1/29/08 Observations

- A windy mild morning, following a windy and relatively mild night.....not as cold as the last few nights. A weather front is headed our way and we hope for substantial rain.

- The attached photo is the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). Though the species is quite common in the wooded areas of southeast Tennessee, getting a quality photo of this magnificent avia has proven to be quite a challenge! It is the largest of the Tennessee woodpeckers, often reaching lengths of 16"-20". I witnessed one on my suet feeder recently but could not get a photo. The one in the photo was so enamored with some item in the crevice of the tree it paid little attention to me. Once the bird did maneuver around the tree, as you may have seen squirrels do, to avoid detection, but it returned to the same spot shortly. The tree, by the way, is the Princess Tree (Paulownia tomentosa), an oriental species that has become common in the Southland. It is known for its pale blue flowers and clusters of 'fig-like' fruits or husks.

- Deer seemed to be all over the place late yesterday afternoon. I spotted more than 20 from the beginning of our mountain developments to my cabin.

1/25/08 Observations

- Clear and cold this AM...9 degrees F on the mountain properties. This is about 20 degrees below normal for this date. Next week is forecast to be more seasonal with a couple of chances for rain.

- Last evening a great time for a fire and a good book.....and I was fortunate enough to enjoy both.

- 89% of the moon (waning) illuminated last night...and it cast quite a glow on the forest behind the cabin.

- One of our crew attemped to assist a young deer that was lying by the road last week, apparently having been bumped by a vehicle...but upon being approached it ran away, though noticeably limping. Yesterday, I believe I photographed this unfortunate young deer (see attached...the deer on the right in the photo...notice the back left leg is suspended), along with the mother and its sibling. The youngster never once placed it's back left foot on the ground, and it continued to have quite a limp. The location was about one mile from where it was seen by the road. These youngsters will stay with the mother (she was nearby) until she has her 2008 fawns (usually from late May-early July) and then they part ways. We wish it well.

- Also attached is a photo of five male Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) getting their fill of sunflower seeds on and beneath my feeders in a nearby area.

- The other attached photo is of a relatively new resident in our area of southeast Tennessee...The House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus). The photo shows the male and female of the species. The male has the purple hue on the feathers...which is more red in spring and summer. Note the sparrow-like appearance of the female. It is quite easy to confuse this species, especially in winter, with the slighly larger Purple Finch (Carpdacus purpureus).

1/22/08 Observations

- Cold, foggy and rainy today....with a bit of snow and ice in some spots on The Plateau...
- The temperature actually warmed somewhat during the night or we could have had some snow. I would love to see some snow...especially for photography and for tracking wildlife. By noon is was raining and around 34 degrees F on the mountain properties.
- Our lakes, creeks, and ponds are back to normal winter levels...but we still need all the rain we can get.
- Five deer casually cruised along the ridge in front of the cabin this morning, and there was the usual display of avia on the feeders....The Red-Bellied Woodpecker, a Hairy Woodpecker, The Nuthatches, Titmice, Chickadees, Mourning Doves (on the ground), and an unusually large number of Goldfinches.
- One attached photo was taken late PM yesterday (click on the photo...I believe there were seven or eight in this group).
- The other photo is of a Gray Squirrel having breakfast on one of my feeders in the front yard of the cabin this morning. Priceless.

A Deer Story - 1/17/08

- I have heard many wildlife stories throughout my lifetime, and many of them could not be verified.... with several of these tales falling into the 'big one that got away' syndrome. However, this is one that has been verified....

- The attached photos (one view from the rear and one from the front...note the many brow times) are of a Whitetail Deer found dead by a friend of mine. This massive buck was found dead in a wooded area near his home. By motion sensor camera, mostly at night, he had photographed this unique deer over several years...with the first photo being in 2002 (I have seen the photos) and already the buck had a massive set of antlers, though not quite as large as shown. This fact is phenomenal within itself...as male deer of this age, by statistics, comprise less than 1% of the population. There is no sure way of knowing the age of the buck when it was first photographed, but I do believe, based on evidence, this deer was at least 6.5 and maybe even 7.5+ years old when found. The .5 is relevant because most whitetails are born in the late spring/early summer...and statistics are based on annual harvest statistics that are always taken in the autumn/early winter. Why is this significant? I have many reference books that state that male deer NEVER reach this age in the wild. I have actually seen the harvest records taken from wildlife management areas showing thousands of entries over a period of years...and the OLDEST entry was 4.5 years. Age was estimated by examining the dentition when the animal was taken to the local checking stations. This also tells me that this whitetail was incredibly evasive and cautious. My friend had seen him only once during the daylight hours and it was not during hunting season. He had photographed this deer several times over the years, but these photographs were taken by the motion sensor camera at night, so one might assume nocturnal wanderings were the rule for him. Also, it is difficult to believe there could possibly be two bucks of this size in one general area. One other item of interest....deer shed their antlers annually and typically these antlers, which are made of minerals such as calcium, are eaten by rodents. This can be seen in the photographs...as many of the tines show gnaw marks of the incisors of rodents.

