Leicester longwool sheep are also part of Colonial Williamsburg's rare breed program. This baby happened to climb up on 'Dad" while he was prone. I was there...of course....when Dad suddenly stood up.

CLICK!

Sialia sialis

A male Eastern Bluebird takes a turn at feeding a juvenile still in a nest box. This was a classic mid-air lunch!

They were used to me - I set up a presence (including a tripod) about 50 feet from the nest box as soon as I realized that a family was in the making. They became accostumed to me eventually.

I sat there every day for hours on end. Luckily it was in my backyard which made it quite convenient.

Branta canadensis

I encountered this mating pair of Canada Geese early one foggy morning on the way to Yorktown via the Colonial Parkway.

I got just this one shot off - the KACHINK of my Nikon F5 broke the silence of the pond and triggered flight.

It's funny, I travel that route often and never since have I seen a single bird or animal on that log, let alone something that was photogenic!

Sylvilagus floridanus

Very few people get to see these wonderous creatures so close up. I raised this orphaned Eastern cottontail who was a mere two and a half inches tall at the time this photograph was taken. Within twenty-four hours he was already too wild to 'sit' for such a portrait!

A real 'Beatrix Potter' presence, this one was.

HOPPITY HOP HOP

Sciurus carolinensis

There is nothing cuter than baby squirrels, in this case two tiny Eastern Grey Squirrels. They were orphaned and in rehabilitative care and were docile enough to pose for me in this wine goblet.

Remember to leave them some food this winter, too!

Brrrrrrr!

Procyon lotor

This juvenile raccoon seemed to know that I that was taking his photograph! He posed for me for nearly half an hour, taking a quick break every few minutes during his tree-top antics to check to see if I was still here. CLICK!

I was still there, of course.

Odocoileus virginianus

White-tailed deer have a rough time of it in rapidly developing residential areas.

This one was still unstable on his feet, having just been born but a day or two earlier. He was about as big as a minute as you can see from the size of the weeds at his feet!

Some tourists picked up the fawn thinking that it had been abandoned by its mother. While they thought they were doing a good deed by 'rescuing' it, its mother was probably standing in the shadows nearby. It is better to leave wild babies where you found them. This one survived but not all do when they are taken from their nursing mothers.

glaucomys volan

I raised this little flying squirrel along with two of his siblings - such a treat that was.

They are nocturnal, and therefore they are rare to see in the wild.

Once they were ready for release I transported them to an idyllic spot deep in an old-growth forest where they had the best chance for survival. The City of Williamsburg owns the property which was not scheduled for development since it was part of the Waller Mill Reservoir watershed. Access to a water source is vital in any successful release.

SWISH! SWISH!

At maturity House Wrens are 4-5 inches in length

They produce two or even three broods per season with an average of six young per nest

See the partially open eye? It won't be long before the fledge starts...

CHIRP! CHIRP!

Sialia sialis

An unlikely pair, eh?

Wouldn't it be nice if the world were so accommodating?

Cat Chessie was basking in the sun on her favorite window sill when along came a house guest who was being hand-reared for release back to the wild. The 'guest' is a juvenile Bluebird who was practicing swooping and flying at the time. Chessie was not the least bit concerned about this ump-teenth animal vsitor in our household (yawn).

This was a Kodak moment if I ever saw one.

CHIRP!

Cat Chessie, curled up in front of a warm fire.

Shhhhhh...