11Nov2007

Spruce Hill continues to change as the leaf drop accelerates. Four hours on a mostly sunny day with a 15-20 mph breeze makes for a pleasant hike---and, for those of you who experienced Spruce Hill during the earlier seasons when the ticks abounded, this is the time of year to return. My walk consisted of an entire perimeter hike along the field edge path.

A deer stand has been erected just a few feet south of the eastern boundary line, facing directly west towards the edge of the Spruce Hill field. I also found two trees that have suffered multiple gunshot wounds on the side that faces the deer stand. So be careful when hiking this time of year and try to make sure someone in your party wears safety orange.

Just to the southeast of the neck, to the right of the trail where two very tall Kentucky coffee trees are embraced by grape vines, I interrupted quite a feast. There was an assortment of birds visiting the grapevines and dining on the grapes. The group included at least a dozen cedar waxwings, a family of American robins, a downy woodpecker, a northern flicker and a white throated sparrow.

As I descended along the leaf-strewn footpath to the main entrance, I encountered hundreds, perhaps thousands, of "blackbirds" flying and lighting and flushing back and forth across the parking lot area and hillside. They seemed continually in motion so I never got a chance to positively identify even one of them, but did hear a "check" call as they flew over. Sunning itself on a tree trunk along the footpath was a strange fuzzy mustard-yellow caterpillar with several long brownish-black spikes along its back. I took several pictures. When I came up to the top of the hill, I flushed what I think was a woodcock from the Rosa rugosa thicket; although, I've since been informed that it may have been a Wilson's snipe. I will need to study my bird book on the differences between the two.

Wildlife sightings: American woodcock, northern flicker, American robin, cedar waxwing, white-throated sparrow(tan morph) and downy woodpecker