On 3/28/2021 10:39 AM, Boron Elgar wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Mar 2021 09:51:16 -0400, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>> On 3/28/2021 9:13 AM, Boron Elgar wrote:
>
>> I think I saw a fox run up a tree one day. At first glance I thought it
>> was a small reddish dog trotting along... until it started climbing.
>> Oh, wait, dogs can't climb trees! LOL
>
> They are delightful, but thieving things. They will swipe things one
> would never suspect they would- like tools sitting on a driveway.
>>
I saw a show on PBS in the last couple of weeks about foxes being a big
problem in some parts of the UK.

I still have no idea what the raccoons might have done with the chains
they stole when they knocked down my bird feeder.

>>> But mink! Have you gotten to see them? Are they native to the area?
>>>
>> Yes, mink! No, I haven't seen any. It surprised the heck out of me to
>> find there are minks on Dataw. Yes, they are native. Apparently they
>> like marshy areas.
>>
>> https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/species/mink.html
>>
>> No, I haven't seen them but some folks on the other side of the island
>> who live closer to the water have. I'm told minks are quite mean.
>
> Not surprising.
>>
>> There are also rabbits on the island, although I've never seen those,
>> either. Apparently they like the marshy areas, too. So do the
>> alligators...
>
> We rarely see rabbits here. There must be some natural predators that
> keep the population down.
>>
Around here that would be hawks and yes, there are bald eagles nesting
around here, too.

>> Then again, I've seen all sorts of shore birds (herons, egrets,
>> pelicans, cormorants) sitting right next to an alligator at one of the
>> large ponds. The birds ignore the alligators and the alligators ignore
>> the birds. They just hang out in the sun by the water.
>>
>> Jill
> Love my birdies...I have a stream right down the hill where I have a
> small waterfall right across from my nearest CVS (such a mix of
> suburbia and nature) and a reservoir about a 10 minute walk away.
>
> I have binoculars at the ready for the kitchen window and a pair in
> each of the cars. We are forever stopping to watch some interesting
> critters. This week we had hooded mergansers to look at.
>
I had to look up hooded merganzers. Pretty!

Jill