Critters in the Yard

by Peggy Austin-Malone

I’m not sure if it was the full moon that made all these visitors appear, but we sure had fun watching the black snake scale our house and the box turtle come see us at our front door today, while we were admiring the nests of a Carolina Wren and an Eastern Wood-Pewee, each built on either side of the house. Or maybe it’s the three inches of rain in four days (and has us living up to our distinction as a temperate rainforest!). All the while we watched, the neighbor Barred Owl hooted in the welcome bit of sun that’s shone this week.

We caught sight of the snake peeking in our window while we were peering out. The Wood-Pewee eggs hatched just three days ago, up in the eaves (ah—a likely snake lure), but three hours later, Heron and I saw it back on the ground, with no big bump in its belly, while the Wren (pictured here) stood guard.