Backyard Antics - True stories from the peanut gallery.

Out my back door, on any given day, you'll find a steady stream of backyard friends visiting. Breakfast, lunch and dinner they come...even in rain or snow.

It started many years ago when my children were very young. It was like National Geographic out our back door! It got so active, that I started feeding them....then hand feeding them...then more showed up!

Then came the knocking on my back door. The stalking, the watching...peering in from every window in the house, "Hey! Got nuts?!"....."Hey! Watcha doin' in there?!" It was comical with a little smidgen of concern sprinkled in to observe how this was quickly (perhaps) getting out of control!

But one day, in particular, was like no other. I had been cleaning up weeds in the yard and suddenly from across the yard came a squirrel running toward me...flitting back and forth and hopping until he had made it to my feet. Looking up at me in a standing position with hands folding in front, he began to talk to me. You can imagine the image - right out of Dr. Doolittle.

I was beside myself (elated!) that this wild squirrel would trust a human being so much that he would feel safe enough to approach. I knew this was special! I continued to listen to his little squirrel jabber for a few minutes and played along like I understood, answering occasionally as if to reassure him that we were having a 'real' conversation. And then the unexpected happened! He began 'purring'! This went on for a few more minutes to my astonishment - "You love me, you really love me!" LOL And with that, he hopped away into the canopy of trees.

I researched squirrels purring and found that just like other animals like cats and even rabbits, squirrels are capable of purring when they are showing affection, feel joy. This experience that day changed my perception of squirrels. They weren't merely showing up for peanuts (although they definitely have a peanut addiction!) - they were forming a trust and bond.

It's been over 10 years since this experience and within those years, I've had the gift of other visitors since then. At one point, we had 12 crows visiting every morning! Standing single file along our deck rail with their mouths wide-open waiting to be fed :) It's been an education watching how all these creatures interact with each other and my family. There's never a dull moment and they have brought us so much joy.

An interesting experience (and education) I had watching the crows and squirrels relationship:

It became clear to me early on that the crows were afraid of the squirrels. Which really didn't make much sense to me given that I've witnessed crows chasing off hawks and other predator birds for quite some time. And, Of course the squirrels were afraid of the hawks but not the crows.

I watched as the crows worked together in organization to collect their bounty of peanuts one day - always requiring a lookout partner to watch as the gatherer crow nabbed a nut. This went on for about an hour - carefully, collectively gathering.

I had assumed that they were eating the nuts as fast as they were collecting them. However, I heard a racket of crow drama accumulating somewhere close by in my yard. I followed the noise until I located the epicenter of drama. What's this? The 12 crows had formed a circle in the yard and each one was entering the center and depositing their bounty of nuts. One by one, they entered the inner circle to make their contribution. Wow! I felt like I was watching some kind of secret ritual. It gave me such insight into how crows work together as a group for survival and shared resources. They are a tribe.

Then came the Great Heist.....
As I watched in anticipation - witnessing this rare and intimate look inside a crow's world - the last bounty of nuts was placed in the center of the circle. The EPIC moment! I am literally on the edge of my seat...tribal drums beating from recesses of my imagination.....What will they do next?!!!

Apparently, I wasn't the only witness to this crow ritual. From the four corners of my yard, the squirrels waited...covertly in their very own special ops stakeout. With the last nut placed, they simultaneous descended upon the unsuspecting circle of oneness as if they plotted and planned this great heist together. I was shocked. Appalled. With that, my view was disrupted by a storm of black flapping wings, chaos and an emotional tirade of screaming crows.

When the dust finally settled...there, where once there was circle....sat four very content squirrels in the middle of a pile of peanuts.

We now have two doves, a cardinal couple, a titmouse, bunnies and one of the most profound visitors, LadyHawk (an unbelievable story that I must take quality time to write and share - very special story).

Our family of backyard friends hasn't always been pleasant. We've had some heartbreaking experiences, too. A squirrel ate through a can of paint in our garage, a baby wren was born during a cold snap and last year we found a baby bunny that got separated from its mother and didn't make it. Life lessons.

Sometimes we forget that we share this space with other creatures and our world has an impact on them. I was devastated when one of the squirrels got into that can of paint. I really questioned whether or not I was to blame for this horrible event because she felt too comfortable, too trusting. If you can imagine being in your driveway and having this paint-soaked squirrel mama crawl to you on her belly for help :( Her baby, noticeably upset, ran off as I held her mama in my hands. I was so crushed by this sad scene - I tried to save her with everything I had and stayed up all night with her but she didn't make it. I vowed never to feed the squirrels again after this - if this was the result. I was humbled to my core. But alas, after weeks of worrying about this now orphaned baby, she re-emerged at my backdoor - carrying the spirit of her mama with her. Climbing all over the windows, peering in, sunning herself by my window, begging for peanuts - I quickly buckled under the strain of her cuteness. Since then she has grown and had babies of her own, bringing them for food and love.

And so the continuation of our backyard family has grown with many seasons and stories to tell.

Mother Nature speaks in a language understood within the peaceful mind of the sincere observer. – Radhanath Swami

Coming soon, LadyHawk's story.