Bear in the Neighborhood?

 Greetings friends, neighbors and blog followers. Not long ago my wife and daughter were walking the edge of our property and found what appears to be bear scat...

There have been several recent reports of bear sightings in our area. Every summer bears are spotted, usually youngsters like the ones in the next photos, looking to find their own territory...

We live in a natural travel corridor for bears that are born in the Catoctin Mountain range. When the female (sow) that gave birth is coming in heat again she drives away her cubs so that male bears (boars) will not kill them...

This happens everywhere that bears live and is the normal process of bear propagation.

For the birds...In my local travels I have noticed that many visiting birds have either departed on their annual migration or are just not as numerous as they were in past years. One example is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo...

Bag worms and tent caterpillars, two of the cuckoo's preferred foods, are in short supply this year which could account for the lower numbers...

Eastern Towhees and several other species have declined as well...

Field Sparrows...

Hummingbirds are stopping by again...

Wood Thrush are lingering...

Some Mourning Doves migrate while others are here year round...

White-breasted Nuthatches are year-round residents...

If you have squirrels in your area...

You may  have noticed how they can be visible one minute...

And seem to disappear the next...

Flattening themselves against a tree to avoid predators.

The Whitetail Deer will soon be trading their red summer coat...

For the thicker gray one they will wear all winter...

I will be watching for the bear to make an appearance. When the corn and soy beans are harvested it will be harder for them to avoid being seen. In the meantime...

Thanks for visiting, be well and come back soon.

Late July Birds, Fawns and Blooms

 Many of our roads are bordered by Daylilies with their tall orange flowers...

As the light changes when the sun gets hidden by clouds the blooms reveal themselves...

Early morning, sometimes before the sun has risen, has been a good time to sight does and their fawns...

Moving water is like a magnet for thirsty deer and birds...

I recently came across a doe with three fawns...

I usually see young does with single fawns...

 When they are a little older they often have two. Three is not rare, but is uncommon enough for me to take notice...

A Grackle came to water...

I watched as it sorted the grass from the earth worms...

Belted Kingfishers begin their day early...

Red-eyed Vireos are abundant this time of year...

The brilliant Northern Cardinal is another early riser...

The Common Yellow-throated Warbler is such a small bird that they can easily be over looked...

This Wild Turkey hen surprised us both when she popped out in front of me...

Thanks for visiting, be well and come back soon.

Fawns, Snapping Turtles, Squirrels and Turkeys

 I have been so preoccupied with migrating birds lately that I failed to post some of the other critters I have seen...

I always look forward to seeing fawns as they are exploring their world for the first time...

They haven't learned about natural predators, free roaming dogs or distracted drivers...

If one gets lucky and has a chance to watch fawns going about their business it can start your day off with a smile...

Where there are fawns there are sure to be adults. Most bucks are sporting their new antlers...

The next buck's antlers have some decent mass already...

Not far from deer I saw a lethargic snapping turtle climbing up the bank. It was almost certainly looking for a spot to deposit her eggs...

The next one was warming up by basking in the sun...

Just lifting his chin off the log seemed to be about all the movement it was interested in...

A solitary sandpiper was in the area for a day or two...

Newly sheared sheep are enjoying the fresh spring grass...

While wild turkeys search for insects in the same field...

Another species that we have in abundance is squirrels...

Mostly we have gray squirrels...

Eastern fox squirrels are becoming more common...

Surprisingly, black color phase squirrels are expanding their range and appearing in rural areas where they were not known just a few years ago...

Diminutive chipmunks are entertaining to watch...

On cold mornings the Turkey Vultures like to spread their wings and warm up in the sunshine.

Thanks for visiting, be well and come back soon.