Wild Life 1 - in Our Backyard

I've heard that if you just sit by the side of the road eventually you'll see the whole world pass by. And as that may also apply to wild life, it pretty well describes our backyard. Recently I've seen some less than ordinary visitors, so I decided to capture their pictures and post them here.

Cheaper by the dozen 2011.1217 - I couldn't believe my eyes. Six robins on the birdbath at the same time. Robins are normally very fussy insisting on a one at a time pecking order at the birdbath - for bathing or drinking. But recently I learned that in winter they often flock up and roost together to preserve heat.
Where have all the deer gone? 2011.1219 - The deer have been so entertaining, I decided they should have a page of their own. Click here to visit the Deer Page.
The Original Sighting of the Mystery Bird 2010.0711 - There's an unusal bird in our neighborhood. Its screech captured my attention two weeks ago, but today is the first time I caught a glimpse of it and recorded its song. Seeing this bird in flight is astounding. It appears to be at least 18 inches from head to tail and has a 30 inch wing span. I'd love to get a photo of the bird in flight. Here's the bird's song. (audio)
The Mystery of the Mystery Bird is Solved 2011.0426 - I was sitting in our breakfast room when the mystery bird flew by. And this time I got a good look at it. It's a Red-shouldered Hawk. And it's huge. It's wingspan was between 5 and 6 feet. ... Now truth be told, I couldn't snap his picture as he swooped past the window so quickly. But I generated this composite photo to give you an idea of what I saw. For a more detailed view of this magnificent bird, click here.
A Bird of My Own 2011.0704 - In the breakfast room again ... this time, big bird was watching me. What a great opportunity! My camera is now always close at hand. While I'm sure this is also a Red-shouldered Hawk, judging by its size, I'd say he's a young one. I'm hoping he'll stop by again.
The Proper Pecking Order 2011.0309 - There is a pecking order and the birds know their place. Frame 1: Downy Woodpecker arrived before Mr Robin and positioned himself closer to the birdbath. Frame 2: But Mr Robin is bigger and always gets first dibs on the bath... the proper pecking order.
Our birdbath is not just for the birds 2011.0219 - I took these photos during the summer of 2010, but it's taken a while to find a program to publish them in this slideshow format. The slideshow magic I found is a free service called, 123-slideshow.com.
George Washington once said, "Hunting a fox is as difficult as fighting a war - only it's more dangerous." 2010.0920 - When the red fox passes thru our backyard, he's usually quick about it. Too quick for me to catch a picture. But today, he stopped to sun himself next to the big tree. That was my cue. However, my camera was upstairs. So, up the stairs I hobbled, two at a time. Grabbed my camera and dashed downstairs. Here's what happened next. (audio) ... I never did get his picture, but I did get bruised. ... I got a knot on my head ... and a contusion on my arm
The Hunt for Red ~~October~~ Fox continues 2010.1230 - My hunt for the red fox continues ... and I do intend to shoot him ... with my camera. Today I discovered he's an early riser. At 8:00 AM he made an appearance while I was eating breakfast, but he quickly scurried away. He reappeared three more times before 9:00, but didn't stand still for more than a second. With my camera close at hand I caught him twice in frame. A bit distant and a bit blurry, but at least this proves he exists.
I finally shot Red Fox And it was a double, double treat 2011.0124 - My patience paid off. I not only got to shoot the red fox, but he brought along his partner as well. Then, after catching a few rays, he invited two deer to take over his sunny spot. Double, double good luck.
Overturned Birdbath 2010.0909 - Look's like they did it again. When the deer drink from the birdbath, they frequently knock the bowl off. But this morning as I bent down to lift it up, I heard a whimpering sound and the heavy cement bowl moved by itself. Well, that woke me up with a start.
I put on my heaviest work gloves and picked out my longest handled shovel and carefully pried up the bowl. Peering out from under were two dark eyes just as scared as I was. It was a raccoon and he was injured. He squeezed out from under the bowl, took two steps and collapsed. And then... he just lay there.
And while he lay there, I went inside to find a container I could use to give him some water.	But when I returned, he was limping his way to the tree stand at the back of the yard.
But he stopped and looked back to thank me and pose for one last shot before hobbling off to lick his wounds and hopefully recover.
Urban Coyote 2010.0726 - On my recent visit to Vermont I met some folks from Paoli. When I mentioned the wild life I'd been observing in Wayne, in particular, a red fox that had eluded my camera, the Paoli folks suggested that it was more likely that the beast I saw was an "urban coyote." Today, I shot the beast (with my camera) and I do believe they were right.
He turned his back on me	And then he spotted a bunny
The Strange Shaped Deer 2010.0712 - Today, while we were eating lunch, I spotted a spotted deer in the backyard. It seemed to be exceedingly long. Then I spotted what was really going on.