Residents have close encounters of the critter kind in Fort Mill and Lake Wylie

While so much attention has been centered on the area’s coyote population, a variety of other wildlife have been making appearances, including some species not usually found in the South Carolina Piedmont.

Suzy Hamilton, a resident of the River Hills community in Lake Wylie, recently noticed a white pelican swimming in the lake. Not only is it unsual for any pelican to spend winter vacation this far north of coast, it’s even more so for this particular species.

“We do have a population of brown pelicans (in South Carolina), but they tend to stay out there (at the coast),” said Sara Lee, a master naturalist and environmental educator at the Anne Springs Close Greenway.

“When they come inland like this, it could be because they ran off course, but we don’t usually see them this far inland. They’re more of a coastal than Piedmont species. I would be surprised to see one.”

That’s not the only critter with which Hamilton has had a close encounter. Not long ago, a red fox camped out on her deck.

“The fox appeared on my back deck the morning after Christmas. He stayed here for two days,” said Hamilton, who made a video of her family’s dog after it noticed the fox through the door leading to the deck.

“The fox just moved down to the next mat and took a nap. I have not seen him again,” she said.

Although they are not native to the region, red fox are not uncommon, Lee said.

“The red fox is not native to America and were brought here by settlers from Europe in the 1700s,” Lee explained.

“Our native fox is the gray fox, which is unique because it’s the only canine species that can climb trees. Fox can be pretty curious and bold sometimes, but they do not pose a threat to us.”

Like Hamilton, Ted Matthews of Fort Mill and some of his Fairway Drive neighbors were treated to a rare animal sighting, in this case that symbol of the U.S.A. , a bald eagle. He wasn’t the only one who spotted the majestic bird of prey.

“A few neighbors have posted pics before on our Facebook page and then I saw him (or her?),” Matthews said.

“I wouldn’t say it’s super uncommon, but it’s not common,” to see a bald eagle, especially away from a large body of water, Lee said. The Fort Mill Golf Club pond on Fairway Drive doesn’t qualify, Lee said.

“If you don’t live by a big body of water, it could be just passing through. I did see one at the Greenway. Actually, I saw two.”

Lee said eagles are native to the region, but a now-banned pesticide took a toll on the population for a while.

“Bald eagles did live in the area for a long time,” she said. “They did take a bit of a hit with DDT, but there’s been a great job of bringing them back. You can often see them by a large body of water, fishing.”

If you have a wildlife sighting near home, it’s best to keep your distance and just appreciate the moment, Lee said.

“If you see wildlife in your neighborhood, just enjoy it,” she said. “Having a cute, adorable animal in your neighborhood that you see sleeping on your porch is wonderful, but you don’t want to make them too comfortable.”

Just like residents in Tega Cay have been advised to “haze” the coyotes they encounter by not leaving out food, making loud noises and doing other things to make them feel less welcome, it’s good advice for anyone who wants to discourage wildlife from taking up residence too close to your home.

“A little hazing is a good idea,” Lee said. “You want fox and these other animals to maintain their wariness of humans.”

This story was originally published February 3, 2017 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Residents have close encounters of the critter kind in Fort Mill and Lake Wylie."