Is it Time?

A Woodchuck was reported near the entrance to Catch the Wind next to the Ornithopter. Apparently, the weather warmed enough on at least one day of this period for this large rodent to briefly wake from its slumber and have a look around. One entrance to its burrow is just across the path from the signage to Explore the Wild on the back side of the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop.Read more

Busy Beavers

In the Wetlands, the Beaver (or is it Beavers) has (or have) been very busy lately. Besides damming the culvert where the water exits the Wetlands (underneath you as you descend into the Wetlands on the boardwalk) as soon as it’s cleared of the many twigs, branches, leaves, and mud that keeps the water from flowing through it, the beaver has been steadily gnawing away at the willows and other trees around the Wetlands. Beaver “sign” is everywhere. From theRead more

Squirrels

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 more

Another Shrew

On October 22, I found a Shorttail Shrew along the path on the north side of the Wetlands near the Lemur House. The shrew had expired. There were no visible signs of why it had expired. Curiously, another was found in the same condition back in June, just a few yards up the path (see, Shorttail Shrew, Explore the Wild Journal, June 16-30, 2008).Read more

Apple Eating Groundhog

Groundhogs are being seen with more frequency at the Bird Feeder Exhibit in Catch the Wind and along the grassy edges of the paved path around the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind Loop. I saw one at the Bird Feeder Exhibit eating an apple (Granny Smith, I think).Read more

Red Bat over Wetlands

Another reason to look up. A Red Bat was seen flying over the Wetlands during the 4th of July weekend. It seemed to have a direction and purpose to its flight as if hurrying off to a daytime roost. In other words, it wasn’t flying around in circles hawking insects, it looked to be going directly to a known destination. I’ve seen Red Bats flying about in the middle of the day scooping up insects, but this one seemed toRead more

An Unfortunate Soricidae, a Sciuridae, and a Leporidae

Top Photo: Groundhog. I spotted a Shorttail Shrew on the path on the back side of the loop near the dirt service road there. Unfortunately, the shrew was DOR (Dead on Road). I didn’t noticed any marks or other clues as to how it expired. I’ve been seeing Eastern Cottontails for the past few weeks at various locations and noticed one of the resident Groundhogs foraging alongside the Wetlands near the still blooming Lotus.Read more