Last week there was a dead cat in the neighbor's yard. An email went out to the association, warning us to look after our pets. Animal control determined the cat was killed by a bobcat or a cougar.
This evening when I got home, I found a bobcat hanging around our orchard. Just this morning there had been bunnies shamelessly frolicking in the open. I was hoping to see a raptor swoop down and snatch them.
Maybe this is the next best thing, I just hope it sticks to the rampant rabbits and leaves the neighbors' pets alone. I also hope the neighbor's don't put a slug in the bobcat.
Here's a crummy picture of it:
Super cool. Now my kids are going to want to go to your yard and try to track down the bobcat!
It is important to remember that they are part of the ecosystem, and that it is predictable that if we don't have these predators, we'll have too many squirrels, bunnies, and crows/blue jays stealing our fruit.
There was a study about Yellowstone Park that showed that removing the wolves screwed up the ecosystem there, and had huge impacts on the other prey in that area.
John S
PDX OR
davem said
I have placed a few slate tiles around my backyard for snakes to use, and they definitely use them! Supposedly the snakes eat slugs, though I've never seen that happen in my yard. Plus the snakes are just fun to watch.
The tiles are a good idea Dave. I need something that I can ride the mower over.
My kids used to find the snakes in the compost pile and play with them. I loved watching them enjoy the action, but was always sad that the snakes would then leave and not come back, presumably because they thought he was going to kill them. When the snakes are away, the slugs will play. At a very slow pace, though.
Memories. They're bigger than me now.
John S
PDX OR
DanielW said
Jafar, can I borrow that cougar for a couple of months. I have too many of the gigantic rodents - some call them "Bambi", and smaller rodents - some call them "Thumper". They cause a lot of damage. All of the fencing is getting expensive.
Yeah, you'd think he'd be a deterrent, but the deer still show up and the rabbits are multiplying as ever.
We have a fair number of hawks and owls around. I see them soaring and hear their calls. I installed a nesting box for barn owls. If they find and use it, maybe there will be fewer rabbits, voles, mice around. Maybe.
I see garden snakes often. I don't know what they eat. These snakes are too small to eat anything bigger than a baby mouse.
Idyllwild
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
John S
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