Animal Encounters

Saturday morning I met a baby magpie that most likely had fallen out (or been pushed out, I have seen on nature documentaries how tough it can be) of a nest that´s been in a birch here since before I moved here, 23 years ago. I don´t suppose it is the same magpie couple, they must take over abandoned nests. It is quite a construction, with a very good roof over it. I felt sorry for the little fellow, but I was firmly taught never to interfere with nature, as there might be a parent somewhere actually caring for it. One quite often sees large, almost adult, fledgelings on the lawn, being fed by parents. I have never seen such a little magpie on the ground, though.

 It made me think about some other animal encounters I have had over the years. This year I have yet to see a hedgehog, they seem all disappeared since the landlord has started re-draining the house foundations. Perhaps that is where they dig down to spend the winter in hybernation, I don´t know. I just notice they are gone. Last year I saved a hedgehog who got his head stuck in a milkshake mug. Only the week after I found the magpies feasting by the side of the road and I thought someone had thrown away another fast-food meal, but it was the hedgehog they were eating - he had been run over by a car.

One summer, I was followed every morning for a couple of weeks by a pair of ducks. They seemed to think that my cart resembled their mum or something.

And one winter, I locked eyes with a fox for some 30 seconds (which is a long time staring at anyone who is staring back), and I could then see his tracks on the new-fallen snow preceding me all the way home. That was cool, and my only fox encounter.

Also, there were the elks, I got pretty excited by them. But it takes a very snowy winter to drive them into the town, looking for something to eat. I remember people being very reckless, going much too close. Elks are huge and deadly dangerous, not unlike bears, which people also have no respect of. People think they look cute, so they must be kind also. I blame Disney.