When you’re out in the deep woods, you might focus on a woodpecker, and discover there’s a porcupine on the next branch.
Or you look at vultures picking at something in a clearing, and notice that a coyote is looking back at you from the tree line.
It’s good to get out where the birds are. More than good. It’s wild.
While birding, you might see muskrat, beaver, mink, snapping turtles, alligators. You’ll come across deer, a sure thing.
Could be you’ll see snakes, moose, elk, fox, antelope, javelinas, armadillos, wild sheep, maybe a bear.
You might spot a Pine Marten, if you’re lucky.
Marten sounds like a bird’s name. When you talk about it later, people think you’re talking about a Purple Martin, something like that.
But it’s no bird. It’s a predatory mammal, all fur, teeth and claws. It hunts in trees, and is rarely seen.
“Pine Marten” is also the name of a fiction piece in our Stories section.
Well, we call it fiction. But, like everything mentioned here, it comes from real life.
Not a bird
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Old-time two-fisted birdwatchers might remember this tale which still appears in Daily Sightings under a different title. After eleven years or so, maybe it’s worth a second look. And it even links to a slew of short stories. For new readers, some things to discover in the wilderness of the present.
Great. Had not seen before. 11 years? Also, thanks for link to STORIES. The one about two guys in Deliverance country. That was the pine-marten one, cool. Also, the Ferruginous Hawk gave me a chill. Also the Doc Holiday vulture,,, Wyatt woulda liked that. More stories!
I did not know these following things: One, that a pine marten is an animal not a bird. Two, that this story–or one like it–ran before–c’mon it’s been like twelve years ago? And three, I did not know that a click to your “Stories” link would bring me to so much reading fun! Thanks! Please keep it all coming.