The excited buck rushed out of the dense thicket like an out-of-control train roaring down the tracks. His head was down and didn’t even take notice to a few us standing only 50 feet away. My buddy quietly tapped me on the arm and whispered, “Grunt at him once.” “What?” I asked him with a look of puzzlement on my face. He smirked, and said it again. “You know, make a buck grunt sound at him and he’ll stop so you can get your photo.” I’ve spent enough time in the outdoors that I knew what a buck grunt sounded like. But still, I was a bit reluctant to start making pig-like noises with my mouth and nose, especially with two other people standing next to us with their cameras as well. What would my friend ask me next? Run over and start rubbing my head on the bark of a small sapling?

Then we all saw the reason for this feisty deer’s attitude. A doe came running out of a high grass meadow just in front him, tongue hanging out, and looking exhausted. He had been chasing her around, non-stop, for almost 20 minutes. It was time! The rut was on, nature was calling, and the eager, male white tail had only one thing on his mind-to mate with as many does in this small woodlot as he could. To the casual observer, it may have looked a bit odd as we stood there like statues, holding our cameras, and watching these deer getting ready to engage in, well, what deer engage in at this time of year. We felt like we were watching nature at its finest, but my Office Manager said it looked like a small group of “unusual” people gawking at X-rated deer flicks. I had no intention (or desire) of capturing a photo of a buck and a doe doing the “wild thing!” I was only there to try and get a few photographs of a nice buck, honest!

It seems like early to mid-November in SE Pennsylvania is the peak of the rut for White-tail deer. The “rut,” as it’s generally known, is the mating season for deer. Hunters recognize this period as the time that males become increasingly active in marking their territory with scrapes (on the ground) and rubs (rubbing the trunks of small trees), driving off smaller buck, and, of course, finding many girlfriends to mate. During this period, the urge to mate is so strong that bucks will become oblivious to almost everything around them, including cars, hunters, and other critters. Last year, I watched a young 6-point passionately chase a doe around a Berks County pasture, weaving between Holstein cows that were grazing nearby, and paying no attention to the two energetic deer.

The pursuit of does by bucks reminds me of my junior high dances. Many young, overactive boys, roaming around the faintly-lit, sawdust-covered gym floor, (waiting for a slow song to be played) and hoping one of the “does” would give them a look or a smile. But in most cases, the girls would simply ignore the boys’ approaches, turn and walk away with their small “herd,” leaving the junior high “bucks” to retreat to the bleachers to sound out their immature grunt calls and occasionally scrap with each other over who was more dominant!

Ahhh! You can’t beat the rut!

I was reading a post on Facebook the other day that included an old photo. The post was titled TBT. I’m not a complete novice to Facebook, but had no idea what TBT stood for. My first thought was “To Be Truthful.” Don’t ask, it was the first thing that came into my weird, little mind! This is coming from the same person who thought LOL meant that I was getting “Lots of Love,” not that folks were “Laughing Out Loud” at something I said, or did. Where am I going with this? This weekend you’ll be able to “Turn Back Time” on all your clocks and watches as Daylight Savings Time (DST) ends on Sunday, November 2^nd at 2:00 am.  Although most Smartphones will automatically change, you’ll have to manually turn back analog clocks and watches. In our house, that means two battery-operated clocks with actual hands and the ever challenging clocks on the microwave and stove! We do have a “smart clock radio” in our bedroom. It’s so smart it already changed time last weekend!

Naturally, the amount of daylight we get here in Pennsylvania begins to decrease in early July. In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21^st is the longest day (amount of daylight) of the year. It’s also known as the Summer Solstice. After June 21^st, we lose a few minutes of daylight every few days, until we reach the shortest day (Winter Solstice) of the year on December 21^st. By shortest, I mean the least amount of daylight. Sorry, the actual length of our 24-hour day, light or dark, never changes.

Nature also reacts to decreasing hours of daylight. The leaves of deciduous trees turn brilliant colors of crimson red, vivid gold and dazzling orange, and eventually fall to the ground. The shorter days also prompt certain bird species to begin migrating south, where they can feed longer hours in the day. Less sunlight, along with colder temperatures, signals reptiles and amphibians to seek shelter underground to begin their long hibernation. In nature, the change to shorter days doesn’t happen in one night, like turning a switch on and off, but occurs over several months. It starts as early as August, usually peaks in the cool, crisp days and nights of October, then winds down as the last stalks of corn are still standing in November.

