1/9/08 Observations

- Cool and clear this AM...41 F and a beautiful sunrise...after a very stormy and windy night.

- The anticipated 1-2" of rain, still badly needed, did not materialize for the mountain properties...as we only received around .1 or .2" of rain. Areas north and south of us received considerably more. More rain is forecast tonight and tomorrow.

- Early this morning, before first light, I heard the haunting call of The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) in the forest behind the cabin. The call of this large predator, named for the tufts of feathers that resemble 'horns' on each side of the head, will become more prevalent in the late winter/early spring.

- A lone deer, a doe, escorted me in to the cabin last evening. The animal was caught between fences that parallel the road on either side, and instead of jumping, simply ran down the road in front of me for a long stretch...and then darted into the forest when there was no more fence.

- Still see Goldfinches, Nuthatches, Titmice, and Chickadees at the feeders regularly. Also, a new one, a Purple Finch, made an appearance recently. Various species of woodpeckers, namely the Common Flicker, the Downy Woodpecker, the Red-Bellied Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker, and an occasional Pileated, make frequent visits to the suet cakes.

- One attached photo is of a Common Crow acting as sentinel for his buddies...in a tree in front of the cabin this morning. Several other crows were in a field nearby.

- The other attached photo is another product of the imagination of our developer and visionary, Dr. Jimmy Wagner. The photo is of 'The Hobbitt House'...which is under construction in Hemlock Park....one of our many nature parks...located in the deep forest at the confluence of No Name Creek and Stone Creek. Nearby is a new wooden bridge where hikers can cross the creek and continue their trek along our extensive trail system.