northeast-flora-and-fauna

This Red-tailed Hawk may have been hungry, and there was a Woodchuck  (AKA Groundhog) and an Eastern Cottontail in the vicinity [1]. And while Woodchucks can be somewhat tough and feisty [2], rabbits are certainly on the Red-tailed Hawk's menu. Though it's hard not to sympathize with the prey animals when predators are hunting, to our hawks eating small animals isn't a choice as much as a necessity. To them our little furry friends are just food, like a burger, fries, and a shake. June 10, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 300986026, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) June 10, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 300986041, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) June 10, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 300986076, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] I'm using the phrase "in the vicinity" a little loosely; I think I saw the Woodchuck and rabbit within 20 minutes of seeing the hawk. [2] I kind of wonder if Red-tails mostly sneak-attack adult Woodchuck...

This Black Vulture was scanning the area, probably hoping to find a delicious rotting carcass [1]. They can be distinguished from their Turkey Vulture relatives because Turkey Vultures have red heads and normal-sized tails (unlike the puny tails of Black Vultures). And although scavenging death animals is the Black Vulture's main job, they do sometimes kill things as a side gig. Exactly what they'll kill isn't completely clear; there are reports of them killing newborn calves , though some argue they're killing sick calves that probably would have died anyway. They'll also kill wild animals as large as a Woodchuck (AKA Groundhog), though these attacks are probably rare.  In contrast, Turkey Vultures are pretty close to being pure scavengers. May 25, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 292818955, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] Within the vulture community it's understood that all rotting carcasses are delicious.

Last spring at the Plainsboro Preserve I noticed a couple of unusual "birds" at their bird feeders [1]. What was especially unusual about these birds was that their wings looked more like forelegs, and that their plumage had a furriness that you rarely see in adult birds [2]. I'm still struggling to ID them [3].

Let's combine Groundhog Day and Throwback Thursday with one of my more interesting Groundhog (aka Woodchuck [1]) pictures. When working at Alcatel-Lucent (later bought by Nokia) I would go for a walk outside after lunch. One day I spotted this Groundhog attempting to hide under a bench. I'm used to Groundhogs seeing me and loping awkwardly away, usually to hide in thick vegetation or a hole. Presumably this Groundhog decided a nearby bench was a better refuge than a more distant thicket or hole [2]. I can imagine this little fella thinking "He'll never find me under this bench!". June 7, 2018 at Murray Hill Photo 20774264, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] I grew up calling them Woodchucks , and still do for 364 days out of the year. But on Groundhog Day I "go with the flow" and call them Groundhogs. [2] Considering I'm not a true predator, the decision turned out to be a sound one. Still, if I had been a Coyote, Bobcat, or Fisher...

Here's a picture I got of a Woodchuck (aka Groundhog aka Whistle Pig) back in June. My recollection is that it was a hot day so my first impression was that the Woodchuck was panting to shed some internal heat. Apparently that's not the explanation; squirrels (Woodchucks are categorized as ground squirrels ) don't pant or sweat . Ears and tails help rodents cool off on hot days instead. And in something similar to sweat, they will sometimes lick themselves and cool off as the water evaporates. Another possibility is that maybe the Woodchuck was whistling  or barking . I think I was quite a way away, and the barking in particular sounds a little like a soft grunt; I'm not sure I would have heard it distinctly enough to have known it was coming from the Woodchuck. Is it possible that Woodchucks get gobsmacked ? June 15, 2022 at Sourland Mountain Preserve Photo 210217929, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)