Copperhead or Not?
On a recent bike ride along the New River Trail in VA I was more or less in auto-pilot and was paying less attention to my surroundings than I should have. My biking companion Mason suddenly shouted that he had run over a copperhead! I was shocked that I had been so careless to have not noticed the rare snake and also doubted that it was really a copperhead.
Copperhead on gravel along New River Trail
On a recent bike ride along the New River Trail in VA I was more or less in auto-pilot and was paying less attention to my surroundings than I should have. My biking companion Mason suddenly shouted that he had run over a copperhead! I was shocked that I had been so careless to have not noticed the rare snake and also doubted that it was really a copperhead. Humans have a very strained relationship with snakes and often misidentify them. But to my surprise and delight, it was indeed a copperhead. Against the gravel background of the trail the copperhead stood out in stark relief. When I moved it off into the adjacent leaves it blended in magnificently. Aside from a very beautiful camouflage pattern, copperheads have an elliptical pupil and a distinctive pit organ between the eye and nose. This is a most remarkable sensory structure that allows for the snake to detect infrared radiation and to distinguish a tiny difference in temperature between an object and the background. This seemed to be a female snake that was gravid, so I am hoping she did not suffer serious damage from being hit by the bike tire.
Copperhead against leaf background
Copperhead closeup of head and pit organ
Although copperheads are venomous, they are not generally lethal. But what are some other local snakes that might be confused with copperheads? Probably the number one common snake that is often misidentified is the northern water snake, which is blotched, but has a very different look or "giz" and lacks the vertical pupil and pit.
The milk snake is also blotched but is much thinner and has a very different head shape. Some other blotched snakes are the juvenile pilot black snake and the black racer (not shown). Both have a much thinner shape than young copperheads and lack a yellow tail tip.
Milksnake on New River Trail bridge
Milksnake
N water snake Beaverdam Trail
Black rat snake
Northern water snake Chesnut Creek
So why do people have so much trouble distinguishing the dangerous copperhead from a number of common non-venomous snakes? Partly it is a matter of unfamiliarity and inattention to detail. The differences are quite clear and perhaps many people simply see any snake as a danger and kill it. This seems to be a learned response since babies show no fear of snakes. Let's try to teach our kids and grandkids to show more respect for a beautiful and rarely seen member of our biosphere.
Bill Dunson
Galax, VA and Englewood, FL
Creature Feature: Spicebush Swallowtail
A stand of Spicebush along the creek results in an abundance of Spicebush Swallowtails Papilio troilus flying low and fluttering their wings while they feast on summer's abundant flowers.
A stand of Spicebush along the creek results in an abundance of Spicebush Swallowtails Papilio troilus flying low and fluttering their wings while they feast on summer's abundant flowers.
Walking through the woods in late summer, you might be rewarded if you examine Spicebush leaves, especially leaves that are rolled over. Lurking inside this leaf-retreat, is what appears to be a snake or maybe a tree frog (exactly what the caterpillar wants predators to think!) They might even rear up and retract their head to increase the illusion.
A true mimic, early stages of the caterpillar resemble bird poop, and the adults resemble the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor.
Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar Photo courtesy of Ellen Reynolds, Beagle Ridge Herb Farm
Photo by Bill Dunson
Do you remember the butterfly life cycle?
Butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, then the females lay eggs on a suitable host plant. While some butterflies lay eggs on a variety of plants, more often they limit themselves to a specific plant, such as Monarchs Danaus plexippus and Milkweed Asclepias spp., or a plant family such as Spicebush Swallowtails Papilio troilus and the family Lauraceaea which includes Spicebush Lindera bezoin and Sassafras Sassafras albidum.
In addition to sight, females utilize chemical receptors on their forelegs to assess the chemicals in the leaf to decide if it is an suitable host. Once the eggs hatch, caterpillars eat the leaves of the host until they are large enough to pupate. Then they will spin a chrysalis and complete their transformation into a butterfly.
Hyla Versicolor, the Grey Tree Frog
The June woods are alive at night with the call of Hyla versicolor, Grey Tree Frogs. They breed from April to August, with males gathering in trees near water and calling to the females.
The June woods are alive at night with the call of Hyla versicolor, Grey Tree Frogs. They breed from April to August, with males gathering in trees near water and calling to the females.
