 Collateral Mammals When I watch birds I see many other types of wildlife. Sometimes I am so focused on birds and birding activities that I do not report or make notes on the four-legged world. This is a bit of an oversight really because it is often the mammals which make for interesting, exciting, and sometimes scary encounters during a day. Perhaps it is time to give write a column that gives a little consideration to other animals I meet while birding. This summer I am house-sitting a property of about 100 or so acres. Some non-human residents I've encountered on the property are, in order of numbers encountered, Columbian Ground Squirrels, Mule Deer, Pine Chipmunk, Coyote, Red Squirrel, Bat, Red Fox, Black Bear and Badger. Columbian Ground Squirrels, are often incorrectly referred to as gophers. They are common in the pastures on all sides of the house. They are bigger than Red Squirrels and spend most of the summer digging burrows, watching for hawks and racing about eating and socializing with others of their kind. They are easy to watch and I must admit that I rarely take the time to do so. I usually encounter Ground Squirrels as I cross the pastures with the dogs. As we approach the squirrels' community centre which consist of many holes dug in the hard earth stretching from one side of the field to the other, the ground squirrels quit their routines of eating and interacting with one another and go into predator-approach mode. The first squirrel to see us stands tall on its hind legs and lets out a loud chirp. This chirp lets any distracted squirrels know there is a threat and soon the whole colony is standing tall craning their necks. Chirps resound from all sides. Any coyote or Red-tailed hawk that can defeat the alarm system made up of hundreds of watchful eyes has indeed done his homework. Judging by the way Ground Squirrels respond to me and the dogs, we are considered one of the lesser threats. In fact, as I walk along, usually behind the dogs, I get to watch the games of chicken the squirrels play with the dogs. But no squirrel is a real fool. At our approach, any squirrel which has ventured far from its den scurries like mad until it reaches safety next to its burrow. Upon reaching a safe distance, the game becomes sitting until a dog is almost upon it then disappearing into the cool regions of its den. It is endless entertainment for the dogs and only on rare occasions fatal for the Ground Squirrels. Mule Deer are not hard to find on the property. For example, I often sit in the east pasture first thing in the morning, and it was only a few minutes after I'd gotten comfortable this morning, that two two-year old doe deer crossed the field to my right. Then, in the shade of the forest right in front of me a large buck deer emerged. It also wanted to cross the open pasture. While it stood and pondered what to do about three obstructions in its path (me and the dogs) I studied its impressive set of antlers, perfectly balanced on either side of its head. A week ago I saw another buck by the creek with one perfect large antler on one side of its head. The other antler that should have matched was just a lone single tine stickling straight up. Finally, the buck I was watching decided to make a run for it. It skirted east and bounced across the field until it reached the fence, which it cleared with ease. A little while later, up on 'the rock' a large granite outcropping that allows an Eagle's eye view of the creek, I watched five doe deer walk downstream. The point of walking at a leisurely pace through the water for some distance was likely for nothing more than refreshment. Yellow Pine Chipmunks are also common, but are not as easy to find as some of the other mammals. While watching the creek one morning I happened upon a den of these charming little animals. Since I often use just my ears and listen to the birds of the riparian area, I could spent a lot of time watching the antics of the mother Chipmunk and babies clamber about their rocky den. Some of the cozy domestic moments I witnessed were so adorable, had I the ability to render them in paint, I could have made millions. Coyotes are a staple, and my encounters with them are memorable. I often see them from the window, or hear their banshee symphony of howls in the dark, sometimes so close to the house that I look toward the screened window wondering if it is enough to keep out the night. The dogs are always interested when Coyotes are around and so they should be. Some of the most poignant moments between me and the wild dogs come as I am standing beside domestic canines watching what are essentially the same beasts walking about without human handlers. My mind darts back and forth like mad as we all seem to stand together on opposite sides of a chasm none of us understands. If there is one thing I can say about the Red Squirrel it is that if anyone should benefit from government money due to the changes wrought by the effects of the pine tree die-off, it should be the Red Squirrel. In Red Squirrel territories where pine was the main tree, they died. Without the cones of the pine it was impossible to live through another winter. On lands with spruce and fir trees it was different and those Red Squirrels thrived, though no doubt there were terrible land disputes as starving displaced squirrels tried to wrest good territories from those that held them. As a result of the pine die-off the sound of a Red Squirrel's chatter is rare enough now that I pause when I hear it. I will skip over the Bat. Suffice it to say one or two appear each night over the driveway. The Fox too, at least this year, is not as prevalent as it has been in other years. The Black Bear deserves a few lines though. I have deduced that there are two Black Bears in the immediate vicinity. The smallest of the two we met as we walked down the ridge one sunny afternoon. It was only a few years old and not too threatening to meet. The other though, holds my complete respect. The first time I saw it was memorable. One morning I sat outside for my morning coffee as usual, but not in the pasture because cows were crowded against the fence gate and blocked our entrance. So I sat under the poplars across the road from the fence. The cows watched us and in return, we watched them. Suddenly a black creature appeared on the other side of the herd of about 40 cows. The herd consisted of cows and calves and about the time I realized the black thing moving at the edge of the herd was a big Black bear, so too did a particularly feisty cow. She moo-ed and charged at the bear. There was a moment of confusion as the rest of the herd apprised themselves of what was transpiring and then suddenly they all charged. The Bear I'm sure, was not amused and loped ahead of its attackers, making for a stand of poplars down by the pond. When got among the poplar trees, it stood upon its hind legs with its front paws gripping a tree trunk. This was a big bear and I'm sure it preferred not to climb. The cows had made their point and stopped. Soon the herd was back to eating and the bear slipped away to the nearby forest. The Badger is the last, but not the least, of the mammals of the property; one which up until a few evenings ago, I had not seen. On that particular evening, I decided to take the dogs to the east pasture pond as the long evening shadows spread across the remains of a scorching day. We were going nowhere in particular just enjoying the evening air (even the ground squirrels had retired for the day) when I suddenly saw two scurrying animals race away from me raising clouds of dust. One of the mystery creatures was slightly larger than the other but I knew immediately I was looking at Badgers. Though I'd never seen one before I was aware that a Badger had denned in this same field last year and the fresh work on large tunnels told me the same animal was at it again. Just before it disappeared one of the badgers stopped and turned. That was the only good look I had at my first Badger and though it was not a great look, it would have to do because one of the dogs was running off in the direction of the badger. I called off the chase and headed home. Mammal watching, though peripheral to bird watching, continues to entertain. To e-mail Tom CLICK HERE To look at previous column CLICK HERE |
