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July 06, 2000 - All about albinos and turtle eggs6A • The Suffolk Times • July 6, 2000 All about albinos and turtle eggs I thought it might be interesting to review with you some of the tele- phone calls I've received in the last few weeks. Two of the callers said they had seen an albino bird (a white bird). One call was from a lady in Greenport who said she had seen Focus an all -white house sparrow. ON The other was NATURE from a good friend of mine by Paul who saw a partial Stoutenburgh albinic (funny word — the adjective of albino!) robin in Greenport. Before we go any further into these calls, it might be worth reviewing some of the basic facts concerning albinos. What the word albino means is that there has been some genetic change that inhibits the function of an enzyme that prevents the normal response for the creation of pigment. The result is white or total lack of color. There are various stages of al- binism, total and partial, with many variations in between. A total albino is very, very rare. In total albinism everything is white. The eyes and feet appear pink because the red color of blood shows pink through the mem- brane. To get some idea of how rare albi- nos are, there was a study done out in California where for 10 years birds were caught and banded. This band- ing of a bird means that a ring is put on the leg with various bits if infor- mation as to where it was banded, the date and other information so that when it is recaptured or found at a later date it will reveal information about the bird's life. Of the 30,000 birds that were band- ed only 17 were albinos. That's a pret- ty small percentage and gives you some idea how rare a sighting of an albino is. Often when a bird is an albi- no, it will have poor eyesight, brittle feathers and weak wings that inhibit its flight. These defects shorten the bird's chances for survival. Then there's the problem of being more conspicuous because of its whiteness, thereby making it more vulnerable to predation. A typical example of this was when a friend of mine was watching his bird feeder and a white albino house finch came in to feed. Its white color caught the eye of a sharp- shinned hawk that immediate- ly picked it off, not minding a bit about the lack of color and glad to have an easy meal. Another factor that the albinic bird in the wild has to face is the harass- ment it often takes from its own kind. It seems its fellow kind finds no place in the flock for the oddball. And all these factors add up, and we see why we don't see too many albinic birds around. Getting back to the original callers concerning the house sparrow and American robin, their chance. sight- ings coincide with the norm through- out the country. By that I mean, re- Greenport FARMERS.MARKET as fresh as can be Adams Street (behind Dunkerly's and the Bike Stop) Thursdays N Saturdays 3- 8 p.m. D 8 a.m. -1 p.m. Calendar of events: Sweet Corn July 13 Organic Lawn Care July 22Y . Potay -to, Potah -to July 21 Mid - Summer's Night v` S Street Dance Aug. 3 a Flowerfest Aug.S a 6 Dairy Delights Aug. 19 Tomay -to, Tomah -to Aug. 3 Back -to- School Lunches Sept. 1f� Melon Madness Sept. 16 Maritime Festival Sept. 23 Natives Oct. 5 k r Harvest Hoedown Oct. 14 Parking Farmers Market t: Adams Street D D F k 4 Front Street Post Office For information, please call (631) 734 -2211 Because of Its large size and roaming tendency to find a suitable nesting place, the snapping turtle Is the most commonly sighted turtle on the North Fork. It digs a hole where It deposits Its eggs. Time and the warmth of the sun will Incubate them. They will usually hatch out In the fall and hibernate over the winter In the mud of our ponds or marsh. search has found the most common birds with albinic traits are — you guessed it — the house sparrow and the American robin. So in closing our account on albinos, consider yourself lucky if you see a strange - looking, "partially" white bird at your feeder or in your back yard and remember if you see a "complete albino" — that's one with an all -white body, pink eyes and feed — you are among the very, very few to see this exceptionally rare white bird. It's egg- laying time I could tell it was turtle laying time because of the calls I was receiving. All turtles lay their eggs in the ground, whether in the soft duff of the forest floor or the warm sandy edges of our creeks and bays. Most tele- phone calls are about the large, often nasty, snapping turtle. This large, con- spicuous turtle grows to the size of a small garbage -pail cover. Each spring it leaves its pond or brackish creek head and lays its eggs in some sunny, sandy spot nearby, the reason being it needs the sun and warm sand to incu- bate its eggs. This reliance on the sun for incubation is true of all our turtles. Once a spot is selected, the female digs a hole with her back feet. Then she will deposit 20 or more eggs in the newly excavated nest. All she has left to do is cover up her precious eggs and leave, never to see or know about her young again. My telephone call was about just such an experience seen by a lady who lives on Corey Creek. She was fascinated as she watched the egg - laying process from beginning to end. Her call was one of concern and disappointment. Something had dug up the turtle's eggs and destroyed them. Who did it, and why did they do it? The sad news I had to relay to her was that a roving raccoon, with its keen sense of smell, probably found the nest of eggs, dug them up and feasted on them. The only other