Critters in Bittersweet Woods

There are many different forms of animal life in Bittersweet Woods. Many are not native to the area. We have adopted some of them and brought them to live in Bittersweet Woods. They bring of lots of enjoyment and reminders of past trips and experiences. What critters are in your corner of Bittersweet Woods?

















Gabbie and Tessie

First snow

November was very warm, sunny, and dry - unusual from most years. We enjoyed golf and late day walks almost every day. But we are paying for that now with a stretch of 2-3 weeks of really (for here) cold weather. The first snow on December 5 was a mere dusting. It was just enough to silhouette downed trees in the woods and create a filigree on evergreen trees.



Today, December 19, a monster snow storm moved up the east coast. We caught some of the back side of that storm. Fortunately, it was not enough to require shoveling our rather long driveway. Whew - close call. But the wet snow and calm winds combined to created a beautiful lacework of snow covered branches in Bittersweet Woods.



Gabbie and Tess loved it, racing through the fresh powder, leaving rooster tails of glittering snow dust behind them. They are the consumate explorers; all smells and sights take on a new aura in the snow. In a few days all of this will disappear. Time to enjoy it now.

The Visitor

It was the day before Thanksgiving and out in the yard...there was a creature stirring next to the house. Gabbie and Tess were alerted first. The leaf rustling kept them returning to a spot in the pine trees next to the neighbors' house. Then Suzanne saw it, standing proudly near the bradford pear tree. It was a big, plump, game bird with distinct brown markings, a fan shaped tail, and a small distinct crest of feathers on its head. Oddly, the dogs were curious but did not chase it. It apparently failed to register as "that's something we chase after" in their previous encounters database.

Thanksgiving morning dawned cold and frosty. Tess went on high alert gazing into the trees on the hill behind the house. I walked outside and saw the bird shuffling through leaves. I bolted back into the house and grabbed for the camera. The bird had walked on to a large horizontal branch of the sprawling osage tree. It stood like a sentry on the log quietly scanning the area. Daughter Amy and I climbed the hill and crept closer for a photo. We were able to move within 50 feet to take some remarkably clear pictures.





Some brief internet search inquiries confirmed that this was a female grouse. No other grouse family members were evident. She stayed on the long for nearly two hours and was still there when we returned from church. We named her Gertie - sorry, Mom, but I could not resist the alliterative name.

After that she disappeared, though there were two more furtive sightings. We still look for her and wonder what drew her to this fairly civilized section of Bittersweet Woods - so near our house, with dogs, vehicles, and humanoids wandering around in full view.

It was another fascinating glimpse into the beauty of Bittersweet Woods. What is going on in your section of Bittersweet Woods?