Wildlife at Hyzer Creek

1. Orange salamanders are everywhere. They are actually red efts, which is a stage of development of the eastern red spotted newt. You might also see giant mole salamanders, up to 8 inches long.

2. Wild turkeys and deer are very common. Also the usual squirrels and chipmunks, red tail hawks, heron, yellow bellied sapsuckers, turkey vultures, and woodpeckers. Moose live around here, but they live near lakes and swamps, and Hyzer Creek is on a hill, so you won't see any moose. Porcupines are common, we've seen many on the course, and beavers live in the area but none live on the course. Rabbits, mice, weasels, fishers, untold other wild species.

3. Snakes are common, but the only snakes you will see are harmless. Poisonous snakes don't live this far north at this high elevation (1400 feet). The only snakes you will see here are garter snakes,  northern redbelly snakes, and ribbon snakes.

4. No ticks. You can bring your dog without any fear of picking them up. Hyzer Creek is DOG FRIENDLY!

5. Red foxes and coyotes are common. They see you before you see them, and you probably won't see them for very long! They are completely harmless and will run from you.

5. You won't see any bears. There are bears in the Adirondacks, but they live higher up in the mountains. Black bears don't attack people anyway.

6. Flying squirrels! Keep looking up in the trees and see for yourself. They look like very small, grey squirrels, but they can glide up to 240 feet from the treetops using skin flaps that act like glider wings.

7. Woodpeckers. The smallest are downy woodpeckers, and they are numerous. The next size up are yellow bellied sapsuckers which are also common. The biggest and perhaps the most common at Hyzer Creek are pileated woodpeckers. See below for a pic of a pileated woodpecker hole with a twist.

8. Black flies.We get these from May 1 to June 7 or so.They suck.Literally.

Use 100% DEET if you play during that time. Deer flies can be very annoying in July, but after July 31, there are no bugs at all!!! Also, there is almost no poison ivy here, and very few mosquitoes. In September, yellow jackets (wasps, also called ground bees) are more numerous. If you are allergic to bees and wasps, you MUST carry your epi-pen because we don't have staff for this emergency.

9. There are no mountain lions in the Adirondacks, contrary to what many say. There have been "sightings," but keep in mind, many of the locals can't afford glasses and have 20/400 vision, so when they see a deer they think it's a cougar, just like when they see Elvis. I saw the Loch Ness monster on hole 16 once.

Coyote scat found on hole 12 full of black raspberry seeds. August 2010.

Turkey eggs at Hyzer Creek before, after, and during.

 Turkey nest at Hyzer Creek July, 2011

Below are tracks from a mink, which is a large black weasel about 3 pounds.

Don't forget to aim low when gravity is 1/6 as strong, but aim high because there is no air. Aim low and high at the same time.

Sea level rise by 2100 in Swinoujscie, Poland according to Gagme1950