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April 09, 1992 - Signs of Spring in the Winter Woods4A • The Suffolk Times • April 9, 1992 Si ns of Spring in t 9 he Winter Woods By Paul Stoutenburgh LE Last week we took our last winter walk in one of our favorite woods out here on the East End. We found it to be in sharp contrast to the bursting array of cultivated plants around our home. Here the crocus with its cheerful brilliant col- ors and the swelling buds of daffodils told us winter had finally lost its chilly hold on the earth. No sooner had we entered the woods the wind that was blowing in the open field where we parked the car subsided. All about us was the great brown -leaf world of our past winter. The only bit of green was from an occasional mountain laurel or evergreen.sprinkled throughout this upland woods. Some of the hicko- ries had great long slabs of thin bark, designating them the shaggy bark hicko- ries. Others were the tight grey bark of the pignut hickory. All produce a nut that defies opening, yet our grey squir- rel, chipmunk and deer mice know the secrets and can penetrate the tough, hard shell to get at the high - protein meat in- side. Our lawn has hickory trees on it and one old shadblow that has a hole at its base where a mouse lives. His living space must be crowded for out in front are the empty shells of nuts he has chewed through to get at the meat in- side. Evidently he forages on the lawn, brings the nuts back inside and in the safety of his abode eats away the winter nights. His whole livelihood is exposed for all to see. Crows and Owls In the quiet of our walk we could hear crows off in the distance calling. I won- dered if they were harassing an owl as they often do. Years ago I found a great horned owl nesting high in one of the trees nearby. It took a long time to get in the right position to see the owl peer- ing over the edge of the nest with its horn -like feathers blowing in the wind. The clue to its presence was the feathers caught on nearby branches, the telltale signs of an owl's coming and going. If it wasn't harassment the crows were up to it could very well be their chatter over a mate. This is usually ac- companied by daring and exotic aerial maneuvers in front of the unconcerned female. We males all know to what ex- tent we will go to impress a certain fe- male. As we walked along the old roadway we started to enter the wet section of the woods with its oozing underfoot and vernal ponds. It is here in these ponds the salamanders have already come and Town Supervisor On Recycling Show EAST HAMPTON —Town Supervi- sor Tony Bullock is the guest on The Recycling Show on Tuesday, April 14, broadcast from 6 to 7 p.m. on Channel 25 in Riverhead, Southampton, Southold and Shelter Island towns. Mr. Bullock will discuss carter cus- tomer recycling for businesses and resi- dences. Artisans Meet JAMESPORT —The Eastern Long Island Miniature Artisans will hold their monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. today, April 9, at the Jamesport Community Center on Main Road and South Jamesport Avenue. For information call 288 -1552 or 722 -3912. ocus on Nature laid their eggs. These mysterious and seldom -seen creatures seem as if they have stepped out of the past. Theirs is a world of wet and dampness and one that without dampness would surely do them in. Some might say, "What good are they? So what ?" I'm afraid I might re- ply to them, "Probably as far as you're concerned, none." But then I'd have to add, "They evolved as part of the scheme of things. And that scheme of things is what makes up the world we live in. Take the salamander away and our world is that less rich." At one point we just stopped and lis- tened. The call of a pair of nuthatches came to us from the right. We soon lo- cated them with our glasses and they were busy in their upside -down search for hibernating insects and eggs. Of course, there were the ever - present chickadees, titmice and woodpeckers that seemed to travel as a group. But above all was the loud and repeated calls of a Carolina wren trying to tell us that it had made it once more through the winter and it soon would be setting up camp nearby. I wondered if it was a relative of one I had seen some 25 years ago in this very woods. Could he have been satisfied enough with the woods that his heirs stayed here through storm and drought and untold winters? A Lure No Longer We soon came to a sluggish stream meandering to the salt marsh below. It was here, again some 25 years ago, I found a dead alewife. These fish like the legendary salmon return to certain freshwater rivers and streams to spawn. The -mystery of how these fish migrate back to their parental waters still baffles the minds of men. But because of pollu- tion and degradation this once vital spawning ground no longer lures the alewife. Was the dead fish I had found so long ago the last to try to make it back to its original spawning grounds? I stood and pondered the significance of it all. There are still a few places here on the East End you can witness this Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh MOUSE CASTLE —In the hole of this old shad tree lives a white - footed mouse. Each night it forages and brings hickory nuts back to its den. The empty shells tell of its success. miracle of up -stream migration — in Riverhead in back of the savings bank where the Peconic River goes over a dam and in Southampton Town where the stream enters North Sea Harbor from Big Fresh Pond. Back at our sluggish stream we found our first true burst of greenery, the lowly skunk cabbage leafing out, its un- usual flowers already past. How strong and vital they grew and such a contrast to the dull brown - leafed floor they sprang from. The look of winter was all about us except for the bright, one -foot, i wwL nwwlm 78 Years Ago April 11, 1914 Choral Society Concert: The performance of "Rose Maiden" at the Baptist Church on April 2 was attended by an appreciative, although not very large audi- ence. Those who did go felt that those who didn't missed a treat. Many spoke especially kindly of the brilliancy of the chorus accompaniments rendered on piano and organ. It seems a pity that Greenport has not awakened to a realiza- tion of what an organization may mean to the place. There are very few villages that contain musicians enough to give creditable performances as does this society. None would be so foolish as to deny the musical advantages to be derived from a close acquaintance with the "Messiah" and the "Elijah." The Choral Society puts such acquaintance- ship within the reach not only of every Greenporter but also of every music lover within driving distance. Sandsueker's Progress: It is expected that the sandsucker will complete her work at Mattituck during the middle of April. She is now on the straight channel toward Love Lane and is pumping the gravel into the dike that H.W. Klein erected along his shorefront last winter. 50 Years Ago April 9, 1942 Roof Collapses: At an early hour on Tuesday one of green leaves of the skunk cabbage showing like a light in the dark. Our eyes continually reverted to it as if not believing. When all turns green their leaves will spread to three or more feet. As we left the woods we saw the red - bellied woodpecker, who, along with the other woodpeckers, will soon be nesting in their protected warn cavities, giving them a jump start on those who build exposed nests. As the sun moves north our land will turn green but for now we were content in turning the key to unlock the door of spring. the wooden girders supporting the roof at Mitchell's Restaurant on Front Street broke, causing the roof and ceil- ing to fall. The pressure forced out a portion of the wall on the west side, smashing the plate glass window. It was about 1:15 a.m. Fortunately, with the exception of two or three customers at the bar, the dining room was deserted. It is fortunate that the collapse of the roof did not occur on Wednesday evening when a firemen's banquet had been scheduled at the restaurant. Avoid Curiosity: Except in serious personal emer- gency, the public is asked to refrain from telephoning not only during a blackout or air raid alarm but for some time after the "all clear" has sounded. A flood of "curiosity calls" can slow service at a time when the telephone may be needed most by defense forces. 25 Years Ago April 14, 1967 Schoolhouse Becomes Studio: The old Orient schoolhouse, built in 1872 and abandoned Oct. 30, 1966 when the new school was completed, was purchased by the famous sculptor Robert Berks for the sum of one dollar. Sculptor Berks has presented to the Orient school a large bust of Abraham Lincoln valued at $5,000. The old school building has been moved to Hallock Avenue where Mr. Berks has his home and will be used by him as a studio.