Took a walk near Hashawa this AM. I'm not sure if I worked up a sweat or the
sweat worked me up. Whatever happened to the cold wet summer we were having?

Some surprise singers among the usual Acadians, Pewees and Red-eyes. I
mentioned ORIOLES at my house the other day. Found another group of them
today near Sawmill Road and Rt 97 toward Littlestown. The were mostly doing
a quick one-note song but mixed in some longer stuff. Got a nice look at
one.

WORM-EATER was singing in the same area. They breed there. But this is the
first one I've heard in about a month and a half.

And on the let's-amuse-ourselves front I spotted a spike buck on the trail
ahead of me. He was meandering around looking like he was not real focused
on the possibility of danger from wolves, pumas or even more dangerous
things like me. So I decided to see how close I could get before he spooked.
I could feel a slight breeze in my face so I knew I had the wind in my
favor. Yes, at one point I had to freeze while he tried to stare me into
making a move but he went back to feeding after he decided I must be a new
bush that just happened to grow in the middle of the trail.
    When I was a kid growing up in NW PA I used to dream of getting close
enough to take one out with a BB gun. My folks never bought me one so the
deer were saved. You can put your eye out they would say. (I stole that from
some dumb Christmas movie)
    The old boy still has it. I coulda done this one in with a pea shooter.
Fifteen feet max.

Jerry Tarbell
Still stalking in Carroll County with the wolves, pumas, tigers, bears, etc,
etc. We have a lot of those.