Winter Wildlife Signs

By Eric D'Aleo
It snowed yesterday!It was the first real snow of the new year with an accumulation greater than a dusting and animal tracks were in abundance when I went outside this morning. Red squirrel tracks were randomly scattered among the trees in the surrounding woodlands while a set of fox tracks seemed to show the fox had a definite destination in mind as it made its way across the field. Songbirds have been coming to the Science Center bird feeders in greater numbers since the weather is turning more harsh but we had a new addition last month that I've never seen at our feeders before, turkeys. These birds have actually been on the property for several months and I've watched them grow from little poults desperately balancing on a tree branch high overhead in June when spooked, to adult-sized birds feeding on the tray feeders just outside the Webster building in early December. I tried to get a picture to capture the moment but the birds were too wary and they slipped away. Keep your eyes open for wildlife signs and sightings near your home over the next few months.