Hi Debbie,
Great idea - except as far as I can tell, it didn't snow. I say, "as far as I can tell" because the weather report said the snow was expected to fall after dark and not stick. That kind of 'stealth snow' is difficult to catch - also difficult to see paw prints, although I otherwise love the idea.
It was just another wet day (Saturday) followed by a very cold night - well, cold for us, at least. Probably close to freezing. I haven't been out yet this morning to see the effect this may have had on my flowers. I already had daffodils, azaleas, camellias, flowering quince, pink magnolias, and red bud blooming.
Nice to see you Debbie!
Heidi Chronicles: Question to All Readers
We had quite a bit of snow last night, and it is a whopping 14 degrees out there!
I am always reading here, every time a new post, so I am keeping up!
I have flowers popping up on south side of house, daffodils and small bulb crocus. BUT now buried in snow!
We had a few very calm winters for NY and it is making up for it in big numbers this month!
Debbie
We very rarely have any accumulation of snow here, but on the rare occasion that we did, my mother was always quick to put out a layer of seeds and toasted bread crumbs on the snow for the birds. She didn't otherwise feed birds or wildlife, but she taught me at a very young age that snow makes it difficult for birds and animals to get to their food, so we need to help them out.
I used to feed the birds here. I had a huge gathering at my feeders, including some very beautiful and rare types. I got such joy from watching them. Feeding them probably did more for me than for them. I stopped a couple years ago due to the combination of rats attracted to the feeders and raccoons constantly damaging the feeders and dumping the seeds on the ground. The decision to quit was very difficult for me.
Not long after I hung up my last feeder, I acquired 2 indoor/outdoor cats who delight in catching mice, rats, and birds. Since the cats joined my little ark, I've been afraid to offer any bird seed. I would surely hate to lure the cats to their demise. Even though I stopped putting out bird seed some 3yrs or so ago, many of the birds still come here, attracted by the plethora of natural seeds on the many trees and plants in my yard/garden.
One day in early January I saw a little goldfinch in the crepe myrtle tree at the great room window. I was both surprised and happy to see the goldfinch. We don't actually have goldfinch here, but some goldfinch leave colder areas up north and come down here for a month or so in winter. Back when I was feeding birds, I always looked forward to the arrival of the goldfinches. Absolutely none of our regular birds will touch nyjer, but I found that the goldfinches love it. Every year in Dec in preparation for the arrival of the goldfinches I would order several bags of nyjer from a place where the seeds were so fresh they smelled awesome even to me. No matter how many feeders and thistle socks I hung, there was never enough for the flock of birds that showed up, and the number seemed to grow every year. The little birds were very diplomatic though, periodically changing places at the feeder with those waiting on a tree branch, so that everyone got fed. The goldfinches were here for about a month each year, leaving in mid Feb, and I was always oh so sad to see them go.
Back in January when I saw that little goldfinch sitting there in the very tree where I used to hang the nyjer feeders, it tugged at my heart to think that little fella might have traveled so far to get here, all the way hoping to find the nyjer seeds in that tree. I was torn as to whether it would be better to offer food to the goldfinch or not. I had nightmare images of a sort of Freddy Kruger scene out there between cats and birds. In the end, I decided to hang the Nyjer feeders and let the birds decide. I could only find 1 4ft long tube feeder and one thistle sock along with a 3yr old, unopened bag of Nyjer. I wasn't sure if seed that old would even be any good, but I went out and filled and hung the 2 feeders. Within maybe 10-15 min both feeders were covered with goldfinches, and the crowd grew over the next few days.
It was so nice to have the old gang of goldfinches back for a visit! Those little fellas ate the 4ft tube down to 1/2 the 1st day. Those guys were hungry after their flight here. They ate most of the bag of nyjer. (The old gang used to eat 3 or 4 bags.) They left a few days ago. The good news is that I apparently misjudged their ability to deal with the cats. The entire time they were out there eating in the tree at the great room window, I never saw any sign of problems with the cats. Never saw the cats hanging around the tree, stalking birds, eating birds, etc. It went so well, since nyjer doesn't attract rats and isn't subject to theft by raccoons or squirrels, I think I will resume my annual, winter feeding of the goldfinches.
Oh, and as I mentioned above, I didn't see any signs of snow here. It drizzled most of the afternoon but appeared to stop before the temp got low enough for snow. It got pretty cold though. When I was outside a few minutes ago, their was still ice melting in the birdbaths, looking much like that giant block of ice people float in punch bowls.
Debbie,
It's 43 here, and I couldn't stay outside long enough to finish photographing my flowers. Can't imagine 14F. Kitty went out with me and she was eager to get back inside, too. Thanks for letting me know you are there.
