A big coyote was seen on the pond this week. Neighbors living at the north end emailed the news. It must have stayed north, I thought, disappointedly, because I didn’t see it. But Thursday morning I lifted the shades and ...
It never ceases to amaze me that these ancient creatures come up from the pond every year to lay their eggs, and find the same spot to do so — like birds remembering a migration route. In the very place where they’ve traditio...
“Sophie” was the first of four snapping turtles in early June to lay her eggs in the same hole just outside my window (see my two previous posts). She started the ball rolling about 11:30 am on the first day of June. I took this photo ...
From time to time, we’ve had one or two chipmunks on the property, but this year there’s been a population explosion. What caused it, I don’t know. Perhaps a warmer than usual winter, as our arborist has suggested. Whatever it wa...
Every year a groundhog family winters over in a burrow under a yew hedge bordering our property. When the pups are old enough to travel, in July, the family picks up and leaves for parts unknown. Commonly known as “woodchucks&rdquo...
some months now, this svelte black cat has visited our yard every few days, roaming about and poking into all the crannies. At times, she sits looking longingly at birds in the trees. When they’re on the ground, she stalks them. Se...
In an earlier post, I fretted there were no squirrels and chipmunks cavorting in our yard this spring. As much excitement as the Bald Eagles had brought into our lives, loss of those lively creature was an awfully high price to pay....
Do cottontail rabbits deserve the ire of gardeners? After all, it is the gardener who puts out all those delectable posies. What’s a hungry rabbit to do? This year, gardeners got some relief: all the groundhogs departed e...
I’ll forgive the geese for now. A group of them, adults without goslings, had assembled offshore, and were milling about. I could tell they wanted to come up and nibble my lawn. Strange. What was holding them back? Usually they’re not ...
This svelte, black cat is a frequent visitor to our yard. I’ve seen her prowling about at all times of the day and night. Yet her sleek coat and obvious good health make clear that she has a home and is well-cared-for. In the slide...
I raised the shades at seven. Minutes later, I happened to glance out the French door at the rear of the house, and saw it right there on the terrace, only a few feet from me. As I watched, it scurried behind the northern, gable end of the house....
I saw a blur of motion out of the corner of my eye, a first intimation that something was there. That something had dashed behind my neighbor’s car parked in our shared drive. I raced to the camera, perched at-the-ready near the po...
In late spring and early summer, cottontails can be seen all over the neighborhood. As soon as the young are ol...
Most mornings this winter, I’d look out at first light and see fresh tracks in the snow. A coywolf had passed within feet of the house, often directly under a window, heading from the wooded area northwest of the pond (I surmise) t...
