Another Mountain Discovery....

- Sometimes, with patience and a bit of good fortune, mysteries are solved.....

- Recently one of our residents inquired as to what type animal could be raiding bird feeders at night....

- Time passed, night photographs a stretch, but the after hours visits continued......we speculated....the rough and rowdy 'coons? Nope...nothing destroyed....too nice of a crime scene..... Opossum? Didn't believe it for various reasons....Gray Squirrels? Could not come to this conclusion...for they rarely, unless disturbed, move at night....

- The mystery deepened.....noises were heard....imaginations were extended.....

- Then, the photos came! Mystery solved.....from bottom to top....eating sunflower seeds, relaxing, and finally about to glide into the night....The Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys vulans). Theyare seldom seen, as they spend most of their time in the canopy and, like the one in the photos, are mostly active at night.

- These small furry creatures, the smallest members of the tree squirrels, are nocturnal (as well as diurnal at times), but this is the first time I have ever heard of one dining on bird feeders. They typically take berries, insects, nuts, acorns, and sometimes even small vertebrates.

- What a treat! These small creatures do not truly 'fly' but glide for distances of up to 100 yards or so, from the top of one tree to the lower trunk of another. They can turn or change the angle of descent and just before landing they drop the tail and lift the forequarters, relaxing the skin and 'cape' between the legs....which serves as an air brake to soften the landing. They land with all four feet and often scurry around the tree trunk to the opposite side, just in case a predator has given chase. They are agile and sure footed in the trees, but clumsy on the ground. Interestingly, they are known to make excellent pets (and clean).

- A big thank you to Rick Meck of Stone Creek for supplying these unique photographs.

August Already?

- The annual Highway 127 yard sale is in full swing! From northwestern Ohio all the way through Kentucky and Tennessee (through Dunlap), into north Alabama....some love it, some do not, but for all much patience is required if one is considering driving this scenic highway during this 4-day event.

- What a pleasant summer we are having, weather wise, in southeast Tennessee. All the flora is still brilliant green, the creeks are still moving, and there have been very few hot days. On the Cumberland Plateau, several nights this summer have been down in the 50s! Today is forecast to be dry with the high around 90....which will mean mid 80s on the plateau.

- Typical of late summer....deer are being seen everywhere. Last week, I spotted a very impressive whitetail buck in Greenfields. A couple of quick photos were taken, but were blurred. The deer was in typical summer 'red' coat, and had a very impressive rack of antlers, still in velvet. I would estimate 4-5 long tines on each main beam, not including brow tines, and an inside spread between the main beams of 19-22 inches. Stood stoic for a moment or two, staring, then pranced along the line of the forest before disappearing into the thick growth. As is typical of most experienced males of the species, this one was alone. It has always amazed me that these magnificent animals only live a maximum of 4-6 years in the wild. Only on TV shows, in controlled environments, does one hear of 7+ year old males.

- Top photo....the source of the nighttime din currently being heard......

- Middle photo.....A somewhat tattered Luna Moth....(Actias luna)....

- Bottom photo...The Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus).....I have noticed that very few of the White and Red Oaks have acorns this year...at least on the plateau. The acorns of the Chestnut Oak, though pleasant to look at, are not a favorite food of the wildlife.