We’ll be publishing our next Reader’s Photo Gallery on May 11, and what a pleasure it has been after a long winter to see your images of spring wildlife, from bear cubs to migratory songbirds back on their northern breeding grounds. In the meantime, below are three images taken this week that reveal the changing season. Thanks to Tig Tillinghast for sharing these pictures.
The first two depict brown creepers. Anyone who has tried to track this little bird as it scuttles around tree trunks may suspect it has special vanishing powers. This photo shows one of the secrets to its magic act. Creepers build their nests under loose bark, so there’s no tell-tale hole to catch your (or a predator’s) attention. How do they keep the nest in place? They use natural adhesives - insect cocoons and spider egg cases to bind together twiggy nesting materials. For more details on their nesting behavior, check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
You may also enjoy this “Birds in Focus” article from our Spring 2017 issue by Bryan Pfeiffer. Bryan will be the keynote speaker for this year’s 2018 Northern Woodlands conference.
We were also delighted to discover a litter of fox kits living in close proximity to the Northern Woodlands office. Fox kits are typically born in late March or April, and by now, young kits can be seen exploring the areas outside their burrows and playing with each other. Here’s an article from our Outside Story series describing fox family life.