September 2008 Greetings from the Resident Naturalist For the past four years, I, along with many families and friends of 3 Creek Ranch residents have enjoyed the unique experience of handling and banding songbirds on 3 Creek Ranch as a part of our MAPS program. The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) Program was created by The Institute for Bird Populations.  (more) August 2008 Greetings from the Resident Naturalist I’d like to take a minute and share a few insights into an annual ritual that our local Red-tailed Hawks perform each summer.We have a nesting pair of Red-tailed Hawks on the northern part of Blue Crane Creek, on 3 Creek Ranch. This pair has two beautiful chicks, easily seen in the nest, about 20 days old at this time.  (more) February 2008 Greetings from the Resident Naturalist We have been enjoying an exceptional winter season in Jackson Hole.  With near-record snowfall, the skiing, snowshoeing and other winter activities have been fantastic.  This time of year also provides a good opportunity to reflect on how our wildlife populations might experience our winter. To the long-tailed weasels, mice, voles, or insects, our deep insulating layer of snow provides a safe and warm subnivean space to thrive.  (more) November 2007 Greetings from the Resident Naturalist As snow is starting to accumulate in the high Tetons, and the Trumpeter Swans are settling back on our ponds, I want to offer a warm thanks to everyone who participated in our nature center programs this past summer. Our songbird banding program was again a highlight for many residents who enjoyed learning about our local birds in a hands-on way.(more) June 2007 Greetings from the Resident Naturalist On May 23rd, I received a call about an injured Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) found along the shore of Palisades reservoir, located about 45 miles south of Jackson. A man's kind and concerned voice on the phone said there were two adult eagles standing on the ground side by side. He knew they were adult eagles because of their all-white feathers on their head and tail. (more) March 2007 Greetings from the Resident Naturalist Living in Jackson Hole throughout the winter season, we are constantly either removing snow from where we do not want it or searching for soft snow to recreate in. One thing is certain, however, we have seen dramatic changes in the overall condition of our snow this season. This scenario includes human inhabitants as well as thousands of small mammals that inhabit our winter world all season. More specifically, what might be the perspective of a long-tailed weasel on the changing snow conditions? I thought about this recently after cross-country skiing with a small group of friends. (more) Winter 2006-07 Greetings from the Resident Naturalist 7:20 AM, December 27, 2006: Through a soft mist rising off of the pond, I watch 9 trumpeter swans, 6 adults and 3 cygnets, feeding and slowly swimming in a tight group. They appear undisturbed and content. The swans are accompanied by a group of 21 golden eye ducks, lazily moving about skimming small insects off of the water's surface. A new set of coyote, or possibly fox tracks can be seen in the new skiff of snow. (more)