Fauna and other natural things

[Thursday's_Child]

We have threads for gardens, dogs, cats, and birds.  Perhaps we can use this one for wildlife sightings (& all the other interesting stuff) - not that I really mind having bats & coyotes on the bird thread, and rabbits & skunks on the things to tell people thread, of course!

[mamselle]

Glad you started this, that was me and the skunk on the "Tell Folks" thread...

M.

[Thursday's_Child]

I've only seen them a few times, but was pretty sure you were describing a skunk!

My recent critters include an about half-grown rabbit - a very silly one who is extremely fortunate that the patio door was closed when it hopped across the patio early the other morning.  Two predators closely observed its progress, gnashing their teeth in frustration all the while!

[ab_grp]

We have had a few interesting (to me, not originally being from this area) sightings.  We had a strangely behaving little black and white furry creature set up shop on the patio last summer.  It did not seem to have any problems with the human folk being around, but we had some problems with his/her presence, naturally.  It led to some fun times trying to get rid of the critter.  Another appeared this summer but didn't make much of an impression.

I have also encountered three tarantulas this summer.  No, just no.  I am aware that they are not as "bad" as black widows (which we also have at the house!), but I can't see the black widows.  These three just appeared at various times on the patio.  They were gigantic.  No.

Husband had a brief encounter with a coyote last night while taking the garbage out.  He seemed irrationally calm when recounting the tale. 

We also had a pack of wild boars hanging around the neighborhood a couple months back.  They were large and apparently believed themselves to be in charge, but I guess they wandered off at some point to raise hell elsewhere.

The neighbors seem to have a goat.  At least that is something I am not afraid of.  We also have bunnies in the yard, doves who have made a nest on the patio (which led to a frightening scene with an owl last year), stray cats.  I love the cats.  When the boars made their appearance and were discussed on the neighborhood watch group, a neighbor apparently thought it was time to bring up their anger about the stray cats (several times!).  I like it when the cats visit.  Not so much the boars.  There have also been some rattlesnakes around, but I have not (knock on wood, never will) run into one yet.

[sinenomine]

I've already posted on the bird board about my current stint farm sitting next to a nature preserve. Fauna-wise, I've been seeing a lot of deer, and while I haven't yet seen them, I've certainly been hearing a LOT of coyotes.

[mamselle]

Re: boar: not here, but south of Paris, once, I was invited to stay with a British ex-pat who lived near Fontainebleau.

Actually, in a village near the King's Woods...which we had to drive through when she decided to go to a party some friends were giving, and asked me to go along. I was tired, didn't really want to go, but she insisted. She didn't really mind driving alone, but she needed me to do something for her.

Puzzled, I agreed.

I had no sooner gotten in the car than she said, "Alright, here's what you need to do. There are no lights along this road. There are wild boar in the woods. If they run into the car, they'll wreck it, AND I'll be fined.

So I sat shotgun, looking out for boar, as we rocketed through the Bois du Roi and back.

The party was OK, but I was very glad we had no close encounters with wild boar that night....

M.

[hmaria1609]

Of late, I've seen deer in people's yards or crossing the road at various hours.

[Parasaurolophus]

Recently: lots of white-tailed deer, a couple sea otters, a few sea lions (California, I think), tons of harbor seals, orcas, bald eagles, turkey vultures, a mouse, a squirrel, and a small army of dead shrews and more-or-less intact lizards (European wall lizards and alligator lizards, I thinK). On the mainland, one cow moose and three black bears.

[FishProf]

Sadly, the doe and her fawn who've been visiting has been reduced to just the fawn.

[nebo113]

We have had a few interesting (to me, not originally being from this area) sightings.  We had a strangely behaving little black and white furry creature set up shop on the patio last summer.  It did not seem to have any problems with the human folk being around, but we had some problems with his/her presence, naturally.  It led to some fun times trying to get rid of the critter.  Another appeared this summer but didn't make much of an impression.

I have also encountered three tarantulas this summer.  No, just no.  I am aware that they are not as "bad" as black widows (which we also have at the house!), but I can't see the black widows.  These three just appeared at various times on the patio.  They were gigantic.  No.

Husband had a brief encounter with a coyote last night while taking the garbage out.  He seemed irrationally calm when recounting the tale. 

We also had a pack of wild boars hanging around the neighborhood a couple months back.  They were large and apparently believed themselves to be in charge, but I guess they wandered off at some point to raise hell elsewhere.

The neighbors seem to have a goat.  At least that is something I am not afraid of.  We also have bunnies in the yard, doves who have made a nest on the patio (which led to a frightening scene with an owl last year), stray cats.  I love the cats.  When the boars made their appearance and were discussed on the neighborhood watch group, a neighbor apparently thought it was time to bring up their anger about the stray cats (several times!).  I like it when the cats visit.  Not so much the boars.  There have also been some rattlesnakes around, but I have not (knock on wood, never will) run into one yet.

