Το Ημερολόγιο του Mammals of the Quabbin

Αρχεία Ημερολογίου για Δεκέμβριος 2023

Δεκέμβριος 02, 2023

Welcome Notes

Hello,

Thank you for joining my new project! I'm excited to have you along. My goal is to have 20 members in this group by the New Year. I think that's pretty realistic. It would be incredible if any of you could share this project with others and help get new people to join. It's open source, so everyone's observations that fit the criteria are added to the project automatically but it would be best to get those people contributing to formally join the project.

Speaking of criteria, I'm working on requesting that iNaturalist designates locations for Belchertown, Ware, New Salem, Petersham, Hardwick, Shutesbury, and Pelham because I'd like to cover the Quabbin region and I feel that those towns are part of it. That should also increase the contributions to the project. I'm also open to hearing any suggestions you might have on how this project can be improved.

Again, thanks for joining and I can't wait for what's to come!

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 02, 2023 0954 ΜΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222

"Mammals of the Quabbin" Forum

Use this comment section for open communication regarding anything and everything mammals of the Quabbin!

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 02, 2023 1045 ΜΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222 | 1 σχόλιο | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Δεκέμβριος 04, 2023

Introducing the "Quabbin Reservoir Region"

Hi all,

I've successfully added a new place into iNaturalist called the "Quabbin Reservoir Region" which will help automatically populate this project to include the ecosystems associated with the Quabbin such as red and white oak, red pine, birch, and hemlock forests and wetlands, swamps, talus slopes, and bedrock outcrops (Amherst College, 2008). This way, Quabbin wildlife that lives within the bounds that I've created will be accurately accounted for.

I'd love to hear your feedback and if the bounds should be adjusted. Originally, I was going to designate places for each town bordering the Quabbin separately, but doing so would put unnecessary stress on the iNaturalist servers, which I would hate to do. iNaturalist has provided a platform for us to share our observations with the community and I want to respect that wholeheartedly.

As of this morning, all Mammalian observations from my newly defined "Quabbin Reservoir Region" have populated into this project and all future observations will too. I'm extremely happy to say that the launch of this project has exceeded my expectations. Thank you everyone!

Best,
Brendan

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 04, 2023 1203 ΠΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222 | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

"Mammals of the Quabbin" Spotlight (Week of 12.3.2023)

Happy Monday!

I'd like to keep this project as active as possible to encourage participants to add new observations and improve upon existing ones. Weekly spotlights highlighting project changes or improvements, taxonomical changes, and accomplishments can help with this. I'll also bullet things so they're a quick read for everyone. It's only been a few days but here is our first update!

  • Since launch on 12/01/2023, we've gained our first 13 members. This means that 9% of people
    contributing to the Quabbin mammal observations have joined the project!

  • 716 mammalian observations of 33 different species have successfully populated the project.
  • 91.5% of all observations are at the Research Grade level observations, an increase from 88.27%.
  • The top 5 contributors are lynnharper, cbuelow, btk, bmaher222, and mikeakresh. cbuelow and
    bmaher222 being members of this project.

A few other notes I have:

Please look through your photos and see if you can find any mammal observations you have not posted to the app. It would also be a huge help to go through the observations and see if you can improve it in any way.

Finally, I'm looking for two admins. Anyone who's interested should send me a message. I'll do most of the work but it would help to have a few more experienced people I could communicate with to make this project better.

Thank you everyone and have a great start to your week!

Best,
Brendan

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 04, 2023 0534 ΜΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222 | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Δεκέμβριος 06, 2023

Mammal Species Status in Massachusetts

Hey all,

One of my goals with this project is to provide better protection for threatened species at the Quabbin. One way we can do this is by staying up to date with the status of the mammals inhabiting Massachusetts. I've listed the Massachusetts status of state-listed mammal species according to Mass Wildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program below:

Endangered: Eastern Small-footed Bat, Little Brown Bat, Northern Long-eared Bat, Indiana Bat, Tricolored Bat

Special Concern: Rock Shrew, Water Shrew, Southern Bog Lemming

If you find any of these animals in the Quabbin region, please obscure the location in your observation. I'm also going to be participating as a Curator for iNaturalist so I can help obscure observations as well. Let's protect these guys, thank you!

Best,
Brendan

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 06, 2023 0649 ΜΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222 | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Δεκέμβριος 11, 2023

"Mammals of the Quabbin" Spotlight (Week of 12.10.2023)

Hello,

Here are some quick project updates going into the week.

  • We reached our goal of having 20 members by the New Year, thanks to everyone who has joined so far! Let's keep it up and get more people on board. The more members of this project, the more likely we can have events like guest speakers and presentations.
  • About 14% of people who have contributed observations to the project are members.
  • When I started the project, there were 707 observations. We are now at 755, which is crazy. Shoutout to zogspot and danyh for uploading a bulk of these new observations. Everyone please continue to upload past observations if you can.
  • 93.11% of all observations are at the Research Grade level observations, an increase from 88.27%.
  • The top 5 contributors are lynnharper, cbuelow, btk, bmaher222, and zogspot. Four of the top five are members of the project.

Thanks again for helping me grow this project and have a great week!

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 11, 2023 0113 ΜΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222 | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Species Spotlight 12.11.2023 - The Fisher (Pekania pennanti)

I'd like to do species spotlights at least a few times each month to help educate others on mammals that you can find at the Quabbin. Let me know in the comments if you'd like me to keep doing these.

