Neighborhood Nature Notes

This is the little stream at the bottom of our backyard.

Just cataloging this because I enjoy nature watching.  This is from about the last two weeks:

This is the pond the stream empties into.  Our house is behind the trees in the upper right.

• A raccoon darted across my path one night on a street near here.  Didn't hit it with the car!
• On a walk with the dog, we surprised a gray fox in the patch of woods beyond the pond.  We were very close.  He looked very scraggly and jogged away seeming only a little concerned.  Skipper didn't even bark at him.  He wanted to follow him though.  Red fox are more common around here.  That's only the second time I've seen a gray fox.
• A couple of times on our walks, came across dozens and dozens of robins searching through the grass.
• A few days ago saw several blue birds which startled me.  I thought they migrated?  And we've had some really solid frosts.
• 12/3/18 saw a lone crow mobbing a hawk.  Also saw what I think was a Dark-eyed Junco.
• 12/4 cloudy, chilly day.  Saw another lone crow, some Mourning Doves and Mockingbirds in the thrush on the other side of the little creek at the boundary of our backyard.
• 12/5  ran into the fox again.  This time though it really looked like a red fox to me.  So now I think I am just not very good at identifying wildlife.  

Beyond the new McMansion development is a steep ravine.  We had just hiked up the path from it here.