Backyard Beasts

Since I recently posted a blog about the birds I see in my yard, I thought it was only fair to also post a blog about the beasts I see in my yard! Again, I'm in New England, so if you live elsewhere, you may have a different lineup. These are all animals that I've actually seen in my yard over the past three months since I've lived here. Most of these photos are of the actual animals in my yard. 

Chipmunk

Chipmunks are adorable, but troublesome. They are legion in the spring, making their homes in the stone walls all over our property, and they love to climb into the bird feeders and take more than their share. Fortunately, they are easily discouraged with low-tech solutions, such as a disposable plastic plate taped over and under each feeder:

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Squirrels are cute but can be very destructive. We haven't had much problem with them chewing on anything, but they have clearly dedicated their lives to hoovering out the bird feeders as soon as our backs are turned. They are completely unfazed by my chipmunk baffles. I have waged war by using squirrel spray to deter them (I can't stand the smell but clearly it doesn't bother them one bit), tossing cups of water at them, spraying them with the garden hose, shooting at them with a Nerf gun (we never actually hit them, but the loud POP startles them into running off), and simply yelling and running towards them. They still go at it whenever they think we're not watching, but at least now all I have to do is yell, "HEY!" from inside the house, or open the screen door, and they hightail it back into the woods. 

Fowler's Toad

These beautifully-patterned toads like to loiter near our pool and in our garden. There's even one who likes to hang out on our basement stairs. They're nocturnal, so we generally see them in the early morning or at night. They have a weird-sounding call, but fortunately, we rarely hear them. 

New England Cottontail

If we had more of a vegetable garden, we might find the bunnies less adorable. But they're happy nibbling on the grass and have thus far avoided eating any of the plants that we like (even the hostas!). They come out to graze at dusk and dawn, and as long as we stay still, they'll come quite close to us. But one fast move and they disappear with a flash of their white tail (called a "scut"). Occasionally two males will get territorial and chase each other around, hopping and "pronking" quite athletically.  But most of the time, they eat peacefully, making us feel relaxed and peaceful as well. 

Striped Skunk

As cute as they are, having a skunk in the yard is a mixed blessing. Although their smell is very mild unless they actually spray, they have a bad habit of getting into trash cans and spreading trash all over the yard, and if you have grubs, they will happily dig up your entire yard. But as long as their only appearance is a security camera video of a fat skunk trundling across the driveway or lurking at the edge of the woods, they're not bad to have around. Their fur looks thick and soft, and despite always being black with two white stripes down their back and a narrow white stripe on their face, they have a remarkable variety of patterns, with some having thicker stripes, some stripes more widely spaced, and tails can be anything from nearly all black to nearly all white. 

Virginia Opossum

My husband and I disagree about how cute opossums are (I say very much, he says not at all), but we do agree that they're good to have around the yard. They eat ticks and are not diggers or burrowers or trash predators. (Although if you have a cat, I understand they're inordinately fond of cat food and will eat cat food left outdoors and even climb through cat flaps to get at inside food.)  

Groundhog

As cute as groundhogs (AKA woodchucks and whistle pigs) may be, they're not good neighbors. Like bunnies, they'll eat everything in your vegetable, herb, and flower gardens if you don't stop them, and they dig burrows that ruin your lawn or (in our case) destabilize your stone walls. We work hard to discourage our local groundhogs using techniques including the garden hose and a Nerf gun. Both are probably more amusing than they are effective.

Wood Frog

We hear these guys more often than we see them, but we do find them swimming happily in our pool on a regular basis. 

Gray Tree Frog

We hear these guys even more often than the wood frogs although we see them less often. Their call sounds like some kind of bird, but it's a soothing call to fall asleep to throughout the summer. 

Raccoon

Knock wood, we've only had a single sighting of a "trash panda" around our yard. Our trash cans are heavy-gauge and close tightly, so there's little to attract them. I don't mind raccoons, but they lost a lot of their attraction for me a few years back when one killed a rabbit and dragged it onto my porch to eat it. 

Red Fox

We've only had one sighting of this magnificent animal, as it trotted boldly through the backyard one afternoon. The only unpleasant aspect of having foxes nearby is the occasional midnight screaming of a vixen in heat, which I was unfortunate to experience once in our old house (which was one time too many). But if he keeps the mouse and mole population in check, I won't complain too much. 