The female selects a mate based on its call. She will lay her eggs in any available standing water: ponds, vernal pools, even old tires or swimming pools. The tadpoles hatch in four or five days and will change into froglets in about two months.
As their Latin name suggests, Hyla versicolor has the ability to change color, appearing green, gray, or brown. It can be a solid color or can have blotches on its back and can change its color in seconds. It tends to appear darker when it is cold or dark. Its coloring helps it blend in with tree bark.
When the mating season comes to a close, the Grey Tree Frogs return to the woodlands and edge habitats for a mostly solitary existence; eventually hibernating under leaves on the ground through the cold months and withstanding freezing temperatures by producing glucose as an anti-freeze.
Canadian migrant arrives early on the New River
With the arrival of August it seems that summer is almost over, most birds have finished breeding, and cooler weather must be coming soon. But one of the surest signs of the approaching end of summer is the first arrival of migrating birds that breed in the far north.
With the arrival of August it seems that summer is almost over, most birds have finished breeding, and cooler weather must be coming soon. But one of the surest signs of the approaching end of summer is the first arrival of migrating birds that breed in the far north. While on a bike ride to Byellsby Dam along the New River Trail in SW VA on July 26, I was surprised to see a solitary sandpiper feeding along a mud flat. It would appear that this bird has already bred in the far north and is now returning to its winter home in Central or South America.
It is always surprising to me that the breeding of these long distance migrants is so quick, and the distances traveled so great. Conditions in Canada must be very conducive to breeding to justify the dangers of migration to accomplish this rapid reproductive cycle. Yet how often do we fail to express our wonder at such amazing feats of avian athleticism and the remarkable evolutionary pathways that led to such migratory behavior?
Human beings (Homo sapiens)
This is more of a subjective piece…how could it not be…but before we get ahead of ourselves, the inspiration behind it is the Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally where and when we, as humans focused on the natural history of our Blue Ridge, celebrate our love for our fellow creatures great and small. We come together not as exploiters, but explorers…a somewhat atypical behavior of Homo sapiens.
This is more of a subjective piece…how could it not be…but before we get ahead of ourselves, the inspiration behind it is the Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally where and when we, as humans focused on the natural history of our Blue Ridge, celebrate our love for our fellow creatures great and small. We come together not as exploiters, but explorers…a somewhat atypical behavior of Homo sapiens.
In the earliest conversations that became Blue Ridge Discovery Center, Devin Floyd and I marveled over this fact: not a single field guide to mammals of North America, (or any other region for that matter), includes the ‘big ape’, us. Not even a wink or nod. This separation between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom has artificially elevated and confused our role as a player in the ecological web that we, yes as animals, depend on regardless of our lack of appropriate humility.
This is not the place or time to parade our conservation efforts, nor shall we dwell on the history of our transgressions. Rather, let’s look at why this separation exists at all. What are we? Anthropologists point to two exceptional differences between Homo sapiens and the rest of the animal world: tool building and communication skills. We know that other animals share some propensity for both, and research continues to advance the notion that we are just beginning to understand how similarly talented some of our animal friends may actually be. As new discoveries are made in this vein, perhaps an evolved sense of humility from us will arise…helping to close this animal gap.But, the fact remains, we are mammals.
So, along with plants/animals/fungi, the deep history of geological time, the flexibility that drives all life forms from the microbes of leaf litter to inhabitants of high rise city-scapes, we are in this together. And that is the spirit behind exploring our complex world, and the spirit behind the Rally. Humans with curiosity and respect for what we share and need from that complexity makes us and our world a better place to live. The human sense of wonder, our ability to describe and share this wonder is what makes us…human?
Scott Jackson-Ricketts
Golden-winged Warbler
The golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is a challenged species on at least two levels. Its preferred habitat of wet, brushy, early successional open areas with available perching trees is disappearing, which has contributed to the decline of this species, placing it in the ‘species of concern’ category by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is a challenged species on at least two levels. Its preferred habitat of wet, brushy, early successional open areas with available perching trees is disappearing, which has contributed to the decline of this species, placing it in the ‘species of concern’ category by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The other contributing factor is the expansion of the Blue-winged warbler (Vermivora pinus) into the golden’s range, where hybridization between these cousins happens with relative frequency, resulting in two hybrid and back-cross types known as “Lawrence’s” and “Brewster’s”.
