Wild(life) Entertainment

Wildlife in our Yard

A couple of nights ago we sat quietly on the back porch. The sun had just gone down and in that twilight period, a lone deer, a doe, came cautiously into our back yard. She walked soundlessly across the lawn, head down, grazing. From time to time she’d lift her head and look around, ears twitching, nose sniffing the air, ever alert for danger.

During the day, a family of gray squirrels had been busy in the White Oak that stands on the hill behind our house. They’d climb out to the very tips of branches to reach green acorn clusters; then take them back to more solid branches to shell. They dropped many on the ground below. The doe found them and grazed on them contentedly, moseying along, head down. She took her time. No dogs barked; nothing disturbed her. We sat quietly watching. We dared not make a sound.

The following night, as we turned the lights out, we noticed something that looked like a small dog in the back yard under the oak tree. A closer look revealed a small red fox. He sniffed around the trunk of the tree. No doubt he smelled the squirrels, but they had long since retired to their nest.

The fox disappeared under the large blue-green leaves of a hosta. Nothing moved for some time; then, suddenly, the fox dove out. He leaped high in the air and came down on his prey. We couldn’t see what he’d caught but surmised he’d found a frog hiding under the hosta. The fox leaped into the air over and over, landing on whatever it was he’d caught. He seemed to be playing with it. After a while, he tired of the game, grabbed whatever it was, and trotted off.

My wife and I both marveled at what we’d witnessed. Neither of us had seen a fox up close before. We felt blessed to see one so near for so long. It made our day. Prior to that night, we’d seen him trot through the yard a couple of times. Once he stopped and looked right at us before trotting off. He moved with such grace and agility, virtually floating along. He had a smooth coat and seemed well-fed.

Another evening we saw a doe feed her two fawns in the back yard. We’d never seen anything like that before, either. The doe and her fawns have visited us several times. Once a fawn lay in the back yard most of the morning. I finally had to mow the lawn. The fawn stayed until I showed up on the riding mower. Then it wandered off into the bushes a short way and watched me. I didn’t see it, but my wife did and took this picture. You can see the fawn peering out from the shelter of the bushes just a few feet away from me on the mower.

In these times of COVID-19, we’ve frequently had such entertainment show up at our door. Not long ago we saw two bucks feeding on the hosta shoots and hydrangeas in the back yard. We’d never seen bucks that close. Hunters would die for a shot that close.

We’re grateful for the Wildlife entertainment that shows up in our yard. It provides us much joy as we shelter in place and avoid crowds. Perhaps the deer and fox have visited us before and we just didn’t notice. Have you noticed how the COVID-19 pandemic has sharpened our senses and heightened our appreciation for the simple things of life? I sometimes wonder if the pandemic didn’t come to help us get back to an appreciation of each other and the simple things of life. Whether there is Divine Intent involved or not, I can’t deny the effect.

Happy Reading, Writing, and Connecting.

Photos and text © 2020 R.R. Jasper

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