The Old Mill sits on the Seneca Creek and the pond formed by the mill dam.
The surrounding area is mostly wooded and undeveloped.
The isolation and water attract various creatures rarely seen by most people.
The windows overlooking the creek and pond provide a wonderful place to watch these creatures in their natural setting.
Eastern Woodland Creatures of all kinds abound.
Grey squirls, opposums, raccoons, skunks, rabbits and field mice.
We've seen chipmunks nearby but not near the Mill.
Common Eastern box turtles, brown toads, blue tailed skinks, water snakes, black snakes, green snakes and garter snakes.
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Beavers live on the pond and cut trees along its banks.
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Otters occasionally pass through while migrating up stream in the spring.
They usually stop to fish for a day or two in the tail water of the dam.
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Grey Squirels are common in the woods and parks of Virginia. This one was surprised to see me open my office window for this photo.
Woodpeckers and Chicadees frequent this same spot outside my window.
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White Tail Deer are common but rarely seen around homes or in the daylight.
More are seen in the city than in the country these days.
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Eastern Box Turtles are commonly found in the woods and lawn.
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Snapping Turtles are regular residents of the pond and creek but rarely seen except during mating season or after floods.
Crawdads and green bull frogs inhabit the creek and pond.
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Great Blue Herons are seen off and on feeding in the creek.
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Wood Ducks commonly nest on the creek and pond and the duckling chicks and their mothers are seen in late spring.
Pileated Woodpecker
These large shy birds are heard more than seen having a distinctive racous call.
Once on the endangered species list they are still rare. Seen recently on trees in our yard.
Canadian Geese are new visitors who's migratory routes have been re-established in recent years (See the movie Fly Away Now and the National Geographic article).
Wild Turkeys are seen seasonally in flocks and occasionally flying (a peculiar sight).
Bald Eagles occasionally are seen in the area but are more common on the larger rivers.
King Fishers are regular residents and fly up and down the creek daily and fish in the tail water.
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Humming Birds are often seen in spring and summer and can be attracted with feeders.
The Ruby Throated Hummingbird likes to nest near water, particularly small streams and ponds sucha as our mill pond.
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Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures and are common in the area.
The vulture, a carrion eater, also called the "peace Eagle" by native Americans, is one of the largest local birds.
While these birds are often seen soaring they are rarely seen on the ground except near road kill.
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Various Hawks are seen in this area.
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Barn Owls are ocassionaly seen at dusk.
Song Birds and other small common birds are plentiful here.
Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mocking Birds, Whip-or-Wills, Titmouse, Wren, Barnswallow, Doves. . .
Brown Bats are common in Virginia and help to keep down the insect populations. Often seen feeding at dusk.
FISH of the usual variety are found in the creek.
Most common are Sun Perch or "Blue Gills", these are followed by Rock Bass or "Red Eyes" a larger perch type fish and great game fish on light tackle.
Large and small mouth bass inhabit the deeper pools and like to feed with the other game fish at the foot of the dam.
Cat fish called channel cats are occasionally caught but are rare preferring deep slow moving water.
Suckers (a type of carp) are migratory on the stream (image to left - click).
The most unusual game fish in the Seneca is the "Grass Pickerel" a small type of pike that on reach about 14" to 16".
Copperhead Snakes are present but rarely seen. This is the only local poisonous snake.
Virginia has Eastern Timber Rattle snakes but not at this low altitude.
Virginia also has the Cotton Mouth Moccasin but not this far inland.
Insect Life along the creek is varried and interesting.
These blue butterflies ('Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple Admirals, Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
have been fluttering around the yard in groups of four or six for a week or so.
We have humming-bird moths and the monstrous looking Hellgramite (or Dobsonfly) and dragon flies.
Local wasps include the common paper wasp and several varieties of mub-dauber including the Organpipe mud-dauber.
There is also the large Bell or Japanese hornets and carpenter bees.
Wild honey bees are in the area but we have only seen swarms twice in 30 years.
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