Why I Oughta...

Last Summer, we had a Rabbit create a little baby bunny burrow right on the edge of our patio .  While it sure was fun for the kids, it created some problems with the dog.  Frankly... as I said back then :  it was a bad spot for stashing some tiny bunnies.  All Winter long, we've had rabbit damage, so they're not on the top of my 'invite list' when I think about critters making a home in our yard.  But...I have to remind myself that one of the criteria for a "Certified Wildlife Habitat" is having 'places to raise young' .  So, I suppose having our yard used for a second-straight year as a place to raise tiny bunnies speaks to the conditions. I said second-straight year.  Yep.  They're back.  But, this time, the Mamma Rabbit picked a MUCH better spot:  tucked in against the house, behind our air conditioners.  Here (below), you can see the little fur she's provided as a blanket in the corner and how she puts the leaves and other land...

This past weekend, I wandered in the back part of our yard and was stunned to see the bare trunks of our tiny Canadian Hemlock trees.  They have been totally ravaged by what I presume to be rabbits.  Freaking rabbits.  Last year, I planted six small (like 18" tall) Canadian Hemlocks in two spots of the yard.  We lost one of them before Winter , but the other five appeared fine before Winter. Today, the three in the very back are the ones I'm posting about and two of them have been totally attacked.  One of them you can see above with just the trunk remaining along with few lower branches.   This is the first real set of animal or critter damage that I've see on the trees in our yard. It is interesting...I've noticed that almost every morning when I take Lizzie out, we have a pair of rabbits that are hanging in our yard.  Up until now, I thought that was nice to see the wildlife.  I mean...we're feeding the birds and squirrels, so I as...

"What I have learned from the animal world, and what everyone will learn who studies it, is a renewed sense of kinship with the earth and all its inhabitants." - Walt Disney #WaltWednesday pic.twitter.com/PpzodqQUL7 — Walt Disney Archives (@TWDCArchives) January 17, 2018 I've been thinking a lot lately about our #newoldbackyard and the critters that inhabit it and pass through it.  While there's been some bad experiences (Lizzie got skunk'd!), we've been trying to encourage some good experiences (with the feeders and what-have-yous).  With Spring just around the corner, my attention is going to shift to our first full season of gardening in our new house.  Hopefully, with the right plantings, we'll find even more friends visiting us - and we'll have that sense of kinship with the earth - like Walt says.

There I was minding my own business early one morning recently reading on my phone when out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some movement out on the back porch.  I looked up and saw this guy's head peeking out from behind a post.  Those pointy ears and his bright coat told me he wasn't a coyote.  He was there for just an instance.  Then off he went down the stairs.   I shot up and made my way to the window to see where he was heading.  After some frollicking in the snow, he made his way into the neighbor's yard and disappeared.   Nat tells me that she's come across a similar fox last fall up there - so he's a known neighborhood member.  Turns out... they don't attack dogs .  So they have that going for themselves...

We were sitting in my in-laws' backyard a few days ago when this bird of prey landed on their fence and had a look around.  Pretty big wingspan and HUGE talons.  We had Maisy on a leash sitting on a chair most of the afternoon.  Wonder if this hawk was checking her out as potential prey?