Twas another beautiful day in the small town of Tecumseh. The well known Bland Clan, gathered on the trail to discuss their daily adventure through Windsor Forest. The clan founders Dad & Mom, and their 5 adventurous children, Mya, Alexa, Mikaila, Annalisa, and Mr. Koots, were all excited to get out and explore! Mr. Koots is just baby brother Jonathan, who inherited the name from being so darn cute!

TIS TIS TIS

"Alrighty my cherished family. Let's take a walk through this wondrous creation of Nature, Windsor Forest, and let's listen and see if we can identify some critters that call it home. Remember that courtesy and respect are a must for all living species we share this great planet with!" Dad announced.

Upon entering Windsor Forest, Annalisa quickly noticed the rustling of a creature above them in a mighty oak tree! " Look up, Mr. Koots! There's a cheeky Red Squirrel and he's munching some acorns from the mighty oak tree!" she exclaimed.

TIS, TIS, TIS

"Amazing observation, Annalisa! Did you know Grey Squirrels gather nuts all season long and bury them in scattered locations, often forgetting about them? This usually results in new trees taking root. Red Squirrels, like this one, will assemble their nuts into various piles on the ground, to keep as a food source for Winter," Dad explained.

hoo, hoo, hoo

As the Bland Clan continued their adventure through Windsor Forest, they suddenly heard an eerie sound from the branches above!

hoo hoo hoo.

"US, US, US," Mikaila mimicked. "Look up, Mr. Koots! It's an owl up high in that old dead tree," Mikaila pointed out.

"Great ears and eyes, Mikaila! You are 100% correct and have identified an owl! Did you know there are over 200 species of owls throughout the world? They are considered nocturnal carnivores, which means they can see and hunt in the dark, and eat meat like small rodents and insects. The shape of their heads help funnel sounds to the owl's ears, allowing them to locate prey more efficiently, even if they can't see it," Mom boasted.

chitter, chitter

The Bland Clan continued their way through Windsor Forest, and eventually came upon John and Pat's Meadow. The family paused to identify a chittering noise from the canopy above.

"Don't look now, Mr. Koots, but the bandits of the animal kingdom are awakening from their long day of slumber! Sounds like a family of raccoons to me!" Alexa exclaimed.

"Well Alexa, you are 100% correct! Raccoons are another nocturnal species that prefer to hunt for food under the cover of darkness! They are considered scavengers, and aren't too picky when it comes to things they'll eat. They have an IQ just below monkeys, so they are very smart! They can make over 50 different sounds, and have special paws that act like human fingers." Dad detailed.