Wondering ...

[Kevin McCormack]

We used to see hundreds of bunnies over time in the back and side yards and in the borders of the woodlots here in suburban VA (25 miles from downtown DC) when we first moved here 33 years ago. Also noticed the abundance of red foxes, which of course preyed on the bunnies, and the cycles of life (e.g., fewer foxes, more bunnies and of course the reverse) came and went pretty much on que.

Lately in the last 2-3 years we have noticed the shrinking fox sightings in early morning and of an evening just before dusk. We haven't seen a rabbit (literally) in the last 2-3 years, but we can hear them being killed by the foxes or owls at night in the woods, so we know they are still around (we have always had 2 or 3 owls in close proximity to the house). Also noticed the recent uptick in hawk sightings; we have a gorgeous Cooper's hawk which has taken up habitat in our side woodlot. (No doubt they are doing their part to depress the bunny population).

The only thing we haven't seen peek out of the woods yet is a coyote, but I'm convinced its just a matter of time. (Remember, they got a game trail cam shot of one in Rock Creek Park in downtown DC a few years ago.). We have sighted them at our Izaak Walton League conservation farm in Poolesville MD, about 45 minutes from here. The "canid nerds" tell me that coyote will kill foxes, so it makes sense that they may be affecting the food chain beginning with the bunnies the foxes kill and so on.

Oh, yeah - forgot to mention - a few years ago a pair of bald eagles built a nest overlooking a small recreational lake house development about a 1/4 mile from my house. Looked out one day and one of them was standing in the middle of our back yard, chowing down some type of tasty morsel - made for quite a yard sculpture!