Chipmunks

We have tons of chipmunks in our backyard, they dig holes everywhere. We live on a ravine lot and that's where most of them come from. They are so cute when they chase each other through the yard. I have since found out they are not always playing, they are protecting there underground aboad.
We also like to feed the birds so that's another risen why we have so many. My Husband tries to stop them from making so many holes by filling in the holes or covering them with a rock, they just dig another hole off the old one. Anyone else have a lot of Chipmunks?

We are surrounded by wildlife. I do not feed them. 2 problems. If you do supply the food for them , once they become dependent, they will die because they are not used to getting their own food. What if you move or go on vacation? Second, having lots of prey, brings predators. You feed and support a large population of
Chipmunks, Rabbits or squirrels, Quail( we have all here) And then comes the Coyote, or bobcat. To eat them. Here people actually feed the coyotes. Then, they put their little dog out on a leash. And guess what? Dog was dinner. If you have small children. It is also is a threat.
I dont mean to sound insensitive. I love animals. I also respect them. And even chipmunks could create a problem, because more than that will be attracted too.
If I come across an injured animal Like a baby quail or something that is safe to handle I take it to the wildlife rescue, here. I Love these wild animals. But I know I am doing them no favor feeding them.

Had a pair of white ones as pets a couple of years ago, they were fun to watch playing.

I have never seen one except on the movies of course. Another treat in store for me????

Hi Louisa; I found a site for you to go to, and see how cute the little chipmunks are.http://www.kentcounty.com/gov/parkrec/parks/chipmunks.htm there are a lot of differant animals on this page you might want to look at. If you where to ask my Husband where the best place to view animals would be He'd say the Discovery channel or the show National Geographic, one more Explorer in fact that is what he's watching now.
Hi also to Michele5000 we live in the city and everyone around here feeds the birds,so if someone leaves they go to the next place. The squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits get what the birds throw on the ground. You must live in a pretty secluded area to have so many types of animals living around you. The thing I would be most frightened of would be snakes. We have little garden snakes that take off the minuet they hear you coming.
Hi AJC I've never seen a white chipmunk before.

Thanks flowerpot - love the discovery channel and National Geographic. Thanks for the link!

Hello flowerpot, heres a link you can see a white chipmunk, its not a brilliant picture but at least you will see one, i am sure i have a pic of mine somewhere i will look it out.

http://www.dereham.swinternet.co.uk/kids/animals/page4.html

This message was edited Sunday, Aug 12th 9:05 AM

Hi AJC; Just finished looking at the White Chipmunks and read some of the other info. They are just as cute as the others aren't they. Did you have them for a long time, and did they go into your shirt pocket and walk around with you?

No i didnt have them long at all, made a few mistakes and lost them, but yes they where getting friendly, they would go to my middle son and run all over him, so much to watch them.

Flowerpot the link didn't work - sorry!! Will be taking a look at yours now Alan.

Louisa try this one it's got some good shots http://donb.furfly.net/browse/data/animals_27.html I tried the one I gave you and it wouldn't work for me either. Funny because I tried after my post to you. Oh well it did say might be temporary.

Thanks flowerpot and Alan - aren't they the cutest animals!!

we obviously don't have chipmunks here in the uk, but i'm surprised at how similar they are to squirrels, i havn't seen any squirrels round here, but we do have a lot of wildlife, hedgehogs, owls and other birds. here is a page showing the nature reserve just 15 mins walk from where i live: http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/durham/Reserves/JoesPond.html

lil

Very nice lil...... :-)

Lilith that's a great site, I think I like the Badger he's kind of cute. I'm changing topic here but isn't this amazing that we can talk to people so far away, from the comfort of our den or kitchen or where ever we have our computor's!!!!!

i feed the hedgehogs if i know they are around, they like catfood, and it's nice to keep em coming as their other favourite food is slugs! i fed them in the spring when they were coming out of hibernation, the little cute babies. i've never seen any badgers around here.. i've seen some owls and hawks.

lil

I've never seen a hedgehog except for the cute ones they make to brush your muddy boats off with. The badger I've only seen on television,and on the site you gave me to look at. My Husband says they're kind of mean animals. We live on a ravine and the first spring that we moved here I couldn't get my work done for watching all the wild life. One evening when it was dark but still light enough to see a snowy owl landed on my clothes line, I thought I was seeing things and my Husband missed it. I think we are on a flight path for migratory birds, you know I never saw it again. It's so exciting to see things you've only seen in a book or on tv.

