BACKYARD BESTIARY
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
I'm very used to the various birds and squirrels that show up throughout the year - after all, that's why I have the feeders back there, so I can enjoy watching them.
I'm also fairly used to regular visits from at least one of the local skunks... I think they take refuge under my back porch periodically (at least it smells that way) and they really only become a hassle when something upsets them and they spray in the immediate vicinity - and that's only happened a couple of times.
A couple of weeks ago I heard something moving around and looked out to see a large opossum moving around out there... that was a surprise.
But last night was the icing on the cake - something was rattling the feeder around 4 AM and when we looked it turned out there were two raccoons out there (and one was playing with the empty corn cob hanging from my squirrel bungie.) While I've seen raccoons around here previously I've never seen them in the yard before. These two looks and acted a bit like youngsters, and it was a definitely early-morning treat to see them.
UPDATE 7/26 - Two skunks in the yard tonight shortly after sundown.
UPDATE 8/2 - The opossum returns.
UPDATE 8/12 - As do the raccoons.
JMH
