">
nature list #1
Nature list from day one. Please ID any of these in the comments?
1. Big whirring insects I thought (from the sound) might be rattlesnakes. One divebombed me and I told it to f’koff.
2. Those jewel-blue birds with black capes and a crest. Busy. I say, “what are you doing, beautiful weirdo?”
3. Dappled desert squirrels with cream half-capes. I watch one dig its own cathole in the sand, use it, fill in. Squirrels do more belly-crawling here; they are bold and climb on my pack. “No thanks, potentially-rabid beast”, I say.
4. Tiny gecko-salamanders and mid-sized of the same, busy when unaware they’re observed. Statuesque when I greet them. Dark grey with blue detailing.
5. Dusk time up high, a slim chipmunk-type rodent leaping (flying!) branch to branch. Dark brown, black ears, white eyemask. I say “wow!” and feel awe-love.
6. This guy in the picture. Dog-sized, insistent. I say “please don’t murder me when I turn my back”.
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!
To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.
Comments 6
I think the dog-sized fellow is a marmot. The squirrel that looks like a mini marmot is a Colombian ground squirrel, I would guess. BIG HUGS from Bridport <3
The bird might be a Steller’s Jay
Yep, found it in a book 🙂
Yes, a Californian told me about marmots – this is one! Apparently they love to chew on things including the underside of cars… Giant hugs back to you <3
can’t totally tell from the photo but i think the big scary guy might be a fisher cat; they look sort of like a weasel but the size of a dog, and they are SO grouchy lol. they’re around new england too but kind of rare.
Haha yeah it’s not a great photo but this guy turned out to be a marmot. We have fishers here in the Adirondacks. I’m less scared of them now I don’t have a small dog they could end…