When I entered the park today I was greeted by a screeching Squirrel, actually it’s a cat like sound. I don’t remember ever hearing Squirrels in Oregon or Pennsylvania making this noise. They are definitely a vocal group in Hot Springs National Park. On the Tufa Terrace I am treated to the site of a male Cardinal pecking for food. The past couple of weeks the Cardinals had been chasing each other out of Trees. It seemed odd to see one relatively still.
Archive for February, 2010
27 Feb
Sweet Chipmunks, Lovely Birds and a note to the NPS
Weekends always show a decline in wildlife populations along the trails. The two main culprits are increased numbers of dogs on the trails and a higher volume of vehicles on the road racing to the top of the mountain. This combination often renders the forest near silent. I will being trying to enter the park much earlier on weekends to avoid both types of traffic.
26 Feb
Sparrow, Wren, Vulture, Ovenbird and more on the Hot Springs Trails
It was a sunny, cloudy and everything in-between kind of day, perfect for hiking. Stopped by the Turkey Vulture Nesting area and received a friendly fly over. Once the foliage reappears they will have much more privacy and unless a person knows the exact location they will likely go unnoticed. The Tufa Terrace was a [...]
24 Feb
Birds, Wildflowers and Nature’s Van Gogh Heart
The sun shone brightly with only a sheer coating of clouds and the Robins where singing their greeting to the new day. The Dead Chief Trail was resplendent, green leaves had begun to appear along the path. A cool green tunnel to begin my hike, it was magical. Again I spotted a pair of Blue Jays preparing a nest in a tall tree near the top of the second incline. Preparations for new life in the park were abundant.
23 Feb
Fungus, Spores, Lichen, Woodpeckers, Warblers, Jays and More
Nature revealed herself at every turn today, on wings, little paws, the strength of tree and beauty of rocks. Each Step, each breath all appeared as I hiked. On the Carriage Road a lovely squirrel peered out at me from a leafy tree branch. After a minutes climbed down the tree and bounded across the path in front of me.
22 Feb
Twilight Forest: Lichen, Moss, Rocks, Wood and Fungus
The partly cloudy day became totally overcast, it was as if it was Twilight during my hike. The lightening storms yesterday had been very violent so many of the smaller birds and mammals were in hiding. The Promenade to the Carriage Road was very quiet, only the occasional pip. I could not imagine how frightening the lightening must have been to those who live in the park. I looked up to see a tiny bird flitting around in the evergreen above me, it was a Yellow-Rumped Warbler. It was a joy to see it’s tiny beak.
21 Feb
Littering, Vandalism and Garbage Dumping on the Hot Springs Trails
Hiking through the park each day I have forced my eyes to look for the anomalies in the landscape so I can see Nature’s hidden treasures. It has also meant I have seen the destructive side human behavior as well. I started with the picture of the bright red and pink helium balloons because normally we would see them as representing a happy event. They were brought into the park most likely in a car and when the doors were opened some escaped. Getting stuck in Trees and traveling deep in to the forest. When they pop a small creature might eat it or get tangles in the string and at the very least the non-degradable waste will be trapped for ever in the park forever.
20 Feb
Birds, Squirrels and Valentines on the Hot Springs Trails
It’s the morning before a storm day that will include lightening, most creatures are on the ground foraging for food. The rustling of leaves makes the park sound like a giant bowl of Rice Crispies just after the milk has been poured. The only bird I could see was a Blue Jay high in a Tree with a big berry in his beak.
19 Feb
A Sad Day for our National Parks
Before my hike I read an article in the Washington Post “Federal government to lift restrictions on guns in national parks”. Both Rick and I have started a petition to ask the Obama administration to reverse their decision to lift the ban on loaded weapons in our National Parks.
25 Feb
New Feathered Friends Turkey Vultures on the Hot Springs Trails
Posted by Lee Hiller-London in Carriage Road, Dead Chief Trail, Honeysuckle Trail, Hot Springs Commentary, Hot Springs Mountain Top, Hot Springs Mountain Trail, Short Cut Trail. Tagged: Hot Springs, Hot Springs National Park, Hiking Trails, Dead Chief Trail, Hot Springs Mountain Trail, Shortcut Trail, Arkansas Birds, Carriage Road, Cardinal, Bird of Prey, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, black throated green warbler, hot springs national park hiking trails, Black-Capped Chickadee, Nature Photography, Northern Mockingbird, Carolina Chickadee, Crows, Turkey Vulture, slate-colored dark-eyed junco. 3 Comments
I am starting today’s post not from the beginning as I would do normally. Instead I am Introducing you to two new friends I met while hiking today, a pair of Turkey Vultures. It is the second time I have seen them in the same area perching and on the ground. They nest on the ground and I might have stumbled upon their nesting site.They are settling into a new location in the park and I would prefer to let them do so without a crowd coming to look at them. Turkey Vultures DO NOT eat live prey, they are Nature’s sanitation department. They clean up the park by eating deceased herbivores, this keeps diseases from being spread. Their presence is going to help provide a healthy eco-system for Hot Springs National Park. I have added many images below so you can all see and admire these amazing birds.
Continue reading »