cul- prit who is known for such deviltry is the fox, but seeing we have many more raccoons than we do foxes, my bet would be the raccoon. Another call concerning turtles and their eggs came from a contractor in Greenport who found a snapping turtle laying her eggs in a pile of sand that had to be moved the very next day. What to do to save the eggs? Here was an example of a problem that had no easy solution. After many telephone calls, with little help, it was decided to dig a hole nearby and place the eggs in the new nest in hopes they would hatch. Only time will tell. Who knows, maybe by next fall there might be a dozen or more turtles braving a whole new world. It did my heart good to see the sincere concern given to our wildlife. Perhaps there is hope for the future after all. It's not only turtle egg - laying time but it's well into baby rabbit time. This call from a lady in Southold was about a rabbit's nest that a dog had gotten into. She had rescued one of the baby rabbits apparently un- harmed and put it back in the nest with the remaining untouched young. Two of the young were killed be- fore our rescuer could intervene. The question now was, would the mother rabbit accept the seemingly un- harmed young taken away from the dog or would she abandon it? The question was partially an- swered the next day when my caller visited the nesting site. She found only one baby left in the nest and that was the young one that had been taken away from the dog. Evidently the mother rabbit had visited the nest and taken the original baby to a safer location and left the other in the nest. Did she know something we didn't know? Was the baby harmed in a way that we couldn't see and therefore the mother abandoned it? Nature has lit- tle time for the weak. We can take some consolation in the fact that we all know rabbits are prolific and prob- ably the mother rabbit is already pregnant with her next brood and soon more young will be scampering about. 6A • The Suffolk Times • July 6, 2000 All about albinos I thought it might be interesting to review with you some of the tele- phone calls I've received in the last few weeks. Two of the callers said they had seen an albino bird (a white bird). One call was from a lady in Greenport who said she had seen FOCUS an all -white house sparrow. ON The other was NATURE from a good friend of mine by Paul who saw a partial Stoutenburgh albinic (funny word — the adjective of albino!) robin in Greenport. Before we go any further into these calls, it might be worth reviewing some of the basic facts concerning albinos. What the word albino means is that there has been some genetic change that inhibits the function of an enzyme that prevents the normal response for the creation of pigment. The result is white or total lack of color. There are various stages of al- binism, total and partial, with many variations in between. A total albino is very, very rare. In total albinism everything is white. The eyes and feet appear pink because the red color of blood shows pink through the mem- brane. To get some idea of how rare albi- nos are, there was a study done out in California where for 10 years birds were caught and banded. This band- ing of a bird means that a ring is put turtle eaas Because of its large size and roaming tendency to find a suitable nesting place, the snapping turtle is the most commonly sighted turtle on the North Fork. It digs a hole where it deposits its eggs. Time and the warmth of the sun will incubate them. They will usually hatch out in the fall and hibernate over the winter in the mud of our ponds or marsh. on the leg with various bits if infor- mation as to where it was banded, the date and other information so that when it is recaptured or found at a later date it will reveal information about the bird's life. Of the 30,000 birds that were band- ed only 17 were albinos. That's a pret- ty small percentage and gives you some idea how rare a sighting of an albino is. Often when a bird is an albi- no, it will have poor eyesight, brittle feathers and weak wings that inhibit its flight. These defects shorten the bird's chances for survival. Then there's the problem of being . more conspicuous because of its whiteness, thereby making it more vulnerable to predation. A typical example of this was when a friend of mine was watching his bird feeder and a white albino house finch came in to feed. Its white color caught the eye of a sharp- shinned hawk that immediate- ly picked it off, not minding a bit about the lack of color and glad to have an easy meal. Another factor that the albinic bird in the wild has to face is the harass- ment it often takes from its own kind. It seems its fellow kind finds no place in the flock for the oddball. And all these factors add up, and we see why we don't see too many albinic birds around. Getting back to the original callers concerning the house sparrow and American robin, their chance, sight- ings coincide with the norm through- out the country. By that I mean, re- search has found the most common birds with albinic traits are — you guessed it — the house sparrow and the American robin. So in closing our account on albinos, consider yourself lucky if you see a strange - looking, "partially" white bird at your.feeder or in your back yard and remember if you see a "complete albino" — that's one with an all -white body, pink eyes and feed — you are among the very, very few to see this exceptionally rare • —vullb Enan we do foxes, bet would be the raccoon. my Another call concerning turtles and their eggs came from a contractor