Monday, January 15, 2007
Gray Squirrel
I started to call this entry "Woodpeckers," but changed my mind. It has been raining here for several days and a squirrel is sitting in my birdfeeder. I'm not concerned. Maybe next year, if her brood survives, I'll bemoan the little raiders. For now, it's only the one. In this rural area, feral dogs and cats, coyote, hawks, and hunters keep the squirrel numbers down. I don't mind the hunters; I hunted squirrel with O'Dell, my father-in-law, many times.
Once, O'Dell had a new beagle pup he was trying to train. We had taken it out when we shot clay targets several times and it wasn't too nervous around guns. We went across the road and walked along Mr. Hoover's fence line, toward the river, looking for squirrel and rabbit. For the dog, guns were OK. Cows were a completely different story. That beagle was really jumpy, but still had it's nose to the ground and into everything. We came to a small pond that was completely covered with duck weed. It was more of a little puddle, really, barely 20 feet across. As the beagle nosed around, it spooked a frog which shot into the water. The dog reacted just as quickly and tried to run after the frog.
I'm sure you've seen those cartoons where Wiley Coyote runs off a cliff. As long as his legs are going, he kind of hovers. Then he looks down only to see the vastness of empty air below him. He gets that "Oh no! Not again. This can't be happening. What are you going to do?" look on his face then he falls. Well, that dog shot out across the pond, fulling expecting solid ground. I swear he was suspended an instant, just like Wiley, with the same perplexed look, before he splashed into the pond. O'Dell just sat down and laughed, laughed so hard, I thought I was going to have to carry him back. The dog was just gone; we didn't see him until we got home.
Back to today and switching to woodpeckers. We have had Downy, Hairy, Red Headed, and Red Bellied woodpeckers and Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers visit within the last few days. So far, only the Pileated Woodpecker and Flicker have not dropped by the back yard. The Pileated is certainly in the area (I hear and see them often closer to the river bottoms). There is a Flicker that in the spring often drums atop the power pole with my electric service. So, they'll be by. The other typical songbirds and dove are there too and even on a dreary January day like today, it is a joy to watch the birds.
Once, O'Dell had a new beagle pup he was trying to train. We had taken it out when we shot clay targets several times and it wasn't too nervous around guns. We went across the road and walked along Mr. Hoover's fence line, toward the river, looking for squirrel and rabbit. For the dog, guns were OK. Cows were a completely different story. That beagle was really jumpy, but still had it's nose to the ground and into everything. We came to a small pond that was completely covered with duck weed. It was more of a little puddle, really, barely 20 feet across. As the beagle nosed around, it spooked a frog which shot into the water. The dog reacted just as quickly and tried to run after the frog.
I'm sure you've seen those cartoons where Wiley Coyote runs off a cliff. As long as his legs are going, he kind of hovers. Then he looks down only to see the vastness of empty air below him. He gets that "Oh no! Not again. This can't be happening. What are you going to do?" look on his face then he falls. Well, that dog shot out across the pond, fulling expecting solid ground. I swear he was suspended an instant, just like Wiley, with the same perplexed look, before he splashed into the pond. O'Dell just sat down and laughed, laughed so hard, I thought I was going to have to carry him back. The dog was just gone; we didn't see him until we got home.
Back to today and switching to woodpeckers. We have had Downy, Hairy, Red Headed, and Red Bellied woodpeckers and Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers visit within the last few days. So far, only the Pileated Woodpecker and Flicker have not dropped by the back yard. The Pileated is certainly in the area (I hear and see them often closer to the river bottoms). There is a Flicker that in the spring often drums atop the power pole with my electric service. So, they'll be by. The other typical songbirds and dove are there too and even on a dreary January day like today, it is a joy to watch the birds.
