Wildlife in the Garden

No, I do not take our garden wildlife for granted. Every time I see a colorful bird or cute little animal, I love to watch it. My whole family is fascinated by them. Until this summer, we had seen only the occasional oriole. They did not visit our garden until I set out a jelly feeder for orioles. Even then, it looked like it was not going to be successful because it took so long for them to discover it.

Last year was the first time we were able to attract hummingbirds with a feeder. I mistakenly thought that we would do as well this year but that was not to be.

The chipmunks seem to be living in our conduits for electrical wiring and garden hose in the front of the house. In the back, they seem to be living in the garden shed. They seem to like to run through some guttering that we took down. We thoroughly enjoy watching them. We did not like it, though when then got into the house in June. We seem to have solved that problem.

We have been so successful with the orioles that we think we want to use feeders to attract other specific birds. We have had rabbits in the yard during the winter. They ate the uncooked plant material we put out for compost. Unfortunately, we dug the pit way too close to the raspberry canes which they also ate. We are going to move the winter collection pit as far away from the garden and raspberries as we can.

We know that raccoons come to eat in the garden but we have never seen them and do not anticipate ever seeing them. They come during the night and we would have to set out food for them in the early evening to see them. We have no intention of doing that because they will become pests.

Deer come through too, primarily during the night. We have seen some, usually during the early morning. There is evidence they have visited us when they eat things in the garden. They happen to like apples so we would like to encourage them to come about this time of the year. The trees naturally thin their crop about now. Some of the apples drop; it can be very messy to pick them up but when the deer come, they will eat the fallen apples.

This morning on the way home from the healthclub, I saw a rabbit and let Roger and our son know. Roger said that a rabbit was so common that I should only announce it when I see a deer. We passed a place that has always looked like the perfect place to see a deer but I have yet to see one there. Except today. I first saw one deer and then looked a little closer and saw at least two more. I was very please to announce the sighting of three deer.

There are supposed to be a couple ten or twelve point bucks in the area. Ben has seen them but I had not until November a couple years ago. One Sunday we came home from church to see one standing in the back yard. We were able to take a picture of it. Perhaps I could find it for you.

The simple fact is that it never feels commonplace to see the wildlife in our garden. It is always a thrill