Cute Animals that are Frequent Visitors in My Yard

There are perks to living out in the country. One being various animals and critters in the area, some frequenting your yard. A few of them set up their homes in trees, under buildings, or in the holes around the pond. I’m not fond of many known visitors or unknown visitors, but amphibians, most birds, and animals with fur don’t bother me. Even the squirrels are adorable to me as they run across the yard and up trees. Well, I could do without the minks or groundhogs. They cause problems that outweigh their cuteness.

I sat at my kitchen table one afternoon in the mood to write as my kids played and watched television in March of 2019. At the time, I was aiming to write poems more frequently. While trying to think of a poem to write, I looked out my window. Sometimes, staring out the window relaxes me, and my thoughts will flow better. I noticed a couple of geese were leisurely swimming in my pond. I took pictures of them through my window out of fear they would take off if they heard my front door open or my feet on the steps. This is the best shot. It resulted in my writing an easy haiku. I had hoped to come up with a different, more serious poem, but it wasn’t going to happen. The geese helped by inspiring a brief writing exercise, though.

Now getting this next picture wasn’t easy. After I decided to get photos of the wildlife, I walked around my yard. I circled my pond a couple of times. There was a big Carp floating around the top. Every time I stepped close enough for a decent picture, it splashed below the surface. It seemed to be toying with me. If Carps could laugh, it would have been having a good one at my expense. The zoom and pixels of my phone are not good enough to get a good shot from a distance. A few failed attempts later, I moved on, roaming my yard. I had what appeared to be a Hawk on a tree branch across the ditch, but once again, I couldn’t get close enough. The birds in my yard flutter away from their perches shortly after landing. Especially when a person starts to walk toward them. I thought I was going to be fortunate when one didn’t budge as I inched closer. When my foot slipped on a slick spot of grass, I made a sound that alerted the bird. It flew off, so I went back towards the pond. Some would fly close to the water, but I couldn’t manage to snap a picture in time or focus. Eventually, I went into the house, sat by my husband, and vented. I decided I was done, at least for the moment.

A couple of days later, I managed to be gifted a decent chance. I had just pulled into my parking spot and moved the shifter to park after getting my kids from school. We were listening to a song before getting out of the car. It was then the Chirping Sparrow landed on the tree trunk in front of my car. I knew if I got out of the car, it would fly away. My phone was in the console. I grabbed it, opened the camera app, and pointed it at the bird. My youngest kicking my seat made it difficult to get the camera to stay focused. I took a few shots before the little bird decided to continue its journey around the area.