Groundhogs and turtles and robins...Oh My!

So my backyard is quickly becoming Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom before my very eyes. Let me start by saying that I have no pets and never had a pet growing up either. When my husband and I first moved into our house, I was very excited about the concept of living in a somewhat wooded and private area, but yet, not too far from neighbors and civilization in general...I am not a boonies kind of gal. The thought of seeing the occasional deer or two grazing in my backyard, got me really jazzed. So, here we are almost 2 years later, and I have yet to see the deer. That does not mean we haven't had wildlife...just not exactly what I expected or even signed on for. The red-breasted robin comes to mind, for instance. A robin sounds harmless enough, until you are sitting in your living room one afternoon and you hear a non-stop tapping at your back French door. When you go to check it out, you see a crazed robin spastically attacking the door with its beak. It comes back daily for over a week, continually attacking the door, and all the while leaving its beak saliva marks on the door and its robin droppings on my porch and steps. A real live Alfred Hitchcock movie is unfolding before my eyes! Apparently, the male robin is marking its territory and seeing a reflection of itself in my door and sees competition for him with the ladies. I hope the robin has found a mate and moved on already...It really is a creepy thing to see.

Speaking of creepy, 2 weeks ago I was backing into my driveway one Saturday afternoon and noticed my husband sitting on our deck outside the kitchen watching back the car up. I got out of the car, and he asked, "Did you see it?" I didn't know what he was talking about. He asked me to follow him to the end of the driveway so he could show me the turtle that was burrowing a hole in the ground. We had to get a picture. Neither one of us wanted to pick it up, but we were concerned that a car would come flying down our street and run it over. We did not want to witness the murder, so we took a couple of pictures, and I gave it a little nudge with my foot toward our little gully and that was the last we saw of the turtle. Check out the picture...they are so prehistoric-looking! I am baffled that something like that can live here in the warm, tropical state of Maine. It must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

The latest development takes the cake for me. Since we have lived here, we have noticed a groundhog who comes out and walks around our backyard daily. We have found 3 holes out along the edge of our yard where it meets the woods. These holes are where the groundhog heads for a quick escape whenever we step outside or we pull into the driveway. No doubt, it has made a cozy home for itself somewhere underground in those holes. This past April, I noticed the groundhog for the first time since it has come out of hibernation this season...looking a little thinner and obviously hungry. It has been no big deal for me to just be used to our little backyard "pet." Yesterday, I was absolutely floored, however. I discovered that the groundhog is a woman!! That discovery came when I was at my kitchen window rinsing something in the sink and saw the groundhog sitting on our stone wall in the yard, and there was a small group of "mini-me" fur ball groundhogs hanging around their mama and walking around my yard! Oh, there's 1...wait, 2...and 3-4-5. I can't believe...Oh, no...there is a 6th one! Holy infestation!! I have to admit that I have been mesmerized. They are just as adorable as can be. I have been sneaking photos when I can. But, now what do I do?! So far, no harm has been done, but how long can that go on. I cannot shoot or take a shovel to them...I can't even "whack a mole" at the carnival!! A "Have a Heart" trap is a possibility, but that could take a long time.

I guess I will just have to let nature run its course and embrace the wildlife around me. I'll forget about the vegetable garden this year, I guess. I have to go now...It's time to go try and spot a deer!