Backyard Tracks

The last few weeks as we alternate between snow storms and hints of spring I’ve been keeping a close eye on the snow in my backyard.  The yard is tiny and I’m in Concord, right in town, so you wouldn’t think there’d be much to see.   But for animals that are comfortable in close proximity with people my backyard is on their nightly route.  The morning after a fresh snowfall I head right to the kitchen window to see what I can read in the snow.  This morning was typical of the last few weeks.  Distinctively shaped opossum tracks skirting the edge of the bulkhead door as usual.  And close by them skunk tracks showing methodical progress across the backyard.  Both have been nightly visitors of late, probably because this is breeding season for both species.  So they’re on the move at night looking for mates.  Usually there are some gray squirrel tracks as well, and some mornings cat tracks from a domestic feline.   This morning I had an extra treat – mouse tracks – tiny compared to the other visitors.  The tracks are a reminder to me that no matter where we live we have wild neighbors and if we keep our eyes open we might be able to figure out who they are.