Critter Corner
Critter Corner No. 8 – The Common Water Snake by George Sly
With the beginning of fall, and the anticipation of the frosty weather to come, this edition of Critter Corner is devoted to a common denizen of the Goose Pond wetlands who will soon enter its long winter nap. Normally by late October we will have seen the last of the Common Water Snake until its…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 7 – The Bullfrog by George Sly
As all of us know, a visit to Goose Pond FWA can present us with an extraordinary visual banquet. The sight of thousands of Sandhill Cranes descending into their evening roost, the stately soaring of a group of American White Pelicans, or the blizzard of Snow Geese departing on a feeding foray are the kinds…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 6 – The Striped Skunk by George Sly
On a recent drive through Goose Pond FWA, I saw a sad but all too common sight along the highway. Lying at the side of the road was the lifeless body of one of GPFWA’s most interesting mammals – a striped skunk. After spending the harsh winter in a prolonged state of inactivity, these strikingly…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 5 – Meadow Jumping Mouse by George Sly
In previous editions of Critter Corner I have dealt with Goose Pond FWA’s larger and more economically important mammals. Most of these (muskrat, mink, and beaver) are typical wetland mammals. However, we should recall that GPFWA contains habitats other than wetlands. Much of the property supports restored prairie and old-field habitats. The latter we may…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 4 – The Beaver (Castor canadensis) by George Sly
Like the previously discussed muskrat and mink, the American beaver is another mammal most everyone associates with wetlands. Chances are, if you spend much time afield, you have seen evidence of the presence of beavers in the form of gnawed trees, dams, or lodges. Perhaps you have been lucky enough to see the architects of…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 3 – White-tailed Deer by George Sly
In the first two installments of Critter Corner we looked at mammals quite typical of the wetland habitat which comprises much of the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area. These were the muskrat and its arch nemesis the mink. This time let’s look at a mammal which, at first consideration, would seem far removed from…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 2 – The Mink by George Sly
You may recall that, in our first edition of Critter Corner, we dealt with one of the Goose Pond wetland’s most characteristic mammals – the muskrat. It seems appropriate then to follow up with a mammal whose life is closely linked with that of the muskrat. The mink is a member of the weasel family…
Read MoreCritter Corner No. 1 – The Muskrat by George Sly
When most people think of Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, they automatically picture birds. It is true; the restoration of the Goose Pond wetlands has resulted in the creation of some of the finest bird habitats in the eastern United States. The opportunity to see the evening influx of thousands of Sandhill Cranes during…
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