Part of the lure of this house was the hilly area behind that had been clear-cut - we anticipate that the changing flora and fauna throughout the distinct New England seasons will be a huge part of living here. I have already seen white-tailed deer right up by the house (for better or for worse as they have a voracious appetite for plants and often carry Lyme disease and the accompanying ticks).
A good friend suggested adding pictures of what we see in the garden. Last week I put up a bird feeder - it took a while to get a decentish picture, but here are the most frequent visitors:
A black-capped chickadee, page 325 of the Audubon Field Guide to New England (very good book, by the way). This, apparently, is the state bird of Massachusetts.
