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Garden Gate:  Wild life. How does it affect you at your farm/hom  |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 09:32:20 AM
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In the "whats blooming at your house" section, Floral Saucer sent a link to the animals of Australia. It was so interresting to learn about the different types of animals that I thought I would begin a new topic. It began with a bit on squirels. Several varieties were discussed and I noticed that the beautiful Flying Squirel was not mentioned. They are a bit larger than the typical ground squirels of the pacific northwest and are more grey in color, they have the ability to completely flatten out their little bodies and literally fly from one tree to the next with great beauty and grace. We discovered a nest of them on our property a few years ago when the wind blew down an old snag in our woods. It knocked the mother out temporarily and the male kept up a shouting vigel until we discovered her under a broken off portion of the tree where the nest had been. I picked her up thinking she was dead and as I began to pet her very soft fur she revived and jumped off my hand and ran up the nearest tree to join her mate whereupon they both took off flying between the tall evergreen trees to the other side of our property. What a surprise that was! We had no idea up to that point that we had flying squirels here. Later I discovered that we have truffels growing in our woods near the bottoms of certain of the trees. Actually my Pomeranian Dog found them first and was digging them up to eat them as fast as he could. I had to take one to a mushroom expert to find out what it was. I then learned that these little truffels are the primary food of the flying squirel!
The other typical squirel here is a real tease to my dog. This past week they have been busily harvesting all the fir cones that are in the tops of all the fir trees that grow here. These cones are still green and they drop them like little bombs to the surface below. My poor dog was going nuts when they were in the tree above the chicken house dropping their little treasures down onto the metal roof like gun shots. What a racket. The dog who is terrified of gun shots and firecrackers was in such a state of panic that he could not find a safe place to hide from the noise. He was running from one room to another trying to find a place under a bed or chair where he could not hear the noise. It was really funny to watch. So currently all of my flower beds and garden spots as well as the lawn area is littered with these little green cones. They are murder on lawnmowers. These are the same squirels that lead my dog on a merry chase through the woods as he barks at them and they bark back. They run from one tree to the next by way of the branches high up in the trees and Regie stands vigel barking at the bottom of one of the trees. As they get farther and farther away from him they then turn and bark a challenge to him which gets him to move to the bottom of another tree. This can keep him busy for several hours.
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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FloralSaucer
True Blue Farmgirl
156 Posts
Australia
156 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 5:22:02 PM
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Thanks for starting another thread Eileen.
The garden with the squirrels sounded so interesting to me, and your also.
I think we have sugar gliders.
We don't have beavers either. The closest we have is platypus.
When I was little my Mum called one of our animals porcupines. I only just found out what they really are and they are amazing. We don't have them, the ones Mum was refering to were echidnas. I lived a couple of years ago in a place where there were heaps and the kids and I had fun looking at them on the sand by the side of the road finding ants. It was only when I had grown up that in Australia they taught everyone their real name.
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2005 : 08:34:43 AM
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There is so much wildlife here that it is hard to decide where to start. Right now it has been so dry that the deer are coming right up to the house at night to drink from the little swimming pool I keep filled for the dog, and chickens. Last night the coyotes were there drinking too. That makes me nervous as they are notorious for killing chickens and other small animals. So far they have not dug under my chicken houses. In the last month we have had visits from a small black bear that likes the wild plums and blackberries. For the most part these bears are shy and try to avoid human contact but we see the sign of his visits all over the place. Several of my neighbors have seen a very big male black bear within a mile of here on many occasions. He must be having a feast to be that fat. The berries are really prolific here this year. We also have a small heard of elk within a mile of here and have had a visit or two this year. Have heard the male mating call for the first time this year. The first time I saw elk sign on my property nobody believed me but this year everybody has seen them. We have a large population of raptors too. Everything from turkey vultures to Bald Eagles. Osprey, several variety of hawk and Golden Eagles. This tells me that there are plenty of fish in the bay and lots of mice and voles. That is also why I use chicken tractors with lids for my chickens. The eagles are very good at picking a chicken or duck up and flying off to eat them. I only let my chickens out of their tractor for 2 hours a day while our dog is out to chase away the predetors.
Even though the deer can be a nuisance with eating the garden down one of my favorite sights is the mother deer leading her tiny spotted bucklings and doelings across our property feeling totally safe to show them off to me. We have a doe that gets twins every year and she always leads them across in front of me. One year she bedded them down right outside my pole building in plain sight except for the fact that their fur and spots blended so well into the clay and rock soil of our land that I would not have noticed them if I had not watched her tell them to lay there and keep quiet.
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2005 : 10:51:06 AM
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more than anything we have deer in winter. Have to wrap small trees with chicken wire to protect them some...and skunks. Whole herds of deer will be in our front or back yard. Makes the dogs go crazy!!!! and they will sure wipe out a young fruit tree! I have one little apple tree out back that is still recovering from being chomped down by deer winter before last. I try to protect them better now, but they still get nibbled. They usually arn't down from the mountains until winter when there is nothing more to eat up there..sometimes you start seeing them in early October in the farm fields close to town, since it is hunting season and I guess they have learned that it is safer closer to town. I couldn't 10 does across the street in my nieghbor's yard one early morning last winter. We had 8 in our back yard one day. More often it is two does together. Last January, right outside me front door there were two bucks with big racks...I was so surprized. I stood at the window and watched them for a few minutes and then they turned and bounced off down the street..toward main street..makes me wonder how many people they surprized. THey were beautiful.
