Wildlife Observations: June 5, 2020
Backyard Bonanza
A headline in the May 29 edition of the New York Times reads: “The Birds Are Not on Lockdown, and More People Are Watching Them.” Swarthmorean readers will no doubt react with a yawn, a “ho-hum,” or a “tell me something I don’t know.” The Swarthmorean got that scoop ages ago.
So many readers submitted observations and photos of wildlife in the past two weeks that I can’t include them all here. This article will focus on observations made from people’s own residences. We may as well reap what benefits we can from the extended stay-at-home order. The focus of this column has always been on our immediate area in the hope that we all become more aware of the local ecology and our capacity to promote and support cohabitation with wildlife. What could be more local than one’s own yard – or balcony?
From her balcony on the top floor of Swarthmore’s Strath Haven Condominiums, Adrianna Borgia observed blue jays, catbirds, cardinals, sparrows, and a hawk with an “impressive wingspan,” as well as “a groundhog paying a visit to my downstairs neighbors.”
In his Park Avenue backyard, Richard Ailes of Swarthmore snapped a photograph of a parent downy woodpecker feeding its fledgling child on his birdfeeder, as well as a photo of a white-tailed deer doe and fawn foraging.
Anthony Addison of Swarthmore submitted a photograph of a chipmunk visiting his back porch, and Susan Smythe of Swarthmore submitted one of a red fox in her driveway.
David Caputo of Swarthmore submitted a picture of a common ribbon snake on a Vassar Avenue sidewalk that he stepped on while running.
David Dee of Rose Valley provided a photo of an eastern box turtle that fell into his swimming pool. It managed to escape by climbing onto “a small floating preserver called a Frog Log” that is designed to prevent small animals from drowning in pools.
But the most exciting submission over this past fortnight comes from Beth Soch who lives on the Dickinson Avenue cul-de-sac in Swarthmore. Beth photographed “a family (not quite a parliament, but definitely a quorum) of great horned owls that range over Little Crum Creek.” She noted that “Their presence drives the local crows bonkers. There’s a lot of yelling. Today, I managed to capture three of the owls as they pointedly ignored the crows’ outrage.” She spotted one mature parent with its namesake “horns” and two fledglings whose horns have not yet developed.
Of course, we all need to get out of our houses now and again, and the woods remain a safe escape. So here are a few observations from the Crum Woods and other woodlands: Beth Feindt-Scott and Mary Ziegler observed a pileated woodpecker near Alligator Rock in the Crum Woods. Judy Politzer observed a pileated flying by Crum Creek, and Lauren McKinney observed one on the trail behind Morganwood in Swarthmore. Ruby Hoffman found a Narceus americanus millipede under a log in the Crum Woods.
Finally, David Eberly observed 17 species of warbler in and around Swarthmore and the Crum Woods, with less common sightings including a chestnut-sided warbler, blackpoll warblers, Kentucky warblers, and Nashville warblers, as well as scarlet tanagers, warbling vireos, and a blue-headed vireo.
You can submit your wildlife sightings below.
