Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with wildlife

Save our Squirrels

Zoyashka — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:52:31 -0800

How do we minimize the death and destruction of cute woodland creatures while have a couple of pine trees cut down? I've got a total of three pine trees in my backyard, two of which are looking rather sickly and I would like to have cut down.

I've also got a family of squirrels (more than one family?). Why they chose my backyard I have no idea--you'd think they'd get tired of my dog chasing them.

I'm not sure exactly which tree(s) they're living in as I've seen them in all three--they're pretty close together so I'm sure there's lots of aerobatic feats of limb jumping involved.

Anyhoo, they are awfully cute and I'd like to keep them alive and happy.

Teh Googles leads me to some sites I'd rather not visit again =)

We've also got a nice bird population in the warmer months that I'd like to keep happy too. Well, that is until the crows come along and throw their nests to the ground. Jerks.

QUERY: Is there a time of year that's better than others to cut down trees to minimize their discomfort (and avoid their deaths)? Are there any tricks I can use to try to lure them into the tree that's staying put?

Thanks much!

What is this disturbing large larvae in the pond outside?

internet!Hannah — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:34:40 -0800

What is this strange larvae in the puddle outside my dorm? So there's this large puddle outside my dorm by the bike racks that's usually there the majority of the semester, due to the amount of rain we get. Think small vernal pool. Usually it's home to mosquito larvae, mass concentrations of toad tadpoles (excellent for pranking dormmates with fishtanks--last year we convinced one guy his guppies had had ugly babies, and he didn't figure it out until they spouted legs) and waterbugs. However, this year there's something strange living in there that I don't recognize.

From above, they look very much like minnows, a good inch long and that grey color, which is what made me notice them, as I was trying to figure out how fish would get into a temporary pond. However, on close inspection they are typical larvae shape, no fins, and instead of a head they have sort of a weird short tentacle-y mouthpart, almost cthulu-esque. A bit freaky, really, which is why I didn't pull one out for a picture or closer inspection. They swim sort of like minnows would, though, and not with the jerky movements that mosquito larvae have.

So, any ideas what the hell has moved in by the dorm? Some sort of leech thing? Strange water-beetle larvae? Elder-god grandchildren? Swine flu? This is central Texas, and having grown up a tomboy, I'm familiar with most pond-life, but this one is a new one to me. Any help is appreciated, googling variants of "puddle" and "larvae" bring up only endless pages on mosquitoes.

Cute Seagull?

47triple2 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:50:40 -0800

I need the cutest seagull picture ever. My sister took a picture of "a really cute seagull" and I need to prove that there is a picture as cute as that one (if not cuter) online. I don't have the original photo though. :(

Foxes in Residence

ecorrocio — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:40:48 -0800

FoxFilter: Should I let the fox(s) living under our front porch stay, or get 'em evicted? We have a fox or two living under our suburban front porch. It's a cement slab porch, under which a den has been dug. On one hand, the foxes are "cute" (as Mrs. Corrocio and Kid Corrocio say), and interesting to watch when they come out. On the other hand, they are wild animals, I suspect my dogs picked up fleas from them, and there's an occasional strong smell. And, they may eat the neighbors cat. On the third hand, I'd rather not spend the dough for professional removal, and would probably try to get them out myself. The university cooperative extension folks told me it's OK to leave 'em, "if you're tolerant". But then again... fleas, smells, rabies (!?). Thoughts on this dilemma?

Paraplegic Robin

nax — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:50:24 -0800

One of our resident robins has a broken leg. He can still fly, and appears to be taking care of his baby. I was wondering-- if his leg heals, can this robin make it on its own? Please do not give me resources for helping him, as he seems to be functioning and we're not really animal rescuers, besides which he just flies away. Just wondering what the prospects are for a severely injured animal, and what percentage of them just heal and go on. I have pictures in flickr, but wasn't sure of the etiquette of linking them.

Get Off My Lawn!

Danf — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:40:49 -0800

Does anyone have experience with repelling geese from public property? I have one school that some resident Canadian geese have decided seems pretty homey. The result is one pile of goose poop in every three square feet of a field that is as large as three soccer fields put together. It seems clear that to have kids running around such a field would expose them to E. coli, among (probably) other pathogens.

I have looked into biological control, chemical control, and a variety of mechanical controls.

Each of these has a significant downside for use on a piece of open, accessible, public land. The downside of the chemical repellent is that this is a town where stuff is perceived to be toxic that is toxic nowhere else.

But doing nothing would turning this asset over to wildlife, which, on the face of it, is not all bad but we lose 2 soccer fields and two softball fields, which we can't really lose.

So, dear Metachans, is there a silver bullet out there that I am missing?

