I was sitting here at my trusty computer yesterday when I heard a weird rattling sound from the front porch. There was a lusty breeze bending the sumacs so I thought it was just the plastic that was on the door in the winter rattling in it.
However it went on and on so I got up to go look. Elvis was staring out the door in his grab-the-robin pose, only different. Kind of hesitant and nervous-ish.
Well no wonder! In place of the robin was a fat young woodchuck gathering plastic in its mouth like a gerbil collecting tissue for a nest. It was perhaps six inches from his face. It was so darned bold that it let me take its picture. Then when I clapped and shouted to make it leave the region it ignored me.
The cat ran away but not the road rat. Dag nabbitted thing anyhow. It just looked over its shoulder in an irritable fashion and sauntered away.
A much better encounter of the wild thing kind came later on the other porch. I was watering the plants when I heard an unfamiliar bird call. I looked up and the speaker came right to my knees...right there a foot away from me a lovely little Carolina wren. It hopped all over the porch looking right at me, completely unconcerned, then flew down below the driveway. How cool is that?
Posts
7 comments:
LOL! That's not something you see everyday!
Very cool indeed! I had an equally cool experience with a baby woodchuck, who came running to greet me as I walked through a field, and tried to climb up my leg. Talk about cute! A chubby brown ball of fur with bright black eyes. Awww. I realize I can have these warm fuzzy feelings about woodchucks because I don't try to grow any vegetables.
Actually that was really cool. Both situations.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
SSomething I've never seen (either one). I had a little brown house wren hopping up my virginia creeper though last night as unconcerned as years. Usually they're pretty elusive.
Cute and fuzzy he may have been, but if he wasn't the least bit scared of you in the middle of the day, I'd be very cautious. A few years ago, we had such a friendly raccoon who turned out to be rabid.
According to the news paper today, there's been quite a few instances of rabies in the area recently. 2 or 3 years ago, a "friendly" woodchuck went in the horse stable, bit one of the huge Belgian horses on the nose and made contact with one of the boys in the family who had to have the series of shots, and the horse was euthanized.
Be Careful!
Dani, no, who knew that they were so modern? I mean, a plastic nest!
WW, it is a cutish sort of creature and is lucky enough to be on the other side of the house from the garden. lol
Linda, I am much more a fan of the wren. lol
aka, oh, believe me, I am very rabies paranoid. I think it is not afraid because it can't really see us through the screen and it is used to the noise in the house. Either way, as soon as the men are in the house when it shows up...well...it just can't stay that close to us and the animals so...
Lee, I worry a lot about rabies, and although I don't think that is what is going on here, I'm afraid this one will not be living on the porch for very long. Between the garden and the potential for zoonotic disease...well, I am sure you know what I mean. We have seen so many rabid small wild animals over the years....
Post a Comment