Monday, March 16, 2015

Wild Thing - You Don't Make My Heart Sing.....


Today, I was standing at my kitchen sink,
at 2:00 in the afternoon,  
and caught movement out the window. 

This is what I saw! 


Right in the front yard among my daffodils! 

I had seen this same coyote
just 2 weeks  before. 

Our property is completely fenced with sturdy 5 ft. horse fencing, 
but the determined can dig under or climb up a post. 


He picked up an old dog bone and trotted off. 

My heart skipped a beat, but I thought
to get my camera this time. 

The scary part is that I had just been outside.....


I miss my loyal protector, Champ. 
(We lost our sweet boy in January)

When I saw the coyote 2 weeks ago, 
Whitey was outside and barking, 
but the coyote was not even fazed. 


He's just too small. He is very brave, though, 
and once I went out and yelled, he took chase, 
which worried me, but he came back unscathed, 
although clearly upset. 

With the two big dogs, they had each other
 for back-up, 
and were always on patrol. 


And then there are these little ones....
Peanut and Weenie Baby. 

After seeing the coyote, 
I have not been able to take them out on my
morning walks. 

Although they are tiny, they are fearless, 
and we all know how an encounter would end.....

I have two cats, too. 
They refuse to go outside. 
They are very smart. 


I can't blame the coyote....
This is my fault. 

You see, I have been feeding the birds
for years. 

Black Oil Sunflower seeds draws
many birds, but also others. 


Like these guys......



And other predators, 


Like this beauty,



I believe this is a 'Rough Legged Hawk.'



He was hunting the Mourning Doves and wild Wood Pigeons
and was all too successful.

The bird feeders also attracted all sorts of varmints,
like squirrels, mice, raccoons, skunks, possums -
you name it.



Which attracts these, and of course, coyotes.

I have had encounters with them all.....

And so, I made the decision to stop
feeding the birds.
I've had enough....
I'm sure the coyote was hunting at the feeders.
They were busy places.

With my beloved Champ gone, I have
no back-up.

I want to go out and garden and take walks,
but until I find another big dog,
I am not feeling safe.


And with my two little house guests, Weenie Baby
and Peanut, I have to be extra vigilant.

They are so tiny.

(I will begin my search for a companion
for Whitey, once these two are reunited
with my daughter, who is living as a room-mate
while saving to buy a home)


I can't stand the thought of anything happening
to these little sweeties.



I will still feed my beloved hummingbirds, though.

It has been sooooo quiet since I stopped
feeding the birds.

I feel so badly, but it is for the best.
We have had a mild winter and spring is
in full swing, so there are plenty of bugs,
cones, and sprouted seeds to eat.

I will be sure to keep my eyes open for
bird friendly plantings at the nursery, too.


We had a little storm blow through yesterday,
with heavy rain and lots of wind.

We lost our electricity for a few hours
in the early evening, but all is well now.

The good news is that lots of cones and seed pods
were blown down off the trees for the critters.


My Sweet Box and Viburnum are blooming
below the deck and filling the air
with the loveliest of fragrance.

I am so fortunate to have a high
 and completely enclosed deck
to enjoy nature without being vulnerable to it.

The area around the house is completely fenced and gated,
but the little dogs are somehow able to slip through,
so we will be reinforcing it this weekend.



View of front lawn where the coyote was sighted. 


But beyond this fence lies the great unknown.....

xoxo






















22 comments:

  1. That is a healthy looking coyote, but it is scary to have him up that close to the house. I would be so worried for Whitey and the other two little dogs. My little 8 lb Pomeranian, Fuzzy has no idea that he is small. He always growls and barks at other dogs like he is a big guy. I have seen large coyotes in areas near our home, so I figure they probably run through the neighborhood sometimes. I have also seen foxes, raccoons, possums, and deer. No big cats or bears, not this close in to St. Louis. Probably have more to worry about with the humans in this area than I do the wildlife.

    I hope you will find your next "big dog" to be" soon. Champ was beautiful.

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  2. The great unknown is a tad scary, isn't it? We really don't have any predators here although we live on the edge of town...in the country really. However, we have water on one side of us and no real trees where anything can hide around us either. While you are blessed to live a country life like you do-with all that wonderful nature around you...well, it is just a bit frightening to see wild animals up close and personal.

    Your photos are WONDERFUL...xo Diana

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  3. This is scary, if this is coming close to your house, you need to do something for protection.

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  4. yes, once coyotes get bold, they get dangerous - and i'd be really worried about your little dachsie houseguests, too.

