Albino/melanistic

Cheevers.Post.09

Remember Fort Erie’s famous white deer of a few winters ago? We learned that it was a piebald buck and not a true albino (all white). Many of us looked for sightings of this unusual looking deer. I still receive calls about albino animals in Niagara. I have reported on the white crow of Pelham, the white squirrel of Dufferin Islands and now recently a white robin. Pink eyes and white feathers or fur - hat’s a true albino. Call me at 905-894-2417 or E-mail me at Plato1@cogeco.ca if you see an albino animal.
Let’s change the subject. Two summers ago we visited Trail Wood Nature Sanctuary in Connecticut. It was the home of Edwin Teale, Pulitzer Prize nature writer. In his log dated January 29th many years ago we read Teale‘s words: “Twice this winter a melanistic buck has been seen disappearing into the woodland close to Trail Wood.”
Melanistic? It is at the opposite end of the colour scale from an albino deer. Teale‘s deer was reported to be almost coal black. Keep observing nature this winter. Be curious.