Two or three summers ago we had our share of sick (or maybe rabid) racoons and possums. At the other golf course in Avon Oh I worked I saw a coyote.
There are muskrats in the ponds and creek. No one likes muskrats. They burrow into the pond/creek bank and weaken it. A couple weeks ago a burrow caved in and I got stuck up to the axle with the Toro. The ones here aren't too brave. At the other course I could drive my mower within 10-15' of a couple laying in the sun. Haven't seen any skunks, yet, but I've smelled them. For some reason I only see woodchucks along the roads, not on the course.
Then there are the geese. They make a mess every where. At this course, they seem to disapear around Memorial Day for 3-4 weeks, then return to make a mess again. There are several heron or egrets (haven't figured out which yet) that hang around. One will let you get pretty close. I blogged about him or maybe it is a her previously. Once in a while I see a bluebird. They are a very bright blue. Hawks are pretty common. One time I saw a hawk snatch a small bird out of the air. Last summer I saw an unidentified bird circle one of the ponds, then drop like a rock into the water. He came up with a fish in his talons. Another some dark colored birds -- crows or starlings, maybe-- got upset with a goose and they chased him all over the place. The small birds were actually grabbing the goose and hanging on. That goose was dipping, diving, doing barrel rolls and loops to get away.
Snapping turtles are pretty common on the course too. One likes to play chicken with me. It doesn't dive into the water till the very last minute. A couple weeks ago I saw a turtle laying eggs. Believe it or not the photo below is the best I got. My 'mowing camera' doesn't have a viewfinder. When the sun is shining directly into your screen, you are shooting all but blind. Last weekend I saw another turtle laying eggs, but didn't have my camera with me. Oh, well.
Then there the snakes. I have seen two kinds. I think the one lying in the grass below is a blue racer. Not real sure about that. They hang out around the creek behind the clubhouse.
The other kind is striped. I don't see them very often. They hang out by the creek and woods on #14. They are pretty shy. I haven't seen enough of them to try to id them.
I saved my friends, the barn swallows, for last. Six or eight of them seem to find me almost every day. Then they follow me for most of the day. They swoop & dart all over the place. I think it's because the mower tends to kick the bugs out of the grass. Sometimes they try to see how close they can come to the mower without hitting it. One of the other guys told me that a swallow did hit his mower. Didn't knock him completely out, but he stunned himself pretty good. I saw some near collisions between swallows today. They can turn on a dime! Sometimes they will try to hover in front of me, sticking out their tongue at me. When they get tired, they go sit in the grass. It is almost funny seeing one or two out of breath, bent over, with their wing tips on their knees, sucking air. I always think of Pigpen (Charlie Brown comic strip) with the cloud of dust over his head when I have swallows darting all around me.
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