The Ducks are setting up Housekeeping

Spring isn't far away, in fact the Spring Equinox will be early in the morning of March 20. As usual, we get a range of weather at BLMH this time of year. Today it is overcast and 43F. Just three days ago it was much colder and we had a fine dusting of snow. There was a sufficient amount over two days that the bobcats arrived and cleared the driveways. That was supposed to be a major winter storm, but it was mostly confined in this area to lake effect.

Today the ducks are setting up housekeeping, in anticipation of the restart of the water falls and the stream. They do want ring side seats. What a difference a few days makes.

Ducks at Waterfall #1

Here's the same view three days ago. The waterfall is in the center of the photo and hidden by about 1/2 inch of snow:

Another Association Election

The election results are in and again we won't have a full board. I now tell owners when they complain that the person responsible for their issue, or a lack of performance, or whatever, sits in that vacant seat.

Oddly, the owners expect the board, which is fewer than 2 percent of the owners, to overcome the problems caused by the 10% who are behind in their fees. Meanwhile the 98% sit back and some complain.

At the annual meeting we completed early and so I asked owners to state any issues. What was the major issue? Apparently, one of our streams has trapped some ducklings. So an owner complained about that. Yes, it must be wonderful if that is the most significant issue we face here.

When I am asked what is the single greatest problem facing our association, I point to owner apathy. If history is correct, there will be a severe upheaval in the near future. What do I mean by "near"? Well, as a board member I routinely create 10 years plans, based upon our 30 year plans. Far too many of our owners apparently have no plan beyond next year. That is one explanation for the foreclosures, delinquencies and so on that occur and reoccur. It is also an explanation for the "sit on our duffs" mentality of far, far too many owners.

On the other hand, there is a real need for affordable and nice housing in the area, so perhaps we'll one day have a majority of owners who live elsewhere and rent their units to others.

Bats, Not Easy to Love, Dying Daily by Thousands

This is a continuation of an earlier post about bats.  The title is from an article published in 2013. The article states "......these are hard days for these peculiar animals, because they face mass extinction from a disease called White Nose Syndrome and every night thousands of are killed by energy-producing wind turbines that conservationists, economists and politicians hope will reduce this nation's need for foreign oil. Every solution to this perplexing energy problem comes with a downside, and wind turbines are no exception. A new study from the University of Colorado, Denver, estimates that 600,000 bats were killed by wind turbines last year alone."

The problem is similar to that faced by honey bees. Bees are also under stress and there is evidence that some bee extinctions are also related to human activities.

Why should anyone care about bat fatalities? "According to Bat Conservation International of Austin, Texas, the "low end estimate" of the value of bats to U.S. agriculture is at least $3.7 billion. Cotton farmers alone are saved about $74 per acre."

Let's not also ignore the millions of mosquitoes that are taken out of the air by bats.

There are several twists to this problem with wind turbines. For one thing, collisions aren't the problem. Spinning wind turbine blades create pressure changes in their vicinity. According to Erin Baerwald of the University of Calgary. This "sudden but subtle drop in atmospheric pressure from the blades causes internal hemorrhaging, a condition known as barotrauma. Bats are more vulnerable to barotrauma than birds, according to Baerwald, and bat fatalities far outnumber bird fatalities at most sites, so this has become "a bat issue, not a bird issue.""

The other interesting thing about the wind turbine problem is there is an easy solution. See the article for the explanation.

Finally, our government has take up the mantle of saving birds, but generally ignores the problems and stresses on bats. Perhaps a lack of education or too many horror movies which portray bats as vampires. Besides, there aren't any "save the bats" groups in every neighborhood, while birds get their own magazines, societies and so on.

Here's a link to the original article:

http://abcnews.go.com - wind turbine massacres of bats

Driving us Batty

Bats are one of the critters which inhabit the area and we frequently see them flying in the park across the street at dusk.

Each bat kills thousands of insects each night. Many of those are mosquitoes. Other natural mosquito predators include dragonflies. According to an article in the Patch: "Bats play an important role in the local ecosystem and can significantly reduce the insect population in your neighborhood. “One bat can eat up to 3,000 mosquitoes in one night, or any insect outside after dark, like moths and crickets,” said Christopher Appelt, a biologist and associate professor at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. “Put 100 bats out there, and they can eat 300,000 insects in one night.”"

