living with wildlife

We call this pheasant "Mr.Beautiful" and so he is. I think the raccoons got all his lady friends so he spends his days trying to get the attention of the neighbor's chickens (who ignore him) and talking happily to himself as he discovers another tasty morsel in my garden to chomp on. At first I didn't mind because most of my plants in the veggie garden were large enough to sustain it, and he is quite entertaining to have around. I enjoy listening to his funny burbling chatter. But when I put out broccoli starts a few weeks ago he had a field day nipping apart the leaves. He did a fair amount of damage to some of them. I wonder what sort of spray repellent to put on the plants might work. He nips at the onion leaves also, so I'm not sure if a garlic spray would do the trick.

Any ideas? recipes? What works to keep your wildlife companions at bay, while still allowing them to be garden residents you can enjoy seeing about?

Mr. Beautiful is beautiful!

We have Colin and Mr. Darcy (Mr. Darcy is black with flashes of electric blue!) who come regularly to our garden - I dissuade them from snacking on the vegetables by putting chicken wire cloches over the rows of infant veggies. Interestingly, once they have been unable to get them for a week or so, they stop trying. So even when I take the cloche off they seem to have forgotten about it - or their pride is hurt and refuse to shake a feather to try again. Out of season, I just unfold the ends of the cloches and roll them up for the following year.

(I think both of them are off courting right now, we haven't seen them in a couple of days, nor have we seen the hens lately - ahhhh, raising little families somewhere).

Mr. Darcy sounds like quite a brilliant bird. That is funny about the cloche effect on his pride. Mr. Beautiful was seen this morning traveling eastward in a nearby meadow. Perhaps he sensed I was talking about him, or I hope he found a chance at a better social life down that way. Possibly he does not prefer to be followed to have his picture taken and decided the broccoli snacks were just not worth the publicity hassle. :)

He'll be back, with brood in tow, doing that funny Pheasant chuckle.

Well he did pay a brief visit yesterday evening, flying over the fence and announcing himself with a loud call. Then of course he headed straight for the broccoli buffet. Doesn't bother the spinach or peas for some reason. He even let me get a photo of his shimmery copper colored front. There is no sign of him this morning. I would be happy for him if he had a little family, but then I'll really have to get some chicken wire.

His colors are astounding. I understand the challenge - beautiful to have him there, but difficult to manage your garden with him there.

I took the dogs out at 11:00 last night and the minute we came around the house, they took off for the front after a coyote walking boldly as you please across the front yard. Bug, who is on a leash because he jumps the fence, tore away from me before I could grab tightly on the leash. I was terrified that he would head out after the coyote (not so much because of the coyote, but because a car might hit him or the leash might strangle him).

I could only see the coyote because I had tripped the front floodlights a moment earlier. Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten the full impact of the event. I wish the coyote was terrified of the pack of dogs in the yard, but, sadly, I think the only thing he learned was that the pack of dogs was behind a fence and unable to get to him.

And my coyotes aren't small like a fox. They're the size of a border collie - may have some domestic dog in them. Sahara was game, but she only weighs 30 lbs soaking wet. Bug and Magic, on the other hand, weigh in at a whopping 60 lbs and are, I'm sure, much faster than coyotes.

Kathy, glad all is well with your babies! I saw a coyote the other day in broad daylight, on the side of the road. He just stared at me until I drove right by him, then took off. I do so love wildlife, but can't make myself think coyotes are "okay!"

Hi Carole!!

Yes, I definitely had the heebie jeebies after that. It's funny - they don't scare me (and probably should), but I get the creeps that there are predators after my animals and that they are feeling "all that" when they enter human territory.

Your pheasant is so pretty with all those colors. He does look rather flat headed though. Is he different than an ordinary pheasants?

My DH, Harley, grew up hunting this type of pheasant in South Dakota where it is the state bird. However, they are not native to this continent, and were imported from Asia as a game bird. They have naturalized across the country. It is called a Chinese Ringneck. They have taken over the territory of the native prairie chicken,which is unfortunate. I am a little less fond of him after finding out about this.

Not his fault - he didn't ask to come!

