On the way back from our hike on our last trip to Roundrock, I paused by a tree near where we plan to build our home someday, and I spotted this little vignette. Some critter, probably a bluejay, had cached this acorn in this scruffy oak's bark. Many birds will store food in tree bark, but bluejays are the most common in our area. I think it would take a larger bird to transport an acorn. In our hikes I'll sometimes find peanut shells far in the forest from where I leave them on the log near the Cabin at the End of the Road. I've watched the crows visit the peanuts. Usually they'll swallow one whole and then carry off a second one. It's not surprising that I would find the empty shells here and there (and on our hikes, if I remember to do it, I sometimes leave piles of peanuts on logs deep in the woods, so finding the shells scattered is not unlikely. I just like the idea of knowing that the forest is a busy place even when we're not around. And it reminds me that there is always something interesting to see in the forest if I just take the time to look for it. Missouri calendar:

• Watch for chickadees feeding on insects in bark crevices.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 1:01 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.