Sunny River Writings

Early in the morning as the sun is just beginning to rise an adult rabbit is under the bird feeders which are hung in the tree outside my bedroom window. A short while later a second adult rabbit joins in for breakfast.

As I get myself ready for the day I check the window again now two young bunnies have joined in but seem to be more interested in playing than eating. They spend about thirty minutes playing what looks like the cottontail version of leap frog, as the adults continue to nibble seeds and grass.

Once they’re done, as the sparrows and finches begin to gather at the thistle and seed feeders, the young raccoon, called a kit, comes waddling across the yard. This young one was once in a family of five. Mon, Dad, and three young. I first saw them late May when the young were pretty small, they came as a group. Around the end of June one adult and two young would come at night after dark to gather seeds.

I would see a single young raccoon early morning after the rabbits moved on before she headed off for her daily sleep. The kit would appear again in the late afternoon to start foraging for food. Raccoons are mostly nocturnal so seeing her late afternoon as she was starting her day and early morning as she was ending her day was not unusual.

Recently, the end of July, while I was watching this now chubby young raccoon it headed across the lawn and climbed the old Elm tree. I headed out with my binoculars to see if I could spot anything in the tops of the tree. That is when I spotted a furry ear poking out of a cavity 3/4ths of the way up. What a delight to know this abandoned young raccoon has found a safe space to call its own.

Next, there is the rat. I don’t see it daily like the rabbits and raccoons. Only occasionally it scurry’s from the corner of the house to the spot there the seeds drop. The rat is very skiddish. I believe he has set up housekeeping in the garage. I hope he does not find a mate. I am not in favor of trapping animals BUT I also do not want to feed a community of rats.

The activity under my bird feeding tree is always interesting. I find myself constantly looking out the window afraid that I might miss something.