Blue Lake inlet with tree 010

From the files of Don Kirk…Part 2. Campground Scavengers

The cry of a red-tailed hawk rings out nearby. I stand up and turn in a slow circle searching the tops of the pines. I see no hawk, but I still hear it. I’ve been fooled by this sound before. What makes me suspicious is that this hawk is calling from the lower branches of the tree, where no hawk is likely to be. I spy a Steller’s jay. Every time it opens its beak I hear the call of the red-tailed hawk. Steller’s jays are noted for mimicking the call of hawks and other birds. Some other jays can do this too. Of course, these beautiful birds have a raucous squawk all their own. Steller’s jays are as bold as the squirrels at stealing food off your picnic table. Like the squirrels they are much more common in the campground than in the surrounding forest.

At night the jays, squirrels, and chipmunks get their sleep. The weasel may or may not go to bed. Its food supply is active day and night. At night, several kinds of mice and pack rats come out and forage for food. Anything edible that you leave on your picnic table or don’t pack away safely will be dug into by nighttime critters. A few years ago, we forgot an unopened loaf of bread left on the picnic table. The next morning we remembered the bread but the entire loaf, including the wrapper, had disappeared. Since we were leaving, we stowed our camping gear in the back of our pickup. I started the motor but it didn’t sound right. I can’t really describe the difference. It just didn’t sound normal. Then I smelled burning bread. I turned off the engine and raised the hood. What a mess! A pack rat had tucked the entire loaf of bread in bits and pieces all over the motor. The varmint even stuffed bread in the radiator, all of which had to be painstakingly picked out.

People should not feed or leave food for these campground scavengers. For them, the stuff we eat is not healthy. Also, do not get too friendly with these rodents. They have fleas that may carry the plague.

The campground community becomes quiet in the winter. Many of the birds migrate south. Ground squirrels and chipmunks hibernate. People go home. Steller’s jays and weasels remain active. Winter passes, the snow melts, and spring comes again. Humans return to the campground to enjoy the beauty of nature and outdoor activities. The native scroungers go back to work.

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