You're right. He wasn't responsible for his ancestors being transported unasked across the Pacific. And he still is beautiful and fun to listen to. Also, Harley went on to say that really the prairie chicken was more displaced by human farming activity (those pesky, non-native, imported human beings). We took over their territory. It is just that the ring neck pheasant was more adaptable to these environmental changes and actually flourished. I guess it was a symbiotic relationship. Harley's family ate pheasant, especially when times were tough.
However, the prairie chicken features prominently in my family history. My parent's first date was a field trip to an Illinois native prairie reserve to see the mating dance of the prairie chicken. They left very early in the morning, with a station wagon load of high school students ( my dad was a biology teacher), in order to get there just before dawn and creep quietly into position to watch the dance when the sun came up.

Kathy, coyotes in your front yard sounds disturbing, given the risk to your pets. Glad they are all safe after that incident.

Is anyone reintroducing the Prarie Chicken? sounds like an interesting bird - is it worth rearing for food?

I'd rather watch the mating dance.

A friend in the front yard who has been displaced when new homes went in up the hillside. Usually has hens in tow and we see the babies every year.

Wow. Beautiful bird and beautiful picture. Did you post this to the bird watching forum? They'd love it.

Thanks Katie, I didn't know about the bird watching forum but will go there now. Here is another pic of the same bird on the same day.

It's amazing. The photos there are incredible. And the people there are so nice and knowledgeable.

So what is your guy - a pheasant?

Yes, He is a ring-necked pheasant. There are about three families of them around my house that come and go in the yard.

Great bird pic

Thought I'd pop this thread back up. Sea Gulls love to open clams by dropping on the rocks but they don't normally like to do it near someone. Just stood still and he continued to go for it.

Then he decided to keep an eye on me before finishing his meal.

I call this one "Scruffy" as he seems disheveled most of the time. Scruffy spends some time each morning surveying the surrounding waters for breakfast.

And as long as I'm at the beach, thought someone would like to see the real beach cleaners.

When walking on the beach you may want to watch for goeyducks.

Too close and you may get wet.

Low tide leaves some stranded for up to six hours. Notice the hole in the clam shell at lower left.

No, the starfish didn't make that hole. A Moonsnail did. This is what he looks like in his normal habitat as he cruises just under the sand searching for clams.

And this is what he really looks like. As an iceberg he stays 90% buried.

Those are really cool photos, Bruce Which beach where you on? Was it here in Pousbo?
And welcome to DG, one more on this side Yay.


This is my woodpecker, on sentry duty. they have been in this tree for 3 years. I wish I had a camera back then when they made the nest. was cool to watch.

Tills

This is another shot. Same one.

Thanks, Tilly. The beach is about a mile north of the Brownsville Marina. That woodpecker looks suspiciously like a western Flicker from that far away. I have one that pecked a hole in the side of my house just for the sound of it, then left it to the starlings. I really need to get out there and fill it in :-).
By-the-by: I hope you've gotten your car troubles behind you.

This message was edited Aug 19, 2008 11:19 AM

Very nice pictures - nice to see more of that area.

Hi Bruce -

Thanks for the pics. Nice to have a moonsnail identified. Don't think I've ever seen one before.

Great shots, neat snail. It's been a long time since I was on a beach. Love it.

Hey Bruce, I haven't been there in years, I'm close to the Hood Canal and don't get away much to enjoy it, spend all my spare time in the garden. Car troubles are not over had a flat in the car I borrowed this morning going to work, woh is me, when will it end. LOL (have to)
Wish I could get a good close up of him/her. They like to tap on the metal pole to call each other or the gutters. just never in the right place.

Tills

Yes, Tills, that is what they do on the side of my house. Look around for a sounding spot that the insulation has settled in and then pound away hoping to attract another of their kind. Ends up a nice hole that the Starlings seem to love.
Katie and Willow: The moon snail is ubiquitous on most sandy beaches at low tides in the Sound but their habit of cruising 99% buried make them hard to see. What is easy to see in the summer time is the egg case (Photo) that abounds at low tide on the surface of the sand.

Wow - how big around is that? I need to have you give me a beach tour!! There are so many things I've seen over the years that have been mysteries to me and I'm sure this is one of them.

AHA! I have seen those. Never knew what they were. We used to go up to Agate and Cresent Beaches all the time for camping. Great for tide pools, shells and agates. Once I saw a grey whale about 30" away. Awesome.