If you encounter baby rabbits (bunnies) in your yard and don’t see a mother nearby, your first thought may be that they’ve been abandoned. As you start thinking about how to take care of a bunny, you might imagine that it would be easy or fun, but caring for a wild rabbit is very different from having a pet rabbit. First, do not attempt to feed wild baby rabbits even if you think they may be hungry. You could easily do great harm, as only a … [Read more...]
Becoming Bug-Eyed with Beneficial Insects
We dined with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, befriended Percival the Plain Little Caterpillar, and watched what happens Because a Little Bug went Ka-CHOO. Charlotte’s Web was spun above us, and A Bug’s Life ensued below; the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout and the old lady swallowed the fly. Jiminy Cricket! And then the bugs crawled from the pages and into our lives; beetles scooped into leaf-filled jars, daddy longlegs dangled … [Read more...]
That Bird Has Angel Wing
When you see it, you may think that the twisted wing on a goose or a duck is injured or broken. But it’s not broken, and it is not an injury; it is a deformity called “angel wing” and there is nothing angelic about it. What is angel wing? Angel wing is a debilitating condition for waterfowl and is directly caused by human feeding. When young, growing birds are fed high carbohydrate foods such as bread and popcorn (which replace the … [Read more...]
How to Help an Orphaned Baby Squirrel
When you see a baby squirrel come tumbling out of a tree you’re cutting down, what do you do? What if you discover a baby squirrel following you all around, with no sign of mom anywhere? Here are some pointers for what to do in those situations when you think a baby squirrel may be in trouble. It's not the time to hone your lumberjack skills... If you’re cutting down a tree in spring (which you should avoid whenever possible since baby wild … [Read more...]
Did You Find a Nest of Baby Bunnies?
You walk around your yard, and suddenly you almost step on a nest of baby bunnies! There they are, in a shallow nest lined with fur and grass. They’re all alone, so your first thought is that they’re orphaned. The reality, though, is that mom is nearby but is staying away from her babies because she has an odor, but they don’t. She doesn’t want to attract predators due to her scent. So she only returns twice a day to nurse her babies, when no one … [Read more...]
Snow Bunny… Snowbird… Snow Squirrel?
There have been record breaking snowfalls all across the country this season and there may be more to come. It’s not only humans who need to dig out, some wild critters do too. The Humane Wildlife Services captured this great little video of a squirrel digging out, which helps us realize that we’re not the only ones affected by the weather. http://youtu.be/SF15v5Hzw6A?rel=0 … [Read more...]
Squirrel Baby Season – Part II
Did you know that unlike most urban wildlife, gray squirrels have two baby seasons; one in the spring, the other in late summer to early fall? Depending on where you are, this is the time of year that young squirrels start venturing out on their own and can sometimes find themselves in difficult situations. And where you find one in a predicament, there’s always a chance that his or her siblings are also in trouble, so it’s important to do a … [Read more...]
What’s Up With the Wild Birds of Autumn
You’ve heard of “the boys of summer?” Well, now you’re going to hear about the birds of autumn! Why are they worth knowing about? As it happens, the birds you see in autumn may include both the regulars (birds living in your area year round) and species from points north, migrating southward for the winter. Even the bird species you usually see and are familiar with are busy with their autumn activities. Here’s what to watch for, along with some … [Read more...]
What to Do if You Find a
Turtle in the Road
Turtles large and small, freshwater and terrestrial sometimes need to cross roads—a risky feat for these slow-moving creatures. What compels them to cross roads? They have as many reasons as we have for building roads. Males must search for females. Females must search for places to lay eggs. In times of drought, they must search for water. In fall, they must search for places to hibernate. As roads crisscross more and more turtle … [Read more...]
Is That Baby Deer Really Orphaned?
In late spring and summer, many people are astonished to find an adorable, helpless-looking baby deer, or fawn curled up in their yard. Some assume the fawn is orphaned and in need of help, and run out to grab the animal. They don’t realize that this is the worst thing they can possibly do. Nature's camouflage... What’s happened is that the mother deer has “parked” her fawn there on purpose – in a place that seemed safe in the night. Deer … [Read more...]