On occasion it is my understanding residents of our community have found one roosting in the space between deck supports. Generally, these are invisible to us and we aren't even aware they are in the air space or on the property. One sign is bat dung. I've attended HOA meetings where an owner complained about a bat. They can be relocated or as the professionals prefer to say "excluded." The article states that "Bats in the United States are protected species.....It is against the law...to kill or poison bats when removing them from buildings. Bat exclusion is also prohibited when pups are still nursing and in the roost."

The article provides some interesting statistics about rabies and also preventative tips.

The article uses some interesting language, including the article title. The Patch apparently feels the need for sensationalism to get us to read their articles, and stick around long enough to click on those ads.

While bats are generally beneficial and invisible, the article quoted a "Senior Bat Technician" as saying: “The Midwest is just unbelievably infested with bats.....I’d say 80 percent of neighborhoods are infested with bats, and people don’t even know about it.”

My opinion is it would be more realistic to state that the area is unbelievably infested with mosquitoes. But a Senior Bat Technician has got to eat.

The Chicago Patch posted one of the better articles I've seen and I've included a link here.

http://patch.com/illinois - article on bats June 10, 2016

Rain, Rain Go Away - Ducks and Mosquito Glade, Revisited

The photos in the previous post show an area that was more water prone 5 years ago. One board replaced a portion of the walk, but one of the tasks I took upon my self was to have the area thinned. It was overgrown with trees, which had intertwined and created a small glade of perpetual dusk. Rainwater would stand, or the area would remain damp for days after heavy rainfalls. There was simply insufficient sunlight striking the ground to grow grass or dry the area out.

There is a plan to improve the drainage in this location, but there are so many tasks. With the removal of a large (dead) ash to the south last year, improving the drainage may be a real possibility. However, there are about 50 other areas which also require remedial work, after the removal of ash trees, or new roofs and drainage.

Here is the "before" video, taken in August 2010.

Here's another view of the area, this video from May, 2010:

Rain, Rain, Go Away?

Update 4:35pm
We continue with intermittent rain and that is the prediction for the entire week. Now, this might seem to be a lot of rain, but NOAA.gov provides the following for this storm. These are the storm totals and current conditions. For my immediate area, the total rainfall for this storm is about 2 inches, with more to come. At this rate, we won't get to 1% (100 year) conditions; the NOAA is predicting an additional 1/4 inch late this afternoon and tonight. However, there are flash flood warnings. I provide this to document this storm, which is not an unusual one for this area. It will produce standing water and some inconvenience:

Here's the current radar:

Original Post:
We've had a rash of rain storms move through the area in recent days. Today is another thunderstorm with locally heavy rain, This is the NOAA radar current image:

Meanwhile the rain settled in some low areas and the ducks were really enjoying Sunday's storm:

The puddle above quickly drained into the soil, but today's new storm created another puddle.  As the rain saturates the soil, the time to drain will become longer. We know this, and the area in the photo is on the list of problems and issues to deal with. However, as this area drains in a few hours, it isn't considered an "emergency" by me. Of course, a very few owners who are annoyed by paying their monthly fees have a different opinion.

The Squirrels Go Marching, One By One

Early this morning I looked out the window and observed the family of grey squirrels going about their morning forage. One ran by with what appeared to be a Ritz cracker in his jaws. I guess he got his morning treat from one of the residents. I simply wasn't fast enough with the camera to get a snapshot. Here's one of his siblings, sans cracker.

Winter really has arrived and tonight it will go to -5F or so. Brrr!

It's snowing lightly but will get much colder tonight with approximately 1 inch of snow. 

Here's the http://www.wunderground.com/  10-Day Weather Forecast:

Construction Continues - The Votes are In

Click on the image to enlarge

Minus 13F, 60 Inches of Snowfall and Nature Persists

The weather people say we've accumulated about 61 inches of snow this winter. That's 5 times last year's snowfall! This morning it was -13F outside. However, on the deck it was a balmy 2F. The deck gets a lot of morning sun and is sheltered from the wind. We should be experiencing something closer to the averages later in the week. The "average high" for February is 35F. Next week it's predicted we'll be in the mid 30's to a high of 44F.