                   As they days grow shorter, birds, like these Snow Geese, begin to migrate south.

Daylight Savings Time also has an effect on us, as well. We may “gain an hour of sleep,” but our bodies seem to get tired much earlier in the evening. How many of you are in your pajamas and yawning by 7:00 pm, thinking it was much later? We also find ourselves spending less time outdoors, especially during the weeknights, since we’re not home from work or after-school activities, before it gets dark. On the flip side, you can now wake up and take an early morning walk in the daylight before you head off to work! Ok, maybe that’s pushing it! But when did all this start, and why?

It was Benjamin Franklin who first introduced the idea of DST in 1784. He felt by doing so, people would get much better use out of their days by cutting back on the use of candles and get up earlier in the morning light. Although Franklin never saw it actually put in to effect while he was alive, over the years it was initiated, with starting and ending dates changing several times. The last change was in 2007, with the thinking it would conserve energy. Today, over 70 countries worldwide go on DST, and most of the U.S. The exception is the state of Hawaii and most, but not all, of the state of Arizona.

The daylight hours may be decreasing, but it’s still a great time of the year to get outdoors and enjoy the changing of the season-even if it’s only for a few minutes in the evening. So, enjoy your extra hour of rest, but don’t forget “To Be Truthful, oops, I mean “Turn Back Time! LOL!

     As the bright, warm days of early Autumn begin to fade, reptiles and amphibians will seek out underground shelter to hibernate through the long winter months.

Is it me, or does it seem like Gray squirrels may be quietly taking over the world? I see them almost everywhere. In our cities, suburban neighborhoods, parks, and rural forests. It’s like “Squirrels Gone Wild!” My drive to and from work some days, seems like a real life version of the old video game Frogger, as I wear down my brakes trying to avoid flattening them on the pavement. Their decision-making skills trying to cross a road is not the greatest among our native mammals. Run real fast-stop halfway across-turn around and start to run back-stop again-damn, too late!

Fortunately, it may just be a sign of the season. Gray squirrels are scientifically classified as rodents, but in reality, they’re hoarders, and right now they’re at the peak of their hoarding season. They eat nuts. Lots of nuts. Walnuts, hickory nuts and acorns from oak trees. Late summer through late fall these trees are dropping their nuts (nuts are the trees’ seeds) all over the place, and these four-legged, bushy-tailed critters are grabbing as many of them as they can stuff in the their furry, little cheeks. You may see them sit and eat a few of the nuts right away, but most of them are snatched up and stored at pre-determined locations, to be eaten later. Nuts aren’t their only favorite snacks. They also eat leaf buds in the spring, berries, corn, birdseed (read on) and, yes,  people food. As a matter of fact, they can get pretty aggressive when it comes to human scraps. My daughter, Darby, describes the squirrels on her college campus as “ferocious and pretty scary!” In one of the parks I help manage, I actually witnessed one scurry down a tree, jump on a picnic table where an unsuspecting family was enjoying a pizza, and grab a half-eaten slice right off a paper plate. With pepperonis and mushrooms flying everywhere, the varmit shot right back up the tree with the slice of pizza dangling out of its mouth. I love pizza, but I don’t even do that!

My biggest battles with Gray squirrels play out in our own backyard. They are constantly challenging me to try and stop them from raiding our bird feeders and stealing the coveted sunflower seeds. I consider myself an experienced backyard bird feeder, but I have yet to find a completely “squirrel-proof” bird feeder. I know many companies may market their feeders as “squirrel-proof,” but I’ve never seen one that is 100% successful. If they can’t figure a way to get in to the feeder, they simply jump and hang on it until it breaks loose, falls to the ground, and spills the seed out. I call it their  Grab-N-Crash method. Crude, but effective. Our last line of defense are our two beagles. The two dogs are so conditioned to chasing these critters that we simply have to look out the back window, quietly mumble the “S-word” in their direction, and they shoot downstairs toward the back door, like cheetahs pursuing gazelles across the African Plains.

As much as I get frustrated watching these acrobats steal our expensive black oil sunflower seeds, I do admit that I’m constantly amazed how they continue to find new strategies for obtaining the seed. I’ve watched them leap from five feet away, and several feet straight up from the ground, hang upside down and even stretch out the full length of their bodies-front feet grabbing the feeder and back feet desperately clinging to a branch. They’re fast, creative and smart little tree critters! So, for the time being, I’ll slow my driving down and simply keep watching “Squirrels Gone Wild!”

