Nocturnal Animals Enliven the Norfolk Darkness
By Jude MeadPhoto by Fred Knight Norfolk is considered a quiet town during the cold winter months, leading to the mistaken impression that the village rolls up its streets at dusk and slumbers until dawn. Actually that is the time when the exciting world of darkness comes alive and the stillness of the night is […]
Squirrels: They Are Everywhere
By Jude Mead On a good day it seems like there’s an overpopulation of squirrels this year, but the professionals disagree. According to Michael Gregonis, a wildlife biologist at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the number of squirrels racing about in our backyards is actually lower than last year. “There has […]
Catching the Annual Fall Migration of Hawks
By Jude Mead Witnessing firsthand the sight of hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of hawks flying overhead during their fall migration to South America is an extraordinary experience. Those that have seen this spectacle say it is the event of a lifetime, and Ayrslea Denny can attest to that. Denny has been […]
State Biologists Call on Public to Report Bobcat Sightings
By Jude Mead Have you seen a bobcat lately? Have you spotted a footprint of one in the snow? If so, then Jason Hawley, a wildlife biologist with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), would like to know. Hawley said the state is conducting a bobcat study to evaluate the habitat and […]
Trouble Comes Disguised as a Beautiful Ornamental!
By John Anderson As mid fall approaches, the leaves of many plants senesce and change color. White ash trees are some of the first woody plants to drop their leaves, followed by the glorious colors of maples, birches, blueberries and spicebush. But amongst them are invaders, which can outnumber and choke out the natural […]
It’s Only Natural: An Owl Encounter
By Eric B. Anderson Driving up the slight incline on Rt. 44 near Bazzano’s Oil on October 30, I saw a good-sized bird rapidly descending in front of me. I applied the brakes as hard as I could, but unfortunately, the bird still bumped into the top of my cab and fell backwards onto […]
Jellyfish in Tobey Pond?
A Norfolk high school senior makes startling discovery By Katherine Kasacek Craspedacusta sowerbii? No, it’s not a galactic spaceship of science fiction movies or a fantastical monster found in books. Think more along the lines of a mop-head or Medusa, or maybe an invertebrate of the cnidarians family. In short, a jellyfish, a freshwater […]
It’s Only Natural: All You Wanted to Know About Wild Turkeys
By Leslie Watkins For the past few weeks, I’ve observed 30 to 40 wild turkeys as they pass through my yard each day; three adult females and their broods. I want them to keep coming around, but don’t want to encourage deer by putting out food. I did some research on what foods will […]
Marble Cliffs, Open Fields and River Walks
Visiting Bartholomew’s Cobble By Susannah Wood Less than half an hour away from Norfolk is a little gem of a place where walking ferns trail their way down marble outcrops, a miniature grove of white trillium marks a recent burn, and neo-tropical migrants fly in to rest along the banks of the Housatonic. Bartholomew’s […]
Our Native Wildlife Needs Native Plants
By Shelley Harms Ah, spring in Norfolk! Frog choruses, birdsong, green leaves and . . . burgeoning invasive plants. It’s time to pull up the garlic mustard and chop out those invasive shrubs like honeysuckle, barberry and burning bush. Alien invasive plants are spreading all over town—they are probably growing in your own backyard. […]
