Mystery Mammal

It has been raining for days. I was excited to wake up to clear forecast so I could take the camera out. It was cool and crisp and a bit gray when we first started out. It really felt like fall. The deep glorious purple flame of ironweed coordinates perfectly with bright yellow goldenrod, lining the trail with a fall bouquet.

Summer’s oppressive heat silenced the birds and made the woods and fields feel barren and a bit lonely. But today, a huge variety of feathered friends were singing and foraging. I often seen birds of a certain type clustered together in little flocks, but today I found a peewe sitting on a rail beside a warbler. A group of downy woodpeckers flitted here and there with hummingbirds and goldfinches. A gorgeous gray catbird posed for me on a stump near the trail. The woods were loud and joyful!

We stood still for a long time enjoying the party around us. Eventually, though, Chuck needed to really stretch her legs so we hiked around the marsh. On the back side, grass gives way to a few large trees and eventually transitions entirely to forest. On the edge of the marsh, high overhead in the crotch of a very tall tree, I thought I noticed a furry texture. I took a picture in the hopes that I would later be able to discern what was perched there. You can see that there is clearly a mammal up in the tree, but I can’t for the life of me tell what it is. Keep in mind that this is very very high off the ground. What the heck could it be? Did a large bird of prey catch it and carry it up there? I watched it for some time and it never did move. If you think you know what it is, let me know!