Wildlife at McChord

So far, these two guys are the only wild creatures I've been able to take a picture of, but we have seen deer and geese near the golf course and Shawn has seen a coyote near his work.

We'll keep trying to get some pics! I need to remember to take my camera with me everywhere!

 

This squirrel was wandering outside our door when Shawn went outside for a cigarette. As he opened the screen door, it came closer to the house. I think that the people who lived here before

As we were feeding the squirrel, this bird came along hoping for a free meal too! It was a lot more timid than the squirrel and only came close if we were seated and the squirrel wasn't around. But it sure
kept a sharp eye out and dove in quickly to grab a nut! I'm not sure what type of bird it is, but the feathers sure are pretty! Hopefully we'll be able to find out and I'll post it here. (Note: This is a
Western Scrub-Jay. More information about it can be found at the BirdWeb site: http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=312)

We also have a lot of deer on base. From the tail of the fawn and the doe, I'd say it was a black-tailed deer, but I'm not certain the buck is the same species. If you want more information, the website I found is: The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/deer.htm). What I found really interesting about one particular deer family here was the fact that the buck actually remained with the doe and fawns. Usually the buck takes no part in raising of the fawns and, after mating, he remains solitary or in "bachelor groups". It was really neat to see.






The other day, when driving to school, Caeli and I saw a coyote in the housing area. It was rather scraggly looking, but really cool nonetheless! I keep forgetting just how small they are.