On the bank beside a trail in Reifel Bird Sanctuary, I saw this hole in the dirt:
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| Intriguing. What's down there? |
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| Getting closer. |
The hole was tidily rounded as far in as I could see, and big enough for my arm, even with a sweater on. (Maybe 4 inches in diameter.) It angled down under the trail, then bent to the right and disappeared. I considered sticking a hand in, to see what was there, then thought of teeth and angry mother ... somethings. Not bears, but just as protective.
A stick wouldn't do; it wouldn't bend, nor tell me what it found. I stuck the camera in the hole and set the flash.
That wasn't much help, was it? Only the bit of wall and floor on the straight section were lighted, and the shadowed part went pitch black.
Inspecting the photo at home for clues, prints or hairs maybe, I noticed two spider legs; a big guy, hiding just around the corner on the right. He's not the owner of the hole, of course; he's 'way too small. But I'm glad, now, that I didn't poke around with my hand. He would have moved, I would have jumped and screamed (Foolishly, because what would he do to me? Nothing.) and totally embarrassed myself.
But I'm still wondering. What makes holes like that in fairly public places, with no ground cover? Muskrat? Weasel? Burrowing owl? (According to the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of BC, they have been seen in the Delta.)
What do you think?
