I went back to writing a year ago, inspired by the emergence of a round of baby chipmunks in the garden. This year, especially since adding a few more plantings and features and getting the garden certified as a wildlife habitat, it's been a regular nursery. I thought it was a good time for a … Continue reading Introducing…This Spring’s New Arrivals
Tag: garden wildlife
Musings on Squirrels and on the Limits of Science
When ripe acorns start dropping off of the many Oak trees in our neighborhood, the squirrels mostly disappear from our garden for about six weeks. We still see them when we walk the dogs; working during all the daylight hours and into twilight, gathering acorns one by one and carefully burying them in different spots. … Continue reading Musings on Squirrels and on the Limits of Science
Scenes from a Burrow Building
Our resident mother chipmunk looks like she's getting ready for a second litter soon. From what we can tell, she's eating about the same amount, but looking a little rounder, and more significantly, she's getting her little paws dirty and undertaking a big renovation on her burrow. She has filled in the previous main entrance … Continue reading Scenes from a Burrow Building
Desire Paths
And so, the grass over here is often longer (and greener!) than it might be elsewhere in the neighborhood. And recently, I’ve noticed that this has a new practical consequence: in a lawn a bit in need of mowing, the garden wildlife’s desire paths become easier to spot.
People-Watching Animals
Recently, I've started collecting photos of backyard animals watching me watch them. I don't mean our eyes meet across the yard as I'm photographing them going about their foraging/nesting/mating/romping activities; I mean I'm catching them chilling somewhere (usually on a branch or on the fence) expressly checking me out. I spend a fair amount of … Continue reading People-Watching Animals
Hello, world!
Last week, six baby chipmunks emerged from the burrow where they had, unbeknownst to us, been born and growing for the previous month. Their mother, chunky and slightly beleaguered-looking, leapt out first and headed straight for the seeds and nuts that were waiting at one of the nearby bird feeders. The babies hung back. A … Continue reading Hello, world!
Phototrophic Field Guide 