Yesterday was a good day for wildlife watching at my house. Of course there were the usual birds at the feeders, including hummingbirds, and we've even been lucky enough to get a pair of Painted Buntings again this year. The birdwatching is always good here, but the other animals we see can be pretty special, too.
The turtles that always climb up out of the nearby creek and come into the neighborhood to nest in the sandy soil have been very active this month. Yesterday when Gregg went out to get the mail, he spotted a big female laying eggs in a hole she had dug right beside our mailbox. He came in the house and told me about it, so we stood at our front door and watched her slowly retreat in the direction of the creek when she was done. Then a gang of crows who were around and also watching promptly showed up, dug off the top layer of soil, and ate the eggs. As sad as we were that mama turtle's efforts had been in vain, you can't help but admire the crows' intelligence and cunning. And as I told Gregg, "Crows have to eat, too."
Here's another thing that happened yesterday. Gregg happened to look out of the office window early in the afternoon and saw a young deer walking through our front yard. He/she continued around the house, to the south facing side, and laid down for a while beside the hedges next door. I gently raised the bathroom window and took a photo with my phone.
The deer rested there for a good 30 minutes, only leaving once it started to rain.
Wow! That's a lot of nature! I love how you described it, Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ellen! We also have hawks nesting nearby, barred owls and bats that come out after dark, and a fox that hangs around sometimes. One of our neighbors has seen three snakes so far, but luckily we haven't had that pleasure yet this year. ;)
DeleteCrows don't miss a trick, do they.
ReplyDeleteThey really don't. They're highly, highly intelligent.
DeleteCrows are so dang smart. But poor Turtle Mama- all that work.
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous of your painted buntings. It's so funny you have deer in your yard and we don't. Well, maybe once in a blue moon.
The painted buntings are very shy. I actually have about two minutes of video of the male at one of our feeders, and he kept trying to eat from the side facing away from me. His colors are super flashy, but the golden-green female might be my favorite of the two. Her colors are much more subtle, but beautiful.
DeleteYes, crows have to eat, too. But what amazing things to experience right at home.
ReplyDeleteWe absolutely love our little neighborhood and all the wildlife we see.
DeleteYou appear to be living in a zoo Jennifer! Are there any lions?
ReplyDeleteWe've been seeing a fox lately! No lions, though.
Deletehummingbirds are thick as fleas around these parts and quite aggressive not to be toyed with. no dear but we have bunnies.
ReplyDeleteWhat kinds of hummingbirds do you get? Here on the east coast we only see the ruby-throats.
DeleteI probably would have stopped the crows. We get them in the store, they fly in through the open lumbar door and can be a real nuisance.
ReplyDeleteStopping the crows would have only deterred them while we were standing there--it would be futile to try. Plus, I don't want to make enemies of the crows. They never, ever forget a slight!
DeleteCrows are so interesting. My sister if friends with one which left her a feather. It comes round with a group of friends. Jan tells it she'll be right back with a peanut; it waits and all the rest fly off.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of that kind of thing lots of times! We'd love to tempt some of our neighborhood crows with peanuts and other treats. They make great (wild) pets!
DeleteWhat a pleasant surprise to have a visit from a deer!
ReplyDeleteWe see a big female regularly, and often in the spring she has youngsters with her. I think this was one of her "teenage" babies.
DeleteIsn't it wonderful that wildlife feel safe in our company.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is!
DeleteYou can be on safari right at your house, watching all that wildlife from your windows! Yes, crows (like every living being) have to eat, too.
ReplyDeleteThere are foxes and hares here, but I rarely spot them unless I happen to be out on the nearby fields close to dusk on a mild spring or summer evening.
Just now, in between typing this comment, I heard a knocking noise from the direction of my kitchen. A woodpecker has chosen the outside wall to tap for insects - or is he planning to make a hole in the insulation big enough for a nest? (It might be a little late for that, I think nesting starts earlier in the year for them.)
No hares here, but lots of rabbits (eastern cottontails). And we've been seeing a fox several times a week.
DeleteNature, red in tooth and claw! Crows are smart birds.
ReplyDeleteExactly! And I admire crows.
DeleteWatching wildlife in all its beauty is wonderful, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt's one of the things we love most about our neighborhood! The proximity to a creek and wooded areas mean we get lots of wildlife, while being in a centrally located, convenient location.
DeletePainted Buntings! You are so lucky.
ReplyDeleteThey are gorgeous birds, and I never thought I'd see them around here. Closer to the coast, yes, but we're about 75 miles from the coast.
DeleteWow, that must have been something watching those crows eat those eggs. I have heard that crows are pretty intelligent.
ReplyDeleteWe've seen lots of turtles laying eggs this month around the neighborhood, and had already noted the crows paying CLOSE attention when that was happening. I guess they get an egg feast this time of the year!
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