How is wildlife supported where you live when the weather turns extreme?
Extreme weather… it’s everywhere this month. I wonder how wildlife is managing.
Whether an area is experiencing unusual cold…
Or unseasonably warm temperatures…
wildlife is bound to be affected until weather conditions improve.
In this week’s Earth-friendly Friday Challenge, please share steps you or others in your area are taking to lessen the stress wildlife experiences in finding food, water, or shelter.
It looks like severe weather remains in forecasts…
What are your ideas to help wildlife:
- with food,
- water,
- shelter from weather/ predators.
Those pictures look like they were taken where I live!
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Hello Heather- If you live in the Pacific Northwest, then we’d be close to neighbors. I’m in a suburban area near Portland, Oregon.
~Jane
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No, lol, I live near the other Portland!
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That’s awesome! Someday, I would love to say I’ve been to both!!!
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Hi Jane, Here is my submission for the challenge —- on ocean warming and Jellyfish blooms here in the Monterey Bay area: http://lolako.com/unlesssevere-weather-and-wildlife-well-being-jellyfish-blooms/
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I’m not doing too well with posts for your challenge, Jane. This one is interesting because, in general, we are not encouraged to feed our native fauna. Might be something to do with our temperate climate 🙂
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There’s no pressure, Ken. Participate as you are comfortable. I’m appreciative that you are taking an interest. This is, to use your wording, “an evolving” process.
I can see some wisdom in allowing the native fauna to find its native food. I hope there is encouragement for the planting of native flora to help with keeping some balance. 😉
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I walked in the woods today during a blizzard and also saw some deer from my window and had the same thoughts! I wanted to feed them but after some research I did not. I am glad I am not a deer or a little bird today!
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Deer would be difficult to know what to do. Now I’m curious, what did your research advise?
~Jane
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That they become dependent , it upsets their digestion and attracts other wild predators that learn the new place where deer congregate. It made perfect sense but still sad ❄️
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That all does make perfect sense. It is difficult, but you can have peace of mind that you sought advice and learned how to best handle a troubling situation so the deer ultimately have the best outcome.
Thank you for sharing your insight. I hope what you learned will help others in a similar situation.
Stay warm ❤
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Thanks for the interaction. We need to care for our planet and creatures!
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I hope chats like these will create little bridges that connect more and more people to realize the important statement you just made…
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I’ve kept ample supplies of birdseed in the feeder, hung out some high energy suet and sprinkled some dried cranberries around for the birds.
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Jennifer, that is so good to hear. My sister has been keeping up to date about weather in the Ambler area… oh!!!….so!!!… Cold!!! Great to keep food available for the birds. I wonder how they are doing with water?
If you have time, I would love to see photos of the birds you are attracting. Could you share a post with photos?
Stay warm and safe-
Jane
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I have a few posts of birds I’m seeing out by the feeder. There is also a sour cherry tree just off the porch that some of them enjoy right now, as well as two berry bushes. I have a mockingbird who is being a bully now. There has been some melting off on the sunny days so I hope they are getting a drink from that.
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Ah.. I remember Mockingbirds being”take charge” kind of characters. I haven’t seen Mockingbirds here, although some bird habitat range maps do show them as resident birds. I recall they visited the yard often where I grew up in Abington. Good to hear there is some “melt” time for water. I hope that continues, but National News tonight leads me to believe relief is not quite yours yet. 😦
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This is the first year that I’ve noticed the Mockingbirds being so territorial in my yard. Not sure I can do much about him being a bully.
We got a good amount of snow last night and then freezing rain on top of it. But its suppose to warm up a little bit today so I’m hoping that it melts some of what’s been on the ground for what seems like forever. Last winter it was the same, the snow stuck around for along time. That is my main complaint about the past two winters, the snow not melting within a few days like it use to.
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Jennifer, these certainly are trying times so far as weather/ climate patterns are concerned.I hope the extreme cold will relent soon for all who are currently caught in its grasp.
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Thank you. Me too!
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