It's egg - laying time in Greenport who found a snapping turtle laying her eggs in a pile of sand I could tell it was turtle laying time because of the calls I was daat y. had to be moved the very next astan receiving. All turtles lay their eggs in the Here example of a problem that had no easy solution. After many ground, whether in the soft duff of the telephone calls, with little help, it was forest floor or the warm sandy edges of our creeks and bays. Most tele- decided to dig a hole nearby and place the eggs in the phone calls are about the large, often nasty, snapping turtle. This large, new nest in hopes they would hatch. Only time con- spicuous turtle grows to the size of a will tell. Who knows, maybe by next fall there might be dozen small garbage -pail cover. Each spring it leaves its pond or brackish creek head a or more turtles braving a whole new world. It did my heart and lays its eggs in some sunny, sandy spot nearby, the reason being it good to see the sincere concern given to our wildlife. Perhaps there is hope for the future needs the sun and warm sand to incu- bate its eggs. This reliance on the sun for incubation after all. It's not only turtle egg - laying time but it's well into baby is true of all our turtles. Once a spot is selected, the female rabbit time. This call from a lady in Southold was digs a hole with her back feet. Then about a rabbit's nest that a dog had she will deposit 20 or more eggs in the gotten into. She had rescued one of the baby rabbits newly excavated nest. All she has left to do is cover up her apparently un- harmed and put it back in the nest precious eggs and leave, never to see or know about her young again. My telephone with the remaining untouched young. Two of the young were killed be- fore call was about just such an experience seen by a lady who lives our rescuer could intervene. The question now was, would the mother on Corey Creek. She was fascinated as she rabbit accept the seemingly un- harmed young taken watched the egg- laying process from beginning to end. away from the dog or would she abandon it? Her call was one of concern and disappointment. Something The question was partially an- swered the next day when my caller had dug up the turtle's eggs and destroyed them. Who did it, and visited the nesting site. She found only one baby left in the nest and that why did they do it? The sad news I had to relay to her was that a roving raccoon, was the young one that had been taken away from the dog. Evidently with its keen sense of smell, probably found the mother rabbit had visited the nest and taken the original the nest of eggs, dug them up and feasted on them. The only baby to a safer location and left the other in the nest. other cul- grit who is known for such deviltry is the fox, but seeing we have Did she know something we didn't know? Was the baby harmed in a way many that we couldn't see and therefore the mother abandoned it? Nature has lit- tle time for the weak. We can take some consolation in the fact that we all know rabbits are prolific and prob- ably the mother rabbit is already Pregnant with her next brood and soon more young will be scampering about. 6A • The Suffolk Times • July 6, 2000 All about albinos I thought it might be interesting to review with you some of the tele- phone calls I've received in the last few weeks. Two of the callers said they had seen an albino bird (a white bird). One call was from a lady in Greenport who said she had seen FOCUS an all -white house sparrow. ON The other was NATURE from a good friend of mine by Paul who saw a partial Stoutenburgh albinic (funny word — the adjective of albino!) robin in Greenport. Before we go any further into these calls, it might be worth reviewing some of the basic facts concerning albinos. What the word albino means is that there has been some genetic change that inhibits the function of an enzyme that prevents the normal response for the creation of pigment. The result is white or total lack of color. There are various stages of al- binism, total and partial, with many variations in between. A total albino is very, very rare. In total albinism everything is white. The eyes and feet appear pink because the red color of blood shows pink through the mem- brane. To get some idea of how rare albi- nos are, there was a study done out in California where for 10 years birds were caught and banded. This band- ing of a bird means that a ring is put turtle eaas Because of its large size and roaming tendency to find a suitable nesting place, the snapping turtle is the most commonly sighted turtle on the North Fork. It digs a hole where it deposits its eggs. Time and the warmth of the sun will incubate them. They will usually hatch out in the fall and hibernate over the winter in the mud of our ponds or marsh. on the leg with various bits if infor- mation as to where it was banded, the date and other information so that when it is recaptured or found at a later date it will reveal information about the bird's life. Of the 30,000 birds that were band- ed only 17 were albinos. That's a pret- ty small percentage and gives you some idea how rare a sighting of an albino is. Often when a bird is an albi- no, it will have poor eyesight, brittle feathers and weak wings that inhibit its flight. These defects shorten the bird's chances for survival. Then there's the problem of being . more conspicuous because of its whiteness, thereby making it more vulnerable to predation. A typical example of this was when a friend of mine was watching his bird feeder and a white albino house finch