All this time I have been deluding myself
that the garden which I work so diligently to maintain was ours.
Wrong ! I am only the caretaker it would seem. The creatures of nature
who grace the yard and garden with their presence very definitely have
staked their claim. At times I overlook this salient fact but
very quickly these amazing creatures put me in my place. This domain
is definitely theirs! Of course they have no objections to sharing it with
my husband and I so long as we remember the rules and follow the
guidelines they have established.
Their rules are quite simple really. We are
quite welcome to share the peace and tranquility of the yard but
at all times we must remember that we are being allowed to intrude only
so far. There are definite lines which must not be crossed. As long
as we adhere to these simple rules they are more than happy to have us
around. As time has passed they have on occasion even bent those
rules a bit as they have come to know us better. Amazingly these tiny creatures
do seem to trust us and are quite comfortable having us share their habitat.
The one feeder is now positioned only about
6 feet from our deck and they congregate there even when Les and I
are there. We have a Mommy Squirrel who is obviously nursing babies who
makes regular visits for her daily ration of peanuts in the shell
who will be eating out of Les' hand before too many more days pass. Each
day she comes closer. She has come to depend on the sustenance she finds
here and we look forward to regular visits from her in the coming months
when that sustenance will be of even more value to her. The babies are
newborn we think as they are still nursing so they will be staying with
Mom throughout the winter and she will need all the help she can get
in the harsh winter months ahead to feed her wee family. Squirrels
have it tougher than their feathered friends. No Daddy is around
to help with the feeding or training chores apparently. I have even done
a bit of reading on the subject and apparently the male squirrel
has no interest in sticking around to await the birth of the young
he has assisted in creating. Birds are much more responsible !
The robins and finches will soon be departing
for a warmer climate but we will still have quite a crew around.
The Blue Jays and Cardinals will definitely remain in residence throughout
the winter season and they will also need the food we will
provide. Little enough to give in return for the pleasure they have given
us this past summer. They have even trusted us with their babies. Our yard
is apparently the safe haven they need in which to teach baby how
to fend for himself as they all bring their wee ones to our feeders
to teach them how to find their own food. It has been a sheer joy watching
these wee ones as Daddy or Mommy feeds them and then gradually does
so less and less as they show the little ones how to find their own
seeds and to feed themselves. These youngsters are so demanding when
they are hungry that at times Les and I have both burst out laughing at
their antics. I hasten to add we remember the rules and make certain the
laughter is subdued and does not disturb the property owners !
Of course we are already familiar
with this process after watching Petey's three broods of babies develop
this past year. We thought Petey was exceptional in his parenting skills
but it seems his outdoor cousins are also very good parents. We have been
surrounded by the miracle of birth this past year. Petey's three broods,
and the many babies of nature's outdoor creatures have again reassured
us that life does indeed go on despite what ever may be happening around
us. No problem seems as important when you watch a wee tiny creature of
nature take those first tentative steps on their own.
The creatures in our yard face so
many dangers. Petey is much more fortunate. The only danger he and Pixie
see is perhaps when I decide to get a little too intrusive in the early
days and want to check on the babies who are well hidden in the nest under
either Mommy or Daddy. I am learning that they really don't need too much
help from me and will allow the babies to be on display when they think
the time is right and not one second before that !
Even though there are so many possible dangers
to the outdoor babies the parents don't really behave a whole lot differently
than Petey and Pixie. They are definitely as protective but their courage
does astound me at times. There are so many predators around with
which the wild birds and squirrels must contend in order to see their broods
reach maturity. We had a robin build her nest in the tree in our front
yard and watched as she patiently sat on those eggs for many days only
to have the nest emptied by a crow one morning shortly before the babies
would have been hatched. One feels quite helpless when danger approaches
as calling a warning to the ones in peril will only serve to frighten
them even more than the approaching danger. We have to just stand
by and hope that the interloper will be spotted in time. On occasion we
have taken a chance and decided to intercede anyway as the fright caused
by us will not see the wee ones harmed and the parent will at least
be aware that there is a danger nearby.
Unfortunately in the case of our robin
it was very early in the morning when the crow raided the nest and he was
leaving, having accomplished his mission when we spotted him. Too late
to do anything. Les and I chasing a cat or a crow must indeed
be amusing for the neighbours if they happen to be where they can see
the performance. But in my opinion it's well worth looking ridiculous if
by doing so we aid in keeping our little friends safe. These tiny defenceless
creatures have provided so many hours of enjoyment for us that it is a
very small price to pay.
Making our yard 'critter friendly' was
something both Les and I very much wanted to do. We have always been
aware that life can be hard for nature's smaller creatures. Our winter's
can be very harsh and for those which don't migrate a bird feeder may be
the difference between life and death at times. It's fun to watch
them in the warm day's of summer but knowing that just a few minutes of
our time and a little food can make the difference in winter is a great
motivator. As a result we have several bird feeders and a bird bath
in the yard. The bird bath isn't used in the winter but it most assuredly
gets a great deal of attention in the summertime. At times on hotter days
we have counted twenty sparrows competing for spots to get a drink.
And watching a robin or cardinal taking a bath when the temperature is
in the 90's is definitely worth the price of admission. Amazingly
some of the most frequent bathers are the grackles. Raucous they may be
but they are most definitely dedicated in their pursuit of cleanliness.
