[NatureNS] Raccoons, mice, owls

From: "Andrew Steeves" <andrew@gaspereau.com>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
References: <925BDC1B-2CF3-48FE-843A-DD0CF5B9679D@eastlink.ca>
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 23:32:33 -0300
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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When we were in Keji in September they were having a particularly hard =
time with aggressive raccoons around the campsites. We kept all food in =
the car at night, and even at that you could hear the bandits snorting =
and fighting the very minute you extinguished the fire and crawled into =
your sleeping bag, overturning everything and anything in search of a =
snack. They sounded more like storybook trolls or movie aliens than =
neighbourly mammals. The rude little beasts have a taste for toothpaste, =
one of the park attendants told my wife, and think nothing of trying to =
get into tents if they sniff out something interesting.

At first light this morning, biking to work, I saw a raccoon peeking out =
from a tree den in Noggins Woods. He seemed just fine to me, up there =
where he was supposed to be, neither fighting over toothpaste or =
swarming seniors. A few meters farther down the trail I stopped to =
checked out a small pile of dirt where last week I'd watched a little =
mouse madly digging out a hole in the soft loam of the trail's edge. He =
was all tail and hind legs, dirt flying, until he disappeared down his =
hole. Nothing doing there today, so I looked up to carry on, just in =
time to catch sight of a large, silent blur of feathers on the edge of =
my field of vision. A barred owl! First one I've spotted in there this =
year. I watched him up in the hemlocks for another twenty minutes or so, =
making myself good and late for work.

Andrew Steeves =B6 Wolfville
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<DIV>When we were in Keji in September they were having a particularly =
hard time=20
with aggressive raccoons around the campsites. We kept all food in the =
car at=20
night, and even at that you could hear the bandits snorting and fighting =
the=20
very minute you extinguished the fire and crawled into your sleeping =
bag,=20
overturning everything and anything in search&nbsp;of a snack. They =
sounded more=20
like&nbsp;storybook trolls or&nbsp;movie aliens than neighbourly =
mammals. The=20
rude little beasts have a taste for toothpaste, one of the park =
attendants told=20
my wife, and think nothing of trying to get into tents if they sniff out =

something interesting.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>At first&nbsp;light this&nbsp;morning, biking to work, I saw a =
raccoon=20
peeking out from a tree den in Noggins Woods. He seemed just fine to me, =
up=20
there where he was supposed to be, neither fighting over toothpaste or =
swarming=20
seniors.&nbsp;A few&nbsp;meters&nbsp;farther down the trail&nbsp;I=20
stopped&nbsp;to checked out a&nbsp;small pile of dirt&nbsp;where last =
week I'd=20
watched a little mouse madly digging out a hole in the soft loam of the =
trail's=20
edge. He was all tail&nbsp;and hind legs,&nbsp;dirt flying, until he =
disappeared=20
down his hole. Nothing doing there today, so I looked up to carry on, =
just in=20
time&nbsp;to catch sight of&nbsp;a large, silent&nbsp;blur of feathers =
on the=20
edge of my field of vision. A barred owl! First one I've spotted in =
there this=20
year. I watched him up in the hemlocks for another twenty minutes or so, =
making=20
myself good and late for work.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Andrew Steeves =B6 Wolfville</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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