ENHS Nature Trails September 2004 Article 2

President's Column: "One Look is Worth a Thousand Pictures"
by David Wagner

 Thursday the 9th was a cool September afternoon when my son John and I turned onto the road up to the Cherry Creek trailhead on the west side of the Klamath Marsh in the Winema-Fremont National Forest. We had barely started up the first incline when we saw three squirrels running around in the road. I assumed they were playing, scampering in all directions. One raced down the middle of the road straight towards us and then veered sharply to hop off the right side of the road. The other two ran in circles, chasing one another, or so it seemed.

 These two tumbled over each other in the middle of the road. I hit the brakes and we stopped to watch. John said that there were different colors on the backs of the squirrels. His comment made me notice the round, orange-banded ears of one of the players, and I recognized instantly that this one was a weasel. It had gripped its  prey tightly from behind as they rolled over and over. I shouted, "that's a weasel." Just then it jumped away and leaped across into the brush at the edge of the road.

We had watched it grapple with its prey and jump away just after giving the fatal bite. The plump little squirrel thrashed around in death throes. And for good reason! It would soon be dinner. The weasel just wanted us to go away.

I pulled around the victim of this moment of nature's drama and went on up the road. It was not our place to interfere with the event. We were fortuitous observers, in the right place at the right time to watch the hunt take place. We were in the front seat of a natural happening. Unlike a TV nature show, where we sit in our easy chair and watch a cheetah race down an antelope, this time it was right in front of us and we could smell the dust of the struggle. We could have been shooting for a TV nature show. This weasel's kill was truly awesome to  watch!

When I got home I checked my books to verify what we had seen: the longtail weasel. This predator is much smaller than our urban squirrels. It is found throughout the state, hunting by day more than most small predators. The Peterson Field Guide to the Mammals confirmed, too, that it "kills by piercing (the) skull with canines." The grim reality of nature? Reality, yes; grim, only depending on ones sensitivities.

As John and I hiked up the Cherry Creek trail looking for mushrooms, I reflected on the lessons to be learned from what we had witnessed. We found few mushrooms; the woods were dry so many lessons crossed my mind. The truth of impermanence first fell in front of me: each individual life is transient. It's one of those self-evident truths not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence and all too easily overlooked in political times of self-promotion. Then there's the paradox of benefits: what kills one feeds another. It leads to questions about the morality of intervention--if I'd had a chance to save a squirrel, would that have been a goodwill effort for that environment?

 Many more thoughts as we paced for the three or four miles of mushroom deficient trail. I appreciated the simple grace of our experience. We had had been there to see it. I have described it in a few words. Pictures would help a lot. The longtail weasel is a most graceful creature; the golden mantled squirrel is incredibly cute. You know, "a  picture is worth a thousand words." But there is no way to express, to communicate to my friends, all the significance of witnessing the weasel catch its squirrel. You had to see it to know the entirety of it. You had to experience it to sense, or at least consider, its significance in the grand scope of things.

The Eugene Natural History Society endeavors to provide great educational experiences for our community. We want our friends and neighbors to learn more and more about the wonders of our natural world. Our speakers are chosen for their ability to demonstrate with outstanding images, good stories, and clear explanations just how they enjoy the natural world. They have good words, good speaking abilities, and pictures that are worth a thousand words. The talks are entertaining; the meetings are fun. They will inspire us, in the end, to go out into the world and see for ourselves. We encourage our friends and neighbors to get out into parks, meadows, lakes, and mountains to see for themselves. One look is worth a thousand pictures. One look provides a thousand lessons. And then, we are at our best when we come together to share our lessons.
 

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