Nature in a Minute: Whose woods these are…

On January 1, 2019, Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening entered into the public domain and I have been pondering the lines from that poem, especially

Whose woods these are…

Robert Frost, 1923

as I take people on programs through the wildlife sanctuary – like high school photography students, develop STEAM curriculum inspired by our natural world, and continue to learn about our amazing natural world right here in Canton. Whose woods are these…

A Great-horned Owl has taken up residence in our pine grove.

As I quietly walked through our wildlife sanctuary, through a grove of tall, spindly white pines and oaks looking for the aforementioned great-horned owl, a white-tail flashed and a “herd” of deer bounded away my foot steps. My attention was draw to a quieter, subtle sound of faintly rustling leaves and breaking twigs gave away the location of a no longer resting coyote.

Coyote, January 8, 2019

Here is a video from our trail camera of four white-tailed deer bounding across the pine grove late one afternoon this new year.

Four deer bounding through the pine grove

Here is a trail camera video from the past week of a single coyote a little past dawn moving through the pine grove.

Coyote in the pine groove

Since the New Year, our wildlife sanctuary has been bursting with activity fueled by an eruption of pine cones. Each day there is a cacophony of squirrels, both red and grey, and seed eating birds, like red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches, brown creepers, tufted titmouse, black-capped chickadees, and more. The ground is covered with pine cones, including this pile near a vernal pool on the property.

A cache of pine cones. January 8, 2019.

A red squirrel moved frenetically – both eating pine seeds and remaining vigilant for predators – like the coyote and great horned owl that have both taken up residence in the pine grove.

A red squirrel frenetically collects and eats pine seeds

As a raptor hunted near by and blue jay’s mobbed the bird, a grey squirrel hung tightly to the trunk of a tree and tried to blend in until the danger passed. Whose woods are these…

Robert Frost reading Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

4 thoughts on “Nature in a Minute: Whose woods these are…

  1. Jill

    Happy new year Sean! Thank you for this post. The videos, your thoughts and Robert Frost reading his poem were a lovely way for me to end my day. Genuinely enjoyed your educational and creative post.

    Reply
    1. Sean K. Post author

      Hi Jill,
      Thank you so much for the wonderful comment and Happy New Year to you as well. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post.
      Best,
      Sean

      Reply
  2. Faith F Sandstrom

    WOW.. Sean.. that was WONDERFUL… I am looking out at our neighboring woods as I write this, wondering who, what are out there, busy on this windy cold day.. deer, owls, squirrels for sure.. not sure we have a coyote here! Question: whose is the voice introducing Robert Frost reading his poem? Many thanks for your wintry blog, greetings to all at MABA from a fan in Haverford , PA.

    Reply
    1. Sean K. Post author

      Hi Faith,
      Thank you so much for the wonderful comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
      Happy New Year!
      Sean

      Reply

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