Moving 300 miles southwest and up 1,600 feet in elevation from my previous stomping grounds means a whole new environment and a whole new parade of species to celebrate.
There are still juncos and deer. In town, there are still mostly white folks. But things are much different. People and the animals act differently here. Among the humans, there’s not a lot of road rage and Type A behavior, thankfully.
On the wildlife level, I’ve particularly noticed the effect of No Hunting rules in my neighborhood. Never in my life have I seen coyote poop, play, yawn. But, thanks (I imagine) to this neighborhood policy, the animals aren’t as stressed as I’ve seen them everywhere else. It also allows for more intimate viewing and reminds me that we’re in their space, not the other way around (as so often happens when animals struggle to adjust to habitat encroachment. Darn us humans!)
To note: This week, I include animals I may not have spotted face to face, but have either heard or seen fresh signs (scat, fresh pawprints, calls in the night).
I did see with my very own eyes (and up close) a bobcat and a golden eagle. The cat was small and the bird was huge. They seemed about the same size.
Mammals:
Coyote
Black Bear
Golden Eagle
Elk
Mule Deer
Racoon
Cottontail Rabbit
Grey Squirrel
Brush Mouse
Mole
Prairie Dog
Chipmunk
Bobcat
Beaver
Birds:
Canada Goose
Mallard Duck
Townsend’s Solitaire
Red Shafted Flicker
Steller’s Jay
Clark’s Nutcracker
Tufted Titmouse
Black Capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
American Crow
Common Raven
Scrub Jay
Magpie
Turkey
Bear print
Dark-Eyed Junco
Ringed Turtle Dove
Rock Dove
Mountain Bluebird
American Kestrel
Turkey Vulture
Red-Tailed Hawk
Starling
American Robin
Western Screech Owl
Great Horned Owl
Dusky Grouse
Golden Eagle