Yesterday I had the day off from work. When my original plans crashed, I got to do one of my favorite things. I went into the woods to do my park ranger job. I hiked the west end of Wilkie, which is open in the winter. This section of the wildlife refuge is closed March through August, as it is home to a large colony of Great Blue Herons and egrets. Now, as the leaves are gone from the trees, it is quite impressive to see the hundreds of nests.
I think since this area is closed for so much of the year, it is wilder than some other places. I saw four Red-Tailed Hawks (who were very vocal) before I walked up on an opossum. Shortly after that, I heard the metallic sound of Bald Eagles, and I saw two of them in the trees close by.
I headed through the woods, avoiding the trail as much as possible. I found a bird-kill site. The black feathers with white spots made me think that perhaps it was a woodpecker that met its demise. A short time later, I found a deer carcass. It was interesting since bow hunting is over and there was no arrow. Also noteworthy was the condition. The legs, some hide and hair was intact, but the jaw and skull were in separate locations and picked clean. In fact, the bulk of the body was picked clean by scavengers as the spine and ribs were clearly visible.
I also found what appeared to be River Otter tracks and slides. The beavers had been busy in the backwater creating ponds with waterfalls cascading over their dams.
Later, I found four more Bald Eagles. Two had adult colors and two still had the dark plumage of juveniles. It was probably another successful season and I was looking at the parents and their young from the last summer.
Finally it was time to hike back out. It was a magical way to spend my afternoon.
I think since this area is closed for so much of the year, it is wilder than some other places. I saw four Red-Tailed Hawks (who were very vocal) before I walked up on an opossum. Shortly after that, I heard the metallic sound of Bald Eagles, and I saw two of them in the trees close by.
I headed through the woods, avoiding the trail as much as possible. I found a bird-kill site. The black feathers with white spots made me think that perhaps it was a woodpecker that met its demise. A short time later, I found a deer carcass. It was interesting since bow hunting is over and there was no arrow. Also noteworthy was the condition. The legs, some hide and hair was intact, but the jaw and skull were in separate locations and picked clean. In fact, the bulk of the body was picked clean by scavengers as the spine and ribs were clearly visible.
I also found what appeared to be River Otter tracks and slides. The beavers had been busy in the backwater creating ponds with waterfalls cascading over their dams.
Later, I found four more Bald Eagles. Two had adult colors and two still had the dark plumage of juveniles. It was probably another successful season and I was looking at the parents and their young from the last summer.
Finally it was time to hike back out. It was a magical way to spend my afternoon.
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