Friends for Breakfast

Although our weather has been overly warm this summer, if one rises early enough in the morning they may experience a brief time of lovely weather.  Before the sun rises high enough to start its hot walk across the sky, and if there is a slight breeze; the early morning can be quite nice. 

I learned this morning though that I am not the only one who also finds this to be a nice time to come out and enjoy the day before it becomes too unbearable.  Winston and I had just stepped off the porch when a movement caught my attention from the corner of my sight.  As I turned towards my little oak at the bottom of the yard, I noticed something jump from its branches.  Now the squirrels enjoy this tree quite a bit as there is a big feeder of sunflower seed that is nestled in the middle of it, hidden from most .  It is a treasure that is only there for those who know it is there.  Yet this did not appear to be a squirrel.  It was much darker in color, almost black.   Also if it was to be a squirrel I had somehow acquired monster squirrels as its size was a bit large.

I continued to watch not yet venturing to close as Winston was with me and the last thing I wanted was for him to catch sight of what I was witnessing and possibly take chase.   Just then a second animal jumped to the ground.  This time I caught a better view and again it was definitely not a squirrel. 

I could not believe that two animals of such size would be sitting up in my little oak and be so hidden from my sight.  They both crouched down at the base of the tree so that I still could not make out their true identity.  I ushered Winston into the house so that I could take a closer look.   As I ventured down a bit closer to the tree, a third animal jumped down from the oak’s branches.  Now a total of three animals hunkered down around the bottom of the small oak hidden only by a few sparse weeds .  Although the plants that surrounded the oak were few I still could not make out their faces.  Then one of them darted from their hiding place toward the woods nearby.  As it ran towards the higher grass and brush it drug behind it  a ringed tail.  Soon after the second followed and then the third.  Three young coons were enjoying an early morning breakfast of sunflower seeds nestled snugly up in the branches of my little oak.  

I still am a bit surprised that three of them could fit themselves up in the small tree.  Yet my little oak has been refuge for many a squirrel and bird.  His branches reach out accepting all who come to visit and sit a spell. I am sure that he would also welcome three coon siblings if they came his way.   I wondered after seeing my new visitors if I should attempt to trap and relocate them to a more fitting location then my back yard.  I have already done so with two others this summer. They had found my suet cakes and seed earlier at a feeding station closer to my house and were making themselves a bit too welcomed. After consuming a gross number of suet cakes and practically demolishing one of my feeders in an attempt to gain entrance, I had no other choice but to find them new homes.   I think as long as these three stay down by the oak  they will be fine.  It was obvious by their size that they were but young ones and the fact that they were three in number made me think they must be siblings who were likely born earlier this spring.  How could I possibly break up siblings. 

  I did spread cracked corn around the oak yesterday for the birds as well as the rabbits that sometime frequent.  A bit silly of me to think that nothing else might come and also partake of it. 

Blessings

Mother Moon