The variety changes from year to year, but when I first moved in there were a ton more critters. The place was owned by an out-of-state investor for over 6 years, and had been vacant for some time before that. I used to go out on my deck late at night and shine a flashlight into the trees at the end of my back field, and a dozen pairs of eyes would be glowing back at me. Now there are none. I also had a family of skunk who have relocated, as have the fox that were here. They're all likely still nearby, they're just not as visible as they used to be.
I believe when I arrived they said "There goes the neighborhood." I could tell my presence was a shock. It's funny that I still see deer in my yard daily, but they're not around at the wood edge at night in the numbers they used to be. And I do miss the skunks. Among other things, they destroy yellow jacket nests.
Dwight is wondering about what a 'mosquito dunk' is. Ahh, she means mosquito drunk. The little pests get liquored up and dive for your big veins. All is clear.
The active ingredient in Mosquito Dunks® is Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis (Bti). Bti is a bacterium that is deadly to mosquito larvae but harmless to other living things.
I don't know about the area you live in but here in N.Fl. the forest are being cleared for more human developement. Wildlife is running out of habitat. We try to keep our little forest for them a small sanctuary but its not really big enough. We have a family of deer that has somehow survied the Yosomirte Sam's who use to continously shoot. When we moved here we saw fox,deer,coons,even one Florida Panther,Also had Passion Flowers aka Maypops. Not seen one of those in at least 20 years.All kinds of wildlife and plants have gone. Our crows keep the Hauks away.Both are now on endangered list.We saw a couple crows hit a hawk and knock baby rabbit out of its grip in the air. Wouldn't have beleived it if didn't see it ourselves.
There is no such development in my immediate area, but I've seen tracts of hundreds of acres in this region razed for development.
We still have our crow aka Pretty Bird whos been hanging around for several years now ,now Pretty Bird has a family.So now we have 4 of them cauwing for treats or food, Pretty Bird,Clucker,Nikki and Clucker Jr.. Its a shame we use to see flocks of crows all over the sky. Not anymore. I think these 4 are it now.
Yesterday, as I went out to the car I saw a big hawk leave our pine tree and fly across the lower road, up to the top of the hill and settle on the top of a giant, cone-laden pine. While I was looking, a second one followed the first. I debated on getting the camera to take a picture, and finally decided to give it a go.
What a great pic, Joe. Do you hear them call? I wake up nearly every morning to the sound of one of them off in the woods, screeching. We're at the tail end of their fall migration, and sometimes the travelers may stop to rest in another hawk's year-round territory...it causes issues.
No, they are silent, swooping, sentinels who stop by for a meal. We are surrounded by fields and farmland, and I have seen 6 or 8, in pairs hunting at one time. We have three crows, who are regulars, but have seen up to 9 to 12 together.
I live in a residential development and tend to see Red-tailed hawks from time to time. One caught a starling in the backyard and I watched it through the kitchen window. Later I walked over to see what was left and it was just a few feathers and a skull. I saw what was left of a rabbit once in the front yard too with nothing but head and feet remaining. Winter must be a tough time for them. Young of the year bunnies etc. have disappeared and any migratory birds have moved south.
@Joe Riley: That tree is almost as interesting as the hawk. Don't think I've ever seen one like it. Is that a Douglas Fir?