Credit: Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Pre-1923
The golden-winged mostly breeds in the Great Lakes region, with some remarkable fidelity to the Blue Ridge Eco-region. Here in our Blue Ridge Mountains, with some careful observation and exploration, breeding goldens can be found. Not that many years ago, one dependable such spot was at the Alleghany Access to the New River State Park…just across the NC/VA state line near Mouth of Wilson, VA. Speculation as to why they no longer breed here focuses on the changing composition of the rapidly aging successional fields within that park.
Goldens are easy to identify by their buzzy song. Described as a high-pitched zeebeebeebee . Once familiar with their song, which is delivered by the male on an exposed perch, finding the bird becomes a matter of stealth, good eyes, and patience. But a word of caution: given the rarity of this species especially, disturbing a nesting pair or their habitat is to be avoided. Use binoculars and spotting scopes to get those close-up views.
This small and highly active insectivore, wears a yellow cap above a brightly patterned black and white face and black throat. The body is mostly gray, but with a strong yellow wing patch, thus its name. Males are brighter than females.The nest is built on the ground, hidden by surrounding shrubs and/or grasses. Generally, their arrival dates are May 1st through the 10th. As one of the ‘neo-tropical migrants’, in the fall they head back south for the winter.
Spring Peeper (Hyla crucifer)
Most of us recognize the high shrills of our spring peeper as a significant harbinger of spring. These are our first frog breeders, sometimes beginning as early as late February, but most commonly mid-March. For this important event in the ongoing life of peepers, the tiny frogs migrate to vernal pools, and pond and stream edges in meadows and woodlands, where the competition for mates commences.
Most of us recognize the high shrills of our spring peeper as a significant harbinger of spring. These are our first frog breeders, sometimes beginning as early as late February, but most commonly mid-March. For this important event in the ongoing life of peepers, the tiny frogs migrate to vernal pools, and pond and stream edges in meadows and woodlands, where the competition for mates commences. The males sing two types of songs…one is their ‘announcement or advertisement call’ and the other an ‘aggression call’. Both songs are issued from the approximately 12” diameter territory of each male, with the first call meant to attract females and the second to warn off other males.
Peepers are tree frogs, and when the mating season comes to an end, they return to the woodlands and edge habitats for a mostly solitary existence; eventually hibernating under leaves on the ground through the cold months and withstanding freezing temperatures by producing glucose as an anti-freeze. Their diet consists of small invertebrates.
Six years ago I took it upon myself to do a bit of field research into ‘that noisy bunch of frogs’. Below the north slope of our land lies a cow pasture through which Bridle Creek flows. In the lowest lying land, the meadow becomes a marsh in which our local clan of peepers congregates every spring. Their cacophonous peeping becomes nearly deafening at the height of their frenzy. This marshy area is temporary, so the business at hand must be accomplished before sunny summer days dry it out. It takes 1 ½ to 2 months for the tadpoles to develop into frogs, after a week of gestation. That gives them a window of less the 3 months…which is exactly right for this spot.
When I approached the meadow wetland, the closer I got to the breeders, the less they sang. This was during the early morning hours, but well after first light. From what I have learned, it might be easier to observe them at night, with a flashlight; but with a bit of patience, I was fully rewarded. Once I positioned myself in the middle of the marsh, I squatted and remained motionless. After 10 or 15 minutes they forgot I was there, and got back to work. Surrounding me were dozens of mating pairs along with hopeful males trilling in concert. I returned to this exhibition for several days in a row, watching, listening, and photographing the spectacle.
The first two pictures were taken in the meadow, the third in my yard at night…near a small artificial pond.
Early Spring Migrants: Birds: Red-winged blackbird
Avian spring migrants come in two categories: Northbound birds and elevation transients or lateral migrators. The second group mostly consists of our high elevation breeders, such as dark-eyed juncos, that drop off the mountain tops for a few winter months in search of easier food, water and in some cases, shelter. Most of us, however, think of the distance travelers, when we talk about spring migration.
Avian spring migrants come in two categories: Northbound birds and elevation transients or lateral migrators. The second group mostly consists of our high elevation breeders, such as dark-eyed juncos, that drop off the mountain tops for a few winter months in search of easier food, water and in some cases, shelter. Most of us, however, think of the distance travelers, when we talk about spring migration.