Badgers are very social animals, but they will protect there den and area, and they do it well, the fact that they protect them selves and there faimlys so well that they are targeted for badger baiting, but they live together in harmony, its just man that gives them a bad rep.

I guess that's true of any species to protect what's their's. AJC do you watch Discovery and all those type of shows? My Husband thrives on these programs. I've got to admit they are pretty interesting.

Yes i do, i like to see the animals, but like the programmes that go into the domains of the smaller animals, we all know about the big ones, its the others that we never get to see that are more interesting i think.

hmm yeah, i'd love to see what's living inside my compost heap, i think there's a family of mice, my bf has seen a couple, but i've not... if they came in the house they'd be history tho .. with 2 cats!!

Hi Flowerpot! We have a lot of chipmunks here also and we really enjoy watching them! I got a few pics of one if you would like to see him ~~>
http://community.webtv.net/irislynx/CHIPPYCHIPMUNK

Hi Iris when I can figure out how to up load my pictures I have some cute ones to. Yhey are the nervious little guys. Look at he/she in your bird feeder. My Husband made a bird feeding station we'd can see from every level of our home. We have a lot of squirrel's as well as chipmunks and you know how distructive they are, so he puts a squirrel sheild up to stop them from going up the pole and that worked. Well this one day we're sitting having our lunch and watching the birds come and go to the feeders, and we saw this little chippy scoot up the pole through the squirrel sheid and into the bird feeders. It was so funny, you know how fast their little legs go, it looked like he/she was on an elevator going up then done. So my Husband ended up spraying the pole with something very slippery and now they can't get up there. In case anyone is wondering it's called Fluid Film that he put on and it reaaly works.
Lilith; I'm not to sure I'd like to know about all the little creatures, might make me feel creepy. We where bothered by moles this spring and summer, first time they say it was because we had such a hard winter.

Hi Iris - I loved those pictures and I honestly never knew how small these creatures were. They are so sweeeet!!!!!

great pics, iris, they are really cute :)

Flowerpot, I can imagine how funny that must have looked with him going up the pole! LOL! We have a lot of squirrels here also-even the 'flying squirrels' ~ ( Got pic's of them too, They nest here in the birdhouses every year) I found the best way to keep them away from the feeders is to give them there own feeding station, It works for us,tho its not practical for everyone
We have moles here too, Amongst the Rabbits, foxes, racoons,woodchucks, skunks, deer and such ~ Some do damage certain area's, But, I don't have the heart to harm them, So , I put up with a few things getting ruined, I look at it as most of the plants that get damaged grow back, And most things that get damaged can be fixed or re-placed, I got a lot of nice landscape plants, But, My yard is not what we will call " Manicured", But, Thats ok because it's all worth it to get to see some of the amazing sights that we see here, Something that I definately would not want to give up over some mishaps that the animals cause ~ I truly believe that " Nature Sooths The Soul! " P.S. ~ TY Louisa & Lillth ~ I'm glad you enjoyed the pic's!

Hi Iris; I'd love, to see pictures of your flying squirrels. I've seen them on television only. You must live in a wooded area, to have all this nature at your door step. Apparently before they started building on the other side of the ravine, where I live the neighbours said they used to get deer up in our yards. Is a groundhog much the same as a woodchuck? We have a resident groundhog living in the side of the hill. We have rabbits to they like to come and eat the sprouts that come up from the bird seed. I like you could watch them for hours. The hummingbirds must be fueling up for their flight south because we hardly saw a one all summer now they're at the feeders all the time

