Armadillo 1A Nine-banded Armadillo rooting around in the leaf debris looking for insects. I found this guy while photographing at the Old Mill in Oxford, noted in the previous post. I visited the mill a week before snow blanketed the landscape. My tripod was set up at the edge of the pond and as usual I was directing my concentration through the camera's viewfinder, totally absorbed in trying to develop the perfect composition. I started to notice the sound of some critter rustling in the leaves on the ground behind me. Of course, I thought it was a rambunctious squirrel trying to rediscover some buried acorns for a late winter snack. I did not allow the sound to break my concentration. As I continued to snap photos of the mill at various angles, the rustling also continued. Finally, I turned around to see what that pesky squirrel was doing. Why, it wasn't a squirrel at all! I was surprised to see a nine-banded armadillo with it's head down, bulldozing through the leaves. He/she was probably looking for a tasty insect. The armadillo quickly scooted through the litter to within ten feet of me when it stopped and raised it's head to look around. Upon seeing me, it scurried off, disappearing into some tall grass. I guess that armadillo and I had been equally oblivious of each other, both lost in concentrating on our separate missions.

Armadillo 2A Nine-banded Armadillo rooting around in the leaf debris looking for insects.