Vintage Illustrations

madmamasmith — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:16:42 -0800

I am trying to find vintage/retro images from old childrens' books and other sources for my wedding invitations and save the date cards. Specifically I am interested in bunnies, deer or anything wilderness related and children with butterfly nets. I have googled endlessly to no avail. I keep getting these horrid clip art images ..i have seen flickr sets but nothing that suits my needs ..i will try to attach an example....please help!

http://beautifulpaper.typepad.com/oh_so_beautiful_paper/invitations/page/5/

http://paperedtogether.com/portfolio/images/s,%20tag.jpg

Panasonic TZ5 or Canon G10?

bchaplin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:30:19 -0800

For getting shots of far-away animals, is it better to have a 9MP camera with a 10X zoom or a 14MP camera with a 5X zoom? On business trips I like to take a small digicam with me. Recently I was in a hotel by the ocean with some birds flying around, and unfortunately, with my camera's weak zoom was not able to capture them very well. (Some attempts are here and here.) I am considering purchasing a camera to take along for those occasions when I unexpectedly see some wildlife I'd like to photograph. I am torn between the Panasonic TZ5 (9MP with 10X zoom), because it is almost as pocketable as my current camera and has a 10X zoom, and the Canon G10 (14.7MP with 5X zoom), which is still small enough to take on trips though not quite as compact, and was highly recommended by a photographer friend. The Canon G10 is a better camera and has more manual controls, which would be fun to use. For capturing far-away birds like I tried to do here, could I blow up an image from a 14.7MP camera with a 5X zoom to get the equivalent of a 10X zoom?

I know megapixels do not equal image quality! And I do have a DSLR with some nice lenses, which I use for photographic excursions. I am basically looking for a camera that I could use for those "unexpected" photographic opportunities.

Are there any alternatives to the (Boy|Girl) Scouts that are secular in nature?

mboszko — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:54:41 -0800

I have a son, almost 12, and a daughter, 9, and have been thinking about getting them involved in more outdoor activities. They're home-schooled, so they do get the opportunity to get out and play in the yard and with a few other kids in the neighborhood, but I'd like them to be introduced to a wider range of activities that outdoors-type groups like the scouts might provide (and not being an outdoorsy-type myself, might be able to better instruct in), but I'm put off by both the nationalistic and religious overtones that seem to pervade the Scout oaths. I'd prefer something with more of a global/wildlife focus. So, are there any alternatives to the (Boy|Girl) Scouts that are secular in nature? My wife is a little more open than I am, but I'm an atheist, and I'd prefer that if there's any group that they join, that it not be one where they're going to be taught to be "reverent", and do their "duty to God", when we don't believe that that is necessarily a virtue.

Activities for a four-year-old who has to be up in the middle of the night

winston — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:03:43 -0800

Midnight activities for a 4-year-old that he wouldn't get a chance to do during the day? My son is having an EEG tomorrow during the day. They want him sleep-deprived so he'll sleep without sedation. I'm supposed to get him up for the day at 3:30 am. He's not a morning person at all, so to keep him awake I'm looking for exciting things to do/observe/etc. that wouldn't be possible during his normal waking hours. We're in the east end of Toronto near the Don Valley, so both big-city and nature/wildlife type activities may be possibilities.

Where can I see a beaver in the wild in Quebec?

ascullion — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:06:56 -0800

I'm on honeymoon in Quebec right now, and my new wife really wants to see a beaver in the wild. What's a good place to see some (either on our own, or ideally, with a guide) in areas that I'll be in? We've got a car, so are pretty flexible, we just need a tip off! Details of our specific location follow... I'm currently in a resort about 30 km west of Quebec City - specifically here - but we'll moving on to Tadoussac, Matane and back to Quebec City over the next 6 days). Thanks for any advice.

What can we do about the greedy pigeons in our garden?

monster max — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:55:22 -0800

We love watching wild birds coming to eat the seeds we put out in our garden but we're always just invaded by boring pigeons that hoover up the lot. How can we encourage more smaller, more interesting birds and discourage what our children call the "big fat pig-o pigeons"? We live in the suburbs of a city in southern England with a small garden, which has no trees, though there are trees along the far side of the fence at the bottom of the garden - if any of that is relevant! We get occasional blue tits, sparrows, blackbirds etc and would like to encourage more of those sorts of birds. We currently use a bird table with two horizontal surfaces to put the seed onto, rather than hanging feeders.

Help me get a raccoon out of a stomrdrain before the big storm!

clarkstonian — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:40:52 -0800

There's a juvenile raccoon stuck in the storm drain in front of our house. How do I get it out? I live in Oakland County, Michigan. The drains seem to be sealed. Even if they're not, I don't think I could lift it. No idea how the little guy got down there, but I don't see how he's going to get out, either. A big storm is due today.

I put an upended rake into the drain so he could climb up, but the holes are too small and I don't think he can get out.

Any advice on who to call or what to do?

