We are fortunate to enjoy a variety of native critters that visit our back yard. They come out of the wooded area behind our home. Mostly, they seek the bird seed which the birds peck from the feeder and the rest falls to the ground.

Our biggest critter is deer which feed on the honeysuckle shrubs, and occasionally bird seed. Far off, and on rare sightings do we see bucks, but they seldom come near our yard.

We try to discourage deer due to deer ticks, but they are fun to watch browsing the bushes. We definitely don’t do anything to attract racoons due to their ability to wreak havoc and carry disease, but recently a mom and her pups came into our yard to eat corn under the bird feeder. They are cute rascals with their bandit faces and human-like fingers.

In this particular instance, mom climbed the tree, came down the cord and shook the bird feeder to scatter the seed to the ground. Clever animals.

Squirrels, bunnies, and chipmunks visit us multiple times a day. Food is a powerful motivator. We even had a large female snapping turtle lay eggs in the sloped hillside next to the woods. We have an array of birds which frequent the feeder: cardinals, several varieties of sparrows, chickadees, junco’s, blue jays, and woodpeckers. Plenty of robins and thrashers, too, but they prefer worms and grubs. Rather than bore you with bird photos, I’ll simply share a few a more photographs.

The ducks and geese photos were taken while on a walk nearby and not in our back yard. However, it’s probably only a matter of time before these Canadian geese visit us as they have little to no fear of humans, and they are everywhere.

We have seen and heard coyotes, bobcats, turkey vultures, owls and a variety of hawks. Surprisingly, very few snakes even though there is water nearby. Perhaps the previously mentioned predators keep them in-check.

Later the same day, after I posted this blog, and after stating we see seldom see a buck, this guy shows up in a clearing in the woods. Oh well, surprised again!

Most of these images were taken via my cell phone through windows; hence the quality isn’t he best.

Unknown species.