Hey!
Nice to hear your success with the finches. This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count which I enjoy every February. We aren't seeing very many finches, but then again, I don't have nyjer seed hanging either!
May have to fix that tonight. ;)
A.
Amanda,
At my house the goldfinches are the only ones that will eat nyjer. We have other finches, house finches for instance, that are here year round but which refuse to touch nyjer. I don't know about your area, but goldfinches are not here year round. Mine are gone now and will not be back until next January. In fact, they are not listed as being here at all; however, when I did a bit more research I found that some goldfinches leave their northern homes and venture south when food becomes hard to find in their home area. I did this research years ago when I noticed that this group of small, very noisy, ravenously hungry birds was showing up at my house every year in Jan/Feb. Every year they descend on my feeders like a plague of hungry locusts (adorable locust though), eat like there is no tomorrow for several weeks, and then leave very suddenly as a group not to be seen again until the following year, same time.
Unless goldfinches live in your area more or less year round (or you have other birds there that like nyjer), it may be too late to get the nyjer out now. Like I said, the goldfinches have left my area now. I'll be tossing the nyjer that is in the feeders and putting those feeders away soon. If I were to leave them out all year, the seed would just get wet and rot. Not sure why the other birds here won't eat it, not even the house finches or chickadees. Just not there thing.
Do you have goldfinches where you live? I don't - not officially, anyhow. I have never seen a goldfinch in the bright, yellow plumage, except in pictures. When they are here they look nothing like the pictures. They are a drab, olive greenish color, closer to the female coloring but darker/drabber still. From my research I learned that this is their winter garb. Just before they leave here in Feb the males start to shed feathers. The 1st year I saw this i thought there was something wrong with them, but this is normal for goldfinches. In the days before they leave they start to show up with lighter and more yellow plumage. At that point they are in the process of changing from the drab, army green color to the bright yellow color. Unfortunately, they always leave before the transformation is complete. Thus, while I host the little darlings each year, feeding them 3 to 4 full bags of nyjer most years, I never get to see them in their beautiful summer plumage, not even once, not even a single bird. But I really do enjoy their visit very much just the same.
Maybe it's because they show up in mass and eat so much - you know, like how Grandma's are always happiest when everybody (who comes to dinner) eats a lot - because there is never any doubt that enjoyed the meal. Maybe that's why I enjoy them so much, because they know how to party big & eat like there is no tomorrow. Or maybe it's because of the adorable way they chatter endlessly all day long in the window while they eat. Maybe it's because while here they show up at sunrise and eat non-stop all day until sundown (in that one tree right up against the window where I can watch them). Maybe it's the elegance with which they harmonize their movements, dozens of tiny birds moving back and forth periodically between limb and feeder so everybody gets a chance to eat, and all with neither traffic cop nor choreographer and yet with no collisions. Maybe it's all these things and more. They are just a delight to have around. I envy those who live in the area these adorable, little birds call home.
If you see goldfinches year round where you live, then, yes, get your nyjer out. If not, you may be wasting your money if you buy nyjer now.
Dream - we here in Granville County, NC have goldfinches year round. They eat the sunflower seed that I provide for everyone (birds and the squirrels who invite themselves in droves). I don't use nyger seed as it does not seem to get eaten very much. The last time (2 years ago) that I hung out a mesh container with nyger seed, it hung untouched for 2 weeks. Then overnight a critter (probably a raccoon) climbed up, broke it down, and scattered the seeds everywhere. So for the 2 last summers I have thistles coming up all over the garden - major nuisance. Before that they were an occasional weed, now a real problem. I root them up the minute I see them (watch out for those nasty thorns - don't grab with your bare hands!). So I will never get this stuff again - the goldfinches will have to find that particular choice elsewhere. But they actually have always seemed to prefer the sunflower seed.
Hi stillwood,
How strange. My experience with them has been just the opposite. For many years I kept several large feeders stuffed full of BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds). The sunflower seeds attracted a wide array of birds including even indigo buntings, tanagers, and even large woodpeckers, but the goldfinches that visit here always flock to the nyjer feeders. My experience did parrot your own in that none of the other birds would touch the nyjer. The 1st year or so that I fed birds here, I bought a bag of nyjer in addition to the BOS. I quickly found that the nyjer sat untouched for months, as none of our local birds had a taste for it.
That old, stale nyjer was still in the thistle tube one year in Jan when the goldfinches arrived. They descended upon the nyjer feeder like a hungry mob. Those who couldn't find a spot at the feeder sat on a nearby limb to await their turn at the feeder (even though their was room at the BOSS feeders). The little goldfinches spend the entire day vacillating between the nyjer feeder and the 'bench' awaiting another turn. The following year when they came back in Jan they sat in the (empty) tree as though waiting for me to bring out the nyjer feeder. That began the annual ritual at my house of buying nyjer in Dec/Jan in preparation for the return of the goldfinches. Each subsequent year I added a couple of thistle socks or tubes to my collection, always seeking to have enough room at the feeders to accommodate all of the goldfinches, but each year the crowd of goldfinches also grew such that I never came close to matching their numbers with associated feeder ports.
To recap, at my house (back when I was feeding the birds) their was always a lots of sunflower seed (BOSS) available year round, but here the goldfinches ignored sunflower seeds and flocked to the nyjer. The goldfinches here even waited their turn at the nyjer feeders instead of taking BOSS. Also, because I had quite a few large birds at my BOSS feeders (blue jays, woodpeckers, etc), I also provided special BOSS feeders just for the tiny birds (finches, chickadees, etc), feeders enclosed in an outer 'cage' through which only small birds could fit thus keeping large birds out and allowing tiny birds to eat in peace. Still, the flocks of goldfinches always chose the nyjer feeders.
This happened every year like clockwork at my house, the Jan arrival of the goldfinches (in olive drab, winter plumage), the gobbling up of outrageous quantities of nyjer, and the mid February exodus as the tiny birds left all at once just as they had arrived a month earlier. I even started a thread in the early years when I was still trying to ID the cute little birds that descended on my yard, ate like they were starved, and then left again. In that thread I posted pics of them, some even on the thistle feeders, I believe. I'll have to look for that. I'll post here if I find it.
I can only offer a few ideas for this difference between what you observe at your house vs what I observe here. First, it's entirely possible that different groups (of the same species) may have different preferences just as humans show regional food preferences. I've seen evidence of this in the large group of raccoons which I observed over a decade or so. It makes sense. You grow up eating certain things, and those become your favorites. As an example of this, I offer my love of collard greens. I buy 1-2 bunches on every grocery trip in season (just to feed me alone!). My friends who grew up in areas outside the south, simply cannot understand my love of such a tough and bitter vegetable. They prefer kale or spinach, anything but collards.
Also, you mention having thistles in your area growing like weeds. When the goldfinches arrived here that 1st winter and showed such a preference for nyjer, I reasoned that it must resemble part of their normal diet, something that grows readily in their normal range but which is not available here. Here we don't have those lavender/purple thistle flowers seen in pictures - or any other thistles of which I'm aware. I have no shortage of weeds in my small yard but no thistles. I don't know why the ones that come here don't eat BOSS, but as to the nyjer, my guess is it's the closest thing they can find here to the food they usually eat. That doesn't explain why mine don't care for BOSS, but it might explain why yours don't go for the nyjer, not when they have more fresh thistles than they can eat.
Even the literature suggest nyjer as the favorite food of both goldfinches and pine siskins. (Of course, whenever I note a difference between the literature and a creatures actual behavior, I'm always reminded that most species don't read the literature.) However, this is not why I offered them nyjer. For the 1st couple years I didn't know they were goldfinches. In their drab, winter plumage they did not resemble the pictures I had always seen of goldfinches. They just chose the old nyjer feeder which I had been too lazy to remove.
My final thought on this difference goes to quality, although it is my least favorite argument. Early on I was lucky enough to stumble upon a source of the freshest and highest quality nyjer I've ever seen anywhere. Whereas most nyjer (I've seen) is blackish in color, thin and dry in appearance, and mostly lacking in odor, the nyjer from this one source was unbelievably aromatic, so much so that it made me want to toss some into some muffins or hot cereal. This nyjer was deep brown in color and super shiny as though waxed and polished to a high gloss. It appeared fresh and 'moist' (inside not out). The seeds were a smidgen thicker, more plump than the ultra thin, black ones I had seen most places. There was no dust or other sign of dryness, but it was the rich aroma that really made this variety stand out. It was this wonderfully aromatic nyjer which I ordered each year for my winter visitors.
How lucky are you to have these little birds as year round guests! Not only are they not here year round, they are not officially here at all. Period. This is what made it so difficult to ID them. They don't officially winter here. (There's that literature problem again. My birds don't seem to read it.) It was only when my curiosity spurred me to quite a bit of digging that I learned that researchers have determined that some bands of goldfinches leave their normal range in winter when food becomes scarce. These bands travel to southern areas in search of food to tide them over until things get better in their normal range. It seems to me that once 'my' birds landed at my house and found all that nyjer waiting for them, they now seem to be making this an annual pilgrimage - and bringing more and more of their friends and neighbors with them each year.
While doing research to ID these little birds, I also learned about their winter vs summer plumage. Unlike most other birds, goldfinches actually shed and change plumage 2x year. I guess that bright yellow color is too high risk to keep year round. In winter the males take on a color much like that of the females, sort of an olive green color. Some years they stay here long enough for me to see them start to add some yellow feathers (they look quite raggedy during this time), but they never stay until they are solid yellow. From what I read, they need to be back home in time for the breeding season, the males to maximize their contacts, the females to build nests and avoid traveling while 'with baby bird'. Thus it seems, I will never get to see them in that regal, summer plumage, at least not so long as I live here.
The only other thing I can say to this mystery is: vive la difference!!! It's the differences that make the world so rich in diversity. Long live the difference. (Now I need to get off to work - after a cup of coffee.)
Yes - we have them year round. They are now all in winter plumage, but it will be changing soon and the males will be glorious (they seem to know they are good looking guys). Right now they are hanging out in groups along with purple finches - male and females. Later the purple finches will leave, but the goldies will stay. At least I mean there will be goldfinches all summer - I don't know, of course, if they are the same ones. My winter guys may move on and others move in. But we can count on goldfinches, chickadees, doves, and tit mice along with cardinals all year regardless of others who come and go.
stillwood,
Like I said before, you are very lucky. I would imagine that the goldfinches you have in summer are the same ones that are there in winter. From what I read, most goldfinches remain in their home territory year round. That is the norm for goldfinches. The act of going elsewhere for a month or so in winter is something relatively new, something done by only a small percentage of the species. They don't 'fly south' for winter as many species do, but rather some small groups leave their home when things get really bad and go elsewhere in search of food. My guess is the birds that do this probably come from areas farther north, areas with much harsher winters than yours, areas where their food may be buried under a heavy blanket of snow. In fact, it is possible that some goldfinches from farther north may also visit you in winter, but since you already have finches there it would be hard to notice.
We have the purple finches year round. I believe those are the ones called house finches for their tendency to coop human dwellings for nesting. A family of house finches nested in the globe of my porch light for many years. To keep from overheating the babies, I had to leave the light off 1/2 the year. The globe finally deteriorated and broke, forcing the finches to find another home.
There are many lovely song birds that can't hack it here. Too hot. Some varieties such as cedar waxwings stop over on their way through (from north to farther south and vice versa), huge flocks stopping off just long enough to refuel before continuing on their way. They cover my large weeping willow for part of a single day in spring. It's a grand sight just to see them swoop down in mass, hang upside down and ever which way all over the loose canopy to eat what I guess is the seeds of the tree, and then fly away again a short time later. Were it not for these brief flyovers and winter visits, I would never get to see many such birds. You are lucky.
Dream - purple finches and house finches are actually different. The purple finch is Carpodacus purpureus and the house finch is Carpodacus mexicanus. They are similar, but the purple version is more striking (my opinion). You are correct that you probably had house finches - they are in the south year round. The purple finches are in the South only as winter range. I like birds - that is why I don't have cats (just my little dog). I only had cats when I could keep them inside - I did not want to set up my birds as food (hawks are another story - I can't control them). Now that I can't keep a cat inside - no cats - that way I can feed the birds freely (and, of course, share with the squirrels). I wish I had a huge house with lots of rooms - than I could have everything! I don't have any room that I can put a litter box in with this house, so I had to choose.
We also have gold finches (and house finches) year round, though they do seem scarce in winter. They are wintering in Cheryl's backyard apparently. :)
Amanda,
Thanks for sharing the little cuties! :-)
Bad news. Although I hadn't found time to post this, the rain date for last weekend's [rained out] plans was this weekend (Fri/Sat). Unfortunately, it now appears I will need to reschedule that once more. That latest big storm system moving across the country is expected to bring us rain and Tstorms starting this afternoon and continuing through Sunday. Bummer. It has been rainy and overcast here for nearly 2 weeks now. We had one or two sunny days, but now it is overcast once more and growing darker and more ominous with each passing minute.
I don't like to put kibble out in heavy rain, especially if I don't know when/if the raccoons will be arriving. Obvious reasons. The dish quickly fills with water, soaking the kibble which disintegrates over time. If it rains enough, the particles of what had been kibble may eventually be swept away with the water. The rains we've had lately have been the type that go on and on for hours.
Hopefully this unofficial monsoon season will end soon, and next weekend will be clear enough to finally do the Friday test and then sit out waiting for the raccoons on Saturday.
As forecast, it rained pretty much nonstop from mid afternoon Friday until sometime in the wee hours this morning. There were multiple flood warnings. Once I made it home on Friday (already beginning to flood in areas), I stayed inside for the remainder of the event.
Last night during a brief period of light drizzle I put out a dish of food, not dry cat food but a mixture of leftovers culled from the fridge during cleanup, mostly garbanzo beans and potatoes. I took a peek from time to time until around midnight when I went to sleep. Up until that time, the food remained untouched. This morning I awoke to find the food roughly 1/2 gone.
At 1st, this seemed like cause for celebration. Something had found the food the 1st night, after all. As I thought more about it, however, I began to waiver. Yes, something had found the food 1st night, but given the timing and amount consumed, this something's behavior seemed more characteristic of an opossum than a raccoon. Despite popular belief, I find that raccoons, at least those in my area, are much more likely to show up in groups than alone. Opossums, on the other hand, do actually arrive individually. Also, opossums have often been more inclined to wait around until the wee hours when the house is silent and dark before coming out to eat. Any way I look at this, there is a good chance the food was consumed by an opossum rather than a raccoon - but that doesn't rule out the possibility that raccoons were also here!
Perhaps another bad sign...Since Heidi's disappearance, both Kitty & Cocoa have become very comfortable hanging out in the backyard at night. When Heidi was around (even if not actually here), Cocoa would not venture into the backyard at all after dark and Kitty went out there only by necessity (like to get inside) and tip toed around like a cat burglar when she did. The cats are telling me they have no fear of raccoon activity out there now. Bad sign? Maybe.
It's sunny for a change right now. If this clear weather holds, I may put the kibble out tonight. I prefer to do it on the weekend but don't want to wait too long.
Well, we're all right here waiting with you and with baited breath. Good luck, whatever happens will be an adventure. ;)
A.
Thanks, Amanda,
Sorry I didn't get back sooner to tell you this, but the very next night's results gave me cause for much greater optimism. I refilled the dish, mostly potatoes. The next morning the contents of the dish were gone completely, and the dish was licked clean. THAT to me was a clear sign of raccoon activity. It was more than 1 animal could have eaten, thus indicating 2 or more (more likely w/raccoons than opossums), plus for some reason I equate the action of licking the dish clean with raccoons rather than opossums.
After that 1st night (of putting out the dish of food), I was a bit concerned that the raccoons might actually not be coming around at all. The 2nd day, however, gave me real hope. I did put food out on subsequent nights, but the endless rain made it difficult for the critters to eat it. The dish kept filling up with water, making it difficult for them to get to the food w/o 1st drinking all that water.
If the current monsoons EVER end, I will put the cat food out as previously described. It has rained endlessly now for some 3wks, maybe four. Every time one of those storms makes a path across the country, we get pummeled with days of nonstop rain. Our world is incredibly soggy now with flooding everywhere, so it hasn't been very inviting outdoors. We need a couple of rain-free days just to dry things up a bit. This morning Cocoa came in with mud all over his tummy, something one doesn't expect from a cat. I'm guessing that's just another indication of just how wet and yucky it is out there. (Oops. almost changed topics in mid thread from raccoons back to cats. Came here from cat thread.) Just realized you aren't so far away, so it may be soggy there, too.
That is hopeful! I hope a couple of the friendlier ones make it back to the buffet.
Regarding Cocoa and muddy tummy, sounds like he had to crawl under something to get back in his yard. Our neighbors cat
goes under the fence and gets the same "mud bath" look. lol
We are having snow, rain, ice...repeat!!!
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
That makes sense about Cocoa having to crawl under something, although I'm not sure what. I was wondering why he would be lying around in the mud.
I'm hoping some of the 'good guys' find their way back, too. The 'meanies' and juvenile delinquents are not much fun.
You know, Debbie, even as I was complaining about weeks of endless overcast skies, drizzle, and downpours plus flooding throughout the city, it occurred to me that many of you may be experiencing snow, snow, and more snow - plus ice. All this rain with endless cloudy skies is more than a little depressing, but I doubt if snow and ice would improve things any. It's not just that it's raining but that it has been raining endlessly for some 3 wks or more and that I've not seen more than a brief glimpse of sunlight in all that time. Many days it is hard to tell if it's morning, noon, or dusk as it seems always to look as though it is moments before sundown, not quite jet black but rapidly approaching it even at midday. Still it is not nearly so cold nor so dangerous (for travel, etc) as what I imagine you must be experiencing. Temps here have been in the 60s and even 70s. It's just oh, so soggy.
I'm guessing I could probably get an idea as to what you are dealing with if I were to imagine all that rain having come down as ice and snow - ouch. By that same token, imagine all of your snow and ice as rain, and you probably have something close to our situation. Yeah, I can see how soggy doesn't stack up against buried under snow and ice. I would like to say that hopefully it will be over soon, but I just saw a weather report that said the really bad snow storm in the midwest is now headed east - and that's us. They said in parts of the midwest the weather/snow is so bad that officials have asked people to stay off the roads completely. Batten down the hatches and take care!
The one plus for snow is that a lovely blanket of freshly fallen snow is so much prettier than rain. Deadly perhaps and cold but beautiful, none the less. Also, snow is much tastier (snow cream) than rain and you can build all kinds of neat stuff with it. All that said, I guess I would prefer rain. The last time we had snow, the power went out almost immediately, and I spent the evening by candlelight and w/o heat. No thanks. I'll keep my dreary rain.
Good news. while I've not actually made contact with our raccoon(s) or even seen one, I'm pretty much 99.9% sure now that we have at least one. That's the good news.
This past Friday evening was clear and the ground had at least begun to dry. Unfortunately, the 'monsoon' ended with a sudden temp plunge making it too cold to sit outside. That evening I left a dish full of pork chop bones on the patio along with the remains from some bolognese sauce. The bones had been through the pressure cooker which had left them totally devoid of meat/cartilage but which had also softened them, not enough so that I could crush them but certainly enough to make them much easier for a raccoon to chew. Still, with no meat on them, I wasn't optimistic that they would be eaten, thus the inclusion of the spaghetti sauce. The next morning I was surprised to find that ALL of the bones were gone and the dish licked clean as before. At this point I knew I had a little friend, and I was pretty sure he/she was a raccoon - or two.
After that I brought out my raccoon stash, a collection of dry cat/dog food plus a few, random treats and some left over toys, all of which I keep for just this purpose, the cat/dog food in a large, plastic container designed for that purpose, everything else on shelves at the back door. Each night thereafter I set out a container of dry cat food making sure to put it out before dusk. Each evening the food disappeared well before bedtime.
That the food is being consumed shortly after dark is an excellent sign. Raccoons wake up hungry and head out immediately in the direction of their most likely source of food (where they have had success previously). Thus in the past, the raccoons have always come here early in the evening (and sometimes even before evening), as early as experience indicated food might be available. Likewise, the current 'eater', having found food here on a couple of consecutive nights now shows up nightly and early in hopes of getting another meal. It could still be an opossum, but this behavior makes me optimistic that it's one or more of the raccoons. Opossums have been reluctant to come this close to the house so early in the evening, in the past having only been seen on the patio in the wee hours of the morning.
So there you have it, the current state of affairs at the buffet. It has been very cold, bone chilling, the past few nights, too cold to sit out there. Ok, cold here is 30-32F. I know that doesn't qualify as 'bone chilling' to some of you out there, but here that's just plain deadly cold. Thus I've not had the chance to see our visitor yet. The cold should be over soon. We don't usually have such low temps for more than a few consecutive days. This is probably the last gasp of winter, after which it should be fairly warm out, at least warm enough for me to sit out there with a jacket - if the rain doesn't resume, that is. (One of the rare downsides of HRT is that I no longer enjoy that natural protection from the cold which had previously allowed me to feel comfortable at temps that would make big, strong men tremble and shiver.)
Yet another very good sign is seen in the behavior of the cats, especially Kitty. Before Heidi's demise, Kitty & Cocoa were never seen lounging about the backyard after dark and on the rare occasion when Kitty exited the house via the patio door at night she always did so with the caution of a child having just heard a plethora of ghost stories. Shortly after Heidi's death Kitty began to display a hitherto unseen calmness on the patio after dark, as though she somehow knew her nemesis would be there no more. Over the last several months both she and Cocoa have been hanging out in the backyard all times of the night and doing so with a calmness that seemed to indicate there had not been any raccoons around for some time.
I didn't mention this to you previously, but the behavior of the cats these last few months had been very discouraging. I was happy they were able to enjoy the backyard, of course, but dismayed by what I knew this meant in terms of raccoon visits or the lack thereof. Now, within the past weeks Kitty has once again begun to walk out cautiously onto the patio at night, her behavior seeming to confirm my assessment that the raccoons are back and that the mystery visitor is most likely a raccoon.
Soon, very soon, I hope and expect we should know the ID of our mystery guest. Soon.
Edited to fix typo.
This message was edited Mar 5, 2013 5:51 AM
Wonderful news! I can't wait to hear who it is! I hope it is one of the friendlier ones.
Hi June!
Wow. That was quick.
In my mind the mystery guest as one of the good guys, sweet and well mannered, perhaps one raised or otherwise influenced by Heidi. At this time, that's the only option I'm willing to consider, as if by believing I can somehow make it so.
(Seems like this must be your 'daytime' (or the active portion of the night) as this is when I'm most likely to 'see' you. It's like 4:30-5AM here right now, btw. Seems like I'm most likely to find you here when I'm up like this in the very early AM. Good to see you.)
I'm pretty excited by all of this, btw!
I've just moved to Delaware and I still have my days and nights mixed up - I can't seem to sleep past 2am and am dead on my feet at 1pm :/ It is so nice to be back! (but I can't wait to go again! (giggles))
June,
Oh, I didn't realize you were back 'home' in the states. Welcome home. So are you really planning to go back to S Korea at some point? Or maybe a different destination? I was just thinking of you the other day, with all that is going on to the north of you (or where you were). I know you must be glad to have new neighbors.
Yes, we are planning to go to Europe or Asia in 2 years, stay there 3-5 years and then try to get a posting to a place closer to our DSon & his family in Houston, TX. Because we got posted so far away from our families, we are at what is called a "boomerang post" ^_^ and will probably leave it as soon as possible (2 years) so that we can get another chance at getting posted closer to home.
S Korea is a wonderful, peaceful country that doesn't pay very much attention to what the loonies up north are talking about... the North really only wants more foreign aid so that they can continue putting all of their money into their pockets and to the military. The South has military exercises twice a year and the North threatens and sometimes shoots at boats or islands during these times. I guess the next 'saber rattling' will be Julyish...
Wow, June,
You two are quite the adventurers. I'm the exact opposite, total homebody. Wish I were more like you guys. I've been getting an endless array of job offers from all over the country and a few from elsewhere, jobs I would probably go for except that I just don't want to move, especially not alone - most recent offers from NYC, Miami, MO, and Raleigh. Most of my former colleagues have already left. Finally figured out the source of these offers, a resume I deposited on a job site some years ago & never removed because I lost my account info. (No, to ALL, beyond this little bit I really don't want to discuss the job situation right now - please.)
Glad you are able to enjoy the traveling lifestyle. Hope you will be able to acquire a post in the desired location soon. (Ok, Cheryl, now back to raccoons.)
I hope your visitor is little Desi, Hoping for an invite in or a windsail opportunity. ;-)
Hi Sheri,
Oh, how I do hope so, too! Thank you for reminding me of those moments with little Desi, especially the windsail thing. Just remembering it brings a smile to my face. He/she was so open and unusually trusting, climbing on my foot and clinging to my pants leg that way. It was such unexpected behavior. I remember at the time finding myself in such a ridiculous predicament, at once both insanely hilarious and yet potentially threatening, having a wild and unpredictable raccoon kit securely attached to my pants leg that way. It was like one of those silly sit com type predicaments, the sort of thing that would surely never occur in real life - and yet there the little fella was clinging to my lower leg and me trying to figure out the best approach to extricate myself w/o upsetting him and w/o getting scratched.
Desi was such an adorable little fluff ball, and it was nothing short of amazing how I could just reach down and put my hand over his back and/or head and pet him. No other kit had ever been so comfortable around me so quickly, not even Dennis. I would have expected him to scamper away at the sight of that giant hand, almost bigger than he was, coming down toward him, and yet he showed no sign of concern; didn't even tense up and tighten his skin. As I touched him, he remained as soft and fluid in my hand as a kitten. It was such a shame events ended up going so wrong shortly after that, with Heidi's demise and all. I would love it if Desi were to come back this year!
I don't think that we've seen the last of Desi!
I'm waiting with baited breath to see who your visitor or visitors are!
It is funny - DH and I are such homebodies! We don't travel much, just little day-trips around the area, but we do like living in different areas ^_^
I am hoping that you can recognize the grownup raccoon that is visiting your buffet!
I just got some bad news regarding raccoons in my area. This link (local news station website.safe) tells about a virus that is currently killing lots of raccoons in my area: http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=21538755
I can't help but wonder if this may have been what killed Heidi. I spoke with Ruth shortly after Heidi's death. She thought the symptoms were possibly indicative of breathing difficulty causing her to do a type of 'deep-belly' breathing in an effort to get enough air. In retrospect, that seems conclusive with this virus. As we all know, most viruses are worst for the very young and the very old. Since I lost contact with the group shortly after her death, I would have missed any indications that others were getting sick - except that I do recall mentioning in those initial weeks after her death that kits appeared to be missing. Just before I stopped feeding the raccoons I noticed that some of the mothers were showing up with fewer kits. Remember that? At the time I thought it might have been due to the fighting, either that or the young mothers were dismissing their young prematurely.
