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In The Back Yard: Our Emotional Attachment to Wildlife

in the back yard emotional attachment to wildlife

Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife.

In this episode we look at our emotional attachment to wildlife.

Spring comes around every year.

Every nest, every den, every brood – they are a story in process – and our mind desperately wants a happy ending for them.

The lesson that Nature offers is not that everything will be ok – nature cannot promise that.

The lesson is that life continues without our Supervision.

  • Geese return to the lake year after year without our protection.
  • Foxes find dens without our help.
  • Squirrels manage countless dangers before we even notice them.

Their lives belong to them.

And as far as possible we should leave wildlife alone to make their nests, raise their young, sing their songs and quietly carry on their days pursuing life.

We are responsible for Our Actions towards the wildlife around us.

Not their lives. But we owe it to them and ourselves to be thoughtful, compassionate neighbors to the animals in our neighborhood.

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In The Back Yard: How Anyone Can Help Neighborhood Wildlife

in the back yard how anyone can help animals

Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife.

At any point in a walk through the neighborhood you might come across – Geese, Herons, Squirrels, Foxes, Snakes and Hawks.

At night you can hear Owls – and possibly Coyotes.

With the endless push to build more houses – every day we tear down trees, pave over fields and destroy miles and miles of wildlife habitat.

As we destroy their habitat they have to adapt more and more to living in ours.

Wildlife isn’t invading our neighborhoods.

In truth they were here first.

We are sharing the space with wildlife.

We are part of the problem until we know better.

Until we act.

Let me qualify that – until we take Educated Action.

Because lets face it – sometimes we start down a path and become so consumed we see “Need” even where there is none, feel the need to “Rescue” even though we do more harm than good.

So what can we do:

  • Drive carefully around wildlife inhabited areas
  • Plant Native Plants and attract pollinators.
  • Leave a small wood pile and leaf litter in a corner of your yard year round. Bugs lay eggs in leaf litter. The baby Cardinals that will be born in your yard – and in fact most baby birds – eat only insects early in their development.
  • Don’t use chemical treatments. If for HOA reasons you need to treat the front yard – try keeping the back yard as natural as possible. If we kill the bugs we kill the birds.
  • In drought conditions – or year round if you are so inclined – provide a water source like a bird bath. A shallow puddling bowl with some water and stones in it is helpful for butterflies and bees.
  • Encourage frogs into your back yard – they consume massive amounts of mosquitos and spiders.
  • If you live near a lake – take a regular walk around it picking up discarded fishing line.  Hundreds of birds get tangled in fishing line and are severely incapacitated, dying horrible painful deaths as a result.
  • Teach children respect for animals. They will set the tone for the future health of our planet.
  • Support wildlife rehabbers. There are not a lot out there. It is back breaking, soul destroying work. Support can be by volunteering or providing financial assistance or donating supplies.

Additional Thoughts:

Native plants are essential in a back yard to provide food and shelter to neighborhood wildlife.

If you want to supplement the shelter and food supply offered to backyard wildlife we suggest:

We may earn a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases.

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In The Back Yard: A Fox Made a Den in My Back Yard, Now What

in the back yard a fox made a den in my back yard

Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife.  Today we have a look at what happens if a fox makes a den in your back yard.

First off, don’t panic.

Foxes don’t live in dens year round – only to give birth and raise kits.

Breeding season for the Red Fox is January to February.

Kits are born in March to May.

The kits stay hidden with their mother in the den their first month of life.

When they are 8 to 12 weeks old they will start going out hunting with their parents.

The family unit will depart from the den by mid-summer.

Foxes are generally shy and avoid people.

A healthy fox is typically not a threat to a pet unless pets are small and unattended.

Foxes control rat and mice populations.

If you have a den – know that foxes are just parents trying to raise their babies.

Leave our bowls of water – but don’t feed them.

The funny thing is that people discover they have a fox den in their backyard and worry intensely for a month or two – and then one morning realize the family has quietly disappeared and normal backyard life resumes.

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In The Back Yard: I Found a Baby Squirrel, Now What?

in the back yard i found a baby squirrel

Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife. 

Today we look at what to do if you find a baby squirrel.

Mother squirrels are excellent parents and will almost always retrieve a baby if she can.

If you find a baby squirrel a reunion must be attempted.

Baby squirrels can’t regulate their body temperature – so will need to be kept warm.

Find a cardboard box or basket. Line it with a soft towel.

You will need to find a heat source – you can use a sock filled with rice and microwaved for 30 seconds – or a plastic bottle filled with hot water wrapped in a cloth.

Never try to feed them or give them water.

But the box and baby in it at the base of the tree closest to where you found it.

Keep dogs and cats away and leave the area completely.

Leave the baby for up to 24 hours in daylight.

If the mother does not return – or the baby is injured – you will need to contact a wildlife rehabber.


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In The Back Yard: The Eastern Box Turtle In The Road

in the back yard eastern box turtle in the road

Welcome to In The Back Yard where we have small thoughts about how to live alongside wildlife.

Today we are not in the back yard – we are in the street. Because the street is the killing ground for most back yard wildlife.

Most recently an Eastern Box Turtle.

These creatures live their whole life in a 250 square yard territory.

So please don’t kidnap eastern box turtles – they know their area and will spend their lives trying to get back to it if relocated.

The eastern box turtle that I am talking about now lived here. Unfortunately his territory included a road.

Over the years I picked that thing up and carried it across the road in the direction he was going and always tried to place him in a secure, grassy area.

Yesterday I picked his bloody, mutilated body off the road.

Please keep an eye out for tortoises and turtles.

Please if at all possible stop the car, pick him up and move him out of the road.

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In The Back Yard: I Found a Baby Bird, Now What?

in the back yard baby birds

Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife. Just a reminder upfront: 

Most wildlife does not need rescuing.

Yet baby season comes around and hundreds of baby animals are kidnapped in the mistaken view that they are in trouble.

Today we look at what to do if you find a baby bird.

First of all, don’t mistake a baby bird on the ground as – in trouble.

If it is feathered and hopping around it is a Fledgling learning to fly and the parents are around.

Most baby birds on the ground are not abandoned.

If the baby is naked or mostly featherless - check surrounding trees or bushes for nests and return the bird to the nest.

If the nest is destroyed or you can’t reach it – make a nest.

Use a little berry container or a cardboard box – line it with dry grass and secure it in a tree close to drop site.

Stay away and watch from a distance to see if parents return to feed it.

If the baby bird is obviously injured, or caught by a cat or dog, or the parents do not return by dusk – the bird will need to be transported to a rehabber.

For transport put the bird in a well-ventilated box with a soft towel or paper cloth.

Keep the box in a warm, dark and quiet place.

Never feed a baby bird. 

Feeding a baby bird – or any bird – is actually quite an art.

You have to know where the esophagus is – otherwise you are liable to choke and kill the bird.


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In The Back Yard – I Found a Baby Rabbit, Now What?

In the back yard - i found a baby rabbit

Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife. Just a reminder upfront: 

Most wildlife does not need rescuing.

Yet baby season comes around and hundreds of baby animals are kidnapped in the mistaken view that they are in trouble.

Today we look at what to do if you find a baby rabbit.

As already discussed in a previous episode – rabbits nest in shallow depressions in the ground.

It is easy to mow over them – so maybe get in the habit of casting your eye over the lawn before mowing.

Mothers leave their babies and only return dawn and dusk.

So chances are – the babies, if you see them, are absolutely fine.

Baby rabbits are also independent when they have all their fur and are about 4 inches long.

Signs that a baby rabbit needs help:

  • Open wounds or bleeding
  • Caught in a cat or dog’s mouth
  • Infested with fly eggs – looks like grains of rice
  • Cold, weak or crying constantly
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In The Back Yard – Geese

In the back yard - neighborhood geese

Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife. Just a reminder upfront: 

Most wildlife does not need rescuing.

Yet baby season comes around and hundreds of baby animals are kidnapped in the mistaken view that they are in trouble.

Today we look at Geese.

The geese that live in our neighborhood are Canada Geese.

They are also resident as opposed to migratory.

No doubt the golf course would prefer them not to live here – but they are a Federally protected species and coexistence is in everyone’s best interest.

Canada Geese mate for life and have one clutch of eggs in a season – laying up to 8 eggs.

The incubation period is about a month and hatchlings leave the nest about 2 days after birth.

The young geese will usually remain with their parents for a year then join the larger flock – which is predominantly family members.

If you live near a lake – take a regular walk around it picking up discarded fishing line.  Hundreds of birds get tangled in fishing line and are severely incapacitated, dying horrible painful deaths as a result.


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In The Back Yard – Deer

In the back yard - deer

Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife. Just a reminder upfront: 

Most wildlife does not need rescuing.

Yet baby season comes around and hundreds of baby animals are kidnapped in the mistaken view that they are in trouble.

Deer form a large part of our neighborhood wildlife population.

They thrive in neighborhoods because there are no natural predators and our gardens provide an abundance of food.

The fawning season goes from April through August with peak time May and June.

For the first few weeks mothers hide their fawns in tall grass or backyards wherever she feels they may be safe.

She returns to feed the fawns but stays away to avoid drawing predators to the fawn.

It is perfectly normal to find a fawn by itself.

Unfortunately people don’t realize this with the result that hundreds of healthy fawns are kidnapped every season.

Unless the fawn is clearly injured – please leave it alone.


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In The Back Yard: Songbirds

in the back yard - song birds

In The Back Yard - where we have small thoughts about wildlife.

The main thing to remember is that it is natural to find wildlife in our back yards and neighborhoods and most wildlife does not need rescuing.

Yet baby season comes around and hundreds of baby animals are kidnapped in the mistaken view that they are in trouble.

The song birds that live in our area nest between the beginning of  March and the end of August. Peak breeding activity is mid-May to mid-July. Many species, including Cardinals, Wrens and Bluebirds raise 2 to 3 separate broods in a season.

Baby birds fledge – leave the nest – 10 to21 days after hatching. At this point they should be mostly covered with feathers  - but cannot fly. They will spend a few days on the ground hopping around and hiding in bushes. The parents continue to feed them.

These birds do not need you to swoop in and kidnap the fledgling.

You can watch from a distance.

Keep your dogs and cats inside – it will just be a few days as these babies learn to fly.

Move it only if it is in immediate danger – like sitting in the middle of a busy driveway – just pick it up gently and put in near a nearby bush.


Additional Thoughts:

Wildlife thrives in a yard that has native plants and water sources. Native plants provide much needed food and shelter to wildlife.

Putting a bird feeder and a bird bath in your back yard is very helpful to the birds that make your back yard home.


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