Clean the House!

   A little wren made her nest in the well house nest box this year.  She did a great job of raising her little ones.  Then she moved to a nest box not far away.  The second nest box is just outside of Rusty's pen.

Once that brood was out of the box and own their own, she went back to this second box and scolded us from the top.  I got the message that she wanted us to clean out the box, but I didn't act on it right away.  So............

   One morning, she and her guy were pushing sticks into the pocket of an old coat that Joe had left on the clothes line.

   Until it was full to the top.

   Knowing that the coat would eventually get soaked with rain, we decided to put up a new nest box nearby.  Joe and Joanne were just leaving for a program, so the job fell to me (Barb).

Here is the new nest box behind the canoe.  She didn't use it, but now she is back in the box by Rusty's pen.  I will take her scolding more seriously next time...........

Definitely Spring.

I just had to share this spring photo with you.  Warm days are on the way.

Snow on the Swamp

   Joe, Joanne, Susan, Barb, and Jimmy snowshoe out on the swamp to check the wood duck boxes.  Over 90% of the nest boxes were used last spring.  The swamp supports over thirty wood duck nest boxes as well as many other nest boxes for owls to chickadees.

Photos by Barb Rogers and Joanne Williams.

On Christmas Day...

   On Christmas Day, an eagle flew over the swamp.

 Another eagle perched on the edge of the swamp.  Note how the white head and white tail blend in with the background making it appear as if it is a smaller hawk, such as a red-tailed hawk, at first glance.  Eagles are returning to their nesting territories now through late winter. 

Often eagle courtship both in the air and on the ground is mis-identified as fighting.

After the Eagle Release

  After releasing the latest eagle, the swamp seemed suddenly quiet, yet enduring.........and so this photo of late fall over the pond just after the eagle flew.

Woodland Wetlands

   Woodlands surrounding the swamp are equally important.  We stumbled upon a doe and her two fawns, and before she was aware of us, we were able to blend with the forest.  She remained unaware, but the little ones picked up movement, our scent, or some other indication of our presence.  The curious fawns walked cautiously towards us for ten or more yards while we practically held our breath.  We finally turned away, showing ourselves, and the family scampered away.  Their wild nature and naivete was what made the moment special.

The Swamp

   The swamp is abundant with a wealth of wildlife, both rare and common; all species important in the web of life when the ecosystem is in balance.  When we can protect the conditions that foster this balance, we can enjoy all that it offers.  A few of the more common species we see............