There is not the usual abundance of wildlife on the property, but there is a woodpecker that makes the daily rounds and the occasional hawk. Of course, the squirrels sit in the tree and watch me. I wonder what they are thinking?

The woodpecker works his way up the tree, looking for a tasty bug. I see him often and I expect he'll be back again tomorrow afternoon.

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Pine #137, R.I.P.!

Sad to say, one of our pine trees met an untimely end. Here on the board, we've been concerned about the possible outcome of stress on our trees as a consequence of last year's drought.

This year, we had total snowfall in the normal range, and we've had some good rains. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, there is no drought in Illinois! I've included a map of the current drought monitor at the end of this post.

We did lose a tree. While the watch goose looked on.

I noticed this yesterday and notified management with a photograph via email.

Today, this is all that remains. RIP pine #137. You will be missed, by some. But it's Spring and soon our more active residents will turn toward more important matters, such as "We want a garage sale" and "We want a picnic."

Current Drought Monitor

Brrr!! Winter 2010 and Icycles

Well, it's officially winter, that means that as of today, December 27, 2010, we've had some snowfalls, some ice, and our trees are currently undergoing their annual winter pruning. That pruning of our deciduous (leaf bearing) trees is done on a rotational basis, in the winter, after all of that valuable, life giving and nutrient enriched sap has been pulled back by the trees and into their roots. Isn't nature amazing?

We now have lots of icicles forming as part of the normal freeze-thaw cycle, which we can expect to continue for the next 90 days.

The squirrels were extremely busy before the first snow fall, building their nests. The tree behind my building has just such a nest. It was originally quite large and sheltered two small grey squirrels. However, brisk winds blew and stripped away many of the leaves that comprised this aerial chalet. So that pair has since moved to find more spacious quarters, and a red squirrel has moved in, to take their place.

The squirrel spends time napping in the tree. I can imagine what he or she might be thinking:

This squirrel has become one of my companions here at BLMH. While I am doing the dishes, I frequently observe him taking a nap, curled and keeping warm.

The ice, and icicles, can be a problem. Residents are encouraged by the association to use the salt in the 55 gallon plastic container in each garage, to handle any patches on their entranceways and driveways. These patches inevitable form between normal plowing and pushing of snow. Crews were on site yesterday, cleaning driveways and entrances. However, they aren't our servants and perform a valuable service as part of our fees. So residents need to help out from time to time. (Yes, I do mean residents. Renters are expected to pitch-in, too. If you have any doubts, the board's promotion of the rights and benefits of residents should be a tip that there might also be responsibilities accompanying those rights, and there are!).

Of course, icicles will form from gutters, and also from other sloped roofing sections. Maintenance crews do make the rounds to knock these down, but if owners use a broom when the icicles are small, and not dangerous, that prevents the build-up of walls of ice, as can be seen in these pictures. Crews will also at times, brush snow from the roofs over the driveway entrances. However, this is not easy to do and might be dangerous.

Of course, the formation of ice on buildings is dependent on factors including orientation and amount of sun received on the roof each day. Presence or absence of gutters also doesn't always seem to matter. So some building have little ice, while others collect a lot!

However, some icicles can become very large, and that means, heavy and potentially dangerous. So avoid walking below them, or an ice curtain. The following shows several very large icicles. These are in an area where residents should not be walking. However, use care at all times, and common sense, at all times!

Comments, Corrections, Omissions, References

Note 1. Use care when walking the grounds, avoid vehicles in the streets, watch for icy patches and use the salt that the association makes available. That's why it is there!

Fall 2010

After the water main break and an "alleged" fire at 1731, things are returning to normal. The wildlife at BLMH hardly noticed the excitement. They have a more congenial view of the activities, I guess. Here are a few photos taken on recent walk-throughs.

As usual, you can enlarge these photos by clicking on them (with your mouse pointer over the photo, double-click with the left select of your mouse or trackball).

We have various "watchdogs" here at BLMH. These include a Mallard Drake, who is one of several "watchducks" who like to perch on the roof and overlook the property. Occasionally, the morning doves also participate.

