Mike in the Wild

Nature doesn't always work like clockwork, but there are often easily predictable wildlife habits at specific times of the day.  I remember one late spring when an elf owl in Madera Canyon appeared nightly as she exited her nest very close to sunset, thrilling congregations of waiting birders.  Also at nightfall, but in the coldest part of Phoenix' winter, five or six hummingbirds regularly gathered at my home's feeder for a nutritious drink to sustain them while the overnight temperature plummeted close to freezing. Again at dusk, I was fortunate to observe at least one skunk visit my Prescott yard daily over a recent two-week period.  It wasn't the first time I've seen this nocturnal animal on my property, but the encounters stood out because of both their regularity and their frequency. Unfortunately I've mostly seen skunks as roadkill, where they join raccoons as the most easily recognizable victims on our busy roads.  Of course, it's the animals...