Flowerpot, I actually live right by a highway and close to town ~ But, My home is right in the center of almost 4 acres of land which is surrounded on 3 sides by trees and the forth side is a long driveway thats about a quarter mile from the main road ~ and tho its a driveway, It has trees on both sides also ~ I also do a lot of bird-scaping, Which attracts a lot of wild-life to my yard ~ I put some pic's of the flying squirrel on here for you, but, they are not very good pic's ~ They are nocturnal, So I can only get pic's in the early morning or early evening ~ They are on the feeders at night , Like squirrels are during the day, So what I need to do, Is, Put a cellophaned light out there at night so I can get a good pic of them ~ When I get a chance to do this and get a good pic, I will put it on here for you ~ I have other pics on
this link tho besides just the squirrel, Hope you enjoy them ~~>
http://community.webtv.net/HARLEYOMAN57/HOMECRITTERS

Hello Iris;
I think you live in an oasis. Those where some great shots. The squirrel I could see but as you said it's not very clear, but I'm waiting for your next ones you're going to try.
The woodchuck does look like the groundhog and why wouldn't he want to live with you. Isn't it amazing how much nature you get so close to town. My girlfriend and her husband live on a country road with farm fields on both sides, and they get bluebirds to they are so pretty, they have their box right on their front lawn, so when we go to visit we can se them. Great shots of the humming birds. We have a feeder hanging on our deck that we can see from our family room, and an oriole feeder. They like them both, and they are real busy right now fueling up for their long flight south. We actually had a Baltimore Oriole come back the other day they are very beautiful also. They don't stay with us all summer just until nesting season is over, must be dropping by for a quick snack. Do you get oriole's? I've seen a wood duck once and they are the prettiest of the ducks I think. I know I've missed somethings from your pictures but what amazed me at the end the clearwing moth. I've never seen one before this year nor heard of them and you just happen to have a picture of one, that moth was for me my exciting discovery of this year, doesn't take much to amuze me "huh huh". Well thanks so much Iris for showing me why you love to live where you do, I would to.
P.S. Looking forward to more pictures.

I enjoyed the pictures of your 'extended family' Iris and now for the first time I know what a woodchuck is. The ground hog are one and the same!!!

TY Flowerpot and Louisa! I have a woodchuck family here, Mom and two babies ~ Still here from last year! ( 3 times the trouble! LOL! ) I do get orioles here ~ I think they are one of the most beautifull birds! I have been trying to get a pic of one for a month now, And still have not been able to do it!! They are so elusive and fast! Everytime I try to get a pic, they either hide in good cover or they go where its out of reach for the camera to get a good shot or they wont stay in one spot but a minute!! But, I'm determined and eventually I WILL get one!! LOL! I have had the bluebirds nest here 4 times this year ~ Most boxes are very close to the house ~ one is only about 10 ft away from my backdoor ~ All in all , I had about 30 nestings this year of different birds and animals. It doesn't take much to amuze me either Flowerpot!! LOL ! ... I just love all aspects of nature!! The owls wil be coming in to nest soon, I'm really looking forward to getting a pic of them! I have 3 different kinds of clearwings here now, I've only got pic's of two different kinds right now tho ~ I put them on here, so you can see the difference ~ I have some really good pics of them, But, I have to search for them and I don't have much time on here lately because I'm in the process of making a double pond with a waterfall and rock garden and I have to dig most of it by hand, So it's taking a lot of my time ~ This fall, I will have a lot more time to be on here and then I can dig up the good pic's and write some good stories ~ But anyways, You shold be able to see the difference of the clearwings with the pic's I put in ....Enjoy! ...And have a great day ! .....
http://community.webtv.net/HARLEYOMAN57/HUMMINGBIRDMOTHS

Oh Iris I've got to learn how to put my pictures on this thing, I can e-mail them and print them I just haven't figured out how to put them on this site. I have a friend who's teaching me some things on the computor, I'm self taught and sometimes I'm afraid I might press the wrong thing. I have a great shot of a Baltimore Oriole I have a great lense for zooming in and a tripod that I can hide and get some great shots. It's so much fun I have so many pictures of flowers and birds, I loved your humming bird one's they where so nice and close and clear.
They are amazing little birds they get pretty brave once they get used to you don't they. The first picture of the clearwing this time looks more like the one I had and it's official name is homaris diffinis how's that for a handle!!!! I had some verbena growing in my wall planters and they loved that. Well got to sign off for now we're going to our second youngest grandaughters birthday party, she's two today. Bye for now fp

