This pathlike gully was once a drainage ditch leading to the marshy meadow. Foxes have been using them as passageways when navigating through the brush in search of food.
Red fox prefer to live on the edges of fields or in open country. Meadow mice are probably the number one food item of the fox. Young foxes consume large numbers of beetles, grasshoppers and crickets. They eat all types of berries, melons and corn.
(red fox)
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A shrub or small tree from 5 to 20 feet, the staghorn sumac is a prevalent and important plant on Burton Island.
The sumac provides a source of shelter and food for many animals here. The staghorn sumac’s umbrella-like canopy furnishes shade to birds in the hot days of summer. It serves as a refuge during rain storms. Birds can easily disappear in the maze of leaves and branches in time of danger. The pink berry-like clusters of blossoms offer food for birds. Later, the fruits become dry and they may persist for a year or so providing an emergency food for squirrels and birds. The deer and cottontail rabbit find the twigs and bark a most acceptable meal during the winter. In former years, the sumac was often used for tanning fine leathers and as a dye because of high content of tannic acid.
Staghorn Sumac