Walker Nature Center
A LOOK INSIDE • Native Plant Sale 2 • Calendar of Events 4 • Kid’s Corner 6
Nature Notes By Sharon Gurtz
MARCH • • • •
Groundhogs emerge and mate. Eastern Phoebes and Tree Swallows return. Red-shouldered Hawks begin nesting. Forsythia and Wood Violets bloom.
APRIL
• American Toads lay eggs in ponds and streams. • Virginia Bluebells, Mayapples and Woodland Phlox bloom. • Ruby-throated Hummingbirds return to Virginia. • Northern Cardinals begin nesting.
MAY • • • •
First Eastern Bluebird broods fledge. Eastern Box Turtles lay eggs. Wood Frogs mature from tadpoles. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails emerge from pupa.
BRANCHING OUT Please Don’t Move the Animals By Ken Rosenthal
Spring brings a rejuvenation of nature. Many mammals and birds have young during spring when food becomes more plentiful. Reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates become more active as the season progresses. Outdoor recreation also increases and this raises the likelihood for human-wildlife interactions. Nature center staff members often receive phone calls about animals that appear abandoned or in need of assistance. However, moving these animals is rarely in their best interest and can make matters worse.
Deer day care
Fawns are one of the most called-about young animals in spring. For the first few weeks after birth, fawns lie down and remain still to avoid detection. Their spotted coat makes it easy for them to hide in the dappled light of the forest floor. Fawns have a very faint scent, which also makes them hard to detect. Stumbling upon one can be a confusing experience. Instead of the young deer fleeing, the fawn remains motionless though it is close enough to touch.
Instinct tells the fawn remaining still is its safest bet. A doe will leave its fawn to browse and return regularly throughout the day to nurse it. Unless it is apparent that something has happened to the mother, there is no need to rescue this fawn. It will lie there patiently, waiting for the doe to return. She will not return until the area is safe, waiting for potential predators (including humans) to leave. Checking back later typically reveals the fawn has left the area with its mother.
Leave the young for the parents
Fawns are not the only young to cause concern among nature enthusiasts. Squirrels and raccoons nest in tree cavities, and their young often fall to the forest floor. The parents will return them to their nest. Again, this happens as long as humans are not standing too close.
Spring 13 Volume Nineteen