Mike Patton: Various animals around

I get to see lots of wild animals in the area (and some not so wild). This is not surprising since there's a thousand (or more) acres of undeveloped woods adjacent to my property, and several large National Forest lands and State Parks around.

Mammals

At the very back of my property there was quite a large beaver pond with lots of visible beaver activity. But in Spring 2014 I discovered there was a large breach in the dam and the beavers had abandoned the pond to move elsewhere (it's not clear which is the cause and which the effect). So, the water level is quite a bit lower than it was.

There was a moose that hung out in the beaver pond. I'd seen him a couple of times out there. I'm not sure whether he's still around. Others have reported seeing him recently, but I don't have any direct evidence. There is also bear activity, I haven't seen the mature bear, but I've seen (and heard) plenty of evidence and been told lots of anecdotes by neighbors. I did see what I think is a yearling (basically old enough to not have a protective mama bear watching). In fact, I've seen tracks from both the bear and the moose in the woods right behind the house (less than a hundred feet into the woods). There are also deer about, I see them everywhere, one spring there was a doe drinking from the stream near my house until the mother noticed me and they ran off. There's also the normal assortment of smaller mammals. I've seen many squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, porcupines and even some possums.

There are also, of course, not so wild mammals. Plenty of cows on the many dairy farms in the area. I even encountered one wandering on the road near my house once. Horses on some of those farms as well, and at horse-specific places. And, finally, there are two cats who really own the house and just let me live here...and the occasional mouse that they don't.

Birds

There are also an assortment of birds. I'm not as good at identifying bird types. There are definitely a lot of wild turkey hanging out around the area. I've seen many flocks of at least a dozen or so. Geese are also frequent visitors to the area. I've also spotted occasional large predators (at least hawks and eagles, I think) gliding about in the sky. There are also Blue Jays, I think (at least some middling large bird that's mostly blue). There's also a large assortment of smaller birds, flitting about the trees.

Insects and other bugs

Of course, there's a large assortment of seasonal insects of all kinds. I especially notice the stinging and biting ones. Anyone with bad allergies should bring approprite meds if you visit. There are also a large contingent of spiders who trap and eat the bothersome insects.

Miscellaneous

I've also seen an occasional small snake (there are no poisonous snakes in Vermont) as well as salamanders, frogs and toads.

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And finally, a random note:
I pride myself in being "normal" only when I stand up, and then only in the geometric sense.