One bright spot in winter are the Cardinals which visit our feeder almost daily. The best squirrel-proof feeder we've found is this small basket suspended on flexible electrical cable. The original top degraded in the sun and we replaced it with a plastic bowl from the thrift store. The feeder is too slippery for squirrels and also keeps out larger birds like Pigeons and Jays.
They often appear in pairs taking turns at the feeder and are quite thoughtful of each other.
Speaking of squirrels. What we have here is a stand off....
...with the cat. She arrived as a feral cat and has tamed down quite well though she is still an outdoor cat. We have also made sure she cannot reach the feeder so it all works.
We have both foxes and coyotes in the neighborhood. Last month I showed you a coyote walking through the yard in daylight. Below is a fox on the deck. She's not happy there's no food in the cat bowl and leaves a mark in disgust. I originally labeled this as a coyote but Anna pointed out it is a fox. They are similar but the fox is smaller with shorter snout and more fur.
We now place a gate across the steps to help keep coyotes away from the house.
The deer herd has migrated back to our end of the creek and we should be seeing new fawns soon. Not much to eat with such dry plants out there. They don't eat the prickly ash juniper which is the only green in the background. While several of our neighbors feed the deer, we have chosen not to with the exception of water in the heat of summer.
She's still not happy about being fenced out of the garden.
The deer herd has migrated back to our end of the creek and we should be seeing new fawns soon. Not much to eat with such dry plants out there. They don't eat the prickly ash juniper which is the only green in the background. While several of our neighbors feed the deer, we have chosen not to with the exception of water in the heat of summer.
She's still not happy about being fenced out of the garden.
Check out the comments section at "My Gardener Says..." for more blogger backyard wildlife.
I guess little Ms. Coyote showed her displeasure with you! You're right that the cardinals brighten up the garden this time of year. I know deer are pests in the garden, but I look forward to fawn photos...
ReplyDeleteYay, a squirrel pic! lol I just love those little guys. What a beauty the cardinal is, definitely a wonderful sight in your winter. Wow, it's a bit concerning having coyotes so close to your house, and she was a cheeky one too. Can't wait to see your photos of the little fawns soon.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog. I'm a gardener north of Camp Bullis. We have much wildlife on our property. I'm pretty sure that is a fox visiting your deck.
ReplyDeleteAnna, thank you. I took another look at the video and you are right. That one is a fox. The shorter legs and snout with bushy tail are clearly visible differences. We do have both but have seen more coyotes lately so I just missed the ID on this one. I'll have to make a correction.
DeleteI was going to say that coyote looked very small relative to what we see here. I'm sorry to hear you have a coyote issue and I hope your feral cat is careful - our coyotes can now be seen as early as mid-afternoon and as late as 9 or 10am. They regularly snatch small pets and have even confronted homeowners with dogs on leashes. I love seeing cardinals in blog posts - their range doesn't extend here.
ReplyDeleteCoyotes do the same here. The cat still has a bit of feral wildness in her so as soon as the coyotes howl she's on guard and up the tree to her balcony in an instant. We've tried getting her in the garage at night but that doesn't work so we do the best we can for her.
DeleteWe have coyotes in our area too, but I've never seen one near the house. You have a lot of wildlife in your garden.
ReplyDelete