WEEKEND UPDATE

Last year during the Spring Retreat the participants painted bluebird boxes to either take home or leave at Prairie Pond Woods for the following year...their creative work always on display for others to enjoy.  So today, taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather, we loaded them all up in the wagon with tools and T-posts and headed out to the prairie.

Ran into a bit of a snag with the first attempt, trying to place it near the Refresher Course trail for best observation...hit dolomite rock about 6 inches down! This is typical of prairies in Adams County. The short-grass prairies here, unlike the tall grass prairies of the Plains, have adapted to thin soils atop rock outcroppings and dry conditions. No problem...we just moved up closer to the center towards the ridge.

 

 In the east section of the prairie, I decided to go with a red & yellow theme :-)

 

 

 

In the west section of the prairie, the remaining bluebird box stands at the turn right before you enter the pines at the upper ridge

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Later in the early evening I decided to check the old bluebird box in the backyard attached to a utility pole.  I couldn't remember if I had cleaned it out last fall and thought I had better do that before the bluebirds start scouting.  When I opened it up, it was full to the top with moss and leaves with one small hole.  When I poked around with my finger, something snapped at it!  Something with enormous eyes and rodent-like teeth....

 

After a second observation with a stick this time (thinking that maybe I had mistaken it for a mouse), what jumped down to the ground and then up the pole was a
FLYING SQUIRREL!  

 

While on the ground I could definitely see its gliding membrane and its olive/white color. I quickly snapped a photo and then left the poor thing alone.  We may not have any bluebirds flying in the backyard this year, but I'll take it, if I can watch a family of flying squirrels instead!