the left and
watch all along, especially near a beautiful white (mansion like) house on
the left side. In the area just before and just after this house my wife and
I saw, at virtually the same time, 16 individual fox squirrels there about 5
years ago.

It wasn't always this way. When I was growing up, about 45 years ago, fox
squirrels were a real rarity. One never saw one unless some hunter got
"lucky" and brought a dead one into the neighborhood. But the population
began to boom here about 20 years ago. I suspect it has something to do with
the thinning of forests creating habitat more suitable for fox squirrels. At
the same time, this more open forest is less suitable for gray squirrels
thus cutting down on their population and benefitting the fox squirrel.
Stan Bentley   samorchids@...
----- Original Message -----
From: "hltdnld" <dnldhlt@...>
To: <butternuts@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 1:40 PM
Subject: [butternuts] Sightings: odds & ends


> Christmas Day I had a Sharp-shinned Hawk eating a bird beside my
> feeder.  At dusk the same day a Cooper's Hawk just missed a meal
> beneath another feeder.  That night I heard coyotes howling on the
> hill behind my house.  Cool day!
> On the Bristol Christmas Bird Count Sunday, Dec. 30, Wallace Coffey,
> Andy Jones, Kevin Hamed and I saw a fox squirrel.  I'll have to get
> the location from them later.  We decided it was the 'bird of the
> day'!  I would be interested to know where anyone else has seen fox
> squirrels in the region as we seem to be at the edge of their range,
> and a little precision might be useful.    - Don Holt
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> butternuts-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

I see the url for the map in my last message got changed to an active
link - no need for pasting - Cool huh!  Just remember when using
Bookmarks on the Yahoo Group sites that you need to use the Back
button to return to the Group.  If you try to click on the X to leave
a site you went to by using Bookmarks it takes you out of Yahoo
Groups also.  I also found out you can't leave the Posting page in
the middle of writing a message and come back to finish it.  It will
be blank.  I don't know how to save a partial message there to finish
later.  If anyone finds a way please tell me.  It may not be possible.
If anyone has difficulties using this Group service let me know. I or
someone else in the group may have figured out the solution to your
particular problem already.  We can help each other. - Don Holt

I forgot to mention the exact location of my Christmas Day sightings.
It's always a good idea to at least give the county a sighting occurs
in, but more is better.  I went to Bookmarks and clicked on Topozone,
found a map and centered on my house in Central Community, Carter
Co., TN. That map is at the following site:
      http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=4021689&e=384399&s=25
Copy and paste this onto your browser ( is that the right word? you
know the goto line)and see if you get a map centered in Central just
north of the School there.  Somebody let me know if it works or not.
        - Don Holt

Christmas Day I had a Sharp-shinned Hawk eating a bird beside my
feeder.  At dusk the same day a Cooper's Hawk just missed a meal
beneath another feeder.  That night I heard coyotes howling on the
hill behind my house.  Cool day!
On the Bristol Christmas Bird Count Sunday, Dec. 30, Wallace Coffey,
Andy Jones, Kevin Hamed and I saw a fox squirrel.  I'll have to get
the location from them later.  We decided it was the 'bird of the
day'!  I would be interested to know where anyone else has seen fox
squirrels in the region as we seem to be at the edge of their range,
and a little precision might be useful.    - Don Holt

From Jan. 5 through January 13, 2002 Pigeon Forge sponsors nature
hikes, slideshow presentations, workshops, displays, etc.  Details
can be found at mypigeonforge.com - I have entered the schedules
pages on the Bookmarks feature.  Notice that some of our butternuts
group are presenting programs there:  the Whittemore's and yours
truly, as well as others you may know, eg. Brad Jones, Marty Silver,
etc.  I wish I could go for the whole nine days. - Don Holt

Gary & Nancy Barrigar,  What a wonderful idea for a Christmas gift.
I hope you can bring back some pics to share in the Butternuts Photos
feature.   May you have a safe and joyous trip.    -    Don Holt

Bluebirds are cavity nesters. Likely the bird(s) was simply seeking shelter.
Bluebirds often will crowd together in the winter for warmth - although,
usually in a cavity.
Stan B.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Allan Trently" <atrently@...>
To: <butternuts@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, December 24, 2001 1:54 AM
Subject: Re: [butternuts] Sandhill Cranes in Johnson City, TN


