wildlife

“Deer reduction” has started in Rock Creek Park. “Temporary night-time road closures will be in effect”

By Prince Of Petworth

deer-crestwood

From the National Park Service:

“The upcoming window of action for deer reduction in Rock Creek Park will be November 15, 2016 through March 31, 2017. This is the fifth operational window for the Rock Creek Park White-tailed Deer Management Plan. Temporary night-time road closures will be in effect to provide for visitor and employee safety during reduction activities. Commuters, including cyclists, are advised to plan alternate routes.

Extensive safety measures will be in place to protect park visitors and neighbors during operations. Biologists, who are also highly trained firearms experts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will be working under the direction of National Park Service (NPS) resource management specialists and in coordination with U.S. Park Police and local law enforcement to conduct reduction actions at night when the park is normally closed.

The following road closures in NW D.C. may be in effect from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. when operations are underway: (more…)

“hawk perched on a branch, eating a rat for breakfast, at the corner of Euclid and Georgia Ave”

By Prince Of Petworth

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Last week we saw a great shot of a hawk on H Street, NE. This weekend Rachel reports:

“Sighted on my run on Saturday morning: a red tail hawk perched on a branch, eating a rat for breakfast, at the corner of Euclid and Georgia Ave. Completely unperturbed by passersby. Glad that DC’s reputation as the third rattiest city is benefiting at least some of the local inhabitants!”

hawk-dinner

“I think it was a Coywolf”

By Prince Of Petworth

coywolf-_ForestWander
Photo by http://www.ForestWander.com via Wikipedia

This was a wild thread I’ve been meaning to post from Monday:

Wikipedia says:

“Aside from the combinations of coyotes and eastern wolves making up most of the modern day eastern coyote’s genepools, a study in 2013 by mammalian biologist Dr. Javier Monzón revealed that some of the coyotes in the northeastern USA also have mild domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and western Great Plains gray wolf (Canis lupus nubilus) influences in their genepool, thus suggesting that the eastern coyote is actually a four-in-one hybrid of coyotes, eastern wolves, western gray wolves, and dogs; and that the hybrids living in areas with higher white-tailed deer density often have higher degrees of wolf genes than those living in urban environments. The addition of domestic dog genes may have played a minor role in facilitating the eastern hybrids’ adaptability to survive in human developed areas.”

“I called animal control, feeling like a screwball, but I saw what I saw!”

By Prince Of Petworth

huge cat
Photo by PoPville flickr user angela n.

“Dear PoPville,

This sounds like I need a shrink. But last Friday, I was walking on 7th St SE a block from the SE library and Eastern Market Metro station. I spotted something moving in a dark alley between two homes and when I focused my vision, I saw a large, as large as a golden retriever dog, CAT get up off the ground, turn and flee towards the backyards. The tail was long, black tipped and it touched the ground. The cat was in a dark shaded alley but it appeared to be grey or black. It was silent when it ran. I was so stunned, I stopped in my tracks. My companion saw it too and he wanted to run and find it but I stopped him. I called animal control, feeling like an screwball, but I saw what I saw! Perhaps some real screwball had raised a wild feline in their home and then let it go. I really want to know if anyone else has spotted this “cat”. Animal Control took the report, asking me over and over, the size of the animal I saw and said they would send someone out. Weird!!”

What the Helen of Troy is This Wildlife?

By Prince Of Petworth

what the wildlife

“Dear PoPville,

Sunday morning I happened to look out of my window and saw this creature crossing the street. It doesn’t appear to be a gopher, mole, nutria, or DC councilmember but it looks like a huge rodent. I only had time to use my phone with crappie digital zoom. Any idea what this is, PoPville?”

Ed. Note: I guessed beaver, after the recent spotting in Van Ness but OP responded: “The tail wasn’t flat and leathery looking, like a beaver, which threw me off. It was furry and dark.”

“If a bear has been spotted in your neighborhood, please take down bird feeders”

By Prince Of Petworth

bears
via Maryland DNR

Putting snakes falling from the sky in proper perspective…

“Black Bears Spotted in Suburban #Maryland. Take Commonsense Precautions.”

From Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources:

“The Maryland Department of Natural Resources would like to alert citizens that juvenile black bears have been seen wandering through the state’s more suburban areas this spring. There have been recent, confirmed bear sightings in Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties as juvenile bears disperse, or seek out a new territory.

“Please treat bears the same as you would any wild animal,” Bear Project Leader Harry Spiker said. “Give them plenty of space and allow them to move on at their own pace. If a bear has been spotted in your neighborhood, please take down bird feeders and secure trash cans so that the bear does not get an easy meal, which may prolong their visit to your neighborhood.”

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