Several weeks ago as I walked down the boardwalk into Explore the Wild I noticed a Turkey Vulture (TV) soaring low over the trees at the NE corner of the Wetlands. I thought, “There must be something dead over there.” A few days later I saw a TV clumsily fly down through the trees in that same area. “There’s GOT to be something dead over there.” I thought. And then, a few days after that, I heard two crows callingRead more
Posts filed in: Mammals
First Groundhog!
The first groundhog of the season was spotted on February 8 running across a service road and then over the path near the boardwalk leading to Explore the Wild. I assume that this marmot is the “Boardwalk Hog.” There is a groundhog burrow just below the fence at the head of the boardwalk that leads to Explore the Wild. The animal that I saw was last seen swiftly moving in that direction. There are many groundhog burrows throughout the MuseumRead more
Corn On The Cob
I should say that the squirrel in the photo very much appreciates the animal keepers here at the Museum. It was the keepers who tossed the corn into the Black Bear Enclosure. The corn was meant for the bears to eat but the squirrel beat them to the punch. Happy squirrel.Read more
What else do they eat?
It was a cold and rainy end to the day, again. I was standing at the Red Wolf Enclosure with a few visitors talking about the wolves and their status in today’s world. All of the sudden, a Sharp-shinned Hawk came barreling in from the right hand side of the enclosure. Birds that had been foraging inside the enclosure scattered. The hawk circled through the trees and perched near the top of the ridge just outside of the enclosure’s fence.Read more
What do they eat?
The last week in December was a very busy week. Many visitors were in town and it seemed most of them were at the Museum. Even with all of the activity, on Saturday (12/31) the Red Wolves were resting, as they often do in the afternoon, at the top of the enclosure and up near the fence. It was an unusually warm afternoon and there was a crowd of viewers at the Wolf Overlook. Late in the day, two Eastern Gray SquirrelsRead more
Parts on the pavement
This (above) is what greeted me as I made my rounds during the morning of 10 December, a Saturday. Obviously, the white and beige colored splatters are bird droppings. But what bird, and what are the larger brown masses? “Oh good,” I whispered to myself, “another mystery to solve.” I thought at first that the brown blobs were flattened raccoon scat after being trod upon or run over by one of the Museum vehicles. But there weren’t any subsequent marks onRead more
Gray Squirrel and the Pine Cone
It’s that time of year again when the Eastern Gray Squirrels build their nests and stock up for winter. The one in the following photos is searching the leaf liter along the boardwalk leading down into Explore the Wild in hopes of finding stores for its nest. After a few minutes of striping off some scales and eating a few seeds, it was off to the nest to store the cone for later use during winter. A wise squirrel preparesRead more
Are the wolves out today?
“Are the wolves out today?” I’m asked that question on a daily basis by visitors here at the Museum. Unless there is a sign indicating that the wolves are off exhibit due to veterinary care, the answer is always “Yes, the wolves are always out.” They’re not always easy to find though. Our Red Wolves typically rest during the afternoon. They’re pretty much the same color as the clay based soil here in the northern section of the Deep River BasinRead more
Speaking of howling…and snakes
To the delight of a group of children visiting the Museum Wednesday the Red Wolves got into a howling match with a fire engine (11/9). At times, sirens set the wolves off but it has to be the right frequency and distance from the Museum for it to work, not every siren works for them. Snakes are still being seen, due in part to the warm weather we’ve been experiencing the past several days. An Eastern Garter Snake surprised aRead more