Does anyone know of any resources/suggestions on getting trapped birds out of office buildings?

BlackStrapMolasses — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:21:46 -0800

I work in a pretty large office building, and while walking the bi-level lobby floors I always hear trapped birds chirping and see them hopping around... I have no idea how they get in, there multiple sets of revolving doors, and are also regular side glass doors that are never left hanging open. The only other entrance is a subway entrance, with multiple revolving doors before anyone is able to access outside. More detail following:

I've overheard someone once say that he brought in birdseed and left it in some of the planters to feed them. But I was wondering if anyone has ever worked as a janitor in a building and had to address the situation. This can't be a unique problem, and I'm wondering if there are any resources that I can contact, or if there's anything I can do aside from throwing birdseed at them. I don't want to call Animal Control, that name just has a negative connotation to me, I associate "control" with "kill"?

I'm not really trying to take on solving the problem myself, just wondering what others have done in this situation/previous experiences.

What long-term effects did the Second World War have on Europe's wildlife and environment?

mdonley — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:48:07 -0800

What long-term effects did the Second World War have on Europe's wildlife and environment? I was leafing through the first few pages of Absolute War yesterday and read that a wave of rabies which spread across western Europe in the 1960s had started when wolves and other animals had fled west, escaping the Soviet advance in the last years of the war, but had been halted somewhat by the descent of the Iron Curtain.

What other effects did the war have on flora and fauna? Did the scale of destruction in some areas pave the way for a rearrangement of the species and environment in the area? How much of a problem was leftover ordinance? And what, if any, effects can still be seen today?

Seeing the industrial and political landscape of the southwest

salvia — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:25:55 -0800

I'm taking a road trip through the southwest, and I'd like to see places with an interesting backstory or that show you "behind the scenes." I'm interested in places with political, economic, environmental, or industrial significance. Can you recommend some? Here's the route: Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Moab, Phoenix. I have 11 days. I've done most of this as a tourist before, so I'm interested in seeing some of the more hidden sights.

As I said, I'm interested in the politics, economics, history, environmental, and industrial factors behind the landscape. I'm still modifying the route so I can check out interesting places. Here are the kind of places I'm talking about:

- power infrastructure (Black Mesa, the Glen Canyon Dam)
- water infrastructure (aqueducts, river diversions?)
- the nuclear program (I'm missing the Trinity Test Site visitor day by a week! Should I still go to Alamogordo? Where to go near Los Alamos?)
- mining booms and busts, related pollution (Moab's uranium tailings pile; oil, gas, and coalbed methane development)
- industrial-scale production of anything from cattle to computer chips
- Native American history (the Cochise stronghold)
- prisons, military bases, and other nearly-blank spaces on the map (obviously, I can't enter, but I would like to know they're there)
- anything else related to political, economic, or cultural geographies (I really like Jake Kosek's stuff)
- wildlife protection or environmental restoration areas, current environmental disputes

I'm interested in current or upcoming issues, not just history, and I have just started trying to get up to speed about some of the work going on now. If you have anything interesting you'd like to share but would need kept fairly quiet, my email is in my profile. (I work for an environmental nonprofit, so I understand that certain information is sensitive and needs to stay fairly confidential to keep sites from being defaced or overrun with visitors, or to protect ongoing acquisitions, negotiations, or investigations.) Thank you!

What can I do, from the big changes on down to the minutae, to make a difference?

iamkimiam — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:24:24 -0800

What can I do, from the big changes on down to the minutae, to make a difference? I want a more environmentally conscious lifestyle! I just recently watched the LA Times online documentary, Altered Oceans and was really inspired to make some changes in my lifestyle to help reverse the damage we've done to our oceans, earth and wildlife. What are some things I can do and small changes I can make for a positive global impact? I am looking for unconvential ideas as well as obvious ones. I am already a member of Environment California, Surfrider, and various other groups. I don't want to just throw money at the problem. I want to make adjustments to my behaviors and habits so that I am going about my life with conscious reasoning that I can be proud of.

Here are some examples of the types of ideas/changes I am hoping to hear about:
• Reuse a single plastic water bottle (instead of continually buying water and throwing out the bottles). Chop down any extra bottles, fill with dirt, grow stuff.
• Only eat self-caught seafood
• Walk to a farmers market and buy groceries there instead of driving to a grocery store and blindly filling cart with product.
• Pay all bills online and cancel all mailed statements, thereby reducing trash.

Bonus points for ideas that make life easier and/or increase productivity/efficiency.

I would also love to hear about some good resources, links, etc. Or ways that items that can be reused, instead of thrown away—if only I knew how to reuse them!

Thanks in advance!

I apologize if linking to the documentary was inappropriate. I think it's a helpful point of reference in describing the bigger problem I am trying to do my part to solve. I have no intention of making this a question with an agenda, or a chatfilter. I just want suggestions!