The species I'd like to cover today is Pekania pennanti, which many of you know as the fisher.

Physical Characteristics:
Fishers have a long, slender body with a bushy tail, which aids in balance, especially when climbing trees.
They have dark brown fur and are known for their darker facial mask.
The name "fisher" is somewhat misleading, as they do not have a strong affinity for fishing. The name likely originated from early European settlers who may have associated them with the European polecat, which is known for its fishing habits. Another misconception is that fishers are cats, specifically because they are referred to as fisher cats. This is incorrect as they are members of the vicious but cute weasel family, Mustelidae.

Habitat and Range:
Fishers are primarily found in the boreal and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests of North America.
Their range extends from the northern United States and Canada to some parts of the West Coast and the Southern Appalachians.

Behavior and Diet:
Fishers are agile climbers and spend a significant amount of time in trees. They use this skill for hunting, escaping predators, and seeking shelter.
While they are primarily carnivorous, their diet is diverse and includes small mammals, birds, insects, and occasionally fruits and mushrooms.
They are one of the few predators capable of hunting and eating porcupines, a behavior facilitated by their ability to flip the porcupine onto its back and attack the unprotected belly.

Reproduction:
Female fishers give birth to a litter of kits (young) usually in the spring.
The kits are born blind and helpless, and they remain in the den until they are old enough to venture outside.

Conservation Status:
While fishers have faced historical threats due to trapping for their fur, their populations have rebounded in many areas. Conservation efforts, habitat protection, and regulations on trapping have contributed to the recovery of fisher populations in some regions. Their status in the US is currently considered to be LC (Least Concern) though they are threatened in select regions.

Human Interaction:
Fishers are generally elusive and avoid contact with humans. However, they may be attracted to areas with abundant prey or food sources.

Quabbin Reservoir:
iNaturalist observations for the fisher at the Quabbin Reservoir are few and far between most likely due to their elusive habits. Though much of the Quabbin is composed of beaver ponds and regenerating forest, there are definitely older forests that provide suitable habitat for fishers and they are probably more abundant than what the iNaturalist observations suggest. Old forest with a lot of fallen trees would be a great place to start looking.

Find more information of fishers here: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/453109-Pekania-pennanti

Which species spotlight do you want next? Comment below!

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 11, 2023 0510 ΜΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222 | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Δεκέμβριος 13, 2023

Quabbin Gate 16

Gate 16, my go-to Quabbin entry point near Shutesbury along Route 202! It's only a 20-minute hike to the reservoir and offers three trails. Take a left after 10 minutes for a visit to a scenic shallow cove. Or go straight, face a fork, left for a 5-minute shore trip or right for a 20-30 minute scenic route. At the end of the trail that goes left, you'll spot a very photogenic island across from you that changes size based on the season. To its right, notice the carefully crafted beaver lodge where dawn, dusk, and post-rainstorms are reliable times to see the resident beavers!

Dawn or dusk, summer or winter, I've tracked moose here and identified their prints in the snow and mud. Follow left to the beach where you'll notice mammal footprints of all types including tons of moose tracks.
I've also been lucky enough to spot river otters down gate 16. Keep coming back, try different times, different seasons, and you'll be surprised that your hard work will pay off when you spot a family of otters fishing from the ice, they're such curious animals. Despite being touristy, Gate 16 remains a top wildlife spot at Quabbin for me.

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 13, 2023 0822 ΜΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222 | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Seasonal Distribution of Alces Alces (Moose) in Massachusetts

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to share a summer project I poured my time into! I compiled public data on moose sightings throughout the year, creating a map that unveils their seasonal habitats in detail. By zooming in, you'll discover the specific environments they frequent. I focused solely on confirmed moose sightings, excluding mere signs. I compiled sightings reports from platforms like iNaturalist, news articles, and public moose sighting maps and integrated them into one comprehensive map. Unsure where else to showcase this, so here it is—an informal passion project. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

https://earth.google.com/web/@42.45514541,-72.20610424,228.85228034a,229829.65462407d,30.00000722y,0h,0t,0r/data=MikKJwolCiExM284UXVYTnZCT0pRTmJTSkpiMXl4TDVmZW5vSlI1ZGQgAToDCgEw

-Brendan

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 13, 2023 0902 ΜΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222 | 1 σχόλιο | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Δεκέμβριος 18, 2023

"Mammals of the Quabbin" Spotlight (Week of 12.17.2023)

Hey everyone!

Here are some quick project updates going into the week.

We're looking for one more admin. Send me a message if you're interested in helping plan events down the line!

We've welcomed a few new members to the project bringing us up to 24 total!

About 17% of people who have contributed observations to the project are members.

There are now 757 Quabbin mammal observations. It would be amazing to reach 1,000 by 2025 but we'll see how things go!

93.13% of all observations are at the Research Grade level, an increase from 93.11%.
The top 5 contributors are lynnharper, cbuelow, btk, bmaher222, and zogspot. Four of the top five are members of the project.

I'm also still taking requests for species spotlights.

Hope everyone has a great week!

-Brendan

Posted on Δεκέμβριος 18, 2023 0413 ΜΜ by bmaher222 bmaher222 | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο