Some Winter Wildlife from the Nature Preserve

This buck was photographed the day after the last deer hunting season ended

I don't have time to write a proper blog this week, but I still wanted to share some photos of winter wildlife at the nature preserve. 

A Carolina Wren perches in a bush near the bird feeders.

A Great Blue Heron tries to eke out a living at the mostly frozen beaver ponds

There are actually 2 Raccoons sleeping in this tree cavity

Golden-crowned Kinglets are commonly encountered this winter

This Red-breasted Nuthatch greets me at the entrance to the preserve each day

One of the yearling beavers leans onto the ice in order to break it

A Pileated Woodpecker feasts on a carpenter ant colony in the heart of a dead tree

A Downy Woodpecker looks out from the tree cavity where it will spend the night

Female Cardinal 

Gray Squirrel

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Muskrats in conference 

One of many White-throated Sparrows that are spending the winter with us

Tippy the Beaver

The beavers cut themselves a Christmas Tree this year. They almost never cut down evergreens

Brown-headed Cowbirds are not unusual winter visitors

Blue Jays are very common this winter