FP, I wish you knew how to put pic's on here too! LOL ! I would love to see some of yours ~ I can't seem to get them on here the way that I want to, I always have to use a hyperlink, But, At least it works ~ I don't have a computer, Just web tv, I have a keyboard, And use the tv for a monitor screen ~ I do have a printer and scanner hooked up to it, But, I can't do as much with this as a person with a computer can do ( But, I enjoy it anyway) ~ When I want to post a pic on here, I have to start a page for it first, Then put whatever pic's on that page, Then make a hyperlink to it, Then put it on here ~ If I could figure out how to just upload a pic right to this page, It sure would make life a lot easier!! ~ (I'll figure it out eventually!)
The hummingbirds do get pretty brave, They are always coming up by my face and darting around my head!! Sometimes they scare the heck out of me, Especially if I'm digging or dead-heading something and they zoom right in by my head with that loud little buzzing noise!! ...It always seems to catch me off-guard!! LOL !
I guess you do got a good handle on the 'clear-wings! " You know a lot more about them then I do! I more or less think of all of them as 'hummingbird moths' and don't really know there species name ~ ( I hope that doesn't sound to stupid ) ~ /they seem to love butterfly bushes, bee-balm, And flox!
Well FP, I hope you had a nice time at your granddaughters birthday party, And I hope it was a wonderfull day for her! Got to go eat some supper now, I'll catch up with you later, Bye4now!

Hi Iris; We had a good time at the birthday party and so did are little Granddaughter. We got her a bike and she didn't want to get of. Her Mom and Dad said she must really like it because she didn't want to get off.
My very first time of seeing my Grandaughter was on the screen of a web TV. We where down in Florida and my Daughter had her baby eight weeks early, so I missed being there when she was born. It's just as well because that way my son in law had to be brave and go in with her, and he was so glad he did. So there's nothing wrong with what you've got. Our friends that have the web tv are thrilled with it. Now my daughter is going to have her second baby in about three weeks, so some more excitment. We already know it's going to be a boy, they just won't tell us what his name's going to be.
So tomorrow I'm going to try and send you some picture's of my feathered babies.
It's a wonder when the hummer's come buzzing around your head you haven't tried to swoosh them away like a bee.
The only reason I knew the name of that perticular moth is because someone else put a bunch of pictures of moth's and that happened to be one of them and had it's proper name. I had to go back and look it up to tell you. Hope you had a good dinner, talk to you soon fp.

FP, So glad to hear that you had a good time! I'm sure your granddaughter is going to really enjoy that bike for some time!
I take it that the baby that was born early was allright? 8 weeks is early! ~ A new grandson in 3 weeks , You must be anxious huh?!
I enjoy my webtv, It's not like a computer, But, Everythings easy and simple to work it! LOL! I'm looking forward to seeing your feathered babies! ~ I hope you get them on here ok
I have never swooshed at a hummingbird or even a bee for that matter ~ I'm the kind of person that just has to see what it is before showing a reaction ~ I do jump a bit sometimes when they do that tho!!
Ah-Ha ~ So you did look the species of moth up (lol )! When it comes to Most bird species, I can tell someone exactly what, what is, And all about it ......But not when it comes to moths ... ( kinda lost in that area! )
I would love to see a pic of that oriole if you can get it on here ~ Or you can just forward it to me ~ I'm going to keep trying to get a pic of one over here ~ Sometimes they are around and sometimes not, So that makes it hard too ~ I was also trying to get a pic of the red-bellied woodpecker thats around alot ~ I put 2 suet cakes out there just 2 days ago and would you believe that I only have a 10th of one left out there!! I hear him alot ~ he has a very high pitched call, But, I keep missing him because I'm trying to dig out a hole in the yard to put the pond in!! Thats ok tho, I'll just re-fill the suet-cakes and as he's feeling more comfortable with visiting them, It will be easier for me to get a good pic of him! Well, Guess i should be going, Talk2ulater, Iris

Hi Iris; I didn't forget you, We had the Grandaughter over today that was eight weeks premature, she's very well and keeps her Grandma and Grandpa busy. Her Mommy's getting anxious to have it over with also. The kids will be fifteen months apart and she's feeling like she's been nothing else but pregnant.
How's your pond coming are you putting a liner plus stones? We went to a pond semiar this past spring and really enjoyed what we learned. They are becoming less work with the new filter systems they have for them now. We're going to be moving soon so we'll wait and see what happens at the new place.
I was so tierd after my Daughter went home I didn't have what it takes to figure it out. So I will forward you some pictures if I knew your e-mail address. Or can I forward them here? Let me know FP.

