We have a new place and put out bird feeders. Took about 3 days for the woodpeckers, jays, a cardinal (too heavy for what we have, so we’ll add one with a strong perch next year), mourning doves, grouse to show up....and red and grey squirrels, for which we need security for next year.
The most fun is our local turkey flock. They come through 2x a day, as did one shy deer, who brought a friend later in the week. The toms are now accompanying *the girls* and showing red on their heads and throats.
It’s a rural subdivision with a majority of summer homes, so the turkeys parade down the middle of the street. Little traffic and very quiet. Feels like we’re in the woods with our 3 acres and absent neighbors on 3 sides.
We are now setting out food only in the front, as we do not want the turkeys or deer near our new raised beds. We will add kennel panels, but I really can see those ground feeders ruining a garden.
We’ll set up the bird baths far away from the tomatoes, too. Need to give them moisture here and without the birdbaths, I’m afraid they’ll peck the tomatoes.
Great entertainment, but then, we’re easy.
Went out to my garden one day to pick some tomatoes. A few of them had big chunks taken out of them. I couldn’t figure out what was doing that.
A couple days later I go out to check on them and there is this huuggggeee buck standing there! (I live in suburban DC and wasn’t expecting that.) Slowly backed up into the house and knew what was happening to my tomatoes.
About an hour later my little dog wanted to go out. Checked the yard and saw no deer. So let her out.
Within a few minutes my 20 pound dog is barking her head off and chasing a this 300 pound deer around the yard!!!! It would have been funny but I kept thinking “This deer is gonna figure out he has the advantage in this situation.”
Luckily he just jumped the fence and left. (Lot of screeching breaks right after that.)
Now live in a townhouse with a shaded yard. Can only grow herbs if I move the pots around the yard all day long during the days when I’m home. It’s worth it.
Sounds like great entertainment to me!
My hobby is feeding the neighborhood chipmunks.
Few years ago I had a ninja talking chipmunk in my yard!
One morning let the pup out and she went after a chipmunk. The chipmunk started to run up the fence and did a flip over my dog and ran out of a hole in fence.
A few days later went to let the dog out and heard some rustling in the leaves. A chipmunk poked out it’s head and I swear it said “UGH” and duct back down into the leaves!