Small Town Wildlife.
I live in the suburbs. Not in the middle of nowhere but just a few miles from the center of the city of Bozeman. Now Bozeman isn’t a big city but it’s a city nonetheless and yet the wildlife in and around town is something I never get used to – and something I didn’t see growing up in rural Central New York state.
One of the common animals here is the Mule Deer. We have a lot of them in our area and driving after dark is sketchy and one is best off going slow and watching very carefully. There is a road very close to our home that has a large open field next to it and unfortunately there are often dead mule deer in the field as a result of getting hit by a car. Mule deer are big heavy animals. So with this fresh meat out there for the taking we sometimes see scavengers show up for a big meal. The other day I knew I’d be driving by so I brought the camera and sure enough there were a few bald eagles hanging around trying to get a meal while being bothered by the magpies and crows. I snapped a few shots and went on my way. On the way home we went past the same spot and saw a rare sight – a coyote right out in the open. We hear them all the time on summer nights but it’s very rare to see them. This guy apparently thought it was worth the risk to be out in the open of this huge field to get the goods. It’s interesting to note that while coyotes aren’t all that big they aren’t like lap dogs either. If you compare the size of the coyote to the rib cage of the deer and then compare the eagle to the same you’ll see just how HUGE those eagles are. They are about the size of a fence post while standing and have a wingspan of about 6-7 feet. They are awesome to behold.
So – a little glimpse into life outside of a small Montana town. It never gets old for me.
Dave
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coooooooooool pix……and beautiful birds
Awesome pictures! Where in New York did you grow up? I grew up in Syracuse and spent a lot of time in Geneseo.