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Wildlife around your house

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by curiousbear, Oct 29, 2013.

  1. curiousbear

    curiousbear Terse & Bizarre

    What are the wildlife you see around your house?
    do you enjoy them? If so how?
    are they trouble? If so how do you handle it?

    My answers:

    I see lots of birds including sparrows, doves, fly catchers, warblers, hawks, owls, crows.

    I had heard koyotes but not seen them. I had seen possums, racoons. Neighbors had told me there are some real big skunks in the area. Seed deers. Not seen elk but heard last Oct there was a herd of 50+ on a track crossing our lands.

    I love seeing birds and animals. I consider that as a health indicator of environment around. Three pairs of birds have bred in our nest boxes this year. We never feed them though. Love watching and taking pictures.

    There are lots of moles that I hate and want to chase away. There are three different stray cats very regular on our land we don't interact but do not chase. We want them to coexist. I will let them use the barn once I build one if they don't cause any trouble.

    There are snakes I never bother them. One of the heartbreak for me when i clean brush i some times damage rat nest or snake nest. Unlike bird nest these you discover only after damaging it. Even though i am a meat earer if breaks my heart.

    I never feed any birds or animals near our house.

    I would like to do a big pond when I have enough money to attract more birds and deer.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  2. CinnamonGirl

    CinnamonGirl The Cheat is GROUNDED!

    We have a lot of birds (not sure exactly all the different types, but I've definitely seen cardinals and the occasional bluejay), and squirrels. When we had a small garden in the backyard, there were a LOT of bunny visitors. I can think of two separate occasions when a neighborhood cat (not sure if she's a stray or not) had kittens in our neighbor's carport. I saw a skunk last week, and it was adorable... but I probably would have had a different opinion if he'd sprayed me or the dogs.

    They don't bother me much, other than the fact that one of my dogs is Protector of the Realm, and doesn't think ANYTHING should be in his yard (or his airspace) EVER.

    We live in town, so it always surprises (and usually delights) me, how many different creatures wander into the yard. The dogs, not so much. :rolleyes:


    I grew up in the country, and saw all kind of wild things at my parents' and grandparents' houses. Opossums, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, deer, coyotes, snakes, chipmunks, you name it. I can remember the occasional cow wandering into my grandma's yard, although I guess that wouldn't really count as "wildlife."

    The only thing I remember being a problem back home was the raccoons. My stepdad is a trapper, though, so it was easy for him to set up a trap, catch 'em, and release them somewhere more forest-y.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  3. Levite

    Levite Levitical Yet Funky

    Location:
    The Windy City
    We see a fair number of deer, skunks, the occasional raccoon or badger, and vast numbers of chipmunks and squirrels. Plenty of birds, too, in the right seasons. I recognize sparrows, robins, jays, crows, ravens, cardinals, goldfinches, red-winged blackbirds, pigeons, hawks, and hummingbirds. But we also get a lot of others, including some kind of little dusty yellow and brown son of a bitch that is just everywhere in the summer.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  4. Japchae

    Japchae Very Tilted

    I have Bengals inside the house. And cockroaches and spiders, apparently.
    I'm going to go to the state park this weekend to see if I can find some Louisiana wildlife this weekend.
    It's amazingly sparse in "the city"... just some blue jays and little chickadee-looking birds that sit on the gutters and the top of the chimney and drive the cats nuts.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. roachboy

    roachboy Very Tilted

    herons and egrets and ospreys and hawks, seagulls and starlings and woodpeckers and chickadees. lots of birds. lots of insects. salt marshes are teeming, especially in summer. sometimes seals. when the seals come so do sharks. tons of fish. shorebirds.
     
  6. DamnitAll

    DamnitAll Wait... what?

    Location:
    Central MD
    Here downtown I see black and grey squirrels, opossums and songbirds common to Eastern North American cities—chickadees, titmice, cardinals, jays, robins, house and Carolina wrens, goldfinches, house finches, crows, turkey and black vultures and the occasional Cooper's, sharp-shinned, red-tailed and red-shouldered hawk. In my own back yard the native species are usually outnumbered by house sparrows and starlings, and their higher numbers often discourage me from putting food out in my feeders, since I know they'll decimate it in a matter of days.

    Venture five to ten minutes outside the city limits and the wildlife landscape changes to match the wilder scenery, and I'm grateful such natural land is so close and accessible to me.

