Wildlife

Photo credit Joseph Snowdon

The program NEWild contains a list of some 300 New England species of snakes, amphibians, birds, and mammals that could be found at a site based on certain criteria like cover type, standing snags, coarse woody debris, the presence and type of water features, and certain other habitat features — it is essentially a starting point for a complete HSI study. Based on the information we entered, the program told us wildlife that is likely to live in our hectare plot. The following is a list of species NEWild believes could be found at our site; for a more specific (pun intended) analysis of species we believe can be found at our site, continue reading past the tables!

Snakes and Amphibians*
Marbled Salamander	Red-spotted Newt	Northern Ringneck Snake
Jefferson Salamander	Mountain Dusky Salamander	Northern Black Racer
Silvery Salamander	Redback Salamander	Black Rat Snake
Blue-spotted Salamander	Slimy Salamander	Eastern Milk Snake
Tremblay's Salamander	Four-toed Salamander	Northern Copperhead
Spotted Salamander	Five-lined Skink

Birds
Wood Duck	Willow Flycatcher	Philadelphia Vireo
American Black Duck	Least Flycatcher	Golden-winged Warbler
Mallard	Eastern Phoebe	Yellow Warbler
Turkey Vulture	Great Crested Flycatcher	Chestnut-sided Warbler
Cooper's Hawk	Eastern Kingbird	Black-throated Blue Warbler
Northern Goshawk	Purple Martin	Pine Warbler
American Kestrel	Blue Jay	Prairie Warbler
Merlin	American Crow	American Redstart
Ring-necked Pheasant	Common Raven	Worm-eating Warbler
Ruffed Grouse	Black-capped Chickadee	Mourning Warbler
Wild Turkey	Tufted Titmouse	Common Yellowthroat
Northern Bobwhite	White-breasted Nuthatch	Hooded Warbler
Black-billed Cuckoo	Brown Creeper	Canada Warbler
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	Carolina Wren	Yellow-breasted Chat
Eastern Screech-Owl	Winter Wren	Northern Cardinal
Northern Hawk-Owl	Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher	American Goldfinch
Boreal Owl	Eastern Bluebird
Northern Saw-whet Owl	Veery
Whip-poor-will	Hermit Thrush
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Wood Thrush
Red-hearted Woodpecker	American Robin
Red-bellied Woodpecker	Grey Catbird
Hairy Woodpecker	Northern Mockingbird
Three-toed Woodpecker	Brown Thrasher
Northern Flicker	Bohemian Waxwing
Pileated Woodpecker	Cedar Waxwing
Olive-sided flycatcher	Northern Shrike
Eastern Wood-Pewee	Loggerhead Shrike
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	European Starling
Acadian Flycatcher	White-eyed Vireo
Alder Flycatcher	Yellow-throated Vireo

Mammals
Virginia Opossum	Red Squirrel	Black Bear
Masked Shrew	Southern Flying Squirrel	Raccoon
Smoky Shrew	Northern Flying Squirrel	Marten
Long-tailed Shrew	Deer Mouse	Fisher
Pygmy Shrew	White-footed Mouse	Ermine
Hairy-tailed Mole	Southern Red-backed Vole	Long-tailed Weasel
Keen's Myotis	Woodland Vole	Mink
Eastern Pipistrelle	Meadow Jumping Mouse	Striped Skunk
Eastern Cottontail	Porcupine	Lynx
New England Cottontail	Coyote	Bobcat
Eastern Chipmunk	Red Fox	White-tailed Deer
Gray Squirrel	Gray Fox

*For some reason, NEWild does not include frogs in their habitat suitability study, although we did find a few (one pictured below) because we have a great little vernal pool in the southern part of our site.

