Our yard is alive with wildlife this spring, so thought I would post some photos of the critters and a few native plants they’re especially attracted to. The insects attract a host of larger insects and in the chain of life, they in turn attract a rich bird and lizard population that feeds on them all. The last photo I took was of a Cooper’s hawk hoping to feed on one of those birds. [Read more...]
Don’t Buy d-CON (and a campaign to reduce rat poison use)
April 9, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Kudos to the Los Angeles Times. Last Friday they pushed another important subject into the public arena in their editorial ”Ban super rat poisons.”
I’ve been gathering info to write another post on the dangers of the stronger second-generation rodent poisons (see earlier post here). Briefly, here’s the latest news on this problem: One manufacturer — Reckitt Benckiser — of the second generation of poisons, refuses to withdraw its d-CON products despite a ban by the EPA [Read more...]
Native Bees and Other Wildlife Find Our Home
March 31, 2013 by · 1 Comment
What a joy this spring to walk around our yard here in Southern California – a former lawn now full of native and other wildlife-attracting plants. The native bees have arrived in higher numbers, challenging the busy honeybees on our blooming ceanothus and lavender. Our resident Anna’s hummingbird seemed to survive the cold spell this winter and is perching on his usual tree branch
[Read more...]
Living in Coyote Country (and a campaign to stop a hunt)
February 4, 2013 by · 3 Comments
As mentioned in a previous post, we’ve seen some coyotes in our Southern California residential area recently. One was feasting on a dead squirrel as we drove by late one night; two others were documented on the night camera set up in the alley behind our house. Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs and never hearing a coyote howl until I moved west, I like the sound that reminds me of our coexistence with wildlife.
This article has two purposes: one is sharing what I’ve learned about how to react when I see coyotes in our neighborhood. The other is about a planned coyote hunt in California (2/12 update: see below) [Read more...]
More Wildcam Photos – While You’re Sleeping
January 26, 2013 by · 1 Comment
I published some photos from our wildlife camera over a year ago – see prior post Wildcam Shots. My Bushnell TrophyCam died for some reason, at least in taking night photos, so they offered me a new one for a reduced rate.
Finally caught some photos of a couple coyotes [Read more...]
Nature Photos of 2012
January 2, 2013 by · 2 Comments
Nature was very talkative in 2012. May we continue to see her beauty and learn her lessons in 2013. Photos below. [Read more...]
Surprising Monogamy among Animals
December 8, 2012 by · 3 Comments
Articles about infidelity among humans are always a draw for readers, and yes, including me. But I’m even more eager to read articles or research about monogamy among our animal brethren.
It’s true that genetic research [Read more...]
