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May 14, 1992 - Wonders of the Wild Abound in Spring4A • The Suffolk Times • May 141 1992 Wonders of the Wild Abound in Spring By Paul Stoutenburgh What a glorious time to be alive! The outside world is bursting with activity. It's changing from winter's greys and browns to summer's green. How can anyone stay inside at this time Focus of year? There are leaves to be on Nature raked, shrubs and trees to be pruned, gardens to be turned over and planted, boats to get ready, storm win- dows to be changed, fences to be fixed, porches to be painted — the list goes on and on. Time is the only thing in short supply. Some of spring's first wildflowers have already passed. I think of the Trout -lily, or Adder's- tongue with its lovely yellow trumpet so often passed because of its inconspicuousness on the forest floor. In my woods it grows in a great carpet, its mottled green leaves adding much to our woodland scene. A whole array of wild wonder fol- lows. The dainty white anemones that move with the slightest breath of air are found in our most acid soils in our woods. One has to get down on his hands and knees to really appreciate this early blossom. Two or three inches be- low the surface are small bulbs that re- plenish this fragile wildflower faithfully each year. It spreads easily and is often seen almost as a ground cover in some locations. For those who come from away, they'll remember the trilliums as per- haps their first wildflower. Particularly in my mind, upstate holds the best promise for their grandeur. When away at college years ago we would often break away from the campus grind in early spring and go for a walk in the nearby woods. Wild violets both yellow and blue along with the taller trilliums were the wildflowers we met. They blossomed before the trees came out to shade them through those upstate woods. Roadside Wildflowers Right here along our dry sandy road- sides, if you keep a sharp lookout, you'll be able to see the light blue -and -white Birdfoot Violets. It's a shame the high- way people unknowingly mow the road- sides and do away with many of, our road- side wildflowers. Perhaps some day we'll even be able to see wildflowers along our roadsides as they do down in Texas and other states. Ladybird Johnson was a SERVICES Rototilling (gardens, flowerbeds, lawn areas) wood - chipper /shredder/ chainsaw work, and light moving. Lawn Services South and North Forks. 727 -3325 ROSE - BREASTED GROSBEAK — Springtime brings a colorful array of migrating birds. The majority move on to the nesting grounds in the coniferous forests to the north. great advocate of planting wildflowers along the roadsides and thereby eliminat- ed the drudgery of mowing. She used her position well to better the cause of road- side beautification. When asparagus shows up on our roadside stands, it brings back memories of my early days "stalking the wild asparagus." It was during those early adventures around our bayfront and creek edges where I'd seek out the first green shoots of wild asparagus that I first saw wild Columbine growing. It can still be found scattered in a few un- touched places, but I'm afraid my old haunts have been changed by man with his weed -free lawn and trim shrubbery. Will we some day have to go to parks, botanical gar- dens and arbore- tums to see what `How can y an- once made our one stay inside countryside so at this time of alive and beauti- ful? Today it's year ?' hard to find Trailing Arbutus, Pink Lady's - slipper and others to say nothing of the more exotic wildflowers we used to guard in their own special hiding places. Besides the bursting of plants, and trees and flowers all about us, there's an influx of new birds into our world. Yet like the wildflowers, many people don't even recognize the migration of birds moving through our woods. A sharp eye would have to be used to see the wa- terthrush bobbing its tail up and down as it searches for insects in the damp woods or wet places of our island. Along with the waterthrush comes the Ovenbird known for its loud call of "teach'er, teach'er, teach'er." Wood Warblers Arrive Then, as the trees bud out and blos- soms attract the insects of our fruiting trees, the wood warblers move in to add their own kaleidoscope of color. May is the month that all birders live for. It is the month that one can see more of a variety of migrating birds than at any other time of the year. Names like Blue- winged, Phothonotary, Worm -eat- ing, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Cape