By Aaron Brooke Jenkyn
A beautiful snowy winter followed by a sunny and warm spring: 2015 sure is continuing to be a beautiful year. Here are a few of the wildlife sightings from around Eastman this past spring:
On March 1, John Larrabee photographed a young fox cleaning up under his feeders; perhaps it was one of the three fox kits from last spring coming back for a visit?
Jamie Walsh wrote in to say that, in March, he saw a little mouse run across his pathway and then, in April, he saw a kestrel flying over the boat launch.
In late March, Roger and Lee Woodworth found a beautifulbarred owl sitting on their birdfeeder. The owl was watching for voles and other critters that were eating the fallen birdseed.
On April 19, while out on a hike, Amy Hoffman found wood frogs croaking away on the last of the winter ice. Later that week, she happened upon two courting grouse!
On April 23, William Shakespeare’s birthday, Judy McCarthy of Fernwood Lane saw a lone loon in the West Cove inlet, swimming along ‘midst the snow showers and taking long dives beneath the water. Judy also reported seeing mergansers at West Cove A Beach twice that week.
For several evenings in early May, Judy was awakened at about 2:30 a.m. by a barred owl serenade from the woods behind her house: who-who-who-whooo… who-who-whowhoo… and so forth, sometimes for a half an hour.
On the morning of May 7, Amy Hoffman found two snowshoe hares nibbling away in her yard. Good thing she fenced in her garden!
In early May, Bill and Karen Hermanson found a very handsome snapping turtle in their driveway. Snappers crossing roads have held up traffic, and the ECA office occasionally receives a call asking for someone to come and “move them
along!” (See Species Spotlight, page 42, for more detailed information about snappers.)
For several weeks in March, we had a very healthy doe wandering through the woods behind our house. In April, the peepers and wood frogs returned, and in May, we began to see the foxes come out of their den. We have once again started taking our nightly walk to watch the turtles and geese on the polishing ponds and have begun to notice the spring wildflowers along the way. Every season in Eastman is a delight for someone who loves being outdoors, but spring and summer are especially rewarding. I look forward to hearing about your summer adventures! whatsoutthere@eastmannh.org
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