out of the corner of my eye I espied the squirrel making another raid on the bird feeder
Recent Examples on the WebResentful 1970s émigrés were prodding the West to espy its true enemy not in communism, but in an irredeemable Russia. Ignat Solzhenitsyn, WSJ, 23 Oct. 2020 The cub tried to sneak up on him, but was quickly espied by the older lion. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 20 June 2019 For instance, visitors can scan through an electronic infographic for terrariums filled with camouflaging Gulf Coast toads, then head outside onto more than 2 miles of dirt and boardwalk trails to espy the bayou's flora and fauna. Beau Evans, NOLA.com, 6 Oct. 2017
Word History
Etymology
Middle English espien, from Anglo-French espier — more at spy