Squirrel Selfie Goes Terribly Wrong

One moment:

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The next:

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Nutkin FTW!

Here's my wildlife report.
Yesterday I was hanging out the washing when I hear a strange chuntery-growly noise behind me. I looked round and all I saw was a hare, and didn't think it had anything to do with him because it was too low in pitch for an animal that size. Back to hanging the washing and there's the noise again. I look round again and this time there's three hares chasing each other all around, boxing, and one attempted ... uh ... bonk. And the noise. That's the noise they make when they're feeling feisty, and they were so feisty they didn't care that I was just a few feet away, oh no!
This morning out of my office window I've been watching an epic stand-off between a hare and a crow (hooded crow). I presume there was a leveret (baby hare) somewhere (my cat has already brought one home this year :(), in fact I saw the hare return to the same spot in the field more than once, and so did the crow. It kept "buzzing" the hare, and the hare kept chasing it around, leaping up at it, standing on its hind legs to keep it at bay. At one point a second crow joined in, and I thought that they were going to succeed in wearing the hare out and that it, too, would become crows' breakfast. But second crow lost interest, and first crow eventually decided that there was easier meat elsewhere. And hare is now resting, presumably keeping little one warm.
Pictures of different hares, same field, probably grandparents to today's wee hero ... (the blob in the foreground of photo 3 is my garden fencepost).

Saw my first hare from your kitchen window.
Beautiful animals.
And beautiful photos.

Fingers crossed for the leverets in the forms this year.

RFtwenty mins ago:

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Having some fun...

@ 2:16:

I sent it to Leah, she said that's at the elephant park where she goes every year.

The bald eagle that soared overhead as we walked back to our car in the parking lot of Safeway went unphotographed but not unnoticed.

Wildlife, it's everywhere, even in the Safeway parking lot.

Eagles are a regular sight around here, and I always find them beautiful.

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Meanwhile, I found these two rascals in my driveway the other day. They were checking out something interesting in a pile of weeds and grass I'd recently dug up. Either that or the one on the left is taking a dump in my rosebed.


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Then, they moved away from the car, not a care in the world, enjoying the sunny day.


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There was some discussion in the middle of the street,


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Which was resolved as they decided to go check out the backyard of my neighbor across the street.

I've never seen a raccoon in the wild. I've only seen them in urban areas.

On Saturday I saw a black bear on the hillside maybe 100 feet from the road. It was pretty cool, I hadn't seen one in decades. This was in Shenandoah National Park. No pics, but it did happen.

I think raccoons like to be around foodstuffs, garbage cans and the like. I had one raid me until I got a better trashcan. I let him raid, I ain't messin' with those big mean mudderpluckers.

People are starting to see bald eagles around here. They're really making a comeback (like their latest album was really GOOD) and my brother saw one in his field. Someone says there have been sightings along the river, so I'm keeping my eyes open.

Raccoons are nocturnal. I'd be nervous seeing them out in the day, something's not right there.

I agree. I've seen them in my yard before, during the daytime. I wouldn't even go near them, not even to shoo them away unless it was some kind of emergency. No thanks. I took all these pictures from inside my house.