[bcbirdclub] A Night Show of Wild Creatures
- From: "Roger Mayhorn" <mayhorn@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Buchanan County Bird Club" <bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:29:25 -0500
Hi All,
It was a busy day and night here at our place. We had heavy snow showers this
morning, that turned to rain later in the day. The birds were feeding heavily
at the feeders during the snow. A female Purple Finch was among the Goldfinches
and House Finches. A Fox Sparrow joined the Juncos, Cardinals and Mourning
Doves under the gooseberry bush, where I had thrown out cracked corn and black
oil sunflower seeds.
Just after dusk the outside light came on, as one of the three Gray Foxes, that
has been coming each night since October, showed up for its evening treat. I
stood in the dining room doorway and tossed it broken pieces of wiener. It
would eat a piece then sit on its haunches, waiting for the next one. Sometimes
it would come within 10 feet or so to pick up a piece, though it seemed a bit
nervous, being that close.
About an hour after that fox left the other two came by. One of these is
smaller than the other. It is also a bit wilder. It sits at some distance, but
will come in close enough to get food, and then move away to eat it. The other
one will come very close, sometimes as close as 5 or 6 feet. I fed both of
them. Sometimes they would both rush for the same piece of food. After feeding
them I closed the door and they stayed around for a few minutes before going
back into the woods.
A short time later I looked out and three of the five deer, that we usually
see, were standing with their heads under the gooseberry bush, eating the corn
I had put out for the birds. This is a doe and her two offspring, though the
young ones that were born this past spring are now almost as large as she is.
The deer soon moved on and left the yard quiet for a few minutes. The outside
light came on, and when I looked out again I saw a white face under the
gooseberry bush. This time it was one of the two possums we often see, munching
on the cracked corn or the sunflower seeds. A few minutes later I looked out
again and the possum was gone, but one of the foxes was back. It was eating the
sunflower seeds, as it often does.
While watching the fox, I saw in the dim light, a lighter shape some distance
away up in the mulberry tree. It turned out to be the Barred Owl that has been
coming to eat night crawlers from the yard on rainy nights, though tonight I
guess there was too much activity for it.
A few minutes later the fox and the owl were gone, but the possum was back. As
I watched it feed, the three deer suddenly appeared from out of the darkness.
They were back for more corn. As they neared the gooseberry bush, they
separated and came around the bush from different sides. The possum was
temporarily surrounded. It retreated to the center of the bush. The deer were a
bit afraid at first, until they figured out what was under the bush. They
finally came around and all three were feeding on the same side of the bush. I
saw the possum go scuttling out the back of the bush and head for the woods.
Who needs TV when we have our own wildlife reality show going on just outside
the window.
Roger Mayhorn
Compton Mt
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