The Latest Wildlife

[penmillion]

6:48 a.m. I was looking out the bedroom window and saw a flash of color moving through the woods. Deer? No, it's too small to be a deer. Baby deer? No, still too small. Then it popped out of the woods and crossed through the backyard. Wolf? Dog? Wolf? Dog? Not sure, but I think it was a coyote. It's not surprising with all the rabbits just sitting about on people's lawns.

Last week I saw a snake by the driveway. It was dark with yellow pinstripes down its length - either a garter snake or ribbon snake. Cute. It was coiled up and would have fit nicely on a saucer. I scared it away when I spoke out loud but it probably hangs out in the stone wall near the mailbox.

I also saw the woodchuck-type creature a couple of times lately. It's very shy and runs back into the woods when it hears any noise.

I should start wearing my camera around my neck.

Comments

[feste-sylvain.livejournal.com]

We've had coyotes out here, so your wild canine was likely that. Bushy tail?

Your snake sounds like a garter snake, which we also have out here (and I had to convince my younger not to make into a pet). But I doubt your voice startled it, unless your voice is low enough to cause ground rumblings. (Snakes being deaf and all.)

In addition to rabbits, there are gophers and woodchucks about.

And foxes! Have you seen a fox yet?

But my favorite yard wildlife around here has to be the flocks of turkeys. The largest flock we've seen in our yard was 17 birds (including the chicks, which were just barely larger than cats at the time).

[penmillion.livejournal.com]

Yep, bushy tail, and looked like these: http://www2.bc.edu/~wayjo/SeparatedFall03/Main1.html (coyotes in Stone Zoo).

I keep forgetting that snakes can't hear. I was walking so it could have been disturbed by my footsteps, or it saw me.

I haven't seen any foxes. I think I've seen turkeys in the area, but maybe not in the yard.