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| A mama Owl taking off with breakfast after feeding the kids. 5/2/2018 dwm photo |
It's more noticeable than ever as animals return to their former homes.
Where I work there is a small stand of trees large enough to be called a forest.
It is part of a natural wild island on the west side of Madison. The trees and wild grasses connect to other untamed land to the north and south.
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| WHO are you lookin' at? dwm photo |
While I haven't seen any myself, Coyotes and Foxes are the primary predators in this stretch of natural Madison.
In fact, the Wisconsin State Journal recently had an article explaining that there is enough prey around Greater Madison so the usual rivals co-exist peacefully because there is enough food to eat.
Along a stretch of this green-way last summer I saw a 10 point White-Tailed Buck standing not thirty feet from the bike trail I was riding.
It chewed grass and watched me while I watched him. Some ten minutes later, it slowly walked into the brush without a care in the world.
Nature's residents are doing so well in their urbanized homes that some cities hire marksmen to thin herds of deer. Otherwise they can ruin people's flower and vegetable gardens.
When we lived up north years ago, Black bears were fans of gardens too. However, six foot high fencing around the garden perimeter wasn't enough to stop a hungry bear.
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| Do you see both young owls? Keep looking! dwm photo |
I'm lucky to see them. In fact, early spring is the best time to look, because once the leaves are out owls are easily camouflaged. As the young ones get older, the entire family becomes more nocturnal.
Finding a mother and her Owlets during daylight hours up close is a real treat.
Other than a near-silent flutter of wings on a nighttime walk, I never saw a wild Owl until coming to Oakwood.
Momma Owl didn't seem to mind the neighbors, but I'm sure she had a line in her head we could not cross.
That's fine with me. I'm glad to admire and photograph from a safe distance.
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