As usual, it has been quite some time since my last post, and at this time of year that means I am outside. The garden is doing well although we already had several drought spells. We will see what July brings. A mid summer drought that lasted almost two months last year is still impacting plants in this season. Several shrubs had dead sections or flowering was stunted, but let’s be patient and see if this is to be repeated. Weather has become unpredictable but the benefits of a woodland garden with mostly perennials is that you can let things happen. I don’t care much about the remaining lawn and we’ll see who the winners and losers are in the long run. In the meantime, local wildlife is enjoying the abundance of asters (common wood aster in particular and new england aster as a close second) and I am somewhat helpless against the rabbits that have come in to graze. The plants are still able to recover and push new growth but a little help from the coyotes I hear nearby would be welcome. Wildlife has been continuously on the move over the years (some years no rabbits but wood chucks, some years it is the pet category coming through (neighbors’s cats which have potentially met their match in a coywolf or more likely an SUV this season) but I think additional pressures of incessant land grab and development are putting these creatures in closer proximity in the remaining open spaces.
I had not seen wood cocks (Scolopax minor) in quite a few years (I wrote about them in a blog here at the time), and was surprised to literally stumble on a nest of 3 chicks and a adult just last week. The nest, if you can call it that, was inconspicuous among the leaves and brambles in an area of the woodland garden I had ignored for some time. They did not mind the neglect, that was clear. I was even more elated when not a week later I saw 3 more adult woodcocks pecking and traversing another section. The chicks could not have grown that fast so I likely have several breeding pairs setting up residence this year. But I am not going to go look for them and disturb them in the process.
Just today I had another unusual visitor seeking shelter among the perennial sunflowers and asters – a weasel (most likely a short tailed weasel – Mustela richardsonii). Showing the two color pelt (light on the bottom and grey-brown on top and a black tipped tail). The tail does not seem long enough for it to be a long tailed weasel, but I am not a weasel expert, although I have worked with some in the past) I had seen minks in the neighborhood near the water but this little guy was new to me.
Following up on my weasel friend – who seems to be a resident and not merely passing through as I have had sightings every day. The local bird population is aware of this little predator too as they announce the whereabouts with frenetic alarm calls. The weasel came up to me but realized my hand was not prey – I am not sure about their eyesight, and darted off. I have not seen the rabbits since his arrival. He is significantly smaller than the old rabbit but apparently they will go after them given the chance.
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