Red Fox Kits Growing
We are now entering May with far warmer weather and much more cooperative conditions for young mammals to grow and explore, learning about their environment and all within it. After Elyse tossed up some photos of her own Red Fox kits, I knew I had to answer back with another volley of photos from “my” family. In case you missed them previously here they are at a very young age. I also took some shots of a couple of the little pups having some play time, wrestling around and practicing their “ferocious” predator skills on one another. This fox family, far more...
Read MoreRed Fox Family
Today I saw some of the first young of the spring season in the form of at least three Red Fox pups/cubs/kits. There are likely a few more of them that stayed in their den, but on a cold and cloudy day with quiet surroundings part of the family ventured out to get a little air. Mom stayed in the grass near them, watching and listening. She looks relaxed in these photos because I was shooting from afar through a window. They are, in a word, adorable. They are also extremely tiny compared to her already small stature. These are very young pups! Despite the fact they are mammalian predators mom...
Read MoreGroundhog (Marmota monax)
It is about to turn into a very chilly weekend for us in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region after a week of warm temperatures and a lot of sun. This Groundhog (Marmota monax), or whatever else you prefer to call the rodent among its many names, has to be in a hurry to eat all it can now. The species is always highlighted when they come out of hibernation to “predict” the end of the winter and early spring seasons. However, if you watch them in autumn you will see a lot of activity out of the increasingly fatter individuals as they prepare to hibernate. A good “night” to...
Read MoreNot a cat’s play toy
This is an Eastern Chipmunk. It is not a cat’s play toy. I did not witness its death but considering how much one of the local cats seems to enjoy hunting them in the area I found it plus the fresh, pungent aroma that feline left behind immediately next to the body I can surmise how it happened. Even if it was not that cat this occurs many, many times…millions upon millions…to small birds and mammals each day. Besides the death of wildlife why do we allow our small fur children to run amok in the dangerous outdoors? We all need to bring our cats in the house, no matter...
Read MoreMange, poisons and wildlife
Early yesterday afternoon I posted an article on our Facebook page titled, “Household rat poison linked to death and disease in wildlife” from the Los Angeles Times. It discussed the following: The mountain lion known as P-22 looked majestic just a few months ago, in a trail-camera photo shot against the backdrop of the Hollywood sign. But when a remote camera in Griffith Park captured an image of the puma more recently, it showed a thinner and mangy animal. Scientists sedated him and drew blood samples. They found evidence of exposure to rat poisons. Now, researchers say they...
Read More
