Local Wildlife

Subject: Local Wildlife Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:29 am

Just a few of the little critters that come visiting at my house.

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Guest

Ah those raccoons are just so adorable, Phoenix. sunny

Looks like somebody sent them an invitation. bounce

What kind of bird is that? We don't have them around this part of Canada. cyclops

Thanks I'll have to dig out some of my wildlife ones too. One of these days I'll get a pic of the bear that hangs out in the neighbourhood. Likely hibernating these days with the snow but he or she will be back. I know it.

Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:31 am

Raccoons need no invitation!!! They invite themselves. They climb up the posts of the balcony and come right into the kitchen. They will open the fridge and drawers if they feel so inclined, leave muddy pawprints on the counter, steal bananas, grapes and cat food, and if they can find none of the above, they simply make themselves comfortable on a chair and wait until I arrive to attend to them. However, in the interest of getting a photograph, I did put dry cat food out the night I got the party picture.

The bird is a Stelly's Jay, more commonly referred to as a blue jay.
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Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:43 am

Oh how adorable are those raccoons. bounce

I could just pick one up and cuddle it. Those little fingers oooh...
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Despair has no wings... ~ Paul Eluard

Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:20 pm

Oh, yes, Phoenix! I love your racoons! They remind me of red pandas. I wonder if they are related to them. It sounds so funny that come into your kitchen, too. But I guess you have to lock the door to the fridge and the drawers.

I like the bird and the deer, too!

Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:16 pm

I love the racoons!
Amazing!So sweet!
Thanks Phoenix Very Happy

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Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:42 pm

My morning visitors:

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Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:56 pm

Oh, Jen! I love your bambies (deers), too!

Thanks for showing them to us!
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Viggos wilderness girl!

You got it into yourself to be good at anything, you aim at. The fact is, that you must never give up. Accept what you are and be proud of it, be grateful for it. But never let it go to the head, always keep the feet on the ground. (From Bear Hearts wisdom). Add: Could have been Viggos, too!!!

Guest

Ah do you see the long eyelashes on those lovely creatures? And those soulful eyes? Exquisite! No other word....

Thanks Jennifer for sharing. You're so lucky to have the company of these beauties to photograph. I envy you. I love you

Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Sun Jun 15, 2008 6:19 am

I apologise for the terrible quality of the picture, but my camera went kaput mid-shot. I did want to share this with you though.

I was cutting trees and clearing brush in the back, and mama coon was most interested. I had heard her babies chattering for the last couple of weeks, but had not seen them. Mama came down onto the lowest branch of an enormous cedar tree, and lay draped over it watching me. I suppose her little twins got bored, because they soon came down to join her. This is one of the baby raccoons at I would guess, about six weeks of age.

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Guest

Awww so sweet. Thanks Jennifer. Mother Nature sure didn't skimp when she created these little characters did she? Wink

Perfection in markings.

Another beauty of a critter is the porcupine baby. Last autumn I was hiking around a ski hill I frequent in the winter time. Just ahead of me I saw a baby porcupine facing me. It raised its little head and sniffed the air. What a face! Gleaming little black eyes in black face and rounded little nose. So elegant looking I almost didn't recognize it. Then all of a sudden instinct kicked in and it turned around and presented me it's quilled backside. In complete respect, I side-stepped it and carried on. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me. But still a memorable sighting. Cool

Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:03 pm

Oh, Jen!
Thanks for the cute baby racoon! I wish it was here.
Yes, Danish hedgehogs are also very nice but I guess they are smaller than your porcupines, Kal. They have shorter spines. Some Danes takes orphan hedgehog babies home to take care of them until they can manage themselves in the nature. They mostly do it in the autumn and winter because if they are too small they can't survive their winter sleep. Or they wake up too early in the winter and can't manage themselves.
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Viggos wilderness girl!

You got it into yourself to be good at anything, you aim at. The fact is, that you must never give up. Accept what you are and be proud of it, be grateful for it. But never let it go to the head, always keep the feet on the ground. (From Bear Hearts wisdom). Add: Could have been Viggos, too!!!

Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:04 am

I have never seen a wild porcupine (but have seen their handiwork in a dog's nose!!!) but I adore hedgehogs. We don't have them here. My sister in law in New Zealand has them in the garden, and at night puts out bread and milk for them. When I was there I used to sit out on the back step and watch them, as they were as tame as our raccoons. They were SO adorable.
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Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:12 am

I must share with you the near disaster we had in Critterland. Yes, for those of you who may be worried, the story does have a happy ending.

I was sitting at my computer when I heard a most agitated chattering from the baby raccoons. For a while I ignored it, as they always talk a lot, but finally I had to go, as one of the babies sounded frantic.

Well, poor little thing had gone out to the end of a very small branch, and had then somehow fallen off so it was dangling and hanging onto cedar needles/leaves (or whatever cedar trees have). Mother was crying and trying to get to it but she could get nowhere near, as even from a distance away, the branch was bending under her weight. The second baby had followed her out and every so often she turned and angrily spoke to it, obviously telling it to go back. Meanwhile the first baby continued to dangle about 30 feet up in the air. I knew if it fell, it would be seriously injured, if not killed.

There was no time to do anything, and as my husband and mother watched from the balcony, with my mother shouting to me that I was sure to be killed if I attempted such a thing, I positioned myself underneath it, hoping to catch it. Both neightbours on one side, hearing the din had come out and were watching. I held up the bottom of my sweatshirt making a sling in which to catch it, and sure enough......down it tumbled.

Thankfully I somehow managed to land it right on target in my shirt, to clapping and cheers from the onlookers. Everyone came to have a look and stroke the poor little thing, who looked scared out of it's wits. I then returned it to the trunk of the tree, where it made a hasty retreat into the loving arms of it's mother!

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Subject: Re: Local Wildlife Sat Jun 28, 2008 10:09 pm

Oh, that was a nice story, Jen! I guess the baby racoon knew that you were just helping it.
I was thinking of placing some soft cushions, a trampoline or perhaps some cardboard boxes (like I've seen in some movies when someone has to jump down from above). Just something which could save a poor animal from getting hurt or killed.

Some years ago one afternoon I heard a very noise from the staircase where I live. I opened my front door and looked out. Outside my door a black bird was flying around and chirped very loud as if it cried: "Come and help me, I can't find out of here". It had flown in through the window. I sad down on the staircase and pointed with a finger at the open door downstairs (I live in 1st floor - in English and 2nd floor in American) groundfloor/first floor. The blackbird jumped down the 2 stairs and sat a while at the last stair and then it just took off, flew down and out through the door. I really had a feeling that the wise/clever bird had understood me. I just pointed down and said: "You can get out there".
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Viggos wilderness girl!

You got it into yourself to be good at anything, you aim at. The fact is, that you must never give up. Accept what you are and be proud of it, be grateful for it. But never let it go to the head, always keep the feet on the ground. (From Bear Hearts wisdom). Add: Could have been Viggos, too!!!