Fri 12 Dec 2008
What about those Acorns?
Posted by Nicole under Habitat
[5] Comments
People had been talking about it, there were a few posts to a listserv and then there came the article in the Washington Post “Acorn Watchers Wonder What Happened to Crop”. Acorns seem to be at not only an all-time low but in many places there are none at all. According to the Post, reports of no acorns (a “zero year”) span from as far away as Pennsylvania, up through New England, out to Kansas. It’s very strange.
One theory provided in the Post points to the wet spring impacting the spread of pollen and subsequent pollination of the oak flowers. Hickory nuts are also said to be scarce this year. Squirrels, deer and other mammals rely on acorns and other mast through the winter and will likely feel the pinch of this food shortage.
We’re curious about the oaks in Loudoun – if you have oak trees in your yard or neighborhood – did you have any acorns this year?
Ellie and Phil Daley emailed their observations:
No, no acorns to collect and take to Banshee, even at our cabin where we usually have HUGE ones! But the squirrels are feasting well on our birdseed! Ellie and Phil
Bob Leggett emailed too:
Nicole,
One of the places mentioned in the Post article was Arlington cemetery, which they said had 0 acorns. However, I know that Potomac Conservancy did a “Growing Native” collection there earlier in the Fall. One of my scouts did a collection there for his Eagle project. On the other hand, the people doing the manged deer hunt at BRCES say they are seeing starving deer because of the lack of acorns.
Bob Leggett
Terry Dunnigan had this to report from Leesburg:
One Oak tree, a decent supply of acorns. all gone now. What we had in abundance was a great OVERSUPPLY of Maple seeds. The squirrels are still eating those. Related (?) to the Maples was also a great supply of Boxelder Bugs. Still finding them in the house.
Anne Hocker emailed this observation (watch those cardboard boxes!) :
No acorns up here on the south side of Short Hill Mt. Only a handful of hickory nuts. The squirrels are so hungry they are eating cardboard boxes in the garage, and it’s not even January
And here’s a great report from Joanne Levy who lives in the midst of oak diversity:
We have a LOT of oak trees in our yard/on our street (street name, aptly, is Oak Lane!), including white oak, red oak, southern red oak, willow oak, and probably others as well. Last year (Fall 2007) we had huge quantities of acorns, especially from the white oaks. They were everywhere! This year I have not see any – their absence is very noticeable. My next-door neighbor had mentioned hearing some acorns falling on her roof staring earlier than expected – back in late August, I think, but I did not hear or see any. It also seems like I have not seen many squirrels around the neighborhood since the end of summer. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the lack of acorns or because I am now working during most of the daylight hours and have less chance to see the squirrels (maybe they’re still around but I am just not here to see them).
It is my understanding that oaks in the red/black group take 2 seasons for their acorns to develop but that oaks in the white group take 1 season, so if the idea mentioned below about the wet Spring impacting the pollen were the reason for the lack of acorns, I guess that could be for this year’s white oak acorn crop but not necessarily for the red/black(?)
I miss the acorns and the squirrels. I hope the squirrels are finding something to eat.
Thank you for sharing the info. That is really weird (and worrisome) that the lack of acorns covers such an extensive area!