Walker Nature Center
A LOOK INSIDE • Wildlife Count Results 3 • Calendar of Events 4 • Kid’s Corner 6
Nature Notes By Sharon Gurtz
SEPTEMBER • Northern Water Snake and Copperhead young are born. • Goldenrods bloom. • Nuts and small berries mature. • Hummingbirds migrate to Central America.
OCTOBER
• Songbird migration peaks. • Mushrooms are plentiful. • Painted Turtles are inactive until spring. • Leaves are at peak color.
NOVEMBER
• Waterfowl migration begins. • Slugs and snails go into deep sleep. • Witchhazel blooms. • Look for animal homes in bare trees and sparse ground cover.
BRANCHING OUT Wile E. in Reston By Ken Rosenthal
Let’s put this on the table from the start: Coyotes are smart. Look up “coyote” online or in a book and you will find a variety of words to describe it: clever, intelligent, socially complex, unique, amazing, successful, adaptable. Even the coyote’s human detractors begrudgingly recognize this animal’s intelligence. In the legends of many Native Americans, especially southwestern tribes, the coyote is often portrayed as a trickster or culture hero. Their intelligence adds an air of mystery, and is mainly responsible for coyotes being one of the most successful and widespread of North American mammals.
But don’t be fooled. Just because you haven’t heard a coyote in Reston doesn’t mean that they’re not here. Coyotes in the eastern states are much less vocal than western coyotes. This may be due to the higher density of people and domestic dogs. The best times of year to hear coyotes are during their breeding season in January and February or when their young are moving about and learning vocalizations from their parents in the summer.
Keep it down out there!
No trait of the coyote lends greater credence to its intelligence than its frequent vocalizations. The use of a variety of yips, barks and howls conveys information to other coyotes. Group howls can be territorial, warning other transient coyotes that they are not welcome. The group will also howl to call the family unit back together after individual hunting. Short barks are used to communicate danger, while yips welcome family members back from the hunt.
Fall 12 Volume Seventeen