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  5. Man Karen! That is crazy!! He is one big coyote! I don't blame you for feeling nervous about being out when these guys are looking for food. And especially since you have those sweet little pups to look after! I do hope you find another big dog to as not only a friend for Whitey but to have a s a watchdog! And to stop feeding the birds makes sense though I know you love that. How large is your property??? Your photos are all breath-taking friend! You take care of you!! Nicole xoxo

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  6. Hi Karen,
    We live on the eighteenth green of a golf course and we are visited regularly by foxes, hawks, and deer. I've seen the foxes out hunting at noon while they have young to feed. Miss Josephine would make a tasty meal.
    Being a pet guardian is no small task as we well know. St. Francis should be able to put in a good word for you if you ask!
    xo, m & jb

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  7. You get some beautiful wild creatures, don't you? But I don't blame you for being nervous. Too bad about the bird feeding, but I'm sure you made the right decision. Take care and enjoy your hummingbirds:)

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  8. Dearest Karen,
    Torn between two lovers... one could sing! Loving to attract birds and feeding them but it sure does attract other predators.
    God forbid that those cute dachshunds would overcome something and since they have no inkling about the aggression that lurks out there, they would be an easy target.
    Wishing you good luck in finding once more a companion that you really need; for ALL.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  9. Dear Karen,
    wow, this is really strange ... I would get really scary, if I woudl have a Coyote so close to my house..... hope you and your pest will stay safe!
    Have a good week, take care,
    Love and hugs and blessings,
    Claudia xo

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  10. Oh, from the faunistic point of view, your area is incredibly interesting, but you do have reasons to be worried. I hope peaceful coexistence between you and the wild animals is possible!
    Take care and have a great week!

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  11. We do not have pets because there are too many predators around here, but I don't want to encourage them to come close by feeding the birds either, so I don't. So far, the coyotes and bear are afraid of us. We just yell at them and they run off.
    Take good care, Karen.
    xoxo,
    Lin

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  12. Your photos and stories seem so exciting but also scary! The woods hide a tremendous power in them, wildlife and the eternal nature rules aren't negotiable .You must be careful, you must protect all domestic creatures and I'm sure you will. Take care of yourself Karen, also!
    Olympia

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  13. Living in the country always brings some unwanted critters to the forefront. I use to get coyotes in my yard all the time, in packs even. Now that scared me. I get the possums, badgers, deer, elk, owls (who love my chickens...in a bad way) lots of different hawks and even an occasional eagle. My dog, Dash is a Bichon, but he thinks he's my guard dog.....not always good. The only real confrontation he got into was with to loose dogs...much bigger than him. He nearly got bite in the face. When he barks, I always check out what it might be.

    Your place in the country is very beautiful. The little ones are so cute, smart thinking, to keep them inside. Can't wait to see what new critter you bring home to guard your home.

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  14. The creatures around your property are gorgeous but they are wild and I can certainly understand that you are nervous for yourself and your pets. I certainly hope you are able to find a bigger dog soon that will help patrol your yard.....

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  15. I feel your pain Karen. I used to feed the birds too, but we also had a problem with bears. We also had a very troublesome coyote recently that I swear was obsessed with Ruby and in our yard daily. A neighbor down the road had troubles too and finally trapped it. I didn't ask what they did with it - I was just happy to have it gone so I didn't I have to worry about my Ruby. I think there's a pack in the woods close by, but I'd had coyotes before and they've always been skittish and afraid. This one was definitely not afraid and I would use the word determined.

    I think it's good you listen to your gut on how your feeling about safety for you and your furry babies and wait until you have more "back up". I also think it's sad, but necessary, not to do the bird feeders. Maybe just the winter time would be ok?

    xoxo

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  16. If you saw him before he is probably now included your property in his hunting grounds and will keep returning. If you plan to have dogs outside, you might want to have a good sturdy dog run for their protection. Cougars may also be in the area. Keep good watch!

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  17. Please stay safe, Karen! I couldn't imagine living so close to so much wildlife. We have a wooded yard, but thankfully my big dogs keep the unwanted critters away.

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  18. Oh, I would have been so scared. I used to feed a stray cat on my patio, but it was attracting foxes and though they are not as big as coyotes, they do attack cats sometimes, so I trained the very shy stray cat to eat in the porch... It was long but we made it...

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  19. So scary! We live in a suburban neigborhood and have had coyotes in our yard. We have a fenced dog run, but I know they could get in if they want. Our dogs are small.
    We've had large owls and hawks, too. I can't imagine how much more worrisome it is in the country. We gave up feeding the birds this winter, too...hawks are attracted to the birds at the feeders.

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  20. A coyote...glad you were indoors and the dogs are ok. We had heavy winds on Sunday as well and a bit of rain. Our rain was late Friday and Sat. Not much rain Sunday afternoon though. Once the heavy wind quit there wasn't much rain....it must have gone your way! Wacky storm for sure! Take care!

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  21. It is good that you saw this coyote as they can be so dangerous to your little pets. My daughter lives right in a city, and one of her cats was taken away by a coyote. They roam around right in town. Quite surprising when you see something like this right in your yard. Time for a new and bigger friend to keep out t hese intruders.

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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