Now that most of the baby trees are planted, the veg garden is verdant, and the sunflower patch is mostly done flowering and offering good quality feed, the critters are making an appearance.
Groundhog / Muskrat / Woodchuck
When the derelict house was there with lots of brush in the backyard, there was a large groundhog living somewhere nearby. I hadn’t seen him since, but the sunflowers, some of which were drooping down to the driveway, tempted him to dine in the middle of the day.
Racoons / Opossums / Rabbits
Although I haven’t seen anything but rabbits this summer, I’m assuming the racoons and opossums are nighttime visitors. This week I met a tame opossum at HyVee – it was sitting on the shoulders of the young woman who worked at a local wildlife rehabilitation center. She was very soft (the ‘possum.)
Chipmunk
I saw a chipmunk scurry across my back deck last week. What! First time I’ve ever had chipmunks.
Hawks
Last year, two hawks had a nest in the ballpark lights in Iles Park. I saw them regularly in the trees across the alley, and I’m assuming they hunt for mice, rabbits and small birds throughout the neighborhood.
Deer / Coyotes
There was a deer in the lot this year – it paused for a bit before sauntering off toward the center of town. When I first moved in, my sister and I saw a coyote watching us from the driveway across the street. It’s less than a mile down the railroad tracks to unimproved areas that are overgrown, and further south to farmland.