The temperature is in the 40s today (that would be between 5 – 10 C) and there’s a gentle but steady rain. Most, but not quite all, of the snow is melted from the deck. Mount SnoMore is diminished, but not gone. Patches of green grass and brown reeds are bigger, though there’s still snow on the ground, especially in shady areas.
February is still part of winter, and every year makes a point of reminding us. I’m not packing up the winter gear just yet. It’s a relief, nonetheless, to have blue skies amongst the grey, warmth amongst the cold, and grass amongst the snow.
Before this morning’s rain, the backyard was covered with deer tracks. It was interesting that this last snow and cold spell I saw only tracks of deer – unless you count the neighborhood dogs and their walkers, which I don’t. The earlier snow was just as deep but the weather was not as cold, and I saw many more small animal tracks. Here are a few I snapped on my cell phone as I left for work one morning. I’m pretty sure the first is from one of our gray fox squirrels, but I’m not sure about the next two. Any ideas?
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Yes, #2 shows Deer tracks. The last one has me thinking Fox. Looks the the pattern of tracks that the Red Fox leaves in the snow here at home.
We have deer coming at night and raiding the ground feeders. We have a deep snow pack now and haven’t seen any tracks for a while. But with this mini January thaw today, might lessen the depth for their return.
In response to the suggestions of red fox for #3, I took a look around the internet at photos of red fox tracks. I’d say that it’s a possibility. Not a certainty – neither my photos nor my memory are clear enough to be sure.
A couple days after I took these snaps, I saw a much clearer set of tracks in the snow. At the time, I thought it was a neighbor’s dog, though their tracks usually don’t get very far from the street in front of our house. So, maybe – or maybe wishful thinking on my part. But I’ll certainly be more alert to the possibility in the future and look for additional signs, or lack there of.
Maybe red fox with a bushy winter tail. There are lots of those in your neck of the woods, you know. BTW, what are your plans for MY neck of the woods?
I’ve seen a few in the woods and fields nearby, but not actually in the neighborhood. I’m convinced that there’s a regular wildlife night club in our back yard when I’m not looking.
Will email you about plans.
I think it is hare or rabit, then deer. The last I don´t know. Fox maybe.
Fox is possible, we do have them in the area. Wish I was a better tracker!
I love shots of tracks but I can’t name them most of the time.
I’m not very good at it either, though sometimes I can narrow it down to a few possibilities. I keep hoping for an exotic track, but deer are the most likely around here.
I’d say deer as well for number 3. While the photo doesn’t look down into the holes to see the actual track you can see drags between the tracks that are very slender like the pointed hooves of deer.
It’s the drag marks that caused me to think it might be an animal other than deer. I hadn’t noticed those before, and they aren’t obvious in any of the deer track photos I looked at for comparison.
What delightful tracks! I think I can see deer prints…
Deer seems to be the consensus so far.
Wren: Neat photos of the tracks. #2 is definitely a deer. You can see the bottom of the step. I can’t see the print on the other one. I have deer tracks all through my muddy yard.
Thanks, FG! I think #3 is probably deer as well – it looks like the same pattern. I seldom see deer in the front yard, but they obviously come through during the night when I’m not watching.
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