NOVA Critters - Northern Virginia - Virginia - Page 5 - City-Data Forum

Flamingo13 · 02-01-2010, 06:41 PM

On the subject of critters: do we think it's good or bad to put something out for critters to eat? i.e., birdseed, a roll/biscuit/bread, etc.? I do always put fresh water out and the squirrels and birds always partake, they do of course the odd and end bread stuffs I put out. Used to feed the birds regularly then I heard that it was bad to do that, and there was also a cat colony nearby so that wasn't really playing fair. The cats are mostly gone now so thoughts on feeding birds? I've read that we really should'nt unless it's an occasional piece of fruit.

Caladium · 02-02-2010, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

On the subject of critters: do we think it's good or bad to put something out for critters to eat? i.e., birdseed, a roll/biscuit/bread, etc.? I do always put fresh water out and the squirrels and birds always partake, they do of course the odd and end bread stuffs I put out. Used to feed the birds regularly then I heard that it was bad to do that, and there was also a cat colony nearby so that wasn't really playing fair. The cats are mostly gone now so thoughts on feeding birds? I've read that we really should'nt unless it's an occasional piece of fruit.

I put out birdseed. Cats are going to chase birds whether you put out food for them or not. I also smash our pumpkins after Thanksgiving and put the remains out in the woods for the squirrels to eat.

normie · 02-03-2010, 06:54 AM

Tracks all over my yard this morning! I'm not sure what critters made these, but they're too big to be squirrels. Looks like they were having a party sometime early this morning right after the snow stopped falling.

beatlecrazy · 02-03-2010, 06:58 AM

Last year I was staring out our back window and looking at a big pine tree in our backyard and thought I caught a glimpse of an owl sitting there on a branch, sleeping. I tried to get a pic but it just looks like a dark brown blob on a branch.

EuroExpat · 02-05-2010, 02:08 PM

We get lots of deer, snakes, rabbits, squirrels, birds and groundhogs. Oh and big bullfrogs/toads! This is what I really like (minus the snakes) about living where we do in Ashburn Farm, wildlife is plentiful! Last spring I was taking a walk with my son right behind our townhouse complex and we saw some ducks making baby ducks in the stream. My son found this very interesting and wouldn't budge, I kept saying "oh look at the ducks playing"

normie · 02-06-2010, 07:58 AM

I have to wonder where all the critters are sleeping right now. I hope they found warm dry spots to hunker down.

Caladium · 02-06-2010, 09:59 AM

The smaller critters can dig burrows, but I don't know what the deer do.

Caladium · 02-08-2010, 08:34 AM

The critters are out today! I saw three deer this morning, including a mother and young fawn. So I guess they know how to find shelter in a blizzard, even though I can't imagine where they sleep in a suburban neighborhood during a storm like this.

normie · 11-12-2010, 10:45 AM

Has anyone else noticed a huge increase in the number of foxes this year? My neighborhood has a bunch of them roaming around. I thought it was just us, but then I saw a notice in the Cascades newsletter, so apparently there are a lot more of them running around all over Cascades. Is the same thing going on everywhere in Nova? What's causing this?

normie · 11-13-2010, 08:38 AM

I just happened to mention this to the help desk at Merrifield Garden Center and they said they've had an increase in foxes, too. Unfortunately, there aren't many sprays that will deter a fox. They're too foxy to believe "faux coyote" scent.

I suppose the good news is foxes will keep the rodent population down.