Even though a lot of animal activity slows down during the heat of summer, there is still lots to see in the Fells during July and August. Watching the great blue heron feeding their chicks on Great island in Spot Pond can be a nice way to spend some time, but to see the great blues in action, head over to Long Pond. There you can see them fly in and hunt the food. My last outing we saw 7 herons hunting at Long Pond. One bird ate 5 frogs before flying back to the rookery on Great Island.
A few species of birds can still be nesting this time of year. Robin and cardinals can have up to 3 broods a year. Over near Greenwood Park, I have been watching pair of blue and grey gnatcatchers this entire season. They started building a nest back in May. I spent my mornings watching them collect mosses and hair from ferns to build their nest. I saw them feeding 3 chicks in June and days later they were back on the nest. They had 2 chicks in the second brood.
Over in the area around Doleful Pond, I’ve been seeing 3 white tailed deer does, no fawns from this group. I’ve also seen an occasional green wing teal on the pond. The turtles have laid their eggs on the banks, I watched some chipmunks dig up and eat a few eggs. On the trail behind the DCR yard I’ve been seeing a coyote. We keep our distance, but I’ll see it crossing the trails early in the morning.
Young Buck Off the Skyline Trail