> While in Bryce, VA my brother Dave and I came upon a female bluebird that
> was lying inside an American Robin nest.  I watched the nest for about an
> hour.  The female stayed inside the nest for the full time that I watched.
> Was this bird sitting on eggs or young?  A male bluebird visited the nest
> twice while I was observing.  I did not see any passing of food between
the
> two.  Was the female gaining benefits from the robin nest?  Insulation?
> Probably not.  Why was she in there?  A December nest would be worthy of
> noting.  Audrey Hoff and I went back to the nest three days later.  The
> female was not observed in the nest.
>
> Allan T.
>
>
>
> >From: "lcmcdtn" <lcmcd@...>
> >Reply-To: butternuts@yahoogroups.com
> >To: butternuts@yahoogroups.com
> >Subject: [butternuts] Sandhill Cranes in Johnson City, TN
> >Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 20:11:29 -0000
> >
> >I saw 2 Sandhill Cranes flying over Boone Lake in Johnson City, TN
> >this morning. What was really cool was that I heard and saw them from
> >my living room.
> >
> >Larry McDaniel
> >
>
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
> http://www.hotmail.com
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> butternuts-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

While in Bryce, VA my brother Dave and I came upon a female bluebird that
was lying inside an American Robin nest.  I watched the nest for about an
hour.  The female stayed inside the nest for the full time that I watched.
Was this bird sitting on eggs or young?  A male bluebird visited the nest
twice while I was observing.  I did not see any passing of food between the
two.  Was the female gaining benefits from the robin nest?  Insulation?
Probably not.  Why was she in there?  A December nest would be worthy of
noting.  Audrey Hoff and I went back to the nest three days later.  The
female was not observed in the nest.

Allan T.



>From: "lcmcdtn" <lcmcd@...>
>Reply-To: butternuts@yahoogroups.com
>To: butternuts@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [butternuts] Sandhill Cranes in Johnson City, TN
>Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 20:11:29 -0000
>
>I saw 2 Sandhill Cranes flying over Boone Lake in Johnson City, TN
>this morning. What was really cool was that I heard and saw them from
>my living room.
>
>Larry McDaniel
>




_________________________________________________________________
Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
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A good number of Buffleheads and American Wigeons are at the weir dam
below South Holston Dam as of 12/23. There were also several Ring-
necked Ducks.

Larry McDaniel

[December 22]

Butternutters,

     Orange Sulphurs are still a-flyin' as of today (the 22nd).  I found
two or three of them this afternoon while searching farm fields near
Tusculum, Greene County during the Greeneville chapter's Christmas Bird
Count.  Will they make it to New Year's?

Don Miller,
Greeneville, TN

The scheduled walk at Steele Creek Park this afternoon had one
participant, the Dr. Doolittle of East TN birds, Larry McDaniel.  It
was quite a thrill to watch him pish up bird after bird, each  with a
special call specifically designed to infuriate only that species.
Dr. McDoolittle has a very unique talent of which I am in awe.  My
favorite birds (and pish-off notes) were the hermit thrush, hairy
woodpecker, and golden-crowned kinglet.  The note for Marsh wren,
while impressive, was unproductive.  I'm sure it was the bird's fault.
  Most amazing of all was the appearance, right on cue, of an Orange
Sulphur.  This particular feat of vocal dexterity was apparently
accomplished at ultrasonic frequencies which my aging eardrums can no
longer detect.  My hat is off to Larry for an enjoyable afternoon. -
Don Holt

I went to the bookmarks feature here, clicked on TNbirds archives,
and couldn't find a thing about birds at the Weir Dam.  If anything is
happening there, nobody's talking.
    Thursday I added another blooming species to the list; prairie
golden-aster, Heterotheca camporum, at Brown's Mill Amoco on North
Roan St., Johnson City, growing out of a crack in the pavement.  It's
a medium-large yellow autumn daisy I often find on roadsides, shale
banks and roadcuts.  At a nearby vacant lot where it was plentiful, I
found only dried seed heads.  I think adversity causing a delay in
bloom time plus protection by thermal flywheel effect of the pavement
gave us this December daisy.  There is a good article in NABA's
Butterfly Gardener magazine,Fall 2001 issue-Managing Meadows for
Migrating Monarchs by Harriet Clark-that talks about mowing ironweed
stands at the proper time to delay flowering until Monarch migration
time.  Finessing the field, I call it.  Cool, huh? - Don Holt

I saw 2 Sandhill Cranes flying over Boone Lake in Johnson City, TN
this morning. What was really cool was that I heard and saw them from
my living room.

