The Snow Angel of Red Creek
Snow storms are a hassle at Red Creek. Not only does the snow need to be removed from the driveway, but paths must be made to open the 2 acres of enclosures and pen doors need to be “unstuck”. After all of the snow related chores, animals still need to be tended, fed and cared for.
I’ve come to hate snow storms, but this past storm went rather smoothly. Morrie and I cleared the snow and 2 volunteers, Amanda and Emily, forged the 15 inches of white stuff to help. Within a few hours the work was completed and we enjoyed some quality chitchat.
We couldn’t possibly move so much snow without the snow-blower we have. I’ve learned it starts easier when warm so it is moved from the shed each fall into the garage. It is huge and always in the way when we need hawk and owl food from the wildlife freezer but on days like last Saturday I appreciate it’s mass and power.
I loved snow as a kid and used to make snow angels, where you lay in the snow and move your arms up and down to create the wings. Now, my only enjoyment from the snow is finding wonderful and unique tracks left by the wild residents that visit. We have a bobcat visiting Windigo who often leaves his tracks behind and the fawns we released last summer leave their hoof prints near the woods and field edge. Trails left by rodents wind their way between the sheds and pens and the whole scene tells a story of the unseen activity of the wildlife of Red Creek that stay here by choice and not because they need our help.
This snow fall left a wonderful story behind with a wild “snow angel” who visited.
A few weeks ago we released a small Cooper’s Hawk. He had arrived with a concussion following a collision during a failed hunt. The people who found him said he flew over a rooftop following a songbird and hit the ground hard. It was a young bird, healthy and strong, and because the people who found him brought him for help right away, he recovered quickly.
Cooper’s Hawks hunt birds on the wing. They are fighter jets built to out-fly other birds through the forest canopy. I am told they do not hunt rodents but we find many do and often take a liking to the mice we feed to the birds recovering from injuries. This Cooper’s Hawk was one of those — he loved mice.
We have seen this same Cooper’s hawk several times since its release. It has been spotted in our forest and was rousted from the tall bushes by our chickens a few days ago. He has decided to stay and hunt the grounds of Red Creek.
The snow angel he left behind tells the tail of a successful hunt. A rodent trail has wound deep into the snow between to enclosures. He must have been watching the mice scurry back and forth and took his chance. There was no struggle to indicate a miss. It appears he hit fast, hard and immediately rose from the scene, leaving only his angel wings behind.
Cooper's Hawk Snow Angel
Morrie's glove to show the size
Further away to show the rodent trails
