Cottage visitors

Working at a place like Nature Quest /Mountain Trail Horse Center and living in Tioga County you expect to see wildlife out there somewhere… on top of the mountain, or in the bottom of the canyon… someplace adventurous.  I have discovered that quite a variety of wildlife can be seen in around the yard at the Mountain Trail Cottage.   This is our vacation cottage located a few miles north of Wellsboro.  I have to quickly notice these critters while working.  Anyone who stays at the cottage may have time to closely observe them.  

I first noticed the birds.  This spring I discovered a Carolina Wren nesting in the corner of our enclosed back porch.  The bird would land in the bush just outside the kitchen window before bringing food into the nest.   Latter the Phoebes nested on the opposite end of the same porch.  I didn’t notice the nest until the young were half grown. They weren’t creating a mess in the entryway so I let them be.   One day I heard quite a clatter and looked out to see the adult birds chasing off a chipmunk that had attempted to raid the nest.   While trimming bushes, I discovered that sparrows or something had built a nest in a bush out front.  It’s not unusual to see robins feeding in the back yard.  One afternoon Jill and I scared a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker that had been feeding on a tree in the side yard.   On a hot summer day Buzzards were in the pasture feeding on disgusting treat that only they would appreciate.  Twice I have stopped and waited for four or five Turkeys to cross the lane that leads to the cottage.   Bluebirds sometimes feed in the bushes along the same lane.  Late this fall I flushed a Pileated Woodpecker that was busily tearing apart a mostly rotten stump at the edge of the yard.  It was probably hoping to dine on insects living in the rotten wood. 

When the birds are absent, there are always furry critters to entertain you.  Both Gray and Red Squirrels live in the woods bordering the cottage and make visits into our lawn.  When I flushed the wood pecker, I also sent a Gray squirrel that had been feeding nearby scurrying for cover.  This fall, the Red Squirrel constantly left piles of pine cone remnants on the hot tub steps or on the cover.  I wondered if he was entertained watching me sweep away his mess.  The Chipmunk also frequents the area near the hot tub. Cottontail Rabbits feed in the lawn out back.   One day I surprised a young woodchuck that proceeded to tightly flatten itself against the grass in a failed attempt to avoid discovery.   You would be surprised how small they can make themselves look.    At night, you may see Little Brown Bats flying about catching dinner on the wing.  I believe they roost nearby.   Another day, I discovered a Raccoon trying to raid a garbage bag that I hadn’t had opportunity to retrieve.   A note of caution here: Please don’t feed any wild animals around the cottage.  Some animals may carry harmful diseases.  Feeding also teaches animals to depend on people for food and may cause problems for future guests or our staff.    

Those of you who are more adventurous can entertain yourselves looking for the insects, spiders, reptiles, and amphibians that occasionally show themselves.  This spring I found myself dodging a frog that seemed to always be in the path of the mower.  Later young toads were hopping about the yard, doing their best to interrupt the lawn mowing.   A couple of times, I have seen a Garter Snake glide a across the yard.  Don’t worry they are not poisonous, give them space and they’ll soon crawl out of your path.  These snakes eat insects and mice that would otherwise overwhelm the area.   One day I saw two jumping spiders in a showdown on the hot tub cover.  One would advance and then jump back.  The other spider would move ahead a couple of steps and they would do it again.   Somewhat more interesting was the day the Daddy Long Legs or Harvestman (it goes by both names) fell out the bush I was working under and landed on my nose.   Not being the “scream and freak” type I brushed it away before I realized what it was.   Bees and butterflies flit about feeding on whatever flowers are blossoming. 

Those of you who prefer things that don’t crawl can entertain yourselves identifying the flowers and trees that grow in and around the Mountain Trail Cottage yard.  Crabapple, Aspen, White Pine, Maple and an Elm variety are all nearby.  A number of bushes and brambles, such as Alternate Leaf Dogwood and Blackberry, grow around the edge of the yard.  Spring and midsummer wildflowers brighten the area.  We have Dames Rockets, Dandelions, Daisies, Black Eyed Susan, Queen Anne’s lace, and Yarrow to name a few.

-Lisa Sumner