Mickey Raine risked harboring a horrible scent to get these nice shots of this notorious critter in Schmidt’s Woods last Friday.

Mickey writes: While at Schmidt’s Woods to explore any new characters from the avian world, this furry black and white appeared into the scene. Ron Shields and his friend, Ethan, noticed it, so we followed its movement as it was busily foraging through the shrubs and ground for lunch.  It was amusing to see how it did this, and it had been mindful of our presence, often keeping us in its sight, but not afraid, by any means, for we all know it capabilities.

Nature offers so many surprises and learning experiences.  Birds are not the only critters to see when out in some of these known sites for birding, but groundhogs, muskrats, foxes, and even the very rare otters can be seen on any given day.