Larry McDaniel

For those of you who were involved in the Meetings and Field Trips of
the Butternut Nature Club, I thought I would clarify that this yahoo-
group (which is named Butternut Naturalists)is not limited to that
earlier group.  Think of this as a project of the Club, with yours
truly as committee chair.  If you want to be on the committee, tell
me.
    If Allan wants to continue with the newsletter, the Files feature
will allow e-mailings of the newsletter to Nature Club members who
want on the list to receive it; or members of the Butternut
Naturalists yahoo group who do not want to receive the newsletter in
their e-mail, but do want to see it, can view it online in the Files
feature at their own discretion.
    If any groups of people in the region want to start their own
local nature club by whatever name, they can affiliate with other
such clubs, including the Johnson City, TN chapter heretofor known as
the Butternut Nature Club, using this yahoo group site to advertise
their meetings, field trips, etc.  I suggest that such an affiliation
of clubs could be called the Southern Appalachian Naturalists'
Society.  (Since the original idea was Allan Trently's, and I am
guilty by association, that would make the two of us SANS brains!)
      I would like to unofficially (since we have no officials)
designate the upcoming shindig at Jennifer's house (which she
unwittingly invited potentially everyone on the Internet to)as the
next meeting of the Butternut Nature Club Chapter of the Southern
Appalachian Naturalists Society.  (I should warn you, my idea of a
perfect club meeting is inspired by Calvin & Hobbes.  A hearty round
of here-here's is in order.)
      By the way, although this yahoogroup is on the open membership
list at yahoo, it will be of interest mainly to a regional audience.
If you know of anyone who might be interested, send them an invite to
join Butternut Naturalists.   -Don Holt

Check out the Bookmarks feature here.  I just added a few sites,
organized into folders by general taxonomic groups.  It's not hard to
figure out or use.  Give it a try.   - Don Holt

Sorry about the double posting yesterday, I thought the computer ate
the first one.  Also, I was in a hurry and forgot to mention that on
the Elizabethton Christmas bird count Saturday we also saw three
species of butterflies:  Orange Sulphur (possibly Clouded also but I
didn't count it), Variegated Fritillary, and Common Buckeye.  That
was Carter County, 12-15-01, for the record.....Don Holt

Sat. the 15th I saw Erigeron annua, Aster pilosus, Stellaria media,
And Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup), all in bloom by the
Watauga River by the old Bluff City Hwy Bridge.  Monday Night Ed
Schell told me he recently saw Galinsoga (Clearweed), Dwarf Crested
Iris and Flame Azalea in bloom.  What next?...Don Holt

Sat. the 15th I saw Erigeron annua, Aster pilosus, Stellaria media,
And Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup), all in bloom by the
Watauga River by the old Bluff City Hwy Bridge.  Monday Night Ed
Schell told me he recently saw Galinsoga (Clearweed), Dwarf Crested
Iris and Flame Azalea in bloom.  What next?...Don Holt

--- In butternuts@y..., "JERRY W NAGEL" <jerrynagel@p...> wrote:
>     Spotted a bunch of blooming Field Veronica (Veronica agrestis)
by the J.C. Senior Center.


    ditto on the henbit and veronica, blooming in my yard, too.  I
haven't been home in daylight hours this week, but my mom tells me the
ornamental flowering apricot, (Prunus mume) is blooming also (Jan. is
normal).
    I've seen mallards mating at Steele Creek Lake this week.  Keeping
my ears tuned for frogs.
    I had a Shadow Darner ovipositing on the top of the bank of a
woodland pool at the Steele Creek wetland on December 3 & 4.  Found
her dead at the exact same spot, now underwater, on the 12th.
    Today the turkey vultures got and early start.  With the wind we
had, they didn't need to wait for thermals.  I must have seen over a
dozen between Elizabethton and Bristol.
    .........Don Holt

Hello butter people,

No the butternuts are not defunct!  Just recovering from a short nap.

How about waking up at my house on December 31st about 7 pm?   I'm
planning a rejuvenating New Year's eve party and would love everyone
to come!

Be in touch and let me know!  423-772-4772

jennifer

ps - thanks Don for putting this together - great idea! just took me a
few days to figure it out!  Alan, you have been a wonderful president
- and the newsletter must go on! Let me know if I can help  :)

Hello nuts.  This is a test to see if this works.

Are the Butternuts defunct?  I'm not interested in being president anymore-
it hasn't been a good experience.  I had much resistance to my ideas,
therefore I shouldn't be president.  This network may make a newsletter
obselete, but we can talk about that.  I would be willing to continue
writing a newsletter.

I would love to see this network as a discussion and learning site.  Members
should write in about their discoveries in the field or in what they read.

Allan Trently
atrently@...

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