Some more animals...

Striped Skunk Kit 7-30-2012

 I was sitting at my desk at the Education Center at Homestead National Monument on July 30, 2012 when the Chief Ranger, Merrith Baughman, came in and said that there was a skunk by the entrance to the Heritage center. I grabbed my camera and headed out to see if I could spot it. The Heritage Center is about 1 mile from the Education Center and as I turned off of Highway 4 toward the Heritage Center, I could see it, it was right by the side of the road. I drove up to the driveway of the Heritage Center and turned around, I pulled over to the side of the road, about 10 feet from the skunk, who immediately raised his tail in alarm. I thought for a moment he might try to spray the car! However, he slowly moved down the ditch toward the cover of some vegetation. I rolled down the window and snapped a few pictures before he made it to the shelter of the sumac thicket. He (or She) was pretty young and alone, leave you to wonder if he has any sibling near by?

Skunk Kit,  Mephitis mephitis

We have had a family of turkeys living somewhere near the Education Center. About 2 weeks ago my roomie and fellow SCA got a great picture of them crossing the road. Today while helping my boss in the maintenance area, we could hear them. Later when I was taking out some garbage, I saw them out near the driveway, so I grabbed my camera, and went out to stalk them. It was a large group of 2 adults and a bunch of babies (poults). The group was on both sides of a fence, and I got to watch a few of them wander along the fence in search of a place where they could join the other. They finally found a spot and went under the fence, then the group went down into the ditch and on to the corn field next to the monument.

Found a way under the fence