Vaughn Branch
A Sanctuary of Natures Beauty
First Sign - At the Vaughn Branch Trailhead
Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
“Gray squirrels forage for nuts, seeds, buds, and flowers of trees. Gray squirrels have an excellent sense of smell, which they use to help locate food that they’ve hidden away. As winter approaches and the squirrels carry their food and bury it in several locations, they sometimes forget exactly where. That helps the environment because these buried seeds and nuts sprout and grow the following spring. They can also pick up information about their fellow squirrels by smelling them. They communicate with each other by making sounds and body movements, such as tail flicking. When predators such as red foxes and red-tailed hawks are nearby, eastern gray squirrels will sound warning calls to alert other squirrels.” - National Geographic
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
“The Northern Cardinal is a fairly large, long-tailed songbird with a short, very thick bill and a prominent crest. Cardinals often sit with a hunched-over posture and with the tail pointed straight down. Male cardinals are brilliant red all over, with a reddish bill and black face immediately around the bill. Females are pale brown overall with warm reddish tinges in the wings, tail, and crest. They have the same black face and red-orange bill. Northern Cardinals tend to sit low in shrubs and trees or forage on or near the ground, often in pairs. They are common at bird feeders but may be inconspicuous away from them, at least until you learn their loud, metallic chip note.” - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