One of the fun things about early migrant spring bird sighting is the juxtaposition of new arrivals to our special winter visitors…who will soon enough become early spring migrants further north, even within the Blue Ridge. Some of the birds that will soon be leaving are pine siskins, purple finches, and eventually white-throated sparrows. Here in Grayson County, our avian harbingers of spring include red-winged blackbirds, rusty blackbirds, tree swallows, pine warblers, and an increase in our most common thrushes, bluebirds and robins.
Ring-necked Duck
Other birds seen during late winter and early spring, but do not breed here, are several species associated with ponds, lakes and rivers. Among them we can hope to see these ducks: Scaup, ring-necked duck, blue-winged teal, common mergansers and hooded mergansers.
Red-winged Blackbird, Photo Credit: Wikimedia CC
Most birders judge the evidence of spring by the red-winged blackbirds’ arrival. Males are always a couple of weeks ahead of the females, staking out territory for the upcoming breeding season. My Grayson County 2015 spring arrival species and dates follow:
- Red-winged blackbird…late February
- Blue-headed vireo…March 4th
- Pine warbler…March 7th
In other notes, on March 5th, I counted 33 ring-billed gulls on the New River at Cox’s Chapel, and have been hearing sighting reports of osprey on the move. Early breeders include screech and great-horned owls, ravens, and red-tail hawks.
Common Nighthawks
Every year around Labor Day weekend Common Nighthawks migrate through our region in mass. In the evenings keep your eyes peeled to the sky for a bird that at first glance might look like a large bat. They are often seen snapping up aerial insects that rise at dusk. Pay very close attention and you can hear their wide gaping mouths snap shut on the unsuspecting prey! If you can train a pair of binoculars on them you'll notice a distinct white bar on their pointed wings. They have an erratic fight pattern that links insect to insect across the sky and you'll often see a "river" of nighthawks that can number in the hundreds, streaming in a general direction (typically south). Their ultimate winter destination? South America!
So due yourself a favor and witness one of the great bird migrations of the world by spending a few minutes each evening looking up at the sky over the next two weeks.
MEGALOPTERA!
In recent news you may have seen that the largest aquatic insect in the world was recently discovered in China: Scientific American. At first glance this is a rather frightening foreign creature, but did you know that it's equally intimidating cousin lives right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains?
In recent news you may have seen that the largest aquatic insect in the world was recently discovered in China: Scientific American. At first glance this is a rather frightening foreign creature, but did you know that it's equally intimidating cousin lives right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains?
Inevitably, when the hot summer days set in, a campfire discussion comes to life about a mysterious flying finger-eating monster patrolling the skies after sunset! Well these stories are not too far off base. Our rivers and warm creeks play host to the Eastern Dobsonfly that is a part of the Megalopteran order (Large Wing) and Corydalidae family. As aquatic macroinvertebrates they live the majority of their life under water. Even though they start out rather tiny, they grow quickly into 2"-3" ferocious predators in the underwater aquatic insect world. Locals refer to them as "hellgrammites" and seek them as prime fish bait for smallmouth bass. Each summer maturing larvae crawl out of the rivers to shelter along the water's edge where they pupate. From there they hatch into adults, flying like crashing helicopters, seemingly erratic and with abandon.
Dobsonfly, credit: Wikipedia Commons
They look intimidating with their long tusk-like mandibles and can easily getting tangled up in your hair causing panic in any honest person, but they are actually relatively harmless to humans. As a matter of fact, they don't consume food as adults! Rather, they use the large mandibles solely for mating! I still practice caution when handling them and hold them tight just behind the head like I would a crawdad.
Hellgrammite
You'll find these attracted to street lights, flying at night or resting first thing in the morning. They are primarily nocturnal and if you've ever sat with a lantern riverside in the summer you probably have had hellgrammites grace you with their presence.
Anytime I see an adult hellgrammite I also keep an eye out for the other mid-summer hatch of giants: the "Hex Fly"
Hexagenia limbata
Lemon Plagodis
This morning I found three Lemon Plagodis and an Oak Besma perched on a Velcro strap that holds my moth sheet tight. Enjoy!