I'm going to push back, politely and diplomatically I hope, on stray felines.  Feral felines face a desperate life.  Moreover, they can breed incestuously which can produce deformed offspring, which lead extremely desperate and short lives.  Finally, ferals and strays can harbor diseases.  And, they kill birds.  Please do reconsider your affection for stray felines, especially ferals.

[aside]

We have had deer as well on a fairly regular basis in our suburb, which is hardly rural.  They seem to be growing less concerned about being around human habitats.  We saw a gray fox once last year; it looked far less comfortable than the deer.

[polly_mer]

We have bears and deer.  The bears are enough of a problem that the town is discussing requiring bear-proof containers for all residents.  The large businesses in town have already implemented bear-proof containers and have put up cameras so we can all enjoy the wildlife.

The schools haven't been in session long enough to have an animal-related lockdown yet, but last year, the schools had several animal-related lockdowns for mountain lions in addition to bears.

[hesitant]

Having grown up in apartments in the city, spouse and I were ecstatic to move to our 1,200 sq ft house on an acre wooded lot. Oh, the giant old oaks and pines, the fall colors (maple), the deer, the chipmunks, the birds!

Six years in, we have learned that nature does not conveniently stay in the backyard but constantly tries to move in with you (carpenter ants, wasps, even lady bug infestations have happened more than once!)

One time, I found a pound of dirt on the inside of the attached garage as my husband was complaining that his hiking boots (also in the garage) were filled with bird seed. Turns out, our friendly chipmunk has dug a tunnel under the driveway and set house in the lower level, using the hiking boots as barns.

We have had a garter snake curl up on the rug under the desk in the  home office on the lower level (spouse had forgotten to close the garage door).

Deer and wild turkey  reign over our yard, and once I saw a (what looked to me like a) giant groundhog standing on the front lawn.

It was only last year that I saw my first fox, but it was gorgeous! Also, red tailed hawks like spying on potential pray from the big trees in my yard and landing upon the unsuspecting victim as it crosses the back lawn (which is really a clearing in the forest).

Overall, they are all quite enjoyable and I have made peace with the regular sessions of deer excrement collection I have to perform on the yard (5 year old kiddo loves running barefoot on the grass).  My warm feelings do not apply to  the ticks (I live in the NE, so no fun), which cost me 300 dollars a year in spraying and the wasps, who seem to love building 2 ft long nests under the steps of our deck (and who also cost me 200 bucks every two years or so in pest control).

[ab_grp]

We have had a few interesting (to me, not originally being from this area) sightings.  We had a strangely behaving little black and white furry creature set up shop on the patio last summer.  It did not seem to have any problems with the human folk being around, but we had some problems with his/her presence, naturally.  It led to some fun times trying to get rid of the critter.  Another appeared this summer but didn't make much of an impression.

I have also encountered three tarantulas this summer.  No, just no.  I am aware that they are not as "bad" as black widows (which we also have at the house!), but I can't see the black widows.  These three just appeared at various times on the patio.  They were gigantic.  No.

Husband had a brief encounter with a coyote last night while taking the garbage out.  He seemed irrationally calm when recounting the tale. 

We also had a pack of wild boars hanging around the neighborhood a couple months back.  They were large and apparently believed themselves to be in charge, but I guess they wandered off at some point to raise hell elsewhere.

The neighbors seem to have a goat.  At least that is something I am not afraid of.  We also have bunnies in the yard, doves who have made a nest on the patio (which led to a frightening scene with an owl last year), stray cats.  I love the cats.  When the boars made their appearance and were discussed on the neighborhood watch group, a neighbor apparently thought it was time to bring up their anger about the stray cats (several times!).  I like it when the cats visit.  Not so much the boars.  There have also been some rattlesnakes around, but I have not (knock on wood, never will) run into one yet.

I'm going to push back, politely and diplomatically I hope, on stray felines.  Feral felines face a desperate life.  Moreover, they can breed incestuously which can produce deformed offspring, which lead extremely desperate and short lives.  Finally, ferals and strays can harbor diseases.  And, they kill birds.  Please do reconsider your affection for stray felines, especially ferals.

I do agree.  My interactions with the ones here have been limited and fine, but I'm sure they cause havoc for some.  I wouldn't want to encourage them.  I pretty much let them be but do not mind when they stop by and then get on their way.  My ex-MIL used to feed the stray cats in her neighborhood, and she ended up getting some not-so-polite push back from her neighbors.  I understand why! Cats are great, but for all the reasons you mentioned it does not seem wise to befriend ferals or strays or encourage them to stick around.  I guess it was more a comment that I don't mind them stopping by as much as some of the other creatures who have visited.  But, I do take your point.

[Juvenal]

Deer me!  So many mentions of the artiodactyl plague.  Some friends have given up on hostas.  Other friends have groundhogs to finish things off.  Bring back the wolves.  Die, "Bambi," die!  I speak dispassionately, having neither of these mammals anywhere close enough to affect my so-called "garden."