Hi Woodstock,

We get all sorts of wildlife here too.   Bears, Raccoons, Deer, Wild
Turkeys... Skunks... you name it.   It is so cool but nature can be very
cruel.   Even hawks have to eat.   Not too long ago I saw a Bald Eagle
sitting on a dead tree on the banks of the Hudson River near here!   Now
seeing a Bald Eagle in the wild is awesome!

Ok I'll tell you my animal story.  If you don't like cats you might want to
move on to another post though.  I've resisted feeding outdoor stray cats
for years, that is until the spring of last year.   We had a neighborhood
feral cat that had kittens in a nearby old shed that was falling down.   I
put some old bread out for the birds one day and I saw her out there eating
the bread.   I couldn't stand it so I put out some food for her.   Well I
knew I had taken on a certain amount responsibility here.   Of course as the
summer progressed the kittens showed up for food too.  I managed to get a
couple of them and take them to the animal shelter hoping they might be
young enough to be adopted.  Then last winter I had 5 outdoor cats that I
was feeding and knew that I needed to do something about it.   By now I
could actually touch the mama cat and one of the kittens.   One male cat and
another female were very feral and came around when they were very hungry
and I couldn't get near them.   Meanwhile someone dumped a young male cat
that was leery of humans and I figure he must have been mistreated.  I got
on eBay and got a cedar cathouse for the front porch.  This cat thing was
starting to cost money.  Ok this spring, I knew more kittens would be coming
along if I didn't do something.  I caught the little grey and white female
cat that let me pet it and took it the vet and had it neutered and shots.
But not before it got  loose in the house and climbed up the trim in window
and tore up a blind(I got leather gloves to get her back in the cat
carrier)....more $$$$($230 for the vet)   I still have 4 cats left now(2
female 2 male).   I called the animal shelter for help here.   The person I
talked to said no help was available and I was on my own to get these
animals neutered.   I found out later this wasn't true.   Well the original
mama was pregnant again.  Hubby and I went to farm supply store and got a
live trap.   Even though I could actually pet her I knew she would never let
me pick her up.   I really  hated to take her the animal shelter because I
knew that meant certain death but I also knew the world doesn't need anymore
unwanted kittens and didn't feel like I could afford another $230 for a
feral cat.   Fast forward:  I got mama cat in the trap and my hubby took her
to the animal shelter.  A different person told him about the Neuter Scooter
that comes around central Indiana and neuters cats for an extremely low fee.
Hubby knows how much I hated to take mama cat to the shelter so he tells the
people there that he will take her back and we'll get her neutered as soon
as possible.   Well the person that was trying to get her back in the live
trap didn't get it closed correctly and she escaped.   It was an enclosed
area of shelter with a high fence.   They said they would call when they
caught her and we could pick her up then.   Remember we're talking about a
feral cat here.    No call came.   Five days and about six miles later she's
back on my front porch.   Across a busy two lane highway and all and still
looking more pregnant all the time.   I contact the Neuter Scooter and make
an appointment and I have to wait 2 weeks.  I cross my fingers.  I decided
that the third feral female cat would have to go to the shelter because no
way could I even image dealing with her and I suspected that she was
pregnant too.   She was more wild then any of the others.  I got her in a
live trap and not even a meow.   That's the sign of a truly feral cat.  She
went to the shelter without incident.  The male feral cat disappeared and
never came back.  So I'm down to three outdoor cats.   Mama made it to the
Neuter Scooter before the kittens were born and was neutered.  Also the
young stray male that had been dumped made it to the neuter scooter too.
Mama cat is still on my porch looking fat and sassy and so are the other two
who are almost inseparable.  They've become very good friends and share the
cedar cathouse on cold days.   I have two indoor cats too.   I didn't choose
any of my cats indoor or out...they're all animals that nobody else wanted.
One thing's for sure, there's no mouse problem around here.....June

We have sharp shinned hawks coming to our house almost every day during
winter to grab a quick lunch along with a few Cooper's hawks.  We watched a
sharp shinned for over an hour yesterday as it tried to out wait the
sparrows and juncos.   AW

Also interested in wildlife here, but I've taken the other route.
I've been reading botany books.

All those marvellous trees in my back yard each stand in
one spot and never confuse me by moving around.  And if I
want to put a leaf under my microscope or crack open an
acorn I never hear a single meow of protest.

They do however litter my driveway and back porch, and
once in a while I have to have an old one put down when
he threatens to lean on my house.

   Alan