PROFILES IN NATURE

Fox Squirrel

            Photo Credit – www.kentuckyupclose.com

               With regular gun deer season over and duck and goose season just getting a good start, a lot of folks are hitting the woods in search of small game.

                The Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger, is the largest of the tree dwelling squirrels in North America and is common over most of the Eastern United States.

                Seeming to prefer open wooded areas with little or no undergrowth the fox squirrel spends considerable time on the ground away from trees, more so than the gray squirrel. This makes large areas of Ballard County attractive to this squirrels habitat requirements.

                Fox squirrels build two types of nest. Multiple leaf nest may be constructed and are used year round. Dens in hollow trees are cleaned out and utilized for rearing of young and more inclement weather.

                Normally two liters are raised each year, one in very early spring and another around mid-summer. The number of offspring is normally between two and four.

                All squirrels are rodents just like rats and mice. This means that they have upper and lower incisors that grow continuously and must be kept short by gnawing. Feeding on a variety of nuts, berries, bark, tree buds, and unfortunately, mature corn crops and bird feeder contents keep these teeth worn down. Fox squirrels eat a variety of other food including insects, bird eggs, acorns, hickory nuts, pecans, walnuts, and other tree seeds.

                Locally our squirrels are yellowish brown with orange color on their belly. In other regions though, they can be black or a combination of black and brown with white facial markings.

                Weighing in at one to two pounds makes these squirrels worth-while game animals. Many a youngster in Western Kentucky got their first experience of hunting by pursuing fox and gray squirrels.

By Jack Glisson

Published in The Ballard County Weekly 12/03/2014

PROFILES IN NATURE

Brown-headed Cowbird

            Photo Credit – www.kentuckyupclose.com

                Often seen in large numbers flying with grackles, blackbirds, starlings, and red-winged blackbirds is the Brown-headed Cowbird or Molothrus ater. Living in this area year round their numbers may increase in winter as some of the more northern residents migrate south.

                Their common name derives from the fact that the bird has adapted to following herds of cattle around so as to feed on the insects stirred up from the larger animals. Historically they did the same thing with bison.

                Pictured here is the male. Females are slightly smaller with a grayish base color and fine brown markings that are lighter on the throat and underparts.

                Although insect eaters in summer their beak is well adapted to feed on a variety of seeds when insects are not available.

                Cowbirds do not build a nest of their own. Instead, they will watch other small birds nest and when egg laying starts will secretively lay eggs in the other birds nest. This behavior probably evolved due the habit of following herd animals and not being able to spend extended nesting times in one area. Sometimes the parasitized bird will recognize the strange egg and throw it out, build over it, or just abandon the nest. Many times however the cowbird is raised by the host parent. This is often detrimental to the host as many times the cowbird is larger and may push the other young birds out of the nest. Cowbirds may lay up to forty eggs in a single season.

                Common at bird feeders during winter and seen in great numbers during spring and fall migrations the brown-headed cowbird is generally considered a nuisance due to its parasitic nesting behavior.  As more land is cleared for farming and residential use the cowbird benefits as these are preferred habitats. As cowbird numbers increase however it may be detrimental to some other species due to the increased pressures of nest parasitism.

 

By Jack Glisson

Published in The Ballard County Weekly 12/10/2014

 

 

            

 

PROFILES IN NATURE

Red Fox

               We have two species of fox in this area but by far the most common is the Red Fox, or Vulpes vulpes. The other one is the gray fox.

                Reds are much larger than grays weighing in at anywhere from six to over twenty pounds.

                Red foxes are capable hunters. Normally feeding on a variety of small animals such as squirrels, rabbits, mice and rats, they will even eat such things as frogs and insects. With their acute hearing mice can be located under several inches of snow or grass, the fox will stand on his rear legs and then pounce pinning the hapless mouse using his front paws.

                Foxes mate during the winter months and give birth to pups in early spring. Usually a den tunnel is dug prior to birthing. Young can number anywhere from two to twelve but around four seems common. The pups are a brownish or grey color until they are around a month old and then start growing their distinctive red hair. The pups will remain in the area of the den for several months while both parents bring game to feed them. This is when the dens are most noticeable with bits of hair, bone, and feathers scattered about and sometimes quite an odor is present from rotting food bits that didn’t get eaten. Standing on the earth mound near the den entrance or just playing in the general area fox pups are quick to dive back into the hole at the first sign of danger.

                Fox hunting is common in some areas but never seemed very popular in West Kentucky. When fur was fetching high prices red fox pelts were sought by trappers, but this too is a vanishing art. These days all most foxes have to worry about are coyotes, which will kill them, and being hit by vehicles crossing roadways. Occasionally however one of them develops a taste for domesticated chicken or duck and becomes enemy number one to farmers. This seems to be more common when they are feeding pups and once a source of easy food is found they will continue to return until the flock is decimated or the farmer manages to kill the fox

By Jack Glisson

Published in The Ballard County Weekly 12/17/2014

    

PROFILES IN NATURE

American Holly

            Photo Credit – www.kentuckyupclose.com

                The American Holly, or Ilex opaca, has long been used as a decoration for Christmas. The shiny green leaves and bright red berries adorn everything from Christmas cards to wrapping paper, wreaths to hang on doors and sprays to place on tables.

                Being an evergreen, leaves are not shed annually but remain on the tree until they are two to three years old and are then pushed off the stem by emerging buds.

                Common across the Southeast United States, holly trees are not really native to West Kentucky. Their natural range extends into Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky. They do well here however and many are planted as ornamentals.

                All holly trees are dioecious, which means there are male and female trees. Only the female trees have the distinctive red berries. Many cultivars have been developed though to be sold as nursery stock. Some of these are all female so when planting you can make choices between red berries or just foliage.

                Although eaten by birds, the red berries are poisonous to humans. I have found mention that as few as twenty berries can be fatal to a child.

                I hope the Holidays find everyone well and I look forward to continuing this column next year!

By Jack Glisson

Published in The Ballard County Weekly 12/24/2014