One of the reasons I absolutely love living on my tame prairie or in midwest cattle country ~ is because I see the abundance of wildlife each day.
Now, I’m certain what I currently observe is nothing compared to the wildlife that used to live in the area before it was settled by the west-moving pioneers. Still, it’s like a little paradise for me.
Of course, there are lots of winging, singing birds... cardinals, blue jays, wrens, one of the titmouse species... I hear the raucous call of crows at times. The geese get into screaming battles with each other as they chase each other overhead.
Recently, when I returned from my mailbox, which is a ways from the house, a young hen turkey crossed right in front of me. It was a breathtaking exhilarating moment. Occasionally, I’ll see the flocks of wild turkeys that live in the area. I find them truly inspiring birds and nothing like domesticated turkeys.
Yes, I’ve seen adorable bunnies and a huge buck rabbit. The squirrels have finally decided my doggies aren’t a threat unless they fall out of their trees at the wrong time. Then, it’s likely to be goodbye squirrel, hello lunch. I’ve discovered Squirrels are much noisier and more aggressive than I realized, and what they can do with those tails... the signals are amazing. I watched one fellow sit on his hind end and angrily, loudly chatter proclaiming to one and all this was his tree. This went on for, at least, ten minutes.
Then there are the large canine paw prints we see in the snow. The large piles of poo on the gravel drive.
Yep, there are growing packs of coyotes around here. How do I know? I hear them more often and there are more of them. It’s chilling and utterly fascinating to listen to the coyotes during the night hours, howling and yipping in the surrounding fields. Their voices are so close to the way my doggies sound when they decide to howl, I often have to concentrate to tell the difference. No, my baby dogs aren’t kept outside, in case, anyone thought that. But, they do have their own room for the night since I do most of my writing then, and need to concentrate. Or, if mom and I are outside for too long and not in the fenced off area, they howl.
A couple of times now, I’ve seen coyotes in the distance when I’m traveling back and forth to go shopping, etc. I am always enthralled.
Today, and the reason I’m penning this bloggie... I saw a wild critter I thought I’d never see around here. As I was driving home and on the gravel road close to my house, I saw some smallish critter ahead of me on the road, just moving on down the road at a leisurely pace. I slowed the van because, gosh, I don’t want to accidently hit whatever it is. And I was curious. Creeping closer, I think it’s someone’s cat out for a fun time in the wilds of nature... at first. Actually, I haven’t seen that many cats in the area.
Not twenty feet away, the cat turns to the side... it’s a tawny color with some kind of darker markings...AND! It has a bobtail. Well, my first thought is that it’s a Manx cat. Where I used to live there was a group of feral Manx cats, so I’m familiar with what they look like and their gait. This feline, while large for a Manx, also didn’t move like that breed and didn’t have the characteristic high hindquarters.
Bobcat... a cub... that was my next thought as my wild critter leisurely trotted into the pasture, then halted and gave me and the van a long look before trotting on, not in a frightened manner, just a cautious one.
So, of course, once I got online I searched Bobcat cub pics. The above is what I saw, except, I think my bobcat was younger than this cub and was more tawny in color. Now, I wasn’t close enough to see the ear tips, however the shape of its face looked like the pic above.
There, my miracle baby Bobcat. I have to say, though, I have no clue if it was really a wild one, or someone’s escaped pet.
And, just in case, it’s a shamanic message... this is a snippet from Judith at ~ http://angelsandancestors.blogspot.com/2008/05/spirit-animals-bobcat.html ~ Bobcat is often associated with new lessons and with growth in spirituality.
New lessons, yep, everyday. Hopefully, I am growing in spirituality everyday... yet, without the trials and tribulations... yeah, right... dream on...
Still, I am incredibly grateful for seeing a bobcat on the tame prairie.
Savanna
Savanna Kougar
~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
Author of ~
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8 comments:
Happily ever after purrs...
Wow - what an amazing sighting, Savanna!! How lucky! Thank you so much for sharing this very special moment. (I've never seen a Bobcat - very appealing.)
Thank you.
Animals do so enrich one's life!
I now see where some of your inspiration comes from with your superb shape-shifting novels.
PS if you fancy posting this on the pink blog, please feel free - Linda, your ducks, too. Just as ever check the calendar.
Hi Lindsay, it was one of those amazing moments!
I'd love to post on the pink blog.
Maybe Bobcat wants to have his/her own shapeshifter story.
Move over Savanna, I'm moving in.
I love cats, all types and to see one them would have me on the lookout, camera and camcorder in hand.
Gosh, how wonderful.
In my trek back and forth from work, I'd see deer, wild turkey, cooper hawks, red-tailed hawks, eagles, buzzards, turkey vultures, red fox, opposums, raccoons, skunks and coyotes -- I'd love to see a wild cat such as this. I'd go nuts with excitement.
You must do the story.
Wow, Bekki, that is a lineup of wild critters. At one time or another I've seen those too.
Long, long ago, when I was driving to my Junior College classes, three deer burst from the wooded area next to a pasture. One of them jumped over the hood of my car... I'd' slowed because some deer had already run across the road ahead of me.
We had eagles where I used to live. I'd see them circling above.
Here, there are huge hawks. I'm not sure what species. But they ride the thermals and hunt over the fields.
Wow, you have some great animals. Wild turkeys have shown up in the last few years, and even the coyotes are returning to New England. Deer show up in my back yard and eat my tulips (they love tulips). The raccoons come to my bird feeder and the opossum to my compost heap. And a few times a fox has fun through my back yard.
Linda, it is so wonderful that animals are returning...
I didn't know deer loved tulips. But I haven't planted that many of them even though they are gorgeous.
I know squirrels like digging up and dining on daffodil bulbs. Ha1 Healthy doses of dried doggie poo stops them in my experience. And, or course, the daffodils grow like crazy.
I did see a fox about half a year ago... just a glimpse, though. He was a red fox with black legs.
That's wonderful, Lindsa, that animals are returning. They are such joy.
The first time I saw a turkey, it was flying across the highway and the car in front of nearly hit with the windshield of his car. Since then, we've watched them feed in a field along side the road, near an off ramp.
Savanna, I don't know if I love the hawks flying or perching best. It's amazing how they can sit on the smallest of branches.
I've never had issues with bunnies or squirrels eating my plants - my sister did. I guess my mother-in-law did as well, she used to keep realistic rubber snakes in her beds to keep critters away. At times, when she lived a few blocks away, I'd find the darn snakes in my bed, via my boys stopping by grandmas on the way home from school.
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