As the crow flies, our house is about three miles from the historic courthouse in downtown Nashville. We have lived in Inglewood for 39 years, moving from East Nashville. My family lived in Northeast Nashville when I was born and I grew up there. My husband spent most of his childhood and teen years, a couple of blocks from East Nashville High School. Wildlife in our childhood urban neighborhoods consisted of songbirds, pigeons, or an occasional toad. There must have been possums around but I don't remember seeing them. When we moved to Inglewood, rabbits were abundant, sometimes we spotted a possum crossing the road or a garter snake slithering through the grass.
The times they are a changin with the urban wildlife. There are more birds and a bigger variety. Crows as big as ravens rule the treetops. We have seen deer walking up our street. Neighbors post photos of turkey, deer, and coyotes on Facebook.
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| Tom Turkey showing off for his lady friend, Inglewood, June 2015, Debie Oeser Cox |
We have heard the eerie call of the neighborhood fox. One morning we looked out the window to see a coyote in front of the house. A family of raccoons lives in a neighbor's tree.
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| Mama Raccoon, Inglewood, June 2017 Debie Oeser Cox |
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| Young Raccoons, Inglewood, June 2017 Debie Oeser Cox |
We still see an occasional possum. Rabbits and stray cats are a rare sight, but Hawks, of more than one type, are plentiful. A neighbor has seen a heron fishing in her backyard pond. We have seen a Great Horned Owl and often hear the call of the Barred Owl. Bobcats have been spotted in outlying areas of Davidson County. Curious to see what changes might occur with wildlife in Inglewood in the coming 20 years.
