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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Exciting Backyard Wildlife



The backyard is not necessarily the best place to see wildlife but here in Wisconsin it can be pretty good considering we live smack-dab in the middle of the village. It is also true that a number of animals and, I suppose insects, have become urbanized, even though this is hardly what one would call urban. We are just a small tidy village sitting on an old fading mill pond in the middle of farm country.

 I will not go into a rant about the wealth of it all because most of our friends do live in farmettes where wildlife runs wild---from bears, to fishers, to wolves and many butterflies of all sorts. To hell with them (the friend), for I have to concentrate on what is here as we have our tea and biscuits each morning.

This summer has been a pretty good run including what I believe was a Brown Thrasher. There was this bird, a mid sized bird, thrashing around in the garden, just hoping and flitting about all in a great rush. I found myself asking, "What the hell is thrashing around in the garden?" It was very brown and had a long tail. Didn't seem hurt or deranged, or have whirling disease, just generally thrashing. Looked in the book and what do ya know, a Brown Thrasher.

Well, that is not the end of it all. We have had a fair amount of butterflies and very much a shortage Cabbage butterflies---which does not break my heart. I have yet to see a cabbage worm--those little green bastards that feast on my various mustard family plants. We have seen White Admirals, Red Spotted Purples and Red Admirals. Not a bad trifecta of that family. The Tiger Swallow Tails seem down a bit but we do see them. High on the list was a Giant Swallow Tail, but the truth is, it was not on this property but on Blue Mound by Mt. Horab. I have only seen two in my life so I almost wet myself. The attached photo is lame-ass but still lends the truth to the sighting. Been a few Monarchs but folks are worried their numbers are down due to too many humans. One or the other. Also included a picture of Ann collecting butterflies.


I guess.


Sure we have squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks which to some extent are the enemy but I have let them live even though I did find a dead rabbit stinking the place up behind the wood shed. No idea why he chose to check out but he was like real dead and is now doing a nice dirt nap in our garden.

The Wild Turkey moved into the little woods across the street right during Turkey season and used the neighborhood to drum up swag for his crop. I tried to call her in but she really didn't seem interested even though I sounded like a big studly Tom but with a marginal selection of tail feathers. She has stayed out of the garden.



We like the very black toads that were found under a pile of wood chips. It was early in the spring and they had to fatten up but I am sure they were getting ready to hold court under the street light behind us next to the church parking lot. I didn't know why they have the light unless it is to keep bad guys out of the church. Doesn't seem to work because people are still attending.

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