During the past few days I was up earlier than normal and so I experienced more wildlife than usual. It was impossible for me to take pictures of everything: because of the weak early morning light, the images of moving animals were just big blurs. However, there was A LOT of activity going on. I kept aware with eyes, ears and even smell — yes, a skunk smell tells you there has been animal activity — that a skunk has had to defend itself from some predator. I thought I would write down what I detected within the last few days.
Just after leaving my parking space in front of my home, a raccoon crossed the street right in front of me. I stopped the car, but the raccoon, confused by the headlights, couldn’t make up its mind which way to go: it actually wavered back and forth for an incredible time right there in the middle of the street. It was easy for me to see how so many of our small animals become roadkill during the nighttime hours because of their reaction to headlights. This one finally moved off the road, and I drove on.
As I then walked from my car to the entrance of the park, I was able to see the silhouette of a skunk as it, too, crossed a street. I was walking by now and so I was not causing confusion with any headlights. The skunk was pretty quick — if you can call waddling quick — and once it reached the edge of a house with lots of shrubbery I was no longer able to see it or follow it.
In the park I sat down for a few moments. Everything was quiet except the birds. Soon, though, I heard a “scratch-scratch-scratch” sound. I had heard this same sound once before. That time I went searching all over the place, around and around a scrub bush area, to figure out what the noise was and where it was coming from. Finally I was able to discern that it was a gopher, digging under the ground! So this time, I didn’t even have to get up. I looked over to the several gopher holes and knew immediately what that sound was about. I never did see the gopher in this instance.
While still sitting at this same spot, I saw a domestic cat trot towards one of the houses. It obviously had had a successful prowl because it carried a mouse in its jaws! Catching a mouse is part of a cat’s wildness.
As I began walking, I kept seeing little dark objects dart across the path in front of me. These were voles, going about the business of their own lives. I never actually “saw” one — they were too fast for me to focus on — all I saw was the dark blobs darting across the path. Young children are particularly good at spotting these, but adults who are absorbed in conversation or other things are seldom aware of them. I have also seen voles pop up out of their burrows: if I am very still I can get a photo of one now and then. Two brown squirrels — distinct from the gray variety that most of us are used to in our parks — were cavorting at the base of a tree. When they saw me coming they climbed up high — but one kept its eye on me!
Of course the birds were twittering at their loudest before daybreak. Two tiny little dark-eyed juncos dropped down from a tree only three feet from me: one stood very still for the longest time while the other pecked at the ground — occasionally they emitted a very faint whistle-type of sound, but most of the time they were quiet. Once in a while I heard a red-tail hawk give off its high-pitched call. In the past I have seen an owl fly off at this early time, but not in the last few days. The crows congregated in a tree and cawed loudly for half an hour without stopping. Later on I saw two crows attack a red-tail hawk flying overhead. And even later, when I stopped and squatted down beside the path just to listen, a hummingbird came to within three feet of my face to examine me! It looked at me right in the face to try to figure out what I was doing. I tried focusing the camera but the hummingbird was much too close! A week ago I saw a mallard duck pair flying in circles about as large as the circumference of a football field. They flew three times around before heading off. There were white crowned sparrows belting out their distinctive calls, and another hummingbird sitting in the tree where I have always seen it! Then an unusual bird impressed me as it flew by in the near distance: a black and bright orange songbird! So far I have not been able to identify this last bird.
There were lots of bugs: the mosquitos were chewing on me, there are slugs and snails and newts. Later on I saw dragon flies of three types: red, blue and gray! I did not see a garden snake, but I know they are around because I saw one last month. About the mosquitos: every few days there appears to be a lull in their activity — and I’ve been able to figure out why. Some of our parks have little bats! The bats, apparently, come out only every few days, because “what is the point of raiding the mosquitos when they haven’t built up their population yet?” So, the dearth of mosquitos may be indirect evidence of bats. People have seen bats at times, and bat detectors have been used to estimate populations. This instrument amplifies and lowers their inaudibly high-pitched sounds so that their “clicks” can actually be heard by human ears! I have seen bats, but only as a “swarm” or “cloud” and only for a few moments at dusk.
I ended my latest walk in the park by sitting under a large oak tree. Wild growth is always more beautiful and fascinating to me than human managed gardens. As I sat under the tree I noticed all the moss and the lichens on the tree. The copper-rust on the tree was absolutely gorgeous. And finally, close to where my feet were, I noticed a field mouse moving in the grass!!
My younger son, during his college years, participated in an internship in Yosemite. His job was to sit in a field for six hours, five days a week, and watch. It began by being an extremely fatiguing and boring endeavor. But, he told me, when you are bored, your mind searches for things. Soon he was not only seeing all types of animals, but also where they hung out, who their friends were, who their enemies were, what and when they ate, who was related to whom! Pretty interesting — if you have the time! You can become aware of what is out there by zeroing in.
