I received this story about a blackbird named Bill in a Christmas card from my childhood friend, Linda Gurtz Hildreth. Such a good message…. thank you Linda. Linda and her husband Jeff go out on their large sailboat nearly every weekend and sometimes take the 10-12 hour trip from the west …
Our Backyard Brethren: Recent Wildcam Photos
I took a hiatus with our Bushnell wildlife camera, but have put one up again the last couple months in 3 different places to track our wildlife visitors. Thought I would post a few photos of what's been in our yard, plus what's been waking up my husband most early mornings as it goes through the …
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Wildlife and Predator Friendly Products
In writing an article for the Organic Trade Association I came across an interesting program that certifies livestock producers (ranches, farms) for having wildlife-friendly and even predator-friendly practices. They allow carnivores such as coyotes and foxes to co-exist with their agricultural …
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More on Relocating Rattlesnakes – including a research bibliography
Here's a more recent post on rattlesnake research by Dr. Erika Novak. A reader and nature appreciator, Gary MacGrumbley from New Mexico, responded to my earlier article Rattlesnakes! Relocating them works just fine, saying there was not enough evidence to say that relocating rattlesnakes worked. I …
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Our Welcome (and not welcome) Nature Guests
Our housesitter called when we were away to say that we hadn’t told her about our unexpected friend. At dusk she had walked out onto the back patio and discovered a 5-foot gopher snake slithering along the house. Knowing our respect for critters, she successfully whisked it away with a broom. …
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Sustainable landscaping: Some tips…
Wondering how you can do your landscaping and yard work in a more gentle-on-the-earth and sustainable way? Janet Hartin, horticulture advisor and author with the U of California, has given over 1000 talks on sustainable landscape topics, and our local horticulture group was one of them last …