To eat or not to eat...

Andrhia — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 18:20:43 -0800

Will squirrel spit kill me? The good news: My beloved grandma sent me a package of the special cookies she only makes at Christmastime once every couple of years. I love these cookies.

The bad news: While the package was sitting on my stoop, the squirrels ripped into the package and chewed open the plastic bag the cookies were in. I am unsure whether the squirrels ate any of the cookies or not, as some of them are in pieces, but I don't know if that's an effect of squirrel-tampering or of shipping.

Misc. information: It is freezing cold here. The cookies, liebkuchen, are both very hard and very spicy. I doubt the squirrels cared for them. There was also an orange in the package to keep the cookies fresh, but the squirrels don't appear to have touched it.

The question: So... if I eat the cookies, will I regret it? Only the whole ones? Am I likely to die of rabies, ebola, black plague...? For bonus points, I'm a nursing mom, does this change the risk profile any?

Looking for art in all the wrong places

sonofslim — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 09:13:49 -0800

Where can I find prints of Edo-period wildlife illustrations like these? Googling the artist's name, "Edo wildlife illustrations," or any other combination I can think of just returns that site and outside links to it.

If you can recommend similar artists or styles, I'm all ears. I'm more interested in calligraphic/humanist styles than, say, Haeckel-type stuff. Bonus points for sea creatures.

Wildlife adoption experiences needed

Jess the Mess — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:20:18 -0800

What are some good organizations from which to adopt an endangered animal? My grandparents already have all the material goods they could possibly want so I decided this year I would symbolically adopt an animal for each of them. I've looked at several organizations that fundraise through "adoption" where they give you a stuffed animal and a certificate, but I'm looking for something more interactive and personal. Something where they can look forward to updates on their animal and it has a name, etc. And obviously it needs to be a legitimate charity.

Anybody have any particularly good experiences with wildlife adoption organizations?

Can I switch to an entirely different career?

Mwongozi — Wed, 31 May 2006 12:18:07 -0800

I want to work with animals, specifically, big cats. I currently work in IT. Is it too late to get my dream job? I'm 26, living in the UK. I have A-Levels and a professional qualification in Software Testing, which is what I do for a living. I have no degree.

My dream job is to work with big cats. Doing what? Well I don't want to be a vet, but anything that involves interaction would fall close to being a "dream job" for me.

Is it too late? What can I do?

Who are the species in your neighborhood?

salvia — Mon, 01 May 2006 13:19:32 -0800

What are the most important animals for your region of the country? Impressed by the environmental movement to create the Salmon Nation and the Buffalo Commons, I've (barely) begun making a website about key animal species for different regions of the country.

What are the most important animals where you live? They might be the most popular, the most endangered, the most economically important, or a cornerstone for the ecosystem. Do you know of grassroots groups organizing around those animals? Chambers of Commerce trying to bring back a certain animal? Ecology labs that collect data on these animals or count them?

Any other resources or thoughts on this idea are welcome. Did I miss any major projects to restore regional ecosystems while creating a bioregional identity?

Canon SLR Lens advice

arabelladragon — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 05:08:41 -0800

Need advice on Canon SLR Lenses We're headed to mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos and need to get a lens or two for the Rebel XT. Everything we've seen indicates there will be everything from wide-angle vistas and animals that will need at least a moderate telephoto. Our budget for lenses maxes out around $2,000. As we will often be on the move, we're thinking about bringing a monopod so we have our eye on the image stabilization lenses, but we also want something that's going to continue to be useful outside of vacations. Given those limitations, does anybody have recommendations? Right now we're thinking something like:

The 100-400 L IS USM with the 17-40 L USM
or
The 28-300 L IS USM

We currently have the kit lens and a 50mm f/1.4 USM.

Wild Turkeys

Raybun — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 07:25:47 -0800

We have a family of turkeys that has lived in our neighborhood for the past three years. They are active summer through early fall and then are not seen until next year. They leave no tracks in the snow during the winter. The full family of twelve walked through our backyard yesterday. The are much bigger than they were last fall, obviously well fed, and we can now distinguish sexes in the family. How do turkeys in New England survive winter? How long does a turkey family stay together. Do flocks contain more than one family? What is a good source of information on wild turkeys as a social unit?

best binoculars?

snsranch — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 20:03:26 -0800

Re: binoculars. What do I look for and what is the best for my money? We are hiking/mountaineering with kids. We are ramping up for some serious hiking and exploring in the coming months. We have been hiking alot but I am always sad when the kids (my boys) miss being able to witness the occasional Golden Eagle, coyote, mountain lion or big horned sheep because we don't have field glasses/binoculars. What would be the best for us? Keep in mind that we will be visiting mountain tops with incredible long-range views. Looking at the moon and stars is good too! Thanks in advance.