Backyard Birds

When I moved to a new house a few months ago, one of the first things I did to "settle in" was to hang up my bird feeders: Two hummingbird feeders, two seed feeders, and a suet feeder. In the nearly 3 months since we've lived here, I've spent countless hours watching hundreds of little feathered visitors. Many of them were familiar, but I needed to look up a few that I didn't recognize. For those aspiring bird-watchers who'd like to know what kind of birds you're likely to see in your backyard, here's a list of some of the birds who come to mine. (Please note that I live in New England.)

Tufted titmouse

One of the most common visitors to my feeder is the tufted titmouse. Titmice tend to announce themselves loudly when they land at the feeder. They have a variety of calls and songs, but the one I hear most often is listed on this link to the Audubon website as "tiska-say-say & other calls". Some of their calls sound very similar to a chickadee. Titmice often visit in groups, generally tolerating other birds sharing the feeder. Their most distinctive visual feature is the feathered crest on their head. One of their more distinctive behaviors is that they will take a seed from the feeder, fly to a nearby perch, hold the seed with their feet, peck it open and eat it, then return to the feeder and repeat numerous times. They will eat suet as well as seeds.

Black-capped chickadee

These little charmers are among the most tame of the birds I see. They're not afraid to hop very close to people, and if you are very patient and sit still for a long time, they will even take seeds from your hand. Their bodies look similar to titmice, with a dark back and pale breast with a bit of tan, but their heads have a distinctive black cap and chin patch. Like the titmice, they will often take a seed, eat it on a perch, then return for more. Their usual call is a recognizable "chicka-dee-dee-dee," and their love call is a plaintive "sweeeee-tie." They only eat from the seed feeder, and prefer sunflower seeds. 

American Goldfinch

The male goldfinch is especially easy to identify by his vivid yellow plumage and contrasting black wings and tail. The females can range from a slightly faded yellow to a buffy brown with only a hint of gold. Both male and female tend to be brighter during the summer. They often come to the feeder in pairs. Unlike the titmice and chickadees, they will sit on the feeder for 10-15 minutes or more, eating their fill. They will also stop for a drink or even a quick bath if you have a birdbath. They have a lovely, twittery call, and will often chitter quietly while eating and frequently sing as they leave the feeder, as if to say "thank you." They eat from the regular seed feeder but prefer thistle seeds. They also love to eat sunflower seeds directly from the sunflower. 

Northern Cardinal

The cardinals also have a distinctive coloration difference between males and females, with males being a bright red, and females a buff color with darker back and tail with just a hint of red undertones. Both have a bright orange beak and a black mask, as well as the distinctive crest (which they are able to raise and lower somewhat). Cardinals prefer to feed on the ground, but will fly up to a tray feeder. They have a number of easily recognizable calls, the ones I hear most being a repeated chip-chip-chip (the alarm call) and a descending whistle that can turn into a Three Stooges-like "woob-woob-woob" mating call. 

White-breasted Nuthatch

Nuthatches are easy to identify by their sleek shape and the black band over the top of their head, but also by their unusual habit of preferring to eat upside-down. They also have a distinctive and cartoonish-sounding "meep meep" call. They often come to the feeder several at a time, but occasionally get a little territorial and will flare their tails and squawk at other nuthatches. Nuthatches seem to enjoy seeds and suet equally.

Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers

Downy (left) and hairy (right) woodpeckers are nearly identical, except that hairies are significantly larger and have a slightly heavier bill. I generally see downy woodpeckers at my feeder, but occasionally a hairy will visit. They prefer the suet feeder, but will also eat seeds now and then. They are quite shy and will not visit a new feeder right away. Males and females have similar coloring, except that the males have a bright red patch on their heads. They have a sharp, scolding call.

Northern Flicker and Pileated Woodpecker

Two fabulous but less-common woodpeckers that I've seen are the flicker (top) and the pileated woodpecker (bottom). The flicker tends to be a ground feeder and despite what looks like fantastical coloring, blends well into the grass with only its red head patch being noticeable. Its call is very similar to the downy woodpecker. The pileated woodpecker, on the other hand, has a loud, rather eerie, fast hoot that is unmistakable once you've heard it. It's also an impressively large bird, about the size of a crow, and with its large red crest, its silhouette when flying is a little reminiscent of a pterodactyl. 

Mourning Dove

Mourning doves are ground feeders whose buffy brown coloring blends into the grass. When flying, they have distinctive white flashing visible along their tails, which are pointed. As well as the mournful hooting call that gives rise to their name, their wings make a distinctive sound called a "wing whistle" when they take off or land. 

