December

December

December Field Notes

Monthly Weather Review
Monthly Rainfall Total - 0.88 in
Highest Temperature - 74°F
Lowest Temperature - 19°F
Average Wind Speed – 6.4 mph

Monday December 2nd

  • Anna and Morgan stopped to do some bird watching while driving the game camera route.
  • They saw a Fox Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a group of American Robins.
Fox Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and American Robin

Fox Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and American Robin

Tuesday December 3rd

  • Morgan noticed a large Turkey Vulture flying over her among the pines.
Turkey Vulture

Thursday December 5th

  • There was a Red-tailed Hawk hovering over a grass field, searching for prey.
  • A Fox Squirrel was very curious about our cameras.
Fox Squirrel

Friday December 6th

  • Two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers flew right in front of Anna and Morgan while driving a trail in the woods.
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

Monday December 9th

  • Anna collected water samples from four different testing sites.
  • A Belted Kingfisher was seen resting on a Wood Duck box at Turtle Pond.
Collecting water samples.

A Belted Kingfisher was seen resting on a Wood Duck box at Turtle Pond.

Belted Kingfisher

Wednesday December 11th

  • A wheel bug (Arilus cristatus) was found on the side of the shed. This is the second time we have recorded this interesting species. An interesting fact about this species is that they eat hairy caterpillars and several types of beetles.
Wheel Bug

Thursday December 12th

  • Morgan noticed some pear-shaped puffball mushrooms on a fallen tree near the creek.
  • There was another sighting of two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
Pear-shaped puffball mushrooms.

Pear-shaped puffballs or stump puffballs (Apioperdon pyriforme).

Friday December 13th

  • A sap-well made by Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers was spotted high up in a tree. These sap-wells are created by the birds drilling into the bark of trees to consume the sugar-rich sap. Now we know where the sapsuckers we have observed have been feeding.
  • An opossum was also found high up in a tree this day, hiding from potential predators.
  • The opossum was highlighted by a big rainbow in the sky.
Sapsucker Wells
  • An opossum was also found high up in a tree this day, hiding from potential predators.
  • The opossum was amazingly spotlighted by a big rainbow in the sky.
An opossum was also found high up in a tree.

Wednesday December 18th

  • Anna spotted a Yellow-bellied Slider Turtle basking on a fallen log in Thompson Creek.
Yellow-bellied Stricker Turtle

Tuesday December 24th

  • Anna noticed a weird-looking fungus on a dead tree. She identified it as Violet-toothed Polypore or Violet-pored Bracket Fungus (Trichaptum biforme).
Violet-toothed Polypore or Violet-pored Bracket Fungus

Thursday December 26th

  • Anna stopped to do some bird watching near the Learning Center and spotted a White-throated Sparrow, a Carolina Wren, a Blue Jay, and an Eastern Grey Squirrel.
Bird watching occasionally means squirrel watching. An Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) retrieves a pine cone.

Bird watching occasionally means squirrel watching. An Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) retrieves a pine cone.

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