Creatures in the Forest (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this trailside historical marker:

Creatures in the Forest
Past and Present

What animal made each print? Are they still here today?

Timber wolf
No. The timber wolf now resides in the mountain forests and the dense woodlands of the northern states. They had probably disappeared from the woods around Mount Vernon by the time Washington lived here. Anywhere from 600 to 1,000 sheep were at Mount Vernon, and Washington never mentioned in his writings that wolves threatened the flocks.

American Bison
No. The American Bison was rare, even in Washington's time due to over-hunting and constant migration to less populated areas. After encountering bison in the Ohio country (present-day western Pennsylvania, northwestern West Virginia, Ohio, and eastern Indiana), Washington became interested in raising the animals at Mount Vernon. Although many years before this idea came to fruition, in 1799 a bison cow and a young heifer grazed in Mount Vernon's pastures.

Deer
Yes. Deer lived in these woods during Washington's time and are still here today. Washington fenced off an area for a "deer park" to add to the picturesque view for his family and friends. Sadly, George Washington's deer park declines while he was away serving as president, because the fence that he had installed to contain the deer was not maintained. From that point on, Washington's tame deer continued to roam the estate and were treated almost as family pets.

Fox
Yes. Red foxes are found in all areas of Virginia except for the extreme southeast corner. They are closely related to dogs and are nocturnal animals. They prefer a diverse habitat in less populated areas, such as the forested land around Mount Vernon. The fox is often characterized as being sly because of its many sophisticated tricks for losing predators like backtracking and running on fence poles to confuse or eliminate tracks.

Passenger Pigeons
No. Although Passenger Pigeons ere quite plentiful in North America when European settlers arrived, uncontrolled hunting eventually led to their extinction. Martha, named for Lady Washington and thought to be the world's last Passenger Pigeon, died on September 1, 1914, at the Cincinnati Zoo. She is now preserved and occasionally on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The passenger pigeon's extinction aroused public interest in creating and enforcing strong conservation laws which have saved many other species.

Northern Mockingbird
Yes. The Mockingbird imitates not only other birds but also animals and mechanical sounds such as car alarms. Mockingbirds continue to add new sounds to their repertoires; a male mockingbird might learn as many as 200 songs during his lifetime. Like many people of their time, the Washingtons kept Mockingbirds as pets because of their singing ability.

White-breasted Nuthatch
Yes. White-breasted Nuthatches are agile birds that can turn sideways and upside down as they walk along vertical tree trunk and branches looking for food. In the fall, they store food for winter behind the loose bark of hardwood trees such as as elk. Their name comes from their habit of jamming large nuts and acorns into tree bark, then striking them with their sharp bill to "hatch" the seed from the inside.

Carolina Wren
Yes. Look or listen for the Carolina Wrens singing or calling from dense vegetation in wooded areas, especially in forest ravines where they scoot up and down tree trunks in search of insects and fruit. This small bird can be hard to see, but it delivers an amazing number of decibels for its size. Carolina Wrens defend their territories with constant singing; their milling call sounds like "teakettle-teakettle-teakettle."

Birds George Washington Never Saw
Although some species disappeared from George Washington's forest, several birds arrived after his death in 1799. Look and listen for the birds.

European Starling was among more than 600 avian species first brought here in the 19th century through the American Acclimatization Society's project to introduce every bird mentioned in Shakespeare's scripts to the United States.

House Finch was introduced to North America through illegal sales as "Hollywood Finches," a marketing ploy, in New York City. To avoid prosecution under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, vendors and owners released the birds.