Head in the Clouds Amherst: Black Bear and a Deer in Headlights

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Black Bear and a Deer in Headlights

Black Bear, Western Massachusetts
Photo by Brendan Trainor

No, we have no snow. And no cute videos of a zoo polar bear rolling around in feet of snow. But we do have black bears and deer (in the wild, no less!). To prove that point, we submit these two photos, taken by friend of Head in the Clouds Amherst, Brendan Trainor, who tells me he has many more, featuring all kinds of fauna. Just to be clear, the deer wasn't actually in headlights (that's just the camera flash reflecting off his eyes) - but if you want a literal "deer in headlights" look, that's got to be it.

Thanks, Brendan - we look forward to seeing lots more! Anything to entertain us during this essentially snow-less winter (so far anyway).

Deer in Headlights, Western Massachusetts
Photo by Brendan Trainor

2 comments:

UnknownJanuary 27, 2016 at 8:21 PM
We watched a coyote run past our front door a few weeks ago. It was the middle of the afternoon and he quickly disappeared in the nearby woods.
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SharonJanuary 28, 2016 at 10:45 AM
That seems pretty brazen, Jim. Don't they usually wait until after dark? I may need to rethink letting my cat out during the day. And where (generally) are you located? Very cool observation. Thanks for sharing.
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On Puffer's Pond

Saturday, February 4, 2023, 3:35 pm: The past two days have seen record-breaking cold in the area, with the temperature dipping to -14F overnight, Friday into Saturday. To make matters worse, the wind was unyielding, whipping through the trees and driving wind chill readings down to -40F. In a season that had been unusually mild up until that point, it was something of a shock. Local residents were suddenly forced to think about warming up their cars, preventing pipes from freezing, and dressing in multiple layers to walk their dogs. By Saturday, while many were happy to hunker down and wait for temperatures to stop breaking low records, this was the moment that ice fishers and skaters had been waiting for all winter. With temps hovering around 12F (albeit above zero) by Saturday afternoon, Puffer's Pond was the place to be for about 30 people, many of whom were spread out over the ice, either ice fishing or playing hockey. While this is a fairly typical sight at Puffer's in the coldest winter months, our current lack of snow made it unique. No one had to contend with snowpack - the skaters didn't even have to clear a "field" for their game. And with all the hiking paths snow and ice-free, photographers had no trouble capturing water flowing through, under, and around layers of ice on the water. And, still, at 12F, without hand and foot warmers, I did not linger long. The temps will be rising quickly in the coming week, climbing well above freezing, even to 50F in the days to come. So, I'm guessing the skaters and ice fishers also won't be here much longer.

(Read past entries here.)

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Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Black Bear and a Deer in Headlights

2 comments: