There has been an abundance of wildlife in our gardens this year. Seven years ago, a single quail couple hatched chicks in the open space behind our property and used the fenced portion of our garden as their playpen. The family of fifteen ended up being a family of four, but those are considered good odds in the quail kingdom. This year there were four quail couples using our property as a safe haven for youngsters. They do little damage (other than snipping off my lettuce seedlings and dust bathing in the furrows around the roses) so I enjoy their company.
The quail survival rate is appalling. We’ve seen couples lose all their babies to predators. We also saw a single mother, without her mate to stand sentry, loose her babies one by one. Then, the mom disappeared, leaving behind one juvenile who desperately tried to join another family. Father quail, unwilling to take in the teenage orphan, drove him off.
Turkeys also seem to be abundant this year. Huge groups came strutting through fenceless lots in the spring, maturing before our eyes. One day they flew to the top of my garden shed then glided into the garden. I used my usual technique of dissuading them. They haven’t returned. I guess word got out that the white-haired lady with a broom was a force to be reckoned with.
We’ve had our share of fruit thieving squirrels, raccoons, and opossums. A sleepy opossum was discovered beneath our bar-b-que cover one evening last week. He’d found the grease drip pan under the grill and was having a cholesterol-laden feast.
The foxes continue to make visits to check in on the chickens. They keep a close eye on us hoping we’ll forget to lock up the hens at night. When cleaning up the woodpile behind the garage, we encountered a female rat that wouldn’t leave her nest. Luckily, she didn’t have little ratkins in it or things would have gotten ugly. A young doe surprised us with triplets in the spring and all have survived.
Have you noticed how many small birds are visiting your feeders and birdbaths this year? We had oodles of clownish woodpeckers, rascal blue jays, juncos, sparrows, finch, and a flicker. In the past, we’ve tried using a finch feeder with nyjer seed to attract yellow finch, but the seeds went rancid before we got a visit. This year, the regular western birdseed seems to be good enough and our place is crawling with the pretty Carpodacus.
There is evidence in the garden of the approaching fall season. The brisk breeze has driven me inside on a few chilly afternoons. Some of my Japanese maples have put on their crimson cloakes and the wisteria is dripping with gold. It’s time to clean up, sit back, and wait for the El Nino rains.
