Meet Sean McIntosh, Wildlife Enthusiast!

BY RESIDENT AND JUNIOR WRITER KIRAN CORYEA FEATURE SPONSORED BY BEANTREE LEARNING CHANTILLY

Sean Mcintosh, a resident of the Grove, loves wildlife! He’s been interested in wildlife ever since he was young. As a kid, he would spot squirrels, deer, birds, chipmunks, groundhogs and the occasional fox. He also liked to watch documentaries about wildlife when he was younger.

Sean started taking pictures of wildlife back in the summer of 2017, when his family moved to Willowsford.

To look for wildlife he explores Willow Lake, Pin Oak Park, Twin Ponds Park and the Swart Family Farmstead. He even finds wildlife in his backyard! When Sean is not taking pictures of wildlife he likes to read, write, act, make films and work out. He has seen a lot of cool wildlife and I will share a couple of his coolest experiences!

Once while he was on a nature walk in May of 2021, he saw a mink for the first time (a mink is like a big weasel). This was a big surprise to Sean because while he knew that there are minks in Virginia, he never thought he would get the chance to see one in broad daylight since they are mainly nocturnal.

This past April, Sean was visiting Twin Ponds Park. As he walked down the path, he noticed something jump into the pond. Upon seeing this, he was very surprised and wondered what that was. It turns out, it was a beaver! It poked its head out of the water and started to swim. His mind was blown! He had never seen a beaver in the wild until that very moment!

Last but certainly not least, in August, Sean was chilling on his balcony when he saw a large bird perched on a tree branch.

Amazed by this sight, he started taking pictures of it. At first, Sean thought it was just a vulture, but then Sean saw white on the head and realized that it was a bald eagle!

Sean has had some amazing experiences out in nature and it’s a great reminder of what a wonderful area we all live in.