Larry A. Smail's Blog

Male Scarlet Tanager

My strategy was simple. I would sneak in well into the dark hours and try to get on the back side of this gobbler. he seems to head low and/ go across a road into posted land. I hoped to be between his roosting site and this area. It didn’t work. He was across a road in posted land. Later I would see him walk up the hill in a cow pasture. He is a big bird.  I circled was around the hill and hoped he would enter into the woods. He didn’t and he saw me from the field’s top. I did see a hen too feeding on a gas line.

Calm frog!

I drove south again and tried to cross Cherry Run, but the waters were still way too high and swift. the tree I knew of was washed away. I drove farther down the road and walked up and over the steep hills again. I walked far to an area I wished to go. I approached the flat area of the hill and called . Gil-obble-obble!  I walked up slope farther and he again answered my call. He was close. TOO CLOSE! He came in fast and spotted me before I was set up. I messed up!!!!

Super Redwing!

Later, I saw a gobbler on a right-of-way belly tight on the ground while he preened himself. I believe this was the same gobbler for he showed no interest in my calling now.

I saw a number of deer. I actually spotted one laying down. I could see the reddening deer hair through the green foliage. I saw a woodcock; a grouse and lots of squirrels today too!  There are plenty of warblers darting about from limb to limb. they are difficult taking photos of.

Native Sweet William

The weatherman said that we were to have sun.  We did, but after the daily hunting season was over AND the weatherman said we were to have a very slight chance of a shower. The number was 15%. Well, I can honestly say I found showers at 100% twice. Both times the rains were hard enough and long enough to cause me to get wet!