Gotta run. I just learned of this situation and wanted to let you know about it. (My mystery guest is still showing up but also still unseen. Due to the storms that keep battering the country, our weather continues to vacillate between 'warm with rain' and 'very cold'. It has to end some time though.
I still pray that someone of Heidi's progeny will have survived and return to your buffet.
Cheryl, that is just scary! I often wondered about a virus or something going through the "neighborhood". At least (knocking wood) it isn't rabies, which is
what I really feared. BUT I hope there is something they can "drop" in the area for them to eat and be protected like a vaccine. So hard with wildlife.
I came back just now to update you. I sent that link to Ruth last night asking for her take on it. She has a lot of experience working in animal control and also rehabbing raccoons, and I trust her insights on these matters. She seemed less concerned than I had expected. She said, contrary to what the article implies, cats are not susceptible to that version of the virus (they have their own version). Dogs, of course, are, but Widget is vaccinated and is never allowed out there after dark these days, so I'm not too worried about him.
She said (and I hope I am paraphrasing everything correctly) that distemper (dog version) is almost always fatal to raccoons; that once one picks it up from an infected dog, the virus runs through the area raccoons like a wild fire; and that this might very well have been the thing that took Heidi. I've read that distemper from dogs is probably the number one killer of raccoons in urban and suburban areas (followed closely by the automobile). I guess what I took away from Ruth's response is that this is not particularly unusual or unexpected. She thought the article was riddled with inaccuracies and largely devoid of any real information. From that I gathered it is probably overblown, perhaps to sell news. Note that the article indicates we had a previous run of this same virus in the area raccoon population in 2008, a time when things were going so well at the raccoon buffet that we were blissfully unaware - and would be even now had my sister not sent me the link (appreciated, of course).
Ruth also said that veterinary efforts to save effected raccoon kits almost always fail. Thus with or w/out medical attention, raccoons who contract this pretty much always die. It sounds like the best we can hope for is that this thing stay clear of our group or at least make its 'run' through the area over quickly. The only good news seems to be the fact that none of the tested animals had rabies.
On a more positive note, providing food for the raccoons actually decreases their risk of contracting this or any illness. Doing so limits the area they need to travel to find sustenance and thus the number of outside raccoons with which they come in contact. In addition, proper nutrition strengthens their immune system. I've decided to continue putting out food, although last night I forgot (long before I received the link from my sister, so not related). Unfortunately, the seemingly endless array of storms making their way across the country lately continues to make our weather inconsistent with my plans to sit outside and watch for the mystery guest. Every night has been either raining or down in the 30s F, but this has to end some time - if only to get too hot.
Debbie,
Sadly, there is little indication that the county will do anything to help the raccoons (like dropping vaccine, if that is even an option). There have been national programs to drop rabies vaccine in some states (for raccoons) but not here. The reason for skipping this area (and Florida) with the vaccine drops is that the feds have basically written the raccoons in this area off due to the already high rate of rabies. They decided it was more cost effective to drop the vaccine in states around the border of the 'hot zone' to curtail the spread of rabies instead of trying to stop it in the effected areas. That really annoyed me.
I figure the one good thing is that everyone indicates the virus moves through a population quickly and effected animals die quickly. In most cases, such behavior usually makes an infection self-limiting. Hopefully, the end is near. I think that is the best we can hope for.
I should explain...I'm not complaining about the constant rain and/or cold. I only mentioned it to explain why I've not been able to sit out there yet to wait for the raccoon(s). Up until the 1st or 2nd week of Feb, it was in the 50s & 60s at night and clear most of the time. I could have sat out there easily back then, except that it was too soon. Since early Feb the weather here has been almost nonstop rain and on the rare night when it isn't raining, the temp plummets to or near freezing, thus keeping me inside.
I'm not complaining about a little rain and a few chilly nights though, because I know all to well that what we have is fabulous compared to most of the country. I realize that many of you are experiencing much colder temps and/or snow, in some cases lots of snow bringing much of the midwest and northeast to a standstill. Just had to clarify that, because I can only imagine how "rain or 32F nights" must sound to those of you in places where it is REALLY cold, especially considering these two things (low temps and rain) have not even been occurring together. It is either raining (with lows in the 50s) OR cold at night (32ish), not both.
I'm hoping the storms end soon - for all of us.
Let's hope that if Heidi caught the virus, it took her quickly &, perhaps, spared her times of frailty & discomfort in her old age.
What still touches me as so incredible is that heidi was clearly sick and she made the effort to bring her kits to you.