A pair of these guys used to have a nest in a yard a few blocks from mine, but they haven’t used for the last two years, as far as I can tell. On a similar note, I haven’t seen the foxes for a few days and I’m worried the mother might have moved her kits to another den. Why is anyone’s guess.
It surprised me that more people don’t know about these kits, until I realized that most of the times I see them are after dark. Even if they come above ground in the day, they’re not nearly as active. But now they’re starting to get spunky and Mom has a bit of a job keeping them in line….
I was out late the other night, when I heard a rustling in the bushes behind the garage. I froze, not sure what I’d see, and found myself 10 feet away from a large, gray, moonlit opossum. We had an intense staring contest that lasted about 2 seconds before it turned and disappeared. I know there is a good number of opossums living in my neighborhood, but I’ve only seen 3 or 4 ever. They are so secretive, so shy, that they leave almost no trace of existing, and when you do see them they scurry away in a heartbeat. It also doesn’t help that they are nocturnal, and seem to avoid not only daylight, but street- and lamp-light as well. I don’t know much about these little guys, but they’re awfully exciting to see!
