I looked for a forum for Wildlife Gardening but could not find one. So I wondered were to put this. I find that gardening to attract the birds definately attracts other wildlife. Certainly we must all have lots of squirrels because they like the bird feed also. Chipmunks too.
Me, I have found that since I have planted all these fruiting shrubs, added waterfeatures and heavily mulched, I have more racoons than ever before. They come here every night. And it must be many different racoons at different times of the night as I have seen them here at times from dusk and any hour of the night. Can hear them fighting and making those trilling noises they make often in the summer with the windows open. See them wading in the side yard pond nightly many summer nights.
Last night on PBS Nature I saw a really interesting show on TV about Racoons. Mostly about Urban Racoons and the differences between them and the forest racoons. Plus apparently there are FAR more racoons in suburbia and urban areas than in forest. Racoons have adapted extemly well to living around people. Not a big surprise to any of us, I am sure. Racoons are smart and keep getting smarter plus they can do just about anything with those clever little hand like paws that they have. The show found that appartantly they have their own social networks which let everyone know the best sources of food. If that is so then they surely all know about my yard, for sure.
A year round multiple source of water here and racoons love water. The heavy mulch means there are grubs and earthworms always to be dig up. I can see signs of digging many summer nights. Berries to eat in the summer and food scraps from the garbage all year round. I have given up trying to put food scaps in the garbage, it is a waste of time. I just throw it out in the side yard. Find it easier than cleaning up spilled garbage cans. Gave up on that years ago, just give it to them directly. Never throw anything elible in the trash, toss out all bones and food scraps for the racoons. No wonder they love it here.