Photo credit Joseph Snowdon

The following is a more in-depth analysis of certain species NEWild listed that we believe could truly inhabit our site, based on our own observations and/or research. A Habitat Suitability Index was calculated for both barred owl and fisher but previous knowledge and modern technology (the Internet) are what provided us with the information on the remaining wildlife:
• Barred Owl - With 5 trees in our hectare, averaging 2 trees per 0.4ha, the barred owl has an HSI value of 1.0. With an average DBH of 18.06inches (45.9cm), the barred owl has an HSI value of 0.9 in this category. Finally, when we consider the 70% canopy cover in Plot #1, 70% in Plot #2, 60% in Plot #3, and an overall average canopy cover of 66.675%, the barred owl has an HSI value of 1.0 in this category. Overall, at NBSP Site #4, the barred owl has an HSI value of 1, making this suitable habitat for barred owls.
• Fisher - With an average canopy cover of 66.67%, this gives the fisher an HSI value of 0.9. Since the average DBH of the trees in Site #4 is 45.9 cm, this gives the fisher an HSI value of 1.0. Most of Site #4 has a two-layered canopy, which gives the fisher an HSI value of approximately 0.75. Overall, the canopy is comprised of about 75% deciduous species, which gives the fisher an HSI value of 0.4 in this category. Overall, at NBSP Site #4, the fisher has an HSI value of 0.35, which does not makes this suitable habitat for fisher.

• Pileated Woodpecker - We actually saw a pileated woodpecker on one of our visits directly adjacent to our site. This sighting is no surprise as out site contain many snags and some trees large enough to house this species. Pileated woodpeckers also can live in a variety of forest types (7).

• Red-backed Salamander - The wetness of our site and the abundance of leaf litter and dead and fallen trees make it ideal habitat for a red-backed salamander, so while we have not seen any it is likely that they are there. Additionally, there are many bugs in the area, which are prime food for this salamander.

• Emerald Ash Borer - Seeing as we do have a number of Green Ash on our plot they would be able to inhabit it, but we did not see any signs of the species, nor are there any in Vermont yet to our knowledge (6).
• Brown Snake - Brown snakes take cover in leaf litter and logs, which the site provides. They feed on invertebrates and earthworms. Brown snakes are often found in urban neighborhoods; however, they could be supported by our site at Niquette Bay (5).

• Scarlet Tanager - Our site provides good habitat for the Scarlet Tanager. The species utilizes mature trees and dense, mixed deciduous-coniferous forests. Scarlet tanagers do not overwinter in Vermont, however .

• Chestnut-sided Warbler - It is unlikely that we would find Chestnut-sided Warbler on our site. The species prefers open, early-successional deciduous forest and shrubby sites. Our forest is too mature and does not provide enough open space (1).

• Porcupine - Since porcupines can live in mixed deciduous/coniferous forests, our plot is definitely suitable for it. However since porcupines prefer hilly, rocky landscapes, it would likely be more at home in other areas of NBSP (3).

• Wild Turkey - This species utilizes both open and covered areas. Wild turkeys use open areas for feeding and mating, and forested areas for roosting in trees at night and for protection from predators. Our site is likely suitable wild turkey habitat, but the lack of open area would not make it high quality (4).

• White-tailed Deer - Our site is definitely suitable for white-tailed deer, but it would not provide a sufficient amount of area on which they could thrive. The large number of maple saplings are perfect food for the deer, but they cannot sustain a population for very long, seeing as after their leaves are eaten the saplings are far less likely to survive (2).

• European Earthworm - Since site 4 contains a large amount of leaf litter and decaying material it is very good habitat for the European Earthworm. However the earthworm would not be particularly good for the habitat as it now exists (as a forest), even though if the area were a farm the earthworm would likely improve soil fertility.

"Chestnut-sided Warbler Habitat Model." U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home. Mar. 2001. Web. 30 Sept. 2011. .

Drive, Dynamic. "What Is White-Tailed Deer Habitat?" The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. Oct. 2007. Web. 03 Sept. 2011.

"Earthworms." Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2011. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.

McCullough, Deborah, and Robin Usborne. "Frequently Asked Questions | Emerald Ash Borer Information Network." Emerald Ash Borer. Michigan State University, 2011. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. .

"North American Porcupine - Erethizon Dorsatum - NatureWorks." New Hampshire Public Television. 2011. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.

"Pileated Woodpecker." Seattle Audubon Society. Web. 2011. 3 Oct. 2011.

"Red-backed Salamander." Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Web. 2011. 3 Oct. 2011.

"Scarlet Taneger." Cornell Lab of Ornothology. Web. 2011. 3 Oct. 2011.

"Wild Turkey Facts, Wild Turkey Biology, National Wild Turkey Federation."National Wild Turkey Federation. 2010. Web. 30 Sept. 2011.

“Willson, J. D. and M. E. Dorcas. 2004. Aspects of the ecology of small fossorial snakes in the western Piedmont of North Carolina. Southeastern Naturalist 3:1-12.