- How did this buck die? Two theories....1) A poacher at night...for the deer was found dead in the forest near a field, a part of which could be seen from a county road. 2) Old age.

- Some of the measured statistics of this magnificent animal....The longest vertical tines upward from the main beams were 13+/- inches tall. The inside spread of the rack was 19.5". There are 18 measurable points. Wow! A sad ending, but what a life he must have led! And one thought that immediately registered with me....how many young bucks did he sire that one day may cause a similar reaction?

1/15/08 Observations

- Cold (low 20s) and clear this morning on the mountain properties.
- Forecast of wintry mix for tomorrow night and Thursday. The mountains look great with a cover of snow. We are due for snow...it has been a while.
- We received approximately 1.5" of rain late last week, at least temporarily easing the water situation in some areas. Our lakes and creeks are now near normal levels for this time of year.
- Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) on the bird feeders this morning. Only they know why they prefer to jump from the trunk of a tree to the feeders suspended by wire 6-8' away....instead of eating the corn and sunflower seeds on the squirrel feeders nearby. I suppose they enjoy the challenge.
- Two deer came running wildly through the trees early this morning and ran across my yard in front of the cabin. They appeared to be just enjoying the cold and not attempting to escape from any predator.
- The birds were active this morning...The Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Goldfinches, several Titmice and Carolina Chickadees, and the ever present White Breasted Nuthatches were constants on the feeders this morning.
- Work continues on Mother's Bridge, a new, covered bridge that will span Stone Creek roughly a mile and a half down the valley behind my cabin. Soon this will be one of our signature areas...a deep wooded valley with nature parks on both sides of a covered bridge.

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.

1/2/2008 Observations

- The New Year has come in with a bang.....Cold this AM...around 12 F in the mountain properties...and a dusting of snow. Windy...gusts up to 25+ mph.

- Cold expected for a couple of days, and then more seasonal by the weekend. We have had some rain lately, but many cities across the Southeast, particularly in central and north Georgia, and Alabama, finished 2007 with record rainfall deficits.... the driest year on record. Here we finished 2007 about 15-16" below normal.

- Spotted a flock of Sandhill Cranes yesterday...soaring far overhead in their traditional V. These noisy birds seemed to be just floating aimlessly in the currents, and seemed to be headed in no particular direction. They did not seem to mind the cold temperatures and very windy conditions.

- I have noted the Common Flicker, The Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, White Breasted Nuthatch, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Cardinal, and even the Eastern Bluebird on/near the feeders lately. This is the time of year the birds particularly appreciate a feeding station. The Bluebirds are usually insect eaters and their presence on the feeders is quite interesting.

- I seem to see the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) everywhere these days, particularly on power lines overlooking roadside fields. This small (about the size of a Blue Jay) falcon is common here but its close relative the Merlin (Falco columbarious) I have seen only once, that in 2004.

- The deer shown in the attached photo, the ones with my cabin as the backdrop, seemed to welcome me home late PM recently. There were four deer in my front yard, one of them unseen until after the photos were taken, within 5' of my front porch. These does seemed unalarmed, even after I had went inside and closed the door, they were still standing in the tall grass just south of my pile of fire wood. Somehow they seem to know..... when one means no harm, or when one's heart may be full of guile.

- The other attached photo is of a doe and two yearlings that I have seen numerous times while on the bike or hiking. This photo was taken from a vehicle about one mile southeast of my cabin.

- I saw a Coyote (Canis latrans) dead beside the road two days ago. I cannot imagine how these cunning, elusive, and athletic creatures get hit by a vehicle!