<< Back 7/17/02 The Naturalist's corner By Don Hendershot The Top Ten ways you can tell we’re in the throes of summer in WNC: 10: The ole’ coots are back; No, really, the ole’ coots are back at Lake Junaluska. Three were reported last week. I guess with buckets of corn, they know a good thing when they find one. Numbers will really start to swell in October and the coots will overwinter, staying till May. 9: The woods are alive with the “Sounds of Silence.” Most of the neotropical migrants that nest in WNC have finished their housekeeping duties for the summer. They are indeed empty nesters. With little ones fledged there is no more reason to defend territories and/or attract mates, therefore little need for song. The sunrises are noticeably quieter. 8: Black locust-brown leaves — Black locusts in the region are once again exhibiting the dead leaves caused by locust leaf miners. For the past several summers black locust have come under attack from these insects. The adult leaf miner is a small black and orange beetle that feeds on the leaves and lays its eggs on the leave’s undersides. The larvae hatch and feed by mining between the leaf layers. The result is dying rust-colored leaves by mid-July. According to U.S. Forest Service entomologist Don Duerr, the consensus is that while the effects of the leaf miner are certainly aesthetically troubling there is no great mortality risk. 7: That humming in your ears — If the hummers haven’t made it back to your feeders yet, clean them and put fresh food out. Several people asked over recent weeks about the disappearance of hummers after their initial assault this spring. Hummers arrive from Mexico and points south tired and hungry. They’re all over the feeders. Next they begin to select mates and stake out territories. They are very territorial, and if your feeder is in one’s territory he will make sure no other hummers visit it. Next they nest and fledge young. They are very busy, plus there is a lot of natural nectar available. If they visit feeders, it is generally early and late and only long enough for a quick bite. Now the young are fledging and adults and juveniles will soon (if not already) begin appearing in force. 6: Smokey the Bear has traded his shovel in for a “pik-a-nik” basket — While it’s not the intense gorging of autumn, known as hyperphagia, bears are definitely in search of a meal. There is no hard mast (acorns) yet and berries are just beginning to come in, and Smokey is looking for food. If you’re camping, keep food away from tents and keep campsites clean. You don’t really want to be exchanging glances with strangers in the night. It is best to keep food suspended 12 to 15 feet above ground and eight to 10 feet from tree trunks and/or large limbs. 5: The park be jammin’ — Whether it’s bear in Cades Cove or elk in Cataloochee, people are coming from miles around to visit the park and hopefully get a glimpse of some of its more notable inhabitants. Elk jams in Cataloochee are not yet on a par with the stoppage of traffic for bear in Cades Cove, but more and more people are flocking to the valley to get a look at the park’s newest and largest additions. The best time to see elk in the fields at Cataloochee is sunset. 4: That inner tube around your middle is really an inner tube — Tubing, rafting, paddling and/or just playing in the water are great reasons to hit WNC’s creeks, rivers and lakes in the summer. 3: Hot is relative — Even when the thermometer is hovering in the mid-80s downtown, a trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway or a favorite shaded trail or waterfall will cool you down and change your outlook on life. 2: You have the opportunity to observe the air you breathe — The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is once again rated as one of the most polluted parks in the country. An average summer’s vista in the park today is around 15 miles. Historically, an average summer’s vista in the park was 77 miles. North Carolina has made great strides towards reducing its air pollution with the recent passage of the Clean Smokestacks Act, and now is the time to urge your U.S. congressional representatives to follow suit. 1: And now, the Number One way you can tell summer has made it to WNC: The tags on that car in front of you are North Carolina tags. North Carolina residents from across the state come to the mountains every summer to cool off. Recent news stories say that this summer the mountains are receiving more visitors than North Carolina beaches. These tourists from around the state are coming in droves, displacing the resident Florida tags. (Don Hendershot can be reached at don@smokymountainnews.com)