With the leaves off of the trees it’s easy to pick out the squirrel nests aloft. The last week of November I noticed quite a bit of activity as the resident Eastern Gray Squirrels collected fallen leaves and twigs and carried them up the tree trunks to fortify their winter homes in the branches above. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for November, 2008
Brown Snakes
November 30th, 2008Seen on the last day of the previous period (November 15th) but too late to make the presses were Northern Brown Snake, Yellow-bellied Turtle, Painted Turtle, Spring Peeper (heard only), Pickerel Frog, and Bullfrog. The 15th was a warm and humid day with strong southwest winds. Two Northern Brown Snakes were seen in two different [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Hardy Insects Hang On
November 30th, 2008A lone Common Green Darner was seen early in the period and several Autumn Meadowhawks were out and about whenever the temps were able make it into the fifties. We may see meadowhawks lingering into December. One Sleepy Orange and one Common Buckeye were the only butterflies observed during the latter half of November. Read the rest of this entry »
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Bare Trees
November 30th, 2008Most deciduous trees are now bare, although some will retain the brown, wrinkled remnants of the previous season’s leaves until pushed out by next spring’s new growth. Even the Bald Cypress down in the Wetlands are nearly devoid of their pine-like leaves. The upside is, it’s now easier to see deeper into the woods and [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Mergs Return, Heron Fishing Strategy
November 15th, 2008Having been absent from the Wetlands since the third week of March, Hooded Mergansers have returned. Three males and two females were first seen swimming and diving in the Wetlands on 12 November. If you’re not exactly sure of what a Hooded Merganser is, there’s a photo at left. To see a brief video of [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Baby Snapper and the Last Water Snake
November 15th, 2008A Snapping Turtle was rescued from the horseshoe shaped pond at Flap the Wings in Catch the Wind next to the Ornithopter. The turtle had found itself into the water filter basket of the pond, with no easy way out. This very young Snapping Turtle, only about 1.75 inches from the front of the shell [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Citrine Forktail and a Crowned Slug
November 15th, 2008Much to my surprise, and delight, there was a Citrine Forktail (several in fact) in the Wetlands on the first day of the month. The temperatures made it up into the mid 70s and the winds were calm, which is helpful for spotting these dainty little damselflies. Although the males have bright yellow markings on [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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Crisp Fall Day
November 15th, 2008Even though the peak has come and gone there’s still some fall color to be seen out on the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop. Now that the leaves are actually falling you can pick them up and compare the different species in-hand. See how many different kinds of leaves you can find. Some are [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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