Wildlife Notes

One of the chickens just ran like a crazy bird past the window, and Eva just reported seeing a hawk over in the neighbor's yard. That explains the running chicken. I looked out back in time to see the hawk flying away, but not in time to get a good enough look to identify it. I'm guessing Cooper's Hawk. Eva said she saw chasing the Mourning Doves that congregate in our yard so they can eat the chicken food. We're becoming quite popular with the local doves. Jeanine has seen 22 of them in the yard at once. My top count is still only around 12 though. I think I need to get up earlier in order to see real numbers. After all, the early bird catches the... chicken feed.

Speaking of wildlife, last night on the way to work, I saw three young coyotes. As coyotes almost always do, they vanished like furry ninjas seconds before I could point a camera lens in their direction. The moment is captured in my mind though, so I'm sharing it with words rather than photos. I love seeing coyotes.

While rushing up to work for dinner, I saw two coyotes by the side of the road. It's funny how, even out of the corner of my eye in the dark, I instantly know they're coyotes. Their ears stick out in a way that makes their heads appear triangular, and they exude a wildness that sets them apart from mere domestic animals. These two seemed to be digging in the drifts of Maple and Sycamore leaves that line the roadsides this time of year.

They looked for all the world like they were up to some sort of trick, which is as it should be.

Right now, this kind of sighting is therapy. There is magic in these encounters, but only if we are open to it.