Activity for michael‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: How to clean picked berries? I've cleaned blueberries on a windy day by gently pouring from one container to another, letting the wind "winnow" the debris. The berries must be dry, i.e. not washed, undamaged/squished. It works well. Best if the berries are handpicked, not by a rake. (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why would a Canada Goose sleep on a frozen pond? it's not cold for a goose, as they bring their insulating down-filled sleeping gear with them. ponds/lakes are safer for them than a field where predators are more common. Typically in a flock, not all birds will sleep....some are awake & watching. note that in the event the ice breaks due to wa... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Membrane jacket rises up when crouching Sew a crotch strap: one end on the back, one on the front with quick release fittings, and length adjustable allowance. (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to get weather information in the backcountry I've used HF/SSB radio aboard a sailboat in remote locations to receive weather GRIB (gridded binary) files of forecasts according to a model. You would subscribe to a service: Airmail or Sailmail (on a boat). The whole equipment set-up is complicated, heavy, needing a computer, 12v battery, antenna... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Difference between full keel and fin keel? Keels on boats are designed to offset the push of the wind on the sails by transferring the lateral force into a forward motion. The boat can't go sideways because of the keel, so it goes forward. In addition, the wind will push the boat hull over- rotating it to leeward, and the keel will balance th... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why do Sandpipers and Plovers "hang out" together? "hanging out" together happens because different species eat the same food, require the same nesting areas, migrate in the same flyways, etc. Many species compete/become territorial for nesting areas, but less so for food sources. (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Winter backpacking pants Layers are useful, but I've found upper body layering more critical (and easier to alter- you don't need to take your boots off). For me, the question is how much wind will there be, and how active are you? typically for back country cross-country skiing, I'll wear light base layer, loose fitting win... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is "dynamically soaring" suitable as a bird identification feature? Yes, you can use dynamically soaring as one variable in attempting identification, in addition to size, wing, body, beak, feet, etc. (all the usual ways of narrowing down your bird). But you can't just say "that's an albatross": the 4 families of order Procellariiformes consist of albatrosses, petre... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: What should I feed ravens/crows? Crows and ravens are opportunistic foragers, meaning they eat carrion, rodents, steal eggs and nestlings, insects, etc. You will likely find them curious and very cautious (more so than typical "bird feeder visitors"). I have great success finding roadkill deer in the winter, and placing out of sight... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why do some fisheries have a lower size limit and others have an upper size limit for keeping fish? Generally, fisheries management is habitat and species specific requiring different tools depending on the outcome desired, i.e more "eating size" fish, more breeding size, more small fry, etc. Adjacent bodies of water may vary significantly in habitat due to fishing pressure, localized impacts (agri... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to humanely kill an injured rabbit? unfortunately, you have limited choice. My suggestion is to hold the rabbit body in one hand, and the head in the other, quickly snapping the head up and backwards will break the spinal column and kill the rabbit quickly and painlessly. (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to hike without constantly looking down seems to me if you're hiking for distance, then watching where you're going is really important; but if you're there to see, listen, smell, etc., just slow down. Animals don't move quickly, they pause, look around, smell, listen, then move on. Birds are always looking around for threats & food. S... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to walk silently in the woods? While looking for mushrooms mid-morning in the summer, I saw a deer perhaps 50' away, in brush maybe 5' high- it was upwind of me and couldn't smell me. It was browsing and slowly moving as it ate. Slowly, stopping frequently, and gradually approaching, I stopped and listened. I'm sure the deer was ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago