Suburban wildlife

[Nords]

Life is good.

This morning I was typing in the familyroom at 6:45 AM with the lanai windows open. Just another quiet Sunday with a cup of coffee while the rest of the family slept in.

Then, 20 feet away on the lanai, a flock of quail walked past-- two adults and seven chicks. They didn't notice me as they cruised through the tomato plants and jumped up on the stone wall. "Aviary Academy" was in session as the chicks started practicing their flying as the adults watched.

I raced for the camera but the batteries were dead. They heard me and scattered down the hill, except for one dimwitted adult who crouched on the top of the wall behind a slender bougainvillea sprig ("I'm absolutely still & silent! You can't see me!!") As I came closer he gave up (would a female try that in the first place?), screeched, & exploded out of "hiding" to follow the rest of the group. They bustled down the hill into the gulch.

Some critter has been getting as many tomatoes as I have and I wonder if they're the culprits. It was certainly worth the price of a few tomatoes to watch this family having a quiet Sunday morning stroll...

[Whakamole]

Wow, cool.


The only critter that came past my window today was somebody's loud RC car. Anyone know how to build a jammer for these?

[Jarhead*]

Originally Posted by Nords

Life is good.

This morning I was typing in the familyroom at 6:45 AM with the lanai windows open.* Just another quiet Sunday with a cup of coffee while the rest of the family slept in.

Then, 20 feet away on the lanai, a flock of quail walked past-- two adults and seven chicks.* They didn't notice me as they cruised through the tomato plants and jumped up on the stone wall.* "Aviary Academy" was in session as the chicks started practicing their flying as the adults watched.

I raced for the camera but the batteries were dead.* They heard me and scattered down the hill, except for one dimwitted adult who crouched on the top of the wall behind a slender bougainvillea sprig ("I'm absolutely still & silent!* You can't see me!!")* As I came closer he gave up (would a female try that in the first place?), screeched, & exploded out of "hiding" to follow the rest of the group.* They bustled down the hill into the gulch.

Some critter has been getting as many tomatoes as I have and I wonder if they're the culprits.* It was certainly worth the price of a few tomatoes to watch this family having a quiet Sunday morning stroll...

Nords: They aren't the culprit. They feed on grain, and any seeds they can find.
If you want a visit from them every morning throw some chicken-feed out in the PM.

Get up in the AM with your shotgun, and be prepared for the best tasting game bird you ever ate.

My wife just said "don't you dare". We're practically overun with Quail, and my wife thinks they're her personal pets.

[charlie]

My mother-in-law, who lived on a farm, had a pet covey of quail that
lived near the barn and marched in front of her kitchen window
regularly. She swore instant death to anybody who messed with
them.

Cheers,

Charlie

Yesterday we saw a bear out our window again.* I don't know if it was the same one as last year.* Last year's bear was black, and this one was brown (they were both "black bears"), I don't know if their fur changes color.

Last year the bear cleaned out our neighbor's freezer in her garage.* Frozen dinners all of the place.* At that point he was really hooked on "home-cooked food," and I ran into him five times in one day.* Once he came into our garage.

At this point he still runs away when we yell at him.* Who knows how long that will last.

At least he hasn't killed anyone in his/her tent.

Once we found a live quail chick in our garage. Didn't even have feathers yet. I regret not trying to raise it. We put it out for the flock, but I doubt that it made it.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by TromboneAl

Once we found a live quail chick in our garage.* Didn't even have feathers yet.* I regret not trying to raise it.* We put it out for the flock, but I doubt that it made it.

Maybe that explains why the bear's hanging around your garage.

You'd think this would get the local animal-control people fairly excited about an ursine relocation project.

[jefipius]

Here in suburban Austin, we've had wild Turkeys (the feathered kind), skunks and rabbits in our back yard and coyotes in the area. On the nearby roads the 'wild-death' (roadkill) is pretty impressive as well - armadillos, skunks, racoons, deer and once, a bobcat

Originally Posted by Nords

Maybe that explains why the bear's hanging around your garage.

You'd think this would get the local animal-control people fairly excited about an ursine relocation project.

[Eagle43]

Here in Texas, I've seen a lot of 2-legged animals who should be in a cage.

You'd think this would get the local animal-control people fairly excited about an ursine relocation project.

My elderly neighbor (the one with the freezer in the garage), would really like that. She says he hungrily looks in the window at her.

But I really get a kick out of seeing him.

[Shredder]

Sitting in my sun room here in N. MI I have seen lots of deer, squirrels, coons, fox, both gray and red, possum, coyote, bobcat, turkeys, and turkey vultures, hawks, bald eagles. Come to think of it , it will be something if our Yorkie makes it to old age!! He does think of himself as a badass chasing chipmonks though.
Shredder

[yakers]

Totally different type of wildlife in the Los Angeles surburb I am in, nice neighbor lady, had some of her clothes on sort of. Just friendly folks and low hedge fences.

Originally Posted by yakers

Totally different type of wildlife in the Los Angeles surburb I am in, nice neighbor lady, had some* of her clothes on sort of. Just friendly folks and low hedge fences.

Hey yakers! - We want pictures!

[REWahoo]

Originally Posted by Cut-Throat

Hey yakers! - We want pictures!

CT, you posted doe photos and you want yakers to post ho photos?!

REW

(modified to insure the correct spelling of "ho". )

[VoyT]

* *Lately, we've been getting visits from the groundhog that lives in the field behind us ... maybe he likes mulberries.* It's driving my younger cat nuts, not that the groundhog cares about the cat.* Otherwise, we have plenty of rabbits ... drives DH nuts when one of them digs a nest in the yard ...

[Martha]

We are in the blackhills right now, riding around on our dirt bikes on the back roads. Beautiful area. It isn't all carved mountains and jellystone parks.

Today we came upon a big bull, not fenced. He started after us and we got out of there fast.

So far, he is the only "wild" life we have seen of any signficance.

[yelnad]

We don't quite live in the suburbs, but last week my dad saw a black bear with 3 fifteen pound cubs in our driveway.

I really want to see them, but am hoping they stay away because I prefer my 2 dogs alive.

[MRGALT2U]

Originally Posted by yelnad

We don't quite live in the suburbs, but last week my dad saw a black bear with 3 fifteen pound cubs in our driveway.

I really want to see them, but am hoping they stay away because I prefer my 2 dogs alive.

Very doubtful they would harm your dogs. Black bears are pretty docile
generally.

JG

[playaman]

The big talk in my suburban Memphis empty-nester neighborhood is the male turkey that has taken up residence in a nearby tree. We have the usual suburban animals too on occasion -- skunks, coyotes, raccoons, Canada geese, squirrels, ducks, and deer. As urbanization continues in this direction, though, I fear most of them will disappear.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

My old mcmansion used to have a small herd (~15) of deer and regular wild turkeys, along with the usual possum, owl and racoon population. Kept wondering with all those deer if we'd ever see a mountain lion show up, as we were in the vicinity for that.

Only 'report' of mountain lions was a guy up the street who had too many people cutting through his property to get to the lake. He posted signs on a few key trees that a mountain lion had been spotted in the area recently and to 'take appropriate cautions'...which I think means "dont cut through my property!"