Spring 2012

[Maggie]

Thanks Petra and Kimberly :-) As much as I like getting shots of wildlife - I have no inclination to try to capture the racoons (I also won't put out bait and try to get a picture of the bear or mountain lion we have either - them because I'm sensible, the racoons because it's just so disappointing to have them. Here's hoping I can do enough to make them think other areas are more attractive. I'll get more photos of hummingbirds up over the weekend.

[Petra X]

I've got hummingbirds. Lovely. But not exciting. Now bears, racoons and mountain lions, wow, I would really love to see them.

(The most exciting things around here are mongooses which are so shy you rarely see them and boa constrictors, ditto).

[MissJessie]

"I would really love to see them'

but only at a distance Petra, only at distance..


I have been told that a den of coyotes is living in the gulch, swale, whatever that is behind our house. That may explain why the deer aren't around, ditto the turkeys, etc. Neighbors saw three of them circling an injured adolescent deer a couple of weeks ago and tried to drive them off. But I am sure that deer is no more.

Much as I like animals, I wish these things would live elsewhere. So dangerous to any small things including pets and tiny children, no that I have any. But they are becoming rampant in the cities from what I read.

[Maggie]

Completely understand on the coyotes - it's why I've had to keep my cats indoors since I moved here. The ones in my sister's neighborhood in Massachusetts are pretty bold, but here they avoid humans for the most part.

[Maggie]

Oh, and just found out I made a HUGE boo boo. Had a soap foamy looking something insect nest, and as it's always been around wood I was afraid it might have something to do with termites (rampant here, forest, lots of dead wood). Destroyed one. Found another then looked it up - took a few different combinations of words to find it but it's the nest of my lovely little tree froggies. I'm mourning that one nest and will take very good care of the others. (but check out the pics - if you saw that foamy thing that becomes crusted and brown - what would you think?) https://www.google.com/search?q=foam+...

[Kimberly]

I can attest to coyotes in the city. One ran across my front yard early one morning last year, and I live in Virginia's capitol city. But then, I've also had deer in the back yard, and I've caught opossums and one racoon in my squirrel trap. I also live three blocks from the James River, which accounts for all the wildlife, as well as the number of large birds that fish the river.

[Petra X]

I've never even seen a coyote in real life. You are all so lucky to have interesting wild-life living around you. I just have wandering cows, horses, sheep, donkeys and whatever else farmers think can feed on people's gardens rather than having to buy them food.

[Maggie]

Maggie wrote: "Oh, and just found out I made a HUGE boo boo. Had a soap foamy looking something insect nest, and as it's always been around wood I was afraid it might have something to do with termites (rampant h..."

So relieved, kept reading that most of the foam nesting frogs were asian (although frogs have been imported to compete in our fair's "jumping frogs of Calaveras County" contest in honor of Mark Twain) so kept looking. Local gardener (yes, he came by to make notes to write up a bid!) said it's a puffball fungus that grows on wood. Woo hoo - didn't hurt any baby froggies.
Petra - most of us would think you live in a lush tropical wonderland, "the grass is always greener ..."

[Cheryl S.]

Maggie wrote: "So far, things are surviving the racoons. I FINALLY got a post up with some pictures of the veggie garden: http://ceodraiocht.wordpress.com/2012...
Now, to just g..."

Beautiful plants! Thanks for sharing.

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

Opening the Summer 2012 thread, please pick up there! Thanks! --> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9...

This thread (Spring 2012) will be archived this week.

[MissJessie]

Over and out.