Wildlife in Winter

 

Each season presents wildlife with its own set of challenges; during the short cold days of winter finding adequate food and shelter is challenge enough.  The predominately oak forest in my region usually produce an acorn crop that many species including wild turkey depend upon for winter forage.  With the 2013 acorn crop a bust, this flock of turkeys has located a field where a local dairy farmer has spread manure.  While cow manure does not sound appetizing to us, the bits of undigested grain it contains brings these big birds back for a daily life sustaining meal. 

 

 

While deer have no choice but to stay out in the cold, they do have ways of coping with the chilly temperatures.  During cold windy weather deer will seek out thermal cover, vegetation that breaks the wind.  On cold sunny days they will often be found on southern exposures where the warming rays of the winter sun makes the day much more tolerable.  In addition to utilizing protection from the terrain, deer also have the ability to make their insulating coats thicker or thinner.  This deer, photographed on a morning when the thermometer read about 10 degrees, has its coat fluffed for maximum warmth. 

 

 

Humans can play a considerable role in the winter survival of some species.  Many songbirds depend upon backyard feeders to supplement their diet with high calorie foods such as sunflower seeds and suet. 

 

In a sometimes undesired way, backyard bird feeders also provide a ready food source to predator species.  This coopers hawk, with breast feathers fluffed to ward of the chill, watches intently for its chance at an unwary bird. 

 

 

 

 

In the ongoing cycle of life, the stress of winter removes the old, the weak, the infirm, and the unwary.  In death they in turn become food for the predator and scavenger species continuing the unending cycle of life and the continuous evolution through survival of the fittest.

 

January Snow: Snowy Owl Irruption

 

Around a month ago, I began to notice snowy owl photos taken in Presque Isle State Park and posted by some of my Facebook friends.  Reports of Snowy sightings kept filtering in until it was clear that a major Snowy Owl irruption was underway.

My niece, Amy, a devoted birder e-mailed me about a late December sighting in neighboring Franklin County and then later about a report of a bird sighted in the Clear Ridge area of Fulton County.  Following up on the Clear Ridge tip, I spent a Sunday morning unsuccessfully trying to locate the bird.  When she e-mailed again Wednesday that Snowies were being sighted again in Franklin County near Mercersburg I drove through the area on my way home from work and spotted one bird a long distance from the road.  Returning the next evening I located two owls.  The photos above are of the second bird.

 

This morning Willard and I were in the area at daybreak and spotted our first owl well before sunrise.  With the temperature in the low twenties and the wind howling we set up the tripods and tried to shoot sharp images even though it was impossible to steady the cameras. 

This owl was quite active, taking flight and relocating several times.

From what I have gleaned from the reports on the 2013-2014 irruption, it is pretty much an eastern phenomena with at least one owl reported as far south as northern Florida.  Some are reporting that this is the largest irruption in fifty years while others describe it as a once-in-a-lifetime event.

As for me, Wednesday evening was the very first I had ever observed a snowy owl followed by my first photographs on Thursday making the impressive white owl my first lifer for the year!

Later in the morning after the first owl had moved out of range we spotted another snowy a mile or so away from the first.

 

This owl relocated a number of times with this photo being of one of its landings.

While reading about this unusual owl irruption on the web I ran across an ongoing snowy owl migration study called Project SNOWstorm, a study involving GPS tracking.  Currently three owls have been fitted with transmitters and are mapping their travels.

Revisiting the Elk Rut

With the local whitetail activity at a low point and the ground remaining free snow for the most part, I have been spending my free time catching up on things around home.  In the midst of all my catching up I  realized that I had not posted to Country Captures in nearly a week!  Sometimes a fellow just can't win! 

 

 Since I have not been shooting much new material lately it is time to step back, and this time step back to one foggy late September morning on Winslow Hill and revisit the mature bull elk, Limpy, as he pursues a cow waiting for that moment that she will accept his advances.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perches for Feeder Birds

Song Sparrow

 

Feeders will draw birds for easier viewing all year long but when snow blankets the ground birds will descend on established feeders in droves.  Provide a variety of natural or natural appearing perches nearby that takes advantage of the natural light and you will have a perfect winter bird studio. 

White-throated Sparrow

 

The song sparrow and the white-throated sparrow in the above photographs both posed for me today on a multi-flora rose bush overgrown by an unidentified vine.

 

 

Black-capped Chickadee

 

A tree standing beside the feeder provides a multitude of branch perches such as the one used by the above chickadee. 

 

Female Northern Cardinal

 

This female cardinal perched on a broken poke stalk during a snow storm.  I am particularly fond of poke weed growing near my bird feeding areas as it not only provides a good variety of photogenic perches but feeds the birds as well. 

 

The Last and First 2013-2014

Canon 6D, 600mm lens at approximately 300 yards.

 

With a strong cold wind whipping about I decided to spend my New Year's eve afternoon indoors.  Before sunset a flock of turkeys appeared on the ridge behind my home feeding in an area of sorghum stubble where the farmer had recently spread cow manure.  This image was shot handheld by resting the heavy lens across the deck rail.  This was to be my last wildlife photo op of the year.  

 

This morning I began another year of wildlife photography when this well acclimated fox squirrel arrived at the feeders.  Using the same outfit described above mounted on the tripod, this shot was made at a distance of about 18 feet.  Whether it is small subjects up close or larger ones at long range the Canon EF 600mm f/4 IS USM Super Telephoto has become my first choice in wildlife lenses whenever portability is not an issue.

 

Happy New Year Everyone!