Fall is a great time to get outdoors! I mean October Fall. Not late September Fall, which can be confused for “Indian Summer, or November Fall, when my thoughts have already drifted toward stuffing my gut with turkey, and well, stuffing!

I mean Autumn-real Fall, past the autumnal equinox fall. That special, exciting window of time that brings the brilliant colors of our deciduous trees to a peak. The short period that prompts raptors, summer songbirds, monarchs and dragonflies to grab those cool winds coming down from Canada and begin their long journeys south. The one month on the calendar that’s celebrated with hayrides, corn mazes, haunted houses, apple festivals, fantastic fishing and the Great Pumpkin! I love October Fall!

As a birder, the fall migration can be almost overwhelming. Where should we go? What birds should we target? Should we seek out the majestic birds of prey as they travel down the mountain ridges and coastlines, or the excitement of flocks of vivacious songbirds that stop to forage in the trees and shrubs, or even a few late shorebirds wading the wetlands in search of a final meal before their long trip. Well, we’re very fortunate here in the Eastern U.S.,  that, with a little planning, you can see them all in one or two days!

Our plan was simple.  There would be three of us-wife, Theresa, sister, Cathy and myself. We chose a weekend in mid-October (real fall!) and packed clothes for any kind of weather-hot, cold, wind,  rain, or even snow. We loaded up enough snacks, munchies and drinks for two days and headed down into Delaware, with stops at Bombay Hook NWR and Prime Hook NWR, before resting for the night in Lewes, DE.  Our first day brought bright sunny skies and warm 68 degree temps, the birding was great along the auto tour in Bombay Hook. The gravel road takes you through tidal marshes, freshwater wetlands, meadows and lowland forests. We tallied Bald Eagles, Long-billed Dowitchers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, American Avocets, Great and Snowy Egrets, Great-blue Herons, Pintail, Ruddy Ducks, Savannah Sparrows and Northern Harriers for our trip list. We also generously donated (each) a half pint of blood to the salt marsh mosquitos that tenaciously found their way in to our truck! Yes, even in October! After a quick lunch, we hit the road again, with a short stop at Prime Hook NWR. The winds had not let up, but we were able to have good looks at Belted Kingfisher, Common Terns, Osprey and the best bird of the day, a Great-horned Owl, that was resting comfortably in a large oak watching a handful of birders, watching it!

After a great BBQ and ribs dinner, and a few cold beverages, we hit the sack. Our next stop-the world famous Cape May Point!

As we woke early in the am, we were glad we packed a variety of clothing. The temps overnight dropped almost twenty degrees and we were dealing with 20-30 mph winds. We boarded the Cape May-Lewes Ferry and started the 14-mile trip across the bottom of the Delaware Bay, toward “The Point.” As the ferry pitched back and forth in 4′-5′ waves, the three of us stumbled around the outside deck like drunken sailors headed home for the night! Wobbling back and forth, we managed to add Herring gulls, Great black-backed Gulls, Laughing gulls and a few small, Yellow-rumped Warblers (struggling to fly just above the waves, alongside our moving boat) to our trip list. 

Cape May did not disappoint. The hawk watch was packed with enthusiastic birders with binoculars and scopes pointed toward the northern horizon. Hundreds of Sharp-shinned hawks flew past all morning, many of them gliding just above our heads. Mixed in with the “sharpies” were Cooper’s Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlins, Bald Eagles, Osprey, Northern Harriers and Turkey and Black Vultures. In addition, hundreds of Yellow-rumped warblers and Tree Swallows were flying everywhere in the strong wind, while Northern Shovelers, a Pied-billed Grebe, Tundra Swans, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon and a rare Eurasian Wigeon, fed non-stop in the small lake in front of the hawk watch. We ventured out to the beach to see the waves crashing in, snap a few photos and caught sight of a small flock of Brant battling the strong, gusty winds over the Atlantic Ocean. As we looked back toward the parking area, with the historic lighthouse towering over everyone, we decided it was time to head back to PA. We had a great time together, saw some excellent birds and ate lots of good food. Cape May Point SP is a great destination for birding-especially if you plan your trip in the Real Fall! Thanks T and Cathy for two days of awesome, outdoor fun! I can’t wait for our next adventure!