Is That a Woodchuck or a Ground Hog? April 7, 2022

A trick question as this mammal has several names: Woodchuck, Ground Hog and Marmot.

We had a close-up of one this morning at Thomson Park:

Woodchuck
Woodchuck
Woodchuck
Woodchuck

Woodchucks hibernate from October to February. Their dens have two or more openings and can be 4 – 5 feet deep and 25 – 30 feet long. Woodchucks feed on tender, succulent plants.

Woodchuck
Woodchuck tail
Woodchuck
Woodchuck
Woodchuck
Woodchuck

Area views:

Springfield Farmhouse
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

Some botany:

Silver Maple flowers (Acer sachharinum)
Snowdrops
Weeping Willow (Salix)
Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis)
Linden (Tilia cordata)

Some birds:

American Robin
American Goldfinch (female)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Mallard (male)
Cooper’s Hawk
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Downy Woodpecker (male)
Song Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker (male)

Today’s group:

MAILBOX

I received this interesting article from group member Jane French:

BIRDING NEAR AND FARWINGING IT IN COSTA RICA—ANEMERGING BIRDER FLIES SOUTHJANE FRENCH | Miles Hearn

NATURE POETRY

For these little voices: the bee, the fly,
The leaf that taps, the pod that breaks,
The breeze on the grass-tops bending by,
The shrill quick sound that the insect makes.     – Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923)

Miles Hearn

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