At the nearby wildlife center (How nearby? About 5-10 minutes due east). the herons are looking for lunch:

Comments, Corrections, Omissions, References, Miscellaneous News
Note 1.  I've never seen a heron at BLMH. Probably because our streams are devoid of fish.

"Wild Gardens" or "Critter Habitats"?

I spoke briefly with a unit owner on June 28th during a fly-by of Wheaton. This unit owner was fairly excited and confused because it had come to their attention that the board is considering new "wild gardens" here at BLMH. The confusion is caused by the fact that the current landscaping is formal in nature, which is quite apparent. They were also confused because they didn't understand the lack of financial consistency. It will take money to create these new gardens. Where will it come from? We used to have an expression in my business "we can do anything, all it takes is time and money". During the board meetings I have attended, the Landscaping Director has discussed the idea of a "Garden Club" in which unit owners could participate in some aspects of maintaining or improving the grounds at BLMH. It has been repeatedly pointed out by past LDs and management that we have a professional landscaper which is not a gardener.

After the discussions, I now hear that there are residents who are pressing for private gardens. The LD was promoting resident participation for the purpose of handling some of the deficiencies here. However, this seems to have been turned into a conversation based upon "what's in it for me" by some of the owners. Perhaps the term "gardens" was the trigger. There is a lot of pent up demand by our retirees, some of whom probably want something to do besides walk the dog. Having a nice garden would certainly be a great pastime. No one has yet discussed how the half of the owners who live on the second floor would participate. This also has a potential to extend the "ownership" of first floor unit owners into the grounds, as they literally stake out their turf and wall in "their" private gardens. No one on the board has discussed these issues, at least while I have been present.

I would like to see some sustainability in the landscaping. Adding ground cover such as pachysandra (formally known as "pachysandra terminalis") is a great way to reduce mulching and related costs. I know because I have used this in past homes and it was an excellent and hardy ground cover with pleasant springtime blooms. It prefers moderate to deep shade and moist, but drained soil. Just the thing for some of those dark, shady areas unit owners are always complaining about and in which grass will not grow.

We already have some pachysandra here at BLMH and it has proven to be hardy and effective.

Ornamental grasses could also be used. These are hardy and are inexpensive.

The grasses and pachysandra require little or no maintenance. That is, no mowing, mulching, special feed application, etc. That means, reduced costs to the association.

Extensive use of tall grasses could provide ground cover for critters, but most are dense and if applied in smaller areas, that should not be a problem any greater than that caused by our current landscaping scheme.


Comments, Corrections, Omissions, References
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I noticed that the daffodils planted at the entrances have been cut back. I'm not certain of why this was done. However, it is common knowledge that the daffodil bulb renews itself through its foliage. The bottom line: after flowering, the foliage must be allowed to grow and mature and die back. Initially the foliage is a nice green, then as the growing season continues it elongates and then becomes yellow and finally turns brown, falls over and dries up. According to experts, "This process is critical for the bulb’s ongoing health and blooming ability."

I realize that the browning and "dying" foliage may be ugly. I suppose that is why it was trimmed. It will be interesting to see if the many daffodils that were planted, return next year.  If not, we have wasted these wonderful, perennial plants.

Personally, I always grew daylillies (known formally as "hemerocallis"). The varieties on my property were staggered and intermingled. By doing so I was able to achieve long periods of blooms, commencing in mid June and lasting into August because various bulbs have different growing and blooming rates. The daylillies will, over time, fan out. So as the years went by they became denser and the beds larger. I then had the pleasant task of thinning them slightly. It's always pleasant to have too many beautiful, flowering plants!

Daffodils are nice, but last only a few weeks in the spring, and do have that habit of browning out as the summer progresses.

One cautionary note. It is my understanding that the blooms of daffodils and daylillies are not to be eaten by house cats!

Great Weather for Ducks

We've had a wetter than normal spring and I have heard remarks that "this is great duck weather". I took the opportunity to walk BLMH with family during the downpour on July 4th, in search of ducklings. I noticed five different flocks of ducklings on parade. It was great weather for ducks! Here are a few photos taken that day.