forestgnome
New member
Spring is in the air! I think these flickers were doing the mating thing. They were picking something out of the ground and eating, but they were also doing what I would describe as flying chest bumps. There were at least two dozen of them in a meadow after sunrise, and many were doing it.
Then these two 2-year-old bulls emerged in the back of the meadow.
I think they are the same yearling brothers that I saw last spring...
They were in the same area. They happen to be 2-year-olds and the two I saw last spring were yearlings.
It's been warm and sunny for a week and I'm now fully healed from winter with my first spring moose sighting
I started my hike up Bear Mtn. from Bear Notch Rd. Yesterday I saw plenty of bare ground there from the switchbacks on Champney Falls Trail. I followed a few old logging roads for a while then found a seem of bare ground on a ridge of hemlocks. Then a bird swooped in and landed on my head! I ducked a tiny bit in surprise, then said hello to whoever was on my head. I put my hand up for the bird to land on. Then it came down and hoovered in front of me, looking me right in the eye, then landed on my hand. I think it was a black-capped chicadee, but it was very small. I went for my camera but it jumped up and hoovered again in front of me, looking right at me, then flew off. That was incredible. It acted like a gray jay.
I was looking for evidence of moose spending the winter. After hiking up for a half hour I found plenty of fresh sign. This striped maple was feasted upon recently.
This was interesting. It looks similar to teeth marks from moose. However, the marks are much too small, and the beech sapling was munched all the way around, up to about 15' off the ground, almost to the top. I think whoever did it must be a small creature whose weight was supported by the sapling.
bear prints on Bear Mtn.
continued...
Then these two 2-year-old bulls emerged in the back of the meadow.
I think they are the same yearling brothers that I saw last spring...
They were in the same area. They happen to be 2-year-olds and the two I saw last spring were yearlings.
It's been warm and sunny for a week and I'm now fully healed from winter with my first spring moose sighting
I started my hike up Bear Mtn. from Bear Notch Rd. Yesterday I saw plenty of bare ground there from the switchbacks on Champney Falls Trail. I followed a few old logging roads for a while then found a seem of bare ground on a ridge of hemlocks. Then a bird swooped in and landed on my head! I ducked a tiny bit in surprise, then said hello to whoever was on my head. I put my hand up for the bird to land on. Then it came down and hoovered in front of me, looking me right in the eye, then landed on my hand. I think it was a black-capped chicadee, but it was very small. I went for my camera but it jumped up and hoovered again in front of me, looking right at me, then flew off. That was incredible. It acted like a gray jay.
I was looking for evidence of moose spending the winter. After hiking up for a half hour I found plenty of fresh sign. This striped maple was feasted upon recently.
This was interesting. It looks similar to teeth marks from moose. However, the marks are much too small, and the beech sapling was munched all the way around, up to about 15' off the ground, almost to the top. I think whoever did it must be a small creature whose weight was supported by the sapling.
bear prints on Bear Mtn.
continued...
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