Before our family got a dog two years ago, my only pets were the critters outdoors. However, they were great pets! No cleaning, no cages, no vet bills, and no barking! I kind of gave up on a true bird feeder, because the squirrels dumped out the food no matter what.
So, one day I decided to get a dish that would make a good ground feeder...a round plastic terra cotta tray that is made to sit under a large flower pot. For $3, I had an excellent feeding dish for my critters. Having the dish of birdseed on the ground turned out to be a great way to gain more pets! Not only the Juncos, Cardinals, and Doves came to The Critter Cafe...but many other creatures. We've enjoyed watching chipmunks suck up pouches full of seed to carry back to their nests, Mallard ducks come to feed and nap in our yard, plus bunny rabbits, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, and more.
They don't cause any problems...in fact I think they leave my garden and the garbage alone better since I provide other treats for them. And we've really enjoyed observing this nature expo through the kitchen window. After a fresh snow fall, there are usually various tracks all around the dish, as they've made an early morning visit to feed. I love it! God says that all good gifts are from Him. Enjoy the ones in your own backyard.
Our favorite backyard visitors have been the fawns. When a doe gives birth, quite often she will leave the fawn alone, curled up in the grass during the daylight hours. The fawn lies perfectly still right out in the open until mama comes back. Three times we've had fawns left for the day in our yard. Once a pair of twins who obviously didn't get the memo to lie still. They grazed and napped and hung around for hours right outside the back door. The doe always comes back, usually at dusk, to get her baby. It is so cool to see.
ReplyDeleteHow amazing Erica! Thanks for sharing that. I would sooooo love to have backyard visitors like that! Do you live in the country or next to some woods? Chicago has alot of forest preserves around, so we have had more wildlife here than even in Raymore, MO. There are coyotes who wander the neighborhood during daylight! They've been seen laying in people's yards! We have also seen fox trotting around.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a country subdivision with fields and pockets of trees all around.
ReplyDeleteCoyotes in the middle of the day? Yikes.
According to the DNR, we've got a mountain lion in the area, but I've not seen him. (Just as well!) And people have filmed a couple of black bears that have ranged this far south, but those are kinda rare here. Mostly it's deer and turkeys and fox and the usual small critters.
This is such a sweet post. I love your idea of the feeder. We stopped feeding the birds a couple of years ago b/c the raccoons would come up on the deck and Xander would go wild. But I miss feeding them and seeing who would come around to eat. :-)
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