Raccoons!

Yikes. Woke up during the night to sounds of a battle raging outside my window where I've recently begun feeding the birds. Growling, grunting. Bobcat? Listened carefully, decided it was a couple of raccoons. Finally got up to get the trusty Maglight. One ran off, but I finally spotted a persistent raccoon. They are not cute at all; they are huge, vicious and scary. They've been marauding into the cat food for the barn cats.

I did decide there's a Great Horned Owl in the windbreak and some sort of heron on the creek, probably an immature Little Blue Heron. Big enough to be a Sandhill Crane, but flys like a heron. Of course, Cardinals and Eastern Bluebirds (there are bluebird boxes on the property) and the standard robins, sparrows, etc. What fun!

Back to life on the farm ...