As I drove the golf cart along the path through Catch the Wind towards Explore the Wild I saw Ranger Rock standing on the side of the path intently staring at something in the upper swamp, a small wooded swamp on the northeast side of the campus. I parked the vehicle and quietly walked towards Rock. It was an overcast but warm December day. Ranger Rock had gotten the Bungee Jump set up for business ahead of time and decided toRead more
Posts tagged: #Sharp-shinned Hawk
We have much to do before winter
With each passing cold front the temperatures are a little cooler, the humidity a little dryer, and winter a little closer. There’s plenty going on outside during this transitional time of year when we make the shift from summer to winter. It’s time to prepare for what’s to come and the birds, mammals, and insects are doing just that. As the cicadas wind down so too the activities of the Cicada Killer. Hopefully their burrows are stocked with cicadas forRead 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
Great Blue Heron at Rest
When not stalking prey, or off to another nearby pond, lake, or river, the local Great Blue Heron spends much of its time perched on various objects around the Wetlands. Rocks, especially the two large rocks which can be seen left-of-center from the Wetlands Overlook, are the bird’s favorite perches. Here, the bird apparently feels safe to relax, far out in the water away from any would be predators. Often, after a long day of hunting, the heron retreats toRead more
Blue Jays Hoard, Butter-Butts Swarm
Mallards are back in the Wetlands. Three Mutt Ducks (Mallard x Domestic) and eight or so “normal” Mallards have been feeding and resting in the quiet water and under the Willow Trees. Canada Geese are paying regular visits to the Wetlands. For nearly a week after the passage of the cold front that moved through on the 18th/19th of October the skies were mostly clear with high cirrus clouds making it easy to pick out high flying birds. The 18thRead more
3 Bald Eagles!
A female Wood Duck was in the Wetlands on the 21st of September. Traditionally, the third week in September sees a push of migrating hawks through the region when the winds are from the north. More often than not, the winds were from the north during the third and fourth weeks in September. Unfortunately for those of us who like to watch hawks and also reside in the piedmont, most migrating hawks move along the ridges in the western partRead more