Discovering the Wildlife of East Tennessee Here at Home
Ever since we took down the last (safe) wall here at the farmhouse, Justin and I have shifted our renovation focus outside to our 10 acre property. What started with clean up after a windstorm has evolved into a full on yard maintenance project. And, if I’m being honest, it’s long overdue! But, would you have guessed that the most interesting discoveries while taming the property has been of the wildlife that lives right here with us?
Reclaimed by nature
I am certain that I mentioned before that this property was vacant for about 18 months prior to our arrival, and we only just purchased our ride on mower within the last month. Giving our back field a total of 27 months of freedom. Freedom to grow – weeds, tall grasses, thorn bushes, wildflowers, poison ivy, baby maple and evergreen trees.
You get the idea, the once open field is slowly being reclaimed by nature.
And, I would be completely on board with that reclamation if we did not have future plans for our back field. In the coming months, we are hoping to set up a permaculture micro farm of sorts. One with hoop houses, to extend our growing season, and combat environmental threats. And, a small pasture for our future (small) flock of goats, and chickens too.
Justin and I have even been thinking of adding a living structure to the back field. Whether it be a small cabin, tiny house, or our primary residence is the question. All of that aside, in our attempts to learn more about the land we intend to cultivate, and by (slowly) clearing out brush, we have encountered a ton of wildlife that shares this 10 acre property with us.
Wildlife of East Tennessee
Black Snakes
Justin has found three black snakes on the property so far. While they are terrifying to encounter, you should know that here at our house, black snakes are welcome visitors. Well, as long as they continue to keep to themselves. Black snakes are known to keep away copperheads, and help control the field mice population that our overgrown field has become home to.
Wild Turkey
Our pond has been known to attract many animals (including a mountain lion) but I was completely surprised when I noticed a wild turkey! Don’t get me wrong, wild turkeys ran free on my college campus, and on the east end of Long Island, so I am used to seeing them. I guess around here, I thought a hunter would have taken a shot at it. Maybe, they are just waiting for it to get a bit bigger first? Or truthfully, it could belong to a neighboring farm. Watching wild turkeys make me smile, and if you get too close they start to run which is even funnier to watch.
Box Turtles
When Justin encountered the (larger) black snake in the back field, he also discovered a box turtle. Both of us were completely flabbergasted as to why this turtle would be so far back into our field? But, after showing the girls his discovery, Justin released the box turtle into our pond to cool off, and hopefully become a long term resident.
Skink
I noticed this little fellow close to our house while cleaning up the back yard. A small brown lizard with white stripes, and a blue tail, pretty cool if you ask me. However, he ran under the shed, and I thought that was the last we would see of him. That is, until Justin found him (in our house) while the girls and I were away on our camping trip. Let’s just say, at the moment, our house isn’t exactly airtight. We get a lot of visitors indoors too, just wait till number five. This little reptile is great for eating insects, and this little fellow seems to be particularly fond of ants.
Wolf Spider
It was the end of a long day, the girls had just been put to bed, and Justin and I were reading in ours. That’s when this little guy caught my eye. Just sitting on the wall above our bedroom dresser. Mind you, the wall is completely exposed at the moment with no insulation. That being said, it is the BIGGEST spider I have ever laid my eyes on in person. Justin caught it in this mason jar and released the wolf spider back into the wild. Which was a good move apparently, because our friends alerted us to the fact that wolf spiders carry their babies on their backs. And, an attempt to smush one could lead to the release of many others.
Aside from these discoveries, which we were able to photograph, it isn’t unusual to have a family of deer feed in our yard at sunset, catch a red fox crossing our property to head into the woods, or hear the chittering of coyotes in the dark of night. Not to mention, the absolutely amazing variety of birds that visit our bird feeders throughout the day. And, butterflies! I have never seen so many butterflies during the warmer months in my entire life.
The appreciation of the outdoors is one of the reasons we chose East Tennessee for our family, and I cannot wait to see what wildlife we encounter in the years to come. What are some of the wildlife you have found in your backyard?