    For those that like backyard wildlife, particularly birds, and don't get enough of seeing any in their own homes, watch these. You won't be disappointed.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. mixedmedia

    mixedmedia ...

    Location:
    Florida
    raccoons, possums, armadillos, squirrels, hawks, vultures and rednecks
     
    • Like Like x 4
  8. Stan

    Stan Resident Dumbass

    Location:
    Colorado
    Bear, elk, moose, bobcat, coyote, weasels and mountain lion have all been in my yard. I don't know my way around birds well enough to name them; but I stopped wearing tie die because of the hummingbirds scaring the shit out of me.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  9. Saiorse

    Saiorse Vertical

    Location:
    My recliner
    I live in middle of mountain range filled with wildlife. My grandson and his friends swear they have seen an unknown creature in the woods, on 2 feet, hairy and tall - they are convinced it is "Big Foot" or a "Sasquatch". They've formed a hunting group armed with rocks and sharpened sticks to hunt it...... believe they're going to be famous for finding it. LOL

    My worry is I have sighted a timberwolf at the edge of woods. Surprised to see one so close to houses this early in winter. Normally I'd enjoy seeing it because wolves like me and vice versa (I had a friend with pet wolf I used to play with), but my grandson is not wolf clan - just dinner if he messes up. I can't even bear to think of that possibility. Somehow I have to get up to those woods and check out what they are doing, look for wolf tracks.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  10. Fremen

    Fremen Allright, who stole my mustache?

    Location:
    E. Texas
    We have an oak tree in the front yard, so we get a lot of squirrels.
    I was asleep one morning recently and was awakened when one jumped on my window screen and hung there looking in at me for a few seconds. Scared the crap out of me. (I think I was expecting to see scissors)

    The highway is about 90 yards away from us and sometimes we see deer crossing, or sometimes deer carcasses.

    There's a roadrunner that uses my front yard as a shortcut. It's been around for years. (might not be the same one)
    Whole bunch of different kinds of the usual birds. The unusual ones are hawks, owls, terns or herons (not sure which) and I think even some kind of gull. (looked like a seagull, but we're not close to the sea)

    I saw a rabbit fighting a snake once. I've seen lots of rabbits, in fact. Only a few snakes.

    I've seen one coyote since I've been here, but I hear them all the time.

    There are also feral cats and dogs.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  11. bobby

    bobby More Than Slightly Tilted ! Donor

    I've been catching coons for the last 2 years in the same location...67 hauled away and no change in the population?...they seem to be born pregnant
    a couple of possums and several cats who I only catch once...they learn fast......the deer are thick,I have a herd of 7 in my back yard and the coyote's are fat and well groomed ,not those scraggily one you see in the dessert....

    xoxoxoo
     
    • Like Like x 1
  12. i have this little beauty in my backyard along with two of her kids. this was taken about a year and a half ago now, but she's still lurking around.

    its a blue tongue lizard. They are harmless and feed on bugs, spiders and other insects.

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 5
  13. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    So much wildlife around my home.

    Deer
    Rabbits
    Squirrels
    Chipmunks
    Birds
    Coyotes

    I used to see the same rabbit every morning and at dusk looking for a bite to eat.

    I also had some Chickadees build their nest and lay their eggs on my deck. It was so amazing watching them develop each day and hearing their little voices. I was sad when they fledged the nest.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 3
  14. curiousbear

    curiousbear Terse & Bizarre

    I get the spiders too
    But no cock roaches
    I need to lookup what are Bengals
     
  15. curiousbear

    curiousbear Terse & Bizarre

    Wow you live right on the shores ? I am curious
    My friends lived in lakeside near Seattle and I use to watch otters it was cute
     
  16. curiousbear

    curiousbear Terse & Bizarre

    Thanks I have a friend at work who would love this
     
  17. curiousbear

    curiousbear Terse & Bizarre

    Not sure whether ignorant or bold - but could be very intimidating
     
  18. curiousbear

    curiousbear Terse & Bizarre

    New word to me just looked up Wikipedia thanks
     
  19. Saiorse

    Saiorse Vertical

    Location:
    My recliner
    Bengals are a breed of cat to the best of my knowledge. Bengals result from crossing a domestic feline with an Asian leopard cat and are recommended for experienced cat owners.
    Excellent video on cat body language

     
    • Like Like x 1
  20. curiousbear

    curiousbear Terse & Bizarre

    I thought there are no feral dogs in the states