Ames Wildlife

It seems that if you want to see wildlife in Ames, you just have to stand by our window and look out. If I were to see an elephant walk out of the woods, I don't think I would be too surprised anymore! Okay, so maybe a little. Here are some of our favorites

This is a little chipmunk who lives in a hole in our sidewalk by the "front" door. . . He's pretty cute, but he sure looks like he might be part rat or something.

Who would have known that we had woody the woodpecker up in our trees! Unfortunately he would fly away before we could get really close so this is from pretty far away and really zoomed in. . .

That's our beaver friend under the gazebo!

And then there's our friend the beaver! He took up residence under our gazebo for a time and came out to eat the bugs after a good rain storm, but I haven't seen him lately. He had great ears. . . Whenever I tried opening the door he was gone! One time, I almost had a great picture but the flash on the camera opening form 30 feet away sent him running into the woods. Bummer!

I think that cardinals are my favorite birds here in Iowa. They are so BRILLIANTLY red. I haven't ever seen one until now. I also saw a blue jay a few times, but he didn't care for our bird feeder. Which reminds me. . . I need to put more seed out because the squirrel ate it all!

I have also seen many animals that I haven't gotten pictures of. . . We had a mother raccoon who had babies in one of the abandoned buildings on our property. I watched as she moved her babies out and away, and I haven't seen her since. And finally, the other night we drove into our driveway to see a deer standing there eating the red berries that I told the kids not to eat. I guess if the deer eats them they aren't poisonous!

Plant life is also abounding and we have poison ivy, poison Oak (I think), and lots of trees and bushes! What fun!