Hi FP!, I can imagine how the mother feels having them be 15 months apart ~ I wish her the best!
Well, I got 3 quarters of the digging done, I'll probably finish the rest today ~ It's really hard digging through the grass, I can't wait till that parts done!! I'm going to put in a pre-formed pond with a waterfall, ( At least, Thats what I'm hoping to do and I hope it comes out right !! LOL ! )
Once I get the grass off, Then I have to get about 10 yards of loam, rake it all even then put the pond shell in,Make a mound for a waterfall,then do all the plantings ~ In the pond and around it .... So it's going to take me a couple weeks or so to get it done, But, I'll be working on it everyday
I don't really have a filter system on my other pond, But, It does good and stays nice clear and the plants and fish do great, So, So far , so good!
Are you thnking of putting a pond in at your new place?
I wrote you and gave you my e-mail addy so that you could forward me some pic's if you wanted to ~ Well, Have to run along Bye4Now ~ I took pic of visitor that was at my other pond yesterday~~~>http://community.webtv.net/irislynx/ANEWPONDADDITION

Hello Iris I sent you some pictures hope they came through okay. I love your new boarder for your pond. Wow you must like hard work, doing all that digging by hand. It's very expensive for the pond system we saw so we may forget it or do something like you are doing. It sure is nice to sit by a pond and watch the fish swimming around. Your's sounds like it's going to be pretty nice waterfalls and all. What kind of plants are you going to do? We have a very nice watergarden nursery here it's called Moore Water Gardens people come from all over the place to buy there fish and plants. Well let me know if the pictures came through alright, I'll be waiting to read what you think of the orioles. Bye for now FP

FP, The pictures came through fine TY !! Love the oriole one!!
FP, I DON'T like digging at all, But, I will do whatever it takes to make my pond without it costing a small fortune ~ Like you, To put certain ones in can be pretty expensive, but, I try to keep it as 'low-cost' as possible, So if you ever decide to do one, let me know, and I will try to help you out with it.
I am going to use hardy water lilly, water-hyathis,water canna, water Iris And parrots feather in the pond and ornamental grasses, iris's, lillyturf, cotoneaster amd such outside the pond ~ What really helps is, I have extra plants from my other gardens to add to the area of the pond ~ It's going to be a combination of a Pond, Rock garden, And Bird garden.
The sound from my other pond is very soothing and it is really neat to just sit and watch the different colored fish ( They all come up to the top when it's feeding time ( lol ) ) The pond I have is about 12ft from my backporch, The pond I'm making is in the front yard and it will be about 2o -25ft from my front porch, But, It will be a bigger pond and it will stand out more.
I have a lot of fish for the sze of the pond that I have now, Thats one of the reasons why I'm making a bigger one ~ Fish need room LOL ~ I have two adult fish that keep having babies so I need to expand, Anways, Got to go finish digging, Talk to you in a bit!

Hello Iris are you out of the pond yet. It sounds lovely. You'll probably join the two ponds together, someday with a little creek, feeding into the front pond from the back one.LOL My Husband says your weather is much like New York, we went to New York last spring. We did New York, New York and the Finger Lakes, what beautiful country side. The city was pretty exciting as well. Don't like the way they drive there. Everybody has a horn though. LOL
Now what about racoon's getting your fish? Our friends have a pond and one day they looked to see a Blue Heron having a lovely meal on their Koi. They sure would like your pond it's much bigger then theirs. I also went and looked at some of your photo's on the photo forum and saw the pictures of the hot air balloon's you're quit the photographer. Well I better get off line incase my Daughter is trying to get through got to up grade my line so I can use the phone to. Bye for now (FP) P.S. did you get my second set of pictures?