Pond Wildlife

SKUNKS are common in the spring. Adults have a cat-size torso, two full-body stripes that begin at the base of the neck (a white-V look), and the narrow-stripe down the snout distinguish the Striped Skunk.Skunks are primarily nocturnal and usually solitary, except when mothers appear with their offspring in tow. Skunks can be active year-round; however, in the northern locales they will remain dormant within their dens through the coldest spells of winter. They prefer to live under our old red barn. More is known about the reproduction of striped skunks than the others, but all are capable of delayed implantation - - meaning that after mating the fertilized egg can be held dormant for many weeks before they are implanted in the uterine wall and development continued. For this reason, mating of the Western Spotted Skunk often occurs in September or October with implantation delayed until March. Mating of other species usually occurs in late winter or early spring, February-March-April. Gestation time also varies, but averages around sixty to seventy-five days. Baby skunks are born in May or June with litter sizes ranging from three to as many as ten young (Usually four to seven) naked, blind kits. By three weeks, their eyes are open. The young skunks remain in the burrow or nest for about six weeks. After that the kits begin to follow their mother on nighttime food hunts. They remain with her through the summer, learning to find food themselves. Females mate during their first year.

LITTLE BROWN BATS winter over in our rustic old red barn. Made of wood with big timbers, the temperatures remain just above freezing over winter and the bats are safe from predators. Their heart and breathing rates decrease to just a few beats per minute, and their body temperature drops to that of the air around them. These changes help them sleep all winter using very little energy. We are careful not to disturb anything in that old barn over winter. Removing one board or steel drum could awaken a bat sleeping there. If the bats are disturbed from their sleep, they can use up their winter resources and with no insects to feed on, they will die. These bats are beneficial while they feed on huge numbers of insects. Especially the heavy population of mosquitoes and biting flies that hatch in the spring through summer.

BARN OWLS are seen around dusk normally. The one pictured top right was on the ground one morning when I went out to feed our sheep. It flew up into a tree and I was able capture a photo from a distance. Barn owls have a very distinct heart-shaped facial disk, surrounded by a dark ruff. They have small, dark eyes, an elongated beak, and no ear tufts. Their wings are about two times the length of their tail. Their tarsi is covered with short feathers. Barn Owls are nocturnal owls and hunt primarily by flying low along hedges, through woodlands and over fields, occasionally perching on a perch or low branch. After locating their prey by sight or sound, they hover and swoop, striking with their talons and then immediately taking off with their food firmly held in their beak. Their hoots are heard nightly. We see them start to fly right after the sun goes down. They are magnificent.

RED TAIL HAWKS are a common bird of prey. They help keep the rodent population down. They soar high above  tall old growth firs and perch on top branches at the very tip. So beautiful and majestic looking with their distinctive call it feels electric...like geese  passing over for winter heading south, wings flapping against the wind, their calls echo then fading into the distance. It's all so sacred to me. 

RACCOONS live in our old growth firs and are active at night. Once in awhile one gets caught on a limb in the orchard if we go out at night and they can't get across the orchard in time to avoid us. With our German shepherd there, they will go up a tree and hang on a limb until we are gone and they can climb down and continue their journey. By the look of the fir trees with all the sap dripping down, from the raccoons claws while climbing, we have more than a few raccoons coming and going.  

TURKEY VULTURES are one of my favorites. They never bother anything living, they only eat what is already dead and decaying. They will go to other flocks and bring them to their food source to share if they have more than they can eat. They soar over my new born lambs in search of food year after year, never bothering them. They cast a huge dark shadow over the ground, their distinctive feathers pointed and dark, it looks dark and concerning, but they are quite unique and beneficial to our ecosystem.

GARTER SNAKES are natural predators. They will hunt while we are near the pond. They can be hard to see if they are soaking up the sun on rocks blending in among the sedums with similar colors to their markings. We have relocated two larger snakes across the street into a larger marsh. We use a long handled plastic grasp to pick them up. They come and go and appear tame. While they are not, they will bite. Snakes are part of our natural habitat and serve a purpose. Moving them to a snake friendly habitat is best if they are proving to be aggressive with us or our fish. 

HUMMINGBIRDS love the flowering pond plants. They are fascinating to watch and photograph. It's a thrill to capture their delicate beauty. They are safe here in our natural habitat.