Wild Visitors

No, not a reference to Maggie and Emma, although we did have to say goodbye to them this evening as they headed home - we will be following tomorrow.

Today has been a very busy day in the garden.  Firstly we were visited by several bird families - a pair of Blue Jays with their three oversized offspring; several Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers with their slightly dozy teenagers in tow.  No pictures I am afraid.

We were then visited by a Red Bellied Woodpecker with a large and hungry 'baby'.  The adult bird worked very hard to find insects in the older wood of the fence and fed the young bird who was looking on..

A real surprise this afternoon came when putting some bread out for the birds, when I saw movement in the flower bed..

Another not very proficient picture I am afraid.  He moved along surprisingly quickly!  

He is not an escaped pet tortoise as you might think but is an Eastern Box Turtle, one of a number of turtles that are native to Virginia.  He was about 7 inches long and they can live 80-100 years so he may pre-date Reston itself - how his environment will have changed during his life.

Our final visitors came as night fell and at first glance I thought that I was looking at a waddling Pekinese dog or Persian cat.

With a closer look and David's help we realised that it was a group of three skunks, moving as one with their noses pressed together and to the ground following a trail.  Impossible to get a decent photo but lovely to see them.  Because they are nocturnal creatures they often, like badgers, get caught on the road, so I was not sure I would ever see a live one, let alone a set of three!