The animal world is full of acrobats! We have seen all kinds of birds and critters doing amazing things in pursuit of a meal, escaping becoming a meal, and just exercising and playing in everyday life in the wild.

It is fun to see the more-recent invasion of exotic doves into suburbia. The Collared Dove is a pretty addition to the environment. The White winged dove is a bit larger. Interestingly, there is no season for these birds, and they are excellent table fare. You might have to be a bit sneaky to get your pellet or BB gun on target in the city. Police seem to frown on that.

One of the more acrobatic large birds is the Sandhill Crane. Their mating dances are off the chart! If you get a chance to go to Nebraska to the crane capital of the world, don’t miss it! Jane Goodall has a facility there and the experience in the river in the blind is hard to describe. Whooping Cranes are very similar in their breeding antics.

Snowy Egrets are vicious acrobats. They squabble over food, territory, feeding areas in the water, and seem to fuss for the sake of fussing. They flare their feathers and are beautiful. They were hunted almost to extinction for their feathers to decorate women’s hats, and have recovered amazing well. The cattle egret and the great egret are in the family, and they also put on acrobatic displays going about their daily lives. 

Bobcats are about as entertaining as any of the species. If you are lucky enough to find a family with kittens, you will see acrobatics like house cats on steroids! I’ve had that opportunity only once, and I cherish it every day. She had three kittens and let me visit a couple of hours each day for three days before moving them. Bobcats are precious!

White-tailed deer always put on a show. They will go 50 yards out of their way to hit your car. They jump fences better than high-jumping athletes, or they run through them with impunity and cause lots of trouble. They are beautiful when they jump!

Before the drought, we had lots of muskrats. I haven’t seen one since we got the water back. They are a lot more acrobatic than you would think. Here’s a dude practicing his yoga moves. Hope they return some day!

There are many more aggressive acrobats in the natural world. Go watch them perform, and then gasp with me at the skill of our Olympic and National champion athletes. I think we are all connected in a very special way. 

Mother nature is a beast!

Doc

Doctor Dan Witt is a retired physician and nature enthusiast. He can be reached at danwitt01@gmail.com.