This morning I found three Lemon Plagodis and an Oak Besma perched on a Velcro strap that holds my moth sheet tight. Enjoy!
Cecropia
Hyalophora Cecropia isn't a moth that I expected to see at my moth light here in the mountains. I had a brief glimpse of one in Lake Waccamaw State Park in North Carolina fourteen years ago today (5/20/14). The only time I had one to examine up close and personal, I was a kid on the family farm in Delaware, 60+ years ago. Cecropias are the largest of our North American silkmoths and they are spectacular in their own right. Enjoy the pics!
Hyalophora Cecropia isn't a moth that I expected to see at my moth light here in the mountains. I had a brief glimpse of one in Lake Waccamaw State Park in North Carolina fourteen years ago today (5/20/14). The only time I had one to examine up close and personal, I was a kid on the family farm in Delaware, 60+ years ago. Cecropias are the largest of our North American silkmoths and they are spectacular in their own right. Enjoy the pics!
Calico Pennant
Last Wednesday (5?14/14) my wife and I found a number of active dragonflies at Bass Lake on the outskirts of Blowing Rock, Watauga County, NC. We saw eastern pondhawks, common whitetails, Carolina saddlebags, and Calico pennants. The pennants sat still long enough for me to get a decent photo. Enjoy!
Last Wednesday (5?14/14) my wife and I found a number of active dragonflies at Bass Lake on the outskirts of Blowing Rock, Watauga County, NC. We saw eastern pondhawks, common whitetails, Carolina saddlebags, and Calico pennants. The pennants sat still long enough for me to get a decent photo. Enjoy!
Io
The Io, Automeris io, is a Saturnid moth that has two adult forms. The dark morph is female and the yellow morph is male. The caterpillar, amply supplied with spurs for defense, feeds on an assortment of deciduous trees and plants including birches, elms, maples, oaks, and willows.
The Io, Automeris io, is a Saturnid moth that has two adult forms. The dark morph is female and the yellow morph is male. The caterpillar, amply supplied with spurs for defense, feeds on an assortment of deciduous trees and plants including birches, elms, maples, oaks, and willows.
Artichoke Plume Moth
The plume moths, Pterophoridae, include many species that can't be identified either in the field or from photos. Fortunately there are a few exceptions in our area. This moth is maybe an inch from wingtip to wingtip. Its name, Platyptilia carduidactylus, is longer than its wingspan. Its English name, Artichoke Plume Moth, indicates one of tis host plants, but the caterpillars also utilize thistles, much more common than the garden vegetable in my neck of the woods.
The plume moths, Pterophoridae, include many species that can't be identified either in the field or from photos. Fortunately there are a few exceptions in our area. This moth is maybe an inch from wingtip to wingtip. Its name, Platyptilia carduidactylus, is longer than its wingspan. Its English name, Artichoke Plume Moth, indicates one of tis host plants, but the caterpillars also utilize thistles, much more common than the garden vegetable in my neck of the woods.
Crane Fly
Fortunately not everything that comes to lights is a moth. I get lots of beetles every spring and crane flies most of the here . Here is an interesting one from yesterday.
Fortunately not everything that comes to lights is a moth. I get lots of beetles every spring and crane flies most of the here . Here is an interesting one from yesterday.
Chasing Tigers in the Blue Ridge
In the Central Virginia Blue Ridge exists a phenomenal ecosystem, one that was probably shaped by raging braided mountain streams during the last iceage. It contains many disjunct species. In fact, over 90 species that are well outside their typical range have been documented here. It’s an odd mix of coastal plain, Appalachian and northern plants and animals. While several rare and endangered species exist here, today we focused on a well known Blue Ridge phenomenon: Salamanders.
The Blue Ridge harbors so many treasures.
In the Central Virginia Blue Ridge exists a phenomenal ecosystem, one that was probably shaped by raging braided mountain streams during the last iceage. It contains many disjunct species. In fact, over 90 species that are well outside their typical range have been documented here. It’s an odd mix of coastal plain, Appalachian and northern plants and animals. While several rare and endangered species exist here, today we focused on a well known Blue Ridge phenomenon: Salamanders.
The Rivanna Chapter of Master Naturalists hosted its annual salamander hike to this part of the Blue Ridge. With a strong group of nearly 30 people, we headed to the George Washington National Forest and into the heart of the 30,000 acre wildlife management area known as Big Levels. While we expected to see several species, the one that had our hearts was the State Endangered Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum). It has been documented at this site but rarely has it been seen.
