Deer Everywhere
One of the more concerning sightings to me as of late are all the White-tailed Deer tracks and signs that I keep finding. They should not be everywhere, in every habitat type, feeding on all sorts of plantings or ornamental greenery in the summer. The population is simply too high in too many areas across the Northeast. It is dangerous for us – via car accidents all the way to ticks – and for them, with increased contact with humans, disease and starvation. If they cannot find the proper food now then what will happen during the winter? This is not even going into how much damage...
Read MoreBaby Bunny
Yep, this is a baby bunny – Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) – and a very blatant attempt by me to post something cute. I came up on the young one entirely unexpectedly. It stayed in the shadows before deciding that stationary human looked a little too suspicious, making a mad and adorable dash back into the grasslands. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreClose-up Deer
This picture by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser shows us what we do not want to see. This White-tailed Deer should have a lot more fear of humans, and their overpopulation in many areas is a leading factor in the continuing degradation of our forest understory habitat, especially in consideration of nesting bird species. Apples certainly are a tasty treat, but this is a wild animal, not a petting zoo!
Read MoreStriped Skunk Digging
Better late than never! Here is that Striped Skunk frenzied grub feeding video that I promised you. That HD footage is in normal speed…they are just that fast with those claws! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreGroundhog Day?
Groundhog Day? Not quite! The grass is a little too green for that…but this woodchuck was on guard while having an evening meal and keeping a watchful eye over the yard. It seems to be casting a little bit of a shadow, even without all those TV lights surrounding it. Does that mean we will have six more weeks of summer?
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