May, Black- throated Blue, Cerulean, Blackburnian and a host of other war- blers stop to refuel and then move on in their migration, eventually going to their breeding grounds to the north. A 1_a69&% UAAu DAAU 78 Years Ago May 16, 1914 Ready for Launching: The 75 -foot tugboat which the Greenport Basin & Construction Co. is building for the Penn -Mex Fuel Co. will probably be ready for launching on Saturday. A large force of men has been at work rushing it to completion. This is one of the fast oil- burning tugs to be built in the East, and when completed will go to Tuxpan, Mexico. Improvements at the Manor: Extensive improvements are being made to the Casino at Manhanset Manor on Shelter Island. The annex will be joined to the east end and raised so as to make 24 rooms. Court Ham- mond of Greenport is wiring it for electric lights. Mr. Ham- mond is also wiring the Headly Cottage at Manhanset Manor, the first cottage to have an electric lighting system. Timely Lecture: The Rev. Madison C. Peters will deliver his lecture in Belmont Hall, Southold, Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock. Subject, "The High Cost of Living and How to Reduce It." The lecture is free. 50 Years Ago May 14, 1942 Radio Star Here: Although the new Bohack Super Market at Main and Front streets in Greenport will open on Thursday, May 21, there will also be an opening celebration few, like the Yellow Warbler and the American Redstart, do stay and nest locally. Of course, other species of birds mi- grate along with them and add much to the joy of the birder. Brilliant - colored Scarlet Tanagers with their vibrant, al- most radiant -red bodies and black wings always make an exciting find. Our once common nester, the Northern Oriole with its orange body and black head and wings builds a woven hanging nest usually in the same general place each year. We had one for years build in the same tree in our front yard. Last year was the first time he didn't return. I often wondered what fate had fallen to this gallant weaver. Reading some old accounts of these migrating birds they speak of them in "masses," "flocks," "great numbers" passing through each year. Today we search hard to find five or six different species in a day's outing and hardly ever see the old records of 10 or 15. Few realize the tremendous loss in the small -bird population that has devas- tated these "butterflies of the bird world." Loss of habitat in their winter- ing grounds in the great forests of the world is the biggest factor in their thin- ning numbers. Occasionally we get a glimpse of these colorful migrators that renews our faith in the future. One occasion that sticks out in my mind was when Penny called one day to say she had a Rose - breasted Grosbeak at her feeder. I jumped at the opportunity to photo- graph it. Visualize a bird smaller than a robin, white and black with a brilliant raspberry -red breast and a heavy seed - cracking bill and you have the Rose - breasted Grosbeak. As I photographed this handsome fellow feeding in front of me, I thought how lucky some of us are to see these wonders of nature. As time goes on we're going to see fewer and fewer of them. A sorry tale to pass. on to our children I thought. It's a shame a nation that can put a man on the moon cannot protect and cherish the God -given wonders that are all about US. on Friday, May 22, at 8 p.m. when Mary Margaret McBride, NBC radio star and author, will officially open the new mar- ket. Mary Margaret will give away 50 autographed copies of her latest book, "America for Me," at that time. Total Blackout Tonight: To test the effectiveness of the present dimout of electric illumination on Long Island, a total blackout of Nassau and Suffolk counties has been ordered tonight. At 9:30 one long blast of the munici- pal fire signal will plunge the village into total darkness with the exception of the Greenport Basin & Construction Co. At 9:40 all lights north of Route 25 will be turned on. At 9:50 all lights south of Route 25 will be turned on and traffic will proceed as normally. Naval vessels offshore will determine the amount of glow in the sky. The all -clear sig- nal will be sounded at 10:20. 25 Years Ago May 19, 1967 Soundview Robbed: At an early hour on Sunday morning the Soundview Restaurant at Arshamomoque was broken into and robbed. Entrance to the building was made by breaking one of the windows in the dining room facing Long Island Sound after the restaurant closed. Among the articles stolen were several boxes of cigars, bottles of champagne, steaks, frozen turkeys and ducks.