We found a single Tiger salamander, along with two other species of the same genus, the Marbled and the Spotted. The tiger was just under 7 inches long, and thus a small one. They are typically anywhere between 7 and 14 inches in length! For all involved this was a very special day; a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you John Holden for leading the walk! Excellent, as usual.
For more information about the Tiger Salamander:
Other noteworthy plants and animals
observed on the walk:
- Hooded merganser
- Ring-necked duck
- Pine Warbler
- Marbled salamander
- Spotted salamander
- Northern redback salamander
- Northern dusky salamander
- Redbellied snake
- Cricket frog
- Red eft
- Fox scat
- Coyote scat
- Bear scat
- Citronella ants
- Trailing arbutus (tightly closed flower buds)
- Spotted wintergreen
- Eastern teaberry (in full fruit)
D. Floyd
Plethodon complex salamander
Yesterday, March 12, I photographed a salamander in the yard. After I did an initial search for an ID, I sent the photos to Bill Dunson. He forwarded them to a couple of experts and recommended that I send the pics to the president of the Virginia Herpetological Society, which I did.
Yesterday, March 12, I photographed a salamander in the yard. After I did an initial search for an ID, I sent the photos to Bill Dunson. He forwarded them to a couple of experts and recommended that I send the pics to the president of the Virginia Herpetological Society, which I did.
Slimy salamanders (Plethodon) are lungless and do not have an aquatic larval stage. They live under logs and wander leaf litter in wooded areas, feeding on insects and other small invertebrates. Their skin is covered with a gummy substance that is difficult to wash off if you get it on your fingers.
Here are the pics.
FINALLY...The Elusive Red Crossbill
In the birding world, folks talk about their nemesis bird, the one that got away, that elusive, irritating species that everyone else sees but you. Bragging rights and chest pounding are not uncommon.
In the birding world, folks talk about their nemesis bird, the one that got away, that elusive, irritating species that everyone else sees but you. Bragging rights and chest pounding are not uncommon.
So it has been for me, after many many forays to the highlands of our area, my search for the red crossbill has been but a bitter disappointment. Not anymore.
Some background and one good story should precede today's successful discovery. Prior to Glen Eller's moving back to his home turf in Tennessee from Grayson County, he (among others) was a great birding mentor to me. For him as well, the crossbill was for years a nemesis bird. These finches move around a lot, seeking the high pastures of red-spruce and other pine species cones, flying about in small flocks, not staying put in one place for dependable observation. Their presence in our area is exclusive to where an abundance of heavy cone crops occur, mostly in our highlands. They are more of a boreal species, but as we should all know by now, the Blue Ridge is a relict community extension of that ecosystem. Glen and I spent hours searching for this bird, but I never hit pay dirt.
Our son's good friend, Jessica Cheng, painted me a picture of a red crossbill for this year's Christmas.
For inspiration (and with Damien's help), Jess looked up a former blog post describing my quest and gifted me 'my red crossbill'. I am not one big on luck, but somehow Jess's gift encouraged me to not give up.
Yesterday afternoon, Joyce and William Roberts made a spontaneous run to Whitetop, after which they emailed their sighting of crossbills. That was all it took, so I called Allen Boynton, and the two of us headed up this morning to make good on the expectation of my first life bird in over three years. Half way on the service road to Whitetop, we found our first flock of at least five, flying about, but eventually landing in good light on the high tips of red spruce. At the very top of Whitetop, we found another small flock, minimum of three, but much lower down and close enough for Allen to photograph. Here are the results!
Thank you Damien, Jessica, Joyce, William, Glen and Allen. We form our own societies around shared pleasures...even though for some...might seem peculiar.
SJR
Fox Squirrel
The fox squirrel that first appeared in the yard on December 12 continues to return periodically. This morning, Christmas Eve, it came to the pole feeder in front of the study window, enabling me to take a photo in spite of the cloudy weather.
The fox squirrel that first appeared in the yard on December 12 continues to return periodically. This morning, Christmas Eve, it came to the pole feeder in front of the study window, enabling me to take a photo in spite of the cloudy weather. Enjoy!