Blue Jay

The blue jay is one of the largest birds that comes to my feeder. They eat strictly from the suet feeder (and will also eat fallen bits of suet off the ground). They have a number of loud, strident calls and will frequently "shout" as soon as they land, especially if other jays are around. The most common is a monotone  "Jay! Jay!", but the also have a remarkable number of hugely varied sounds, including rattling their beaks and making a funny gargling noise. They frequently come to the feeder in twos and threes. They're somewhat clumsy (mainly because they're too big for the small suet feeder), and they're very funny to watch with their crazy antics in attempting to reach the feeder. 

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

These tiny beauties are amazing to watch. The male has a bright red throat patch and is a slightly brighter shade of green. Hummingbirds are very territorial and will chase each other away from the feeder, spreading their tails and chittering furiously. Of all the birds that visit my feeder, the hummingbirds have the most individualized personalities. I've come to recognize a number of individuals by their behaviors: Captain Hook, who sits on the hook the feeder hangs from for a few minutes before eating; Kylo, whose wings make a light-saber-style WHOOSH when he comes to the feeder; Aunt Chatty, who twitters furiously to herself almost constantly; Parker. who frequently zooms over to within a few inches of the face of anyone sitting near the feeder. Some of them hover while eating while others stand on the perch. Most eat at one or two of the "flowers" on the feeder at each visit, while others only go to one, and a few circle around all the flowers before moving on. Next to the chickadees, the hummers are the tamest birds that come to the feeder. I suspect that if I had enough patience, I could hold a feeder in my hand and the hummers would come right up to me to eat. Their remarkable maneuverability is amazing to watch, as they stop and hover in midair, scoot backwards, and zoom at incredible speeds and to incredible heights. 

Other Rare Visitors

In addition to the flicker and pileated woodpecker, I've had a few other less common visitors. Here are some of my favorites.

Carolina Wren

This bird looks unremarkable, but it has a beautiful voice. I frequently hear it singing in the trees, but I've only seen it once or twice. The first time I saw it, I had heard it singing and suspected it might be a Carolina wren, but I wasn't sure I was connecting the right voice with the right bird until it landed on my fence and posed beautifully while singing its song. The white eye bar helps to distinguish it from similarly-sized and -colored finches and sparrows. 

Baltimore Oriole

Oriole looks a bit like goldfinches, but their coloring is definitely more orange, and their entire heads are black. I haven't tried it, but I've read that hanging oranges cut in half will attract orioles even more than seed feeders. Their song is a musical whistle, frequently interspersed with "chucks". 

Eastern Bluebird

Bluebirds are an incredibly vivid shade of blue and are hard to mistake for any other bird. They tend to sing in brief bursts. Bluebirds are rare in New England due to invasive species like house sparrows and starlings, but they are beginning to come back, so sightings are uncommon but not unheard of. I've only spied one once not at my feeder but sitting on my fence, trilling contentedly. 

Northern Mockingbird and Gray Catbird

These two birds are easy to distinguish by their voices, but a little trickier visually. Mockingbirds can imitate a number of other bird calls (and other sounds, like car alarms) and will often rotate through their repertoire one after the other. It's entertaining until they start doing it at 4:30am outside your bedroom window. Catbirds are also capable of a large variety of sounds, but don't sing in the same repeating pattern as the mockingbirds. Their most recognizable call, from which they get their name, is a harsh, repeated "mew" reminiscent of a cat's meow. As for looks, they're a similar size, mostly gray with a flared tail, but the mockingbird has a paler breast and noticeable white flashing under the tail and wings which is especially visible when they fly. Both will often perch atop the highest branch of a tree and sing (which is the origin of the expression, "sitting in the catbird seat"). 

Eastern Phoebe

Another bird that I hear frequently but see rarely, the phoebe looks much like other finches and sparrows. Its voice is easier to identify than its looks. It sings its name: "Fee-bee!" I hear them in the trees most mornings, but I've only seen them near the feeder once or twice (although it's distinctly possible that I've seen them but mistaken them for house finches).

Red-tailed Hawk

We see these gorgeous creatures soaring overhead quite often, but on two occasions they've perched right in the yard, once in a tree and once on the fence right next to the bird feeder (no doubt, waiting for some of the birds coming for dinner to BECOME dinner). There are several species of hawks in our area, including Cooper's, red-shouldered, and harriers, but the ones we see most often by far are the red-tailed, which are easy to identify in flight because of their (surprise!) red tail. Its call is the recognizable screech of a raptor, which in movies is often dubbed over the much less intimidating "screech" of an eagle (which sounds more like  a seagull). 

Have fun watching and learning about your feathered neighbors!