[Magdalen] Rodent patrol news and wildlife update

[Jay Weigel]

The Northeast Broadway division of the Rodent Patrol has a new officer.
With the departure of the two felines known simply as Captain and Deputy,
possibly for Rainbow Bridge as we haven't seen them for over a year now,
and the fact that we haven't seen the one we called Rookie for quite
awhile, our yard seems to have been handed over to a long-bodied brown
tabby and white kitty we've christened Officer Whitefoot for his very
spiffy four white boots. (I presume it's a him, though I haven't gotten a
good look yet!) I'm assuming he comes up from the neighbor's barn, though I
don't know. He patrols the yard in a very businesslike manner and then, I
presume, goes off to patrol some others. Rookie, female by her coloration,
may be off training a new generation.

We have been graced this year by a nesting pair of red-headed woodpeckers.
We have not, in my time of residence here, had them as more than occasional
visitors, although we have all the other varieties as permanent residents.
However, this year they've come and stayed, and we're pretty sure we've
spotted their nest hole. Mama and Papa (they're indistinguishable) are
extremely busy at the moment and rest frequently on the stump of a branch
outside S/O's office window, looking visibly exhausted. They must have a
nestfull! There's something else with a nest in a hoe in a tree up the
driveway, but we haven't spotted what, just seen the droppings at the
entryway.

We've also observed a pair of possums strolling about looking pretty darn
well-fed. There are a lot of ticks this season already, so that may account
for it. And it's baby bunny season, making both driving and lawn-mowing a
bit hazardous. The wee squirrels should be making their debut soon too.