came in to feed. Its white color caught the eye of a sharp- shinned hawk that immediate- ly picked it off, not minding a bit about the lack of color and glad to have an easy meal. Another factor that the albinic bird in the wild has to face is the harass- ment it often takes from its own kind. It seems its fellow kind finds no place in the flock for the oddball. And all these factors add up, and we see why we don't see too many albinic birds around. Getting back to the original callers concerning the house sparrow and American robin, their chance, sight- ings coincide with the norm through- out the country. By that I mean, re- search has found the most common birds with albinic traits are — you guessed it — the house sparrow and the American robin. So in closing our account on albinos, consider yourself lucky if you see a strange - looking, "partially" white bird at your.feeder or in your back yard and remember if you see a "complete albino" — that's one with an all -white body, pink eyes and feed — you are among the very, very few to see this exceptionally rare • —vullb Enan we do foxes, bet would be the raccoon. my Another call concerning turtles and their eggs came from a contractor It's egg - laying time in Greenport who found a snapping turtle laying her eggs in a pile of sand I could tell it was turtle laying time because of the calls I was daat y. had to be moved the very next astan receiving. All turtles lay their eggs in the Here example of a problem that had no easy solution. After many ground, whether in the soft duff of the telephone calls, with little help, it was forest floor or the warm sandy edges of our creeks and bays. Most tele- decided to dig a hole nearby and place the eggs in the phone calls are about the large, often nasty, snapping turtle. This large, new nest in hopes they would hatch. Only time con- spicuous turtle grows to the size of a will tell. Who knows, maybe by next fall there might be dozen small garbage -pail cover. Each spring it leaves its pond or brackish creek head a or more turtles braving a whole new world. It did my heart and lays its eggs in some sunny, sandy spot nearby, the reason being it good to see the sincere concern given to our wildlife. Perhaps there is hope for the future needs the sun and warm sand to incu- bate its eggs. This reliance on the sun for incubation after all. It's not only turtle egg - laying time but it's well into baby is true of all our turtles. Once a spot is selected, the female rabbit time. This call from a lady in Southold was digs a hole with her back feet. Then about a rabbit's nest that a dog had she will deposit 20 or more eggs in the gotten into. She had rescued one of the baby rabbits newly excavated nest. All she has left to do is cover up her apparently un- harmed and put it back in the nest precious eggs and leave, never to see or know about her young again. My telephone with the remaining untouched young. Two of the young were killed be- fore call was about just such an experience seen by a lady who lives our rescuer could intervene. The question now was, would the mother on Corey Creek. She was fascinated as she rabbit accept the seemingly un- harmed young taken watched the egg- laying process from beginning to end. away from the dog or would she abandon it? Her call was one of concern and disappointment. Something The question was partially an- swered the next day when my caller had dug up the turtle's eggs and destroyed them. Who did it, and visited the nesting site. She found only one baby left in the nest and that why did they do it? The sad news I had to relay to her was that a roving raccoon, was the young one that had been taken away from the dog. Evidently with its keen sense of smell, probably found the mother rabbit had visited the nest and taken the original the nest of eggs, dug them up and feasted on them. The only baby to a safer location and left the other in the nest. other cul- grit who is known for such deviltry is the fox, but seeing we have Did she know something we didn't know? Was the baby harmed in a way many that we couldn't see and therefore the mother abandoned it? Nature has lit- tle time for the weak. We can take some consolation in the fact that we all know rabbits are prolific and prob- ably the mother rabbit is already Pregnant with her next brood and soon more young will be scampering about. 6A • The Suffolk Times • July 6, 2000 All about albinos I thought it might be interesting to review with you some of the tele- phone calls I've received in the last few weeks. Two of the callers said they had seen an albino bird (a white bird). One call was from a lady in Greenport who said she had seen FOCUS an all -white house sparrow. ON The other was NATURE from a good friend of mine by Paul who saw a partial Stoutenburgh albinic (funny word — the adjective of albino!) robin in Greenport. Before we go any further into these calls, it might be worth reviewing some of the basic facts concerning albinos. What the word albino means is that there has been some genetic change that inhibits the function of an enzyme that prevents the normal response for the creation of pigment. The result is white or total lack of color. There are various stages of al- binism, total and partial, with many variations in between. A total albino is very, very rare. In total albinism everything is white. The eyes and feet appear pink because the red color of blood shows pink through the mem- brane. To get some idea of how rare albi- nos are, there was a study done out in California where for 10 years birds were