Meadow Grounds Lake, Still Empty At Year's End

Empty, with the exception of a small pool, the Meadow Grounds awaits the political will to identify funding for the necessary repairs.

 

View of the lake outlet.  Notice the outline of the concrete abutment in the ice.  I can only surmise that the outline was caused by the temperature difference between the concrete and the deeper water as the ice is a few inches above the abutment. 

There is an old saying that goes thus, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease", and in view of recent developments apparently we Fulton County residents and Meadow Grounds Lake users are not squeaking loud enough.

 A view from the former lake bed looking west into what was a cove that was productive for both fish and waterfowl.

Tonight I visited the PFBC website and viewed the High-Hazard, Unsafe Dam Revitalization Program Update page which had just recently been updated.  Reading over the projects the Colyer Lake repair grabbed my attention.

 The draining of Centre County's Colyer Lake was announced the day of the first public meeting about the Meadow Grounds, about a month after the Meadow Grounds drawdown anouncment.  Colyer Lake drew much media attention from the State College, Johnstown area and by early May the PFBC had reconsidered the complete drawdown and announced that a 17 foot reduction in the water level would be adequate to insure safety until funding could be found.

Fish structure installed by the PFBC in 2012

 

With much media attention and apparently the attention of the state senator serving the area today the 7.2 million Colyer Lake project is fully funded as listed below (PFBC website) 

                                                     1. GBO - $5.85 million (Senator Corman
                                                     2. Save Colyer Lake inc. - $100,000
                                                     3. PFBC - $1.25 million in Act 89 funding

 

Not only is the funding in hand but the PFBC has completed the engineering design and the project is currently awaiting Department of Environmental Protection review and approval!  It is very apparent from line 1 above that Senator Corman heard his constituents concerns and acted in their interest.

Meanwhile the Meadow Grounds lies empty with no funding identified.

 

And I have yet to receive a reply to a November 9th email sent to my State Senator, John Eichelberger, asking what effect if any that Senate Bill 680 has on funding the repairs to the Meadow Grounds dam.  In the beginning Senator Eichelberger seemed quite eager to do what was necessary for the restoration of our lake, now I am not as sure.

 

Rest assured that prior to voting for anyone for county commissioner or state office I will need to know their position concerning the lake and before voting for any incumbent I will not be listening to their promises but rather will be looking at their record.  

 

 

A Succesful Hunt: Northern Harrier Male

Male Northern Harrier at approximately 260 yards, Canon 6D, EF 600mm f/4.0L IS lens

 

As I topped the hill behind my home I spotted a male northern harrier soaring low over the stubble field.  By the time I was able to stop the truck and get the 600 out the window the hawk was soaring low to the ground behind my house in the distance.  As this swoop took the harrier near my bird feeders I felt fairly certain that the small birds were his attraction.

The harrier continued a short distance before turning 180 degrees and dropped from sight as he soared past the house again but lower in the ravine. 

Driving towards home I again spotted the harrier, this time on the ground, some 40-50 yards behind my home.  The harrier watched me intently as I jockeyed the truck in position to allow photographing from the open window but did not fly as I expected.

After watching me for ten minutes the harrier reached down between its legs and began to tear a small creature apart!  This when I realized why the bird did not flee when I approached.

After feeding for a few minutes the bird lifted it prey.  While I was expecting a song bird the animal appears to be a meadow vole. 

After the harrier finished off its meal it walked about picking up the pieces it had missed.  In fact it cleaned up so well that when I inspected the area trying to find fur to help confirm my identification of its prey I was unable to find so much as a single hair!  With the clean up finished the bird rested on the ground for another five minutes or so.  Notice its bulging crop.

 

Finally the beautiful bird lifted off on silver wings.

 

And soared away into a fast moving snow squall leaving me with memories and images of a few minutes spent with a northern harrier.

Merry Christmas!

 

Wishing all a very Merry Christmas!

 

Wildlife Out In The Cold

 When the cold blast of winter sweeps across the land we have the option of heading indoors and cranking up the heat or bundling up in warm layers of clothing.

Wildlife on the other hand have no such options.  While some species migrate to warmer climes, wildlife such as the deer and turkeys must cope by using their naturally insulated coats and by searching out thermal cover during the night or on cloudy days and warm southern exposures on sunny days.  This young buck with frost on his head and neck demonstrates the incredible insulating ability of his dense winter coat.

 A small fawn of the year stands chewing her cud with frost clinging to her fluffy forehead. 

I photographed this gobbler during a snow flurry.  The turkey's feathers retains its body heat so well that the snow lying on his back does not melt.

 

While wildlife does not have the options to deal with winter that are available to we humans their options are sufficient to ensure the survival of species. 

 

 

Deer Season Ends in Snow

The 2013 Pennsylvania firearms deer season came to an end at nightfall today.  When I crawled out of my warm bed this morning the sky was clouded over and just before dawn snow began falling.  Throughout the morning snow showers intermittently filled the air with steady snow beginning soon

after lunch.

 

   

Throughout the day the occasional sound of gunfire, muffled by the falling snow, thudded in the distance.  With the winter storm upon them I found some deer feeding in heavy cover where they were protected from the cold wind. 

On this particular afternoon the deer were feeding on the dried leaves of wild sunflower.  This year we experienced a near total failure of the acorn crop. 

As darkness descended the most dangerous time of the year for our local whitetails passed.  Although there are a few weeks of archery/flintlock hunting season for them to contend with after Christmas, the winter weather will be a greater threat than the hunters.