5-footed Grey Squirrel

Grey squirrel

Picture perfect grey squirrel.  Notice the second step of the right front foot, where the later step is on top of the one in front of it, which is gives us the pattern of a 5-footed squirrel. The rears are the two outer tracks.

Wolf Spider Burrow

Tracker's eye view

Wolf spiders build beautiful chimneys around some of their burrows.  This hole was 6" deep and is built of more crude materials than others I've seen. Often the walls of the chimney are pine needles, or fine grasses. Here is an amazing video of a spider emerging from its burrow to steal a fly from an ant.



Spider's eye view

 

Worm's Last Tracks

Wonderful mud puddles after Friday's downpour.  This poor worm never made it back underground.  Its death throws make a beautiful filigree in velvety drying mud.

Cottontail Party

It was cottontail party time this morning at my favorite mud puddle.  The rabbits let loose, and left some great tracks.  These are a pair of rear feet, with a trail width of 3".   Asymmetry, four toes on each foot and deep punctures of claws very close above the toe pads are typical for cottontails in this moist, clay-ey substrate. Also note overall pointy nature of the foot.  A great find after all this dry weather.

House Sparrow dust bath

Next time you're in a parking lot, check out the little islands full of dry dirt and struggling shrubs.  A family of sparrows took great delight yesterday in the fine dust there, fluffing their feathers, ducking their heads, fluttering and cheeping, and generally being their rambunctious selves.  Yes, house sparrows are invasive and non-native, but if they can find fun and thrive in what is truly the most marginal of habitats, good for them.