Are
there animals that create a response when you see them in your
yard?
Good
or bad, there you are looking out a window, and suddenly you spot
something. Birds. Raccoon. Deer. And instead of a passing moment,
the appearance raises your attention level and interest.
For
the past few weeks, Terry and I have been smiling and laughing
as a group of turkeys has wandered around. We’ve seen them in
the mornings and evenings, on several different days. Seven of
them, for lack of a better understanding of what they’re doing,
just out and about and crossing our yard.
Until
this morning.
Today,
when I look outside I spotted six. Hmm. Only six? Oh wait, there’s
the seventh. And an eighth… and a ninth… and then a tenth.
Ten
turkeys in our yard.
For
the most part, I would explain our reaction to the turkeys as
amused. I think that works. I can’t say for certain I’d miss them
if they didn’t come around, since the reality is I don’t think
much about them when they aren’t there. I’m absolutely not bothered
by them being there. Seven… ten… could be thirty or more and I
think my strongest reaction would eventually be grabbing a camera
to get some pictures of two or three dozen turkeys in my yard.
But I am spending time watching them.
In
the trees around our property—and even a handful of times perched
on a fence—we’ve seen some hawks. Even viewed a couple of bald
eagles. That was pretty cool.
We
get a lot of wildlife in and around our yard. And, honestly, it
generates everything from smiles to shoulder shrugs. And my guess
is that your reactions are quite similar. The extremes… especially
bad… end up being a result of personal experiences and potential
threats. For instance…
Skunks.
Last
summer I began noticing some small holes around our yard. Not
really huge holes, but definitely too big for the birds that were
eating from the feeders we had in the yard. One overnight, around
2am, for reasons I can’t recall I was in the garage and preparing
to step out into the backyard. We have a door with a window, and
I flipped the switch for the light. As I was unlocking the door,
a bit of motion on the other side of the window caught my eye,
and… yes… skunk. Likely turned out to be a very good thing that
I didn’t just open the door and step outside.
The
spotting of the skunk set off a chain reaction of activity for
us. I don’t personally wish anything bad for any animal. But I
do not want a skunk taking up residence under my deck. I began
sealing up some access points to things like the shed, and we
ended up taking in all of the bird seed so the feeders wouldn’t
be enticing the skunk (or skunky friends) to stop in for a meal.
Another
friend of ours has a miserable time with squirrels. Lots of trees
around his house. LOTS of trees. Tall and big and perfect for
squirrels at play. Growing all around his property and right next
to the house. This of course means that those lovely and inquisitive
creatures often end up on the roof. Finding weak spots. Once or
twice a year, regardless of how much he cuts back branches and
works on keeping the roof protected, he ends up hearing the familiar
scratches and paw patter overhead.
As
I stand with a cup of coffee in my hand and a rafter of turkeys
in my yard, I wonder…
What
animals have I seen in my yard, and why do I react differently
to each one? What makes it so that a squirrel barely registers
a response for me while a friend of mine would be mapping out
battle plans? And what would I do if I ever did see a moose at
my house?
For
now, I’m just getting ready to take a walk around. Make sure there
aren’t any bees looking to establish a residence… think about
putting some feeders back out before the winter arrives… check
the nearby paths for deer prints left in the mud. Because overall,
nature is a pretty cool thing to experience.