It's been a really good week for seeing wildlife around here. I have been living in Rockland on-and-off for all of my life, and there wasn't a time when there was such a robust animal population. The river's got it's cranes and I saw a blue heron the other day, but that's nothing compared to the trio of Eastern Screech Owls that's been hunting our property.
I first saw them a few night ago—I was laying in my hammock at dusk playing a game on my iPhone when I heard a flapping of wings. I looked up to see an owl, about the size of a Guinea pig a few branches away. A second and then a third owl landed and they sort of checked me out while calling. The first owl flew to a branch just over me and sat there a while watching me.
They were back out again tonight and I took Abby out to see them. They flew over us a few times and then came down to the tree over the hammock, looking around and eventually flying off. Then the bats came out, followed by Mr. Fat Skunk who trundles ever-so-slowly out from behind my garage before picking around the lawn.
Yesterday in Valley Cottage I saw a fox, which first ran lightning speed across the lawn at the house of the friends where we were outside watching a movie, and then I saw it again sauntering down King's Highway.
And a few days earlier, Abby and I saw a baby muskrat over by Congers lake. Adorable fuzzy and wet little fella.
It's a veritable zoo around here these days.
I saw a fox last week by the Field Club. It was just padding down the sidewalk. At first, I thought it was a dog but, the closer I got to it, it looked like no type of dog I have ever seen. Then I got a good look at that pointy face - FOX! It's the fourth one I've seen in the last 12 months.
We had a murder of crows in one of the big trees behind our house a few weeks ago. It was so incredibly loud that I went outside to watch them.
I love living here.
Posted by: DW | July 13, 2009 at 09:48 AM