They Stayed

My yard is beginning to feel like “Wild Kingdom.” Normally, I stop feeding critters at this time of the year so they can do what’s “natural” and live off Mother Nature during the summer months.

Birds go off into the forest and nest. Red squirrels usually retreat into the woods and quit dashing about the deck, using the railing as their own playground. Not this year. Critters of all kinds are scampering here and there.

Somehow, a few tricky animals managed to stay on and worm their way into our hearts, and we’ve continued rewarding them with goodies.

It all began with “Tufts,” Dick’s pet nuthatch. This little avian scamp and his cohort “Peanut Man” stayed on this spring when most of the other birds disappeared. Tufts, so named for the small white feather tuft on his left wing, continued to brazenly fly up to Dick, even landing on his visor cap, demanding to be hand fed. He did so long after other birds had retreated into the forest.

The second nuthatch, Peanut Man, never landed on our hands, but managed to overcome shyness by staying close when we spread peanuts on the deck railing, then grabbing one and zooming away.

We became even bigger saps when Dick spotted one of the nuthatches entering our birdhouse that’s been empty since a tree frog occupied it many years ago. We’re dopy enough to anticipate seeing baby nuthatches. At least that’s the fantasy.

I’ve never felt much attachment to blue jays, but a nesting pair has stayed around. This winter’s noisy blue jay gang has disappeared but two, fairly well-behaved jays have stayed on. We figure they have a nest somewhere and continue distributing peanuts to them.

Meanwhile the resident chipmunks have come out of hibernation and I see them scooting here and there. Later in the summer, they will become my archenemies because of their love of tomatoes. Right now, they spend a lot of time chasing each other and looking cute.

With all this animal activity, I’ve been surprised that a fox hasn’t appeared to start harvesting rodents, but only one has showed up a few weeks ago and never returned.

On the other hand, a pine marten dropped in for a visit yesterday. It circled the yard and left. I suspect it will be back.