Nature Journal
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| Friday, April 30, 2004 | ||
Saw
a red fox today in the early afternoon!
It was about 40 or 50 feet away and trotting toward me when I spotted
it. I stood still but it had already seen me. It looked to its left,
back toward me, and then quickly trotted off to the left and out of
sight. A
few days ago, I found this hole made in a hemlock tree by a pileated
woodpecker. I heard the call of the woodpecker nearby.I think that it's a nest cavity. The holes that pileated woodpeckers make when excavating for insects are not as deep. Also, there is usually more than one such hole in a single tree - which is not the case here. Today I heard my first black-throated green warbler of the season. Unlike some other warblers, I find their song easy to identify. We had a warm day today and the spring peepers are calling much more loudly this evening than a few days ago. And along with the peepers, I can hear the "peent, peent, peent" of a woodcock in the distance. |
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| Tuesday, April 27, 2004 | ||
| Saw
a purple finch singing its heart
out this morning. They have such beautiful plumage this time of year
and this one was especially pretty. Other recent bird sightings: juncos (apparently nesting), three red-tailed hawks soaring above the trees, a flicker near the edge of a clearing, goldfinches in full breeding plumage, and a hairy woodpecker foraging on a tree trunk. Have been hearing many other birds, including a barred owl, woodcocks, phoebes, nuthatches (both red-breasted and white-breasted), chickadees, ravens, robins, titmice, and the sound of various woodpeckers calling and drumming. Some warblers have arrived, including the yellow warbler. There are a few other new arrivals that I haven't yet identified by song. It seems to me that they sing shorter segments of their spring song when the weather is cooler. And, once the weather gets warmer, they start singing their full repertoire. The blue jays have been pretty quiet over the past few weeks. My guess is that they are in the late courtship period or have begun nest-building activities. |
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| Saturday, April 24, 2004 | ||
 Heard
the spring peepers last night - for the first time this year. Not
many of them were singing, but as the weather gets warmer, more will
join the chorus.Yesterday, I came upon a ruffed grouse - standing about 20 feet from |
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 me,
flipping its tail feathers up and down.Then it stood still for a bit. A few moments later, it walked quickly off into the underbrush. The red maples are flowering and the high winds we've had lately have already brought a few of the flowers down to the ground. I continue to see moose tracks in the area. Fresh ones every few days. And, in the early evening, the sound of the woodcock's courtship display can still be heard. |
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| Wednesday, April 21, 2004 | ||
| I
suspect that the mating season has begun for the wild
turkey. Today I saw a turkey moving very quickly along the ground
- almost running, actually. I looked around and saw a larger turkey
following the first one, but at a slower pace. I would guess that the first turkey was a female and the second was a male. Haven't heard any mating calls yet, though. Usually that's the first sign of the mating season I notice. Then, not long after that, I'll see the males displaying - if I happen to be in the right place at the right time. |
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| Sunday, April 18, 2004 | ||
 Today
I heard some unusual noises outside that I couldn't place - branches
cracking and sound of hooves on the ground. Looked out the window
and there was a moose about 15 feet behind
my house!I ran to get my camera and watched it for a while as I took a few photos. |
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 Until
recently, the moose in my general areahave been staying at a higher elevation, except during the fall rutting season. At that time, they can be found almost anywhere. The winter before last is the first time I remember seeing moose droppings in the woods within a half-mile of my house. This past winter, there was a lot more of it. So I knew that at least one moose was spending more time in the nearby woods outside of the rutting season. |
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| Thursday, April 15, 2004 | ||
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Went
to a vernal pond in the woods today. Some frogs were "singing."
I recorded their sounds and I think they're wood frogs. |
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| Monday, April 12, 2004 | ||
 Saw
this nest in a white pine tree while walking in the woods yesterday.
It looks like it might be around 2 - 2.5 feet in diameter. I'm think
it might be a hawk's nest, but not 100% sure. I'll be watching it
(from a distance) in the next few weeks to see if there's any activity.I continue to see the ruffed grouse during my walks. One of my neighbors heard one |
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| drumming
yesterday in the early evening. The buds on the red maples are getting ready to burst. The reddish buds look beautiful against the blue sky on a clear day. |
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