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2005 : 5:30:49 PM
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The people of Port Townsend have a very big Deer problem and since it is illegal to shoot any firearm within the city limits nobody can do anything about it except build taller fences. It makes it really hard for my husband who delivers propane there. He calls some of the fences propane delivery nightmares.
The deer are often spotted just meandering down the middle of the street as if they have no cares in the world.
Since it is not illegal to discharge firearms out here in the boonies people often shoot them even out of season.
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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FloralSaucer
True Blue Farmgirl
156 Posts
Australia
156 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2005 : 5:41:07 PM
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We have deer close to town as well. I live in town, so there is no eating of my plants. They are sambar deer and originally they were from India, we have no native deer. The last wild animal I saw was about 2 weeks ago, some brumbies, or wild horses on my way to a city.
Foxes eat chickens here, they are an import from England as well. I saw one of those on my trip too just before dawn. Our native dogs are dingos. They have bred in with domestic dogs over the years, and are such a problem where I live that we have men employed by the shire council to manage that.
I would love to know what wild plums are like, I have heard about them in the book, "Banks of Plum Creek" by LIW.
When I lived on a farm we had trouble with eagles and birds attacking our lambs, it was pretty sad really.
There is a house in town with some racks displayed in the carport, my daughter asked what they were.
I have a holly tree hanging over the back fence, it is in a vacant block, I love it and saw my first berries last autumn (it is spring now), and don't have to worry about deer eating it.
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2005 : 7:18:52 PM
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the deer here are mostly mule deer and really big. How big are sambar deer?
When we lived out in the country in Calif we had a coyote and owl problem..they would carry off chicks, ducks and small animals..it was a constant problem.
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
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BlueApple
True Blue Farmgirl
430 Posts
Julia
Oregon
USA
430 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2005 : 04:49:37 AM
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We have deer that like to visit, especially when the garden is in full bloom. We finally had to fence the blueberries (complete with netting on top)so we could have a nice crop. I love to watch the deer, though, and don't mind sharing my garden. Couple of weeks ago we had four come through and strip my grapes but I didn't have the heart to tell them to leave, LOL.
Julia
BlueApple Farm |
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ByHzGrace
True Blue Farmgirl
348 Posts
348 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2005 : 05:14:17 AM
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Have you ever hung apples with strings from trees for the deer in winter? They will go up on their hindlegs and bob for them.
We got alligators, manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, bald eagles, ospreys, otters, bobcats, racoon, possums, armadillos, boar and heard tell but never seen the panther. |
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LadyCrystal
True Blue Farmgirl
593 Posts
Alicia
Rhode Island
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2005 : 5:15:28 PM
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We have lots of deer around here.They were eating all of our cousin's corn fields.We have a nusiance permit to shoot any time of year now.I had to put an electric fence around my garden to keep the deer from eating it all.We have had problems with hawks,owls, fox,weasels,and racoons getting our chickens.The coyotes haven't bothered our chickens so far but my Hubby had a pack surround him while he was in the tree stand.All he had was his bow but thankfully they got bored of him and left.
We had regular grey squirels and we have red squirels here.We have chipmunks,they are so cute,they run into the barn and steal any grain laying around.I love watching the wild turkeys strut around.We get about 30 or so around.They love to scratch in the cow poop.Those are the animals I have seen myself,but people around here talk of seeing bears,fisher cats, grouse and beavers.
Alicia
P.S. I always wanted to go to Australia,I have a Rainbow lory as a pet.
Follow your dreams |
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lareyna
True Blue Farmgirl
242 Posts
Arlene
Valley Ford
Ca
USA
242 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2005 : 10:56:37 PM
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My husband fences our garden then plants one for the deer,,,he is too funny. We have a bigger problem with the wild turkeys
I was Country before Country was COOL |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2005 : 3:21:18 PM
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Floral saucer,
The wild plums here are actually Umebashi plums that were brought here by the japanese sometime in the past hundred years, I am not sure exactly when but they went wild and have sprung up all over the place. These plums are small like a bing cherry and as dark skinned as a bing but with the yellow flesh of a plum. They are very sweet but not much fruit for all the pit. They make wonderful jam.
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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prairiemaid
True Blue Farmgirl
200 Posts
Margret
Canada
200 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2005 : 05:30:16 AM
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The dog got friendly with a skunk yesterday. The skunk wasn't too friendly, though, sure glad I was up on the dog's shots. I don't think she got bit but got a good dowsing of spray!  She had to spend the night in the porch instead of the house.
I heard coyotes the other night. They sounded close and then were gone.
There are lots of chipmunks this year. The dog has caught a couple but I've seen more. I think that is what is taking nibbles out of my vegetables.  Just a bite here and there.
Call me old fashioned. |
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FloralSaucer
True Blue Farmgirl
156 Posts
Australia
156 Posts |
Posted - Sep 18 2005 : 06:01:45 AM
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Those plums sound familiar Eileen. Yellow with red skins. I wonder if they are the same?
My husband says sambar deer are as big as cows.
A rainbow lorikeet sounds like a pretty pet. |
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Garden Gate: Wild life. How does it affect you at your farm/hom |
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Wild life. How does it affect you at your farm/hom