A real bonus this year is our Mommy Squirrel.
Neither Les nor I had ever knowingly seen a squirrel who was nursing her
young but our little lady seemed to make a point of making us aware
of this fact. She would come, sit in front of us and sit back on
her hind legs with her back perfectly straight and with her tummy
exposed as if to say " see I'm nursing babies, I need lots of food !" Of
course this meant going out and purchasing the little lady all the
peanuts in the shell she could eat. She is so darn cute that I don't even
mind her digging in my garden to hide the ones she doesn't immediately
consume ! After reading up on squirrels' breeding habits and knowing
that she will have these babies with her all winter we intend to make sure
the supply doesn't run out as long as she needs it. We have an oak
tree in our yard and I'm sure she has secreted a supply of acorns as well
so Mommy is going to have a much easier winter than she might have had.if
she hadn't befriended us. Smart little gal !
I must not forget our clean up crew.
We have a big assist in keeping the wasted seed to a minimum. Our Mourning
Doves ( and we have several as residents ) do a superb job of helping to
keep the areas beneath the feeders clean. What the squirrels don't get,
they do. When they show up each morning and evening they waste no
time in making short work of any debris under the feeders. These
characters are afraid of nothing ! They will sit there even when we are
as close as a foot away from them. And their babies will almost sit
on your foot when they are first on their own to forage for food. I suppose
they haven't yet learned that humans can be dangerous too and that they
must be cautious when we are around. Sadly, as they get older just like
our children they learn to be less trusting.
My particular favourite, aside from Mommy
Squirrel of course, is our resident Cardinal family. We decided to name
the male Rusty months ago as his colouring seemed to suit that name.
It wasn't long after he discovered our feeders that he brought his wife
to our yard . Her colouring is of course less brilliant but her markings
are far more interesting. We were very pleasantly surprised
when they also brought their baby to visit. Dad does most of the feeding
and teaching as Mom is much more aloof and less trusting than Rusty.
He doesn't let our presence deter him at all but she will keep her
distance. as Daddy tutors his little one no more than six feet away from
us.. The baby's colouring is quite drab at the moment although the
crest is very much in evidence so it is going to be interesting to see
if the colour changes in the months to come. Right now its a dull
taupe colour with no markings visible. See for yourself in the photo of
Rusty and his wee one as they were taking a break from the
feeding lesson.
As the season has progressed we have been
able to get some wonderful photos as our friends' trust increased
more with each passing day. As you can see they have allowed us to
come much closer with our camera recently. It's going to brighten
some of those blustery winter days to be able to recall the pleasure they
have given us this past summer by scrolling through the images we have
captured.
Oh goodness ! I almost forgot our other
outdoor friends. Our fish. Last year the population in the pond had
reached almost thirty. Strangely , this year it seems to have remained
the same. To date we haven't seen any new babies but those we have are
all quite frisky and healthy. The hours of pleasure those brightly coloured
little guys have provided certainly deserves a mention on this page. They
are so tame now that they will actually let Les put his hand right
beside them and not swim away. In fact a couple of times one or two of
them have even been cupped in his hand and not been at all upset.
That could have something to do with the fact that he is the one who feeds
them and cares for them and they have come to know him very
well.The instant Les appears they line up like soldiers waiting for
their food and if he is slow in providing it they definitely show their
impatience to the point that they almost jump out of the water to get his
attention.
It's really amusing to see how nosy fish
can be. When Les is cleaning the pumps for the waterfall or the fountain
the entire crew congregates right where he is working and monitors his
every move. He usually has to shoo them away as they are right there next
to where he is working and very much in the way.
As you can see we have quite a large contingent
of nature's creatures who share our home. It is occasionally time
consuming and it isn't exactly cheap to feed all these characters but the
pleasure derived from knowing that we make their lives perhaps a
little easier more than makes up for any minuses. A little kindness is
so richly rewarded. Perhaps if this was applied more often in our day to
day lives and with the humans we all encounter along the way
we could avoid a lot of the mistrust and ill will which so fills our world
these days.
Ooops! Now they have decided to take
over the deck as well. Our Blue Jay friend even seems to enjoy eating
at the table ! Les was sitting not more than two feet away taking this
picture but this didn't , and doesn't, deter this little guy who will sit
there patiently waiting for food to appear. Our Mommy squirrel has also
made progress which will make feeding her this winter much less troublesome
once the yard is buried in snow. She now comes right up on to the doormat
at the deck sliding doors and patiently sits there waiting until
she attracts our attention and we produce the peanuts she loves so much.
When one takes the time to really appreciate
nature the rewards are countless. Perhaps its easier in retirement to find
the time to do so but do yourself a favour, don't wait for that time in
your life to give yourself the pleasure ... make the time now. Even a few
moments a day actually seeing the wonders which surround us just
might make your day a little bit brighter for having taken the time to
do so.
Won't you please take
just a moment or two and leave a note in our Guest Book ?
We would really appreciate knowing you dropped by.
To visit the various other
pages of my site click below to reach the Site Directory
This MIDI "Saborami" is
courtesy of my husband Les Gorven
Do visit his site,
it's a fantastic MIDI resource
All photographs on this
page are courtesy of the resident photographer and the indulgence
of the models
Updated October 9th 2003
|
