Wildlife on the Deck

I looked out my kitchen window this morning to see what little birdies were at the filling station on my deck.  Instead of the usual sparrows and bluejays, occasional tufted titmouse and cardinals, there was a large, stunning hawk sitting on the rail looking at me.  Pretty shocking, the hawk was less than ten feet away, I've never seen one so close.  Gorgeous he was, a plump white feathered breast with light brown spots, about 10" to 12" tall.  Probably a young red-tailed hawk, which I often see soaring overhead.  This morning, Mr. Hawk was up close and personal.  I can't explain the beauty, but I couldn't take my eyes off him.  No picture, sorry, I figured if I reached for the camera, he'd be gone. 

We're not that far outside of Boston, maybe 25 miles, but we have abundant wildlife in our backyard.  There's a dozen or so turkeys who show up almost every day, a resident woodchuck, several deer, a fox, a coyote pack that den nearby, and of course, bunnies, skunks, and a gazillion chipmunks.   I don't remember so many critters when I was a child 40 years ago, certainly not turkeys and coyotes.  People tend to think that the only "important" wildlife are the megafauna: wolves, elk, bears.  People don't usually equate wildlife with the eastern states.  But the comeback of an array of wildlife in the east has been amazing. 

What sort of critters do you have in your backyard?

Comments

[Sissy Willis]

We have gray squirrels, black gray squirrels, raccoons, skunks, 'possums, cardinals, bluejays, mockingbirds, sparrows, starlings, ringneck snakes, funnel web spiders, European garden spiders, land snails and slugs, dragonflies, ants, ladybugs, monarch and cabbage butterflies, altronia underwing and numerous lesser moths, bees, wasps and flies of every description. Rare, one-time visitors include a red-crested Kinglet, red-tailed hawk, an escaped barnyard-type chicken and, just last summer, a great ash sphinx moth. Seagulls soar overhead but never land in the side yard. Since you asked. :-)

[miss kelly]

You live in a veritable jungle! And you're right smack in the middle of the city, aren't you?