caught and banded. This band- ing of a bird means that a ring is put turtle eaas Because of its large size and roaming tendency to find a suitable nesting place, the snapping turtle is the most commonly sighted turtle on the North Fork. It digs a hole where it deposits its eggs. Time and the warmth of the sun will incubate them. They will usually hatch out in the fall and hibernate over the winter in the mud of our ponds or marsh. on the leg with various bits if infor- mation as to where it was banded, the date and other information so that when it is recaptured or found at a later date it will reveal information about the bird's life. Of the 30,000 birds that were band- ed only 17 were albinos. That's a pret- ty small percentage and gives you some idea how rare a sighting of an albino is. Often when a bird is an albi- no, it will have poor eyesight, brittle feathers and weak wings that inhibit its flight. These defects shorten the bird's chances for survival. Then there's the problem of being . more conspicuous because of its whiteness, thereby making it more vulnerable to predation. A typical example of this was when a friend of mine was watching his bird feeder and a white albino house finch came in to feed. Its white color caught the eye of a sharp- shinned hawk that immediate- ly picked it off, not minding a bit about the lack of color and glad to have an easy meal. Another factor that the albinic bird in the wild has to face is the harass- ment it often takes from its own kind. It seems its fellow kind finds no place in the flock for the oddball. And all these factors add up, and we see why we don't see too many albinic birds around. Getting back to the original callers concerning the house sparrow and American robin, their chance, sight- ings coincide with the norm through- out the country. By that I mean, re- search has found the most common birds with albinic traits are — you guessed it — the house sparrow and the American robin. So in closing our account on albinos, consider yourself lucky if you see a strange - looking, "partially" white bird at your.feeder or in your back yard and remember if you see a "complete albino" — that's one with an all -white body, pink eyes and feed — you are among the very, very few to see this exceptionally rare • —vullb Enan we do foxes, bet would be the raccoon. my Another call concerning turtles and their eggs came from a contractor It's egg - laying time in Greenport who found a snapping turtle laying her eggs in a pile of sand I could tell it was turtle laying time because of the calls I was daat y. had to be moved the very next astan receiving. All turtles lay their eggs in the Here example of a problem that had no easy solution. After many ground, whether in the soft duff of the telephone calls, with little help, it was forest floor or the warm sandy edges of our creeks and bays. Most tele- decided to dig a hole nearby and place the eggs in the phone calls are about the large, often nasty, snapping turtle. This large, new nest in hopes they would hatch. Only time con- spicuous turtle grows to the size of a will tell. Who knows, maybe by next fall there might be dozen small garbage -pail cover. Each spring it leaves its pond or brackish creek head a or more turtles braving a whole new world. It did my heart and lays its eggs in some sunny, sandy spot nearby, the reason being it good to see the sincere concern given to our wildlife. Perhaps there is hope for the future needs the sun and warm sand to incu- bate its eggs. This reliance on the sun for incubation after all. It's not only turtle egg - laying time but it's well into baby is true of all our turtles. Once a spot is selected, the female rabbit time. This call from a lady in Southold was digs a hole with her back feet. Then about a rabbit's nest that a dog had she will deposit 20 or more eggs in the gotten into. She had rescued one of the baby rabbits newly excavated nest. All she has left to do is cover up her apparently un- harmed and put it back in the nest precious eggs and leave, never to see or know about her young again. My telephone with the remaining untouched young. Two of the young were killed be- fore call was about just such an experience seen by a lady who lives our rescuer could intervene. The question now was, would the mother on Corey Creek. She was fascinated as she rabbit accept the seemingly un- harmed young taken watched the egg- laying process from beginning to end. away from the dog or would she abandon it? Her call was one of concern and disappointment. Something The question was partially an- swered the next day when my caller had dug up the turtle's eggs and destroyed them. Who did it, and visited the nesting site. She found only one baby left in the nest and that why did they do it? The sad news I had to relay to her was that a roving raccoon, was the young one that had been taken away from the dog. Evidently with its keen sense of smell, probably found the mother rabbit had visited the nest and taken the original the nest of eggs, dug them up and feasted on them. The only baby to a safer location and left the other in the nest. other cul- grit who is known for such deviltry is the fox, but seeing we have Did she know something we didn't know? Was the baby harmed in a way many that we couldn't see and therefore the mother abandoned it? Nature has lit- tle time for the weak. We can take some consolation in the fact that we all know rabbits are prolific and prob- ably the mother rabbit is already Pregnant with her next brood and soon more young will be scampering about.