Category: Uncategorized

First, wildlife: Three foxes have been spotted together. Did our pair have a youngster?  One fox likes to roam in the afternoons east end of Waterford. Also, the three turkey kids are roosting away from the lighted part of the park. All is well. Moma or papa turkey has been at the west end of Baker Park. Turkey flew into a tree near a great blue heron, and the turkey won out. Heron flew off. Also west end of Baker Park, a fox has been there several times. Was seen catching a squirrel. Wow, wish the fox would come to my yard and get some. Also hope the foxes get groundhogs.

We just have to hope these critters crossing over to Baker Park do not go up to Rt. 15. The culverts  under the road at the south end of the park do provide passageways. One is normally dry, just has water when there is a storm. Thanks to the folks who send me these updates.

News-Post article on best fall color trees. We have all of the native ones (save one that won’t grow here) in the park including black gum, bald cypress, red maple, no scarlet oak (needs acidic soil) but the red oak/pin oak hybrid on the hill looks pretty good.

Listed as shrubs, these are native: dogwood, sassafras, fothergilla (now at the Key bench area), smooth witherod (park ones have not flourished, but the three in front of my house are wonderful), oakleaf hydrangea (new bench coming in 2018 will have 4 more surrounding it).

GInny

Finally, a freeze. Now the worker bees get to work on the tasks we do not do in the summer. The native plants have died back while invasive honeysuckle is still green, easy to see.

Hood environmental club was here Nov 4 and Astrazeneca green team comes Nov. 20 to help. Bartlett Tree Experts will be pruning Dec. 2.

Newsletter is ready for the printer. Members, City officials will get it and the holiday card early December.

I took a few pictures of beautiful fall colors last week, also rejoiced because the buck’s antlers are now white – no more tree rubbing! Our fencing efforts were pretty successful this year but he got rid of his velvet somewhere!

-Ginny

persimmon tree loaded with fruit:

sassafras on the hill has great color:

bald cypress was beautiful this year:

the buck has been in camera view many nights lately:

The Hood Environmental Action Team (HEAT) put in a great morning’s work Nov. 4. From left to right: Liana Sales, Thomas Nieto, Camila Alvarez (President), Jordan Reed-Estes (Secretary), Jenna Hilton. Thanks!

Astrazeneca employees recently joined Friends of Waterford Park members in donating volunteer hours mulching trees in Waterford Park.  Astrazeneca volunteers are pictured below. (L to R) Paul Ogola, David Boswell, Mike Shaw and Stacey Smith.  

The first 9.5 minutes of this video are interviews with Tim Davis (shared use path project manager, below right)) and Kelly Russell (City alderman).  Tim is being interviewed at the tunnel entrance. Kelly is being interviewed while sitting on the bench at the turtle area.The person who made the video, as I understand it, goes around the country making videos related to pedestrian safety. FWP, FOBP and the parks get very positive comments. Thanks to Tim and Kelly for those. Long live the turtle!! – Ginny

Turkeys are seen almost every day, north part of park along Carroll Creek where the undergrowth is dense. Bluebirds have fledged. I caught this tree swallow (light kept the great swallow blue coloring from showing) feeding her baby that has been sitting for a couple of days at the entry hole waiting for bugs. Those swallows come about every thirty seconds with a new morsel. Bet they will be glad when the kids can fly on their own! – Ginny

Wow!!  The Kennys walk to the new bridge every morning and see lots of critters. Luckily Anne takes pictures. We have bluebirds and swallows, now a pair of turkeys. One of our members sent me a picture of one turkey a week ago and I was thinking he was looking for a mate. But a pair is wonderful. Hope raccoons do not eat their eggs. We will see! If anyone spots young turkeys in a month or two, please let me know.  – Ginny

Pictured below, FWP Board members Ginny Brace and Dan Yates (arborist with Bartlett Tree Experts) recently participated with booths at Culler Lake during the Green Neighbor Festival May 20 & 21, 2017. FWP board members Alice Meiners, Rachel Zigler, Karen Morton and Kathy Soria also manned the FWP booth during the two-day event.

Migrating birds starting to appear – this red-breasted grosbeak  was at my feeders today. Two males were feeding at the same time later in the day.

Also moving to land to find a spot to lay eggs is this good-sized snapping turtle. Neighbors could possibly find it is a garden bed, and walkers might come across her. Do be alert. She will return to the water as soon as the eggs are laid.  Ummm, all these years we have waded the stream to pick up trash with no body armor! We may need to be careful in deeper parts of the creek. Snapper was photographed last year as well.

Also,  the fringetrees are in bloom and the yellowwoods will be out soon. Both the coral and yellow native honeysuckles are in full bloom. Has anyone seen a hummer yet? I have not. The viburnums are out – some large cranberry viburnum with white blooms along the path.

And maybe more rain coming – it’s a good thing! – Ginny