Yesterday morning when I stepped outside to get the newspaper I discovered dozens and dozens of tiny little toads (or frogs?) hopping across my driveway, all in the same direction. They were less than a half inch long and at first I thought they were tiny black crickets. But when I looked at them more closely I realized that they were perfect, miniature dark gray toads all hopping toward the south. I bent down and watched them, transfixed, for a minute or so until I realized I was hunched over in the driveway in my pajamas. I carefully stepped among them out to the street to get the paper, where I discovered yet more tiny little toads. I’m going to have to look up the life cycle of the toad on the internet so that I’ll understand the amazing site that greeted me yesterday morning.
Amazing things are all around me here in Wicomicoville, although people that have grown up here will not likely be impressed. Birds are what usually grab my attention: A few days ago I saw a couple of Bobwhite strolling around in the field across the road. I often see Great Blue Heron down by the river and one day was astonished as a pair of Redwing Blackbirds flew at and attacked an enormous heron flying up the river- even more astonishing was the sound that the heron made, a very loud “Cronk!” and I realized that I had never heard one utter a sound before. The sound was so comical and seemed so incongruous to the elegant grace of the heron that I had to laugh.
I hear common, everyday birds all day long like the honking Canada Geese, Mockingbirds and brilliant Cardinals that sing their hearts out, and cooing Turtle Doves with their squeaky wings when they fly. A pair of Ospreys nest not far from the river bank, and I love to watch them hover as they scan the river for fish. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen Bald Eagles (although the number is probably less than 15; I’m always so astounded that I forget to keep track). Two sets of Barn Swallows have built nests on the house; a set on each porch. I adore them because they eat quantities of mosquitos and they’re enormously entertaining flyers, swooping into the porch area between the columns and out again, skimming over our heads. Especially loved are the wild turkeys; last year a group of three hens often led a flock of fuzzy gray chicks up our driveway and into our “back forty” to graze, the hens keeping a watchful eye throughout. They were difficult to count because they kept sort of bobbing around but I counted as many as 19 one day. It was a treat to watch them grow over the summer and into the fall and I’ve looked forward to seeing them again this year but they have not come around, I suspect because some new neighbors on the lane let their dog run loose all the time. Turkeys are naturally shy, it seems, and dogs seem to make them nervous.
Woodpeckers are both seen and heard fairly often although the size of the Pileated Woodpecker always catches me off guard; I never expect them to be that big. Twice I’ve seen (and heard many times) a Great Horned Owl, and have been delighted to hear Screech Owls (which don’t screech at all, it turns out) at dusk although I’ve yet to see one. In the spring I’ve seen Killdeer running through the grass on their skinny, long legs always looking as if they’re late for an appointment. And when Next-Door-Neighbor-2 mowed our field recently a Cattle Egret started to follow his tractor at a distance, gulping up insects disturbed by the mowing. Amazing.
I always try to keep a Birds of Maryland and Delawarefield guide handy when in Wicomicoville; you never know what you’ll see when you walk out your front door.
