Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin: Backyard Biodiversity

We have 1.2 acres of land, three quarters of which is treed. Even though we are in town it is a very natural setting. The York River runs past the back, a small creek in a ravine on one border, and a 20+ meter buffer of trees on the other. Across the river is designated as a flood area, so there are hundreds of acres with nothing but trees, water, and bugs. It amazes me the diversity that can be found on our property.

Dogs - we used to have two, neighbourhood dogs sometimes get loose and come for a visit.

Cats - I'm not a cat person and I think people who let their cats run loose should should get some of this. Yesterday there was a fluffy white one on the deck scoping out the birds coming to the feeder. At first I thought it might be feral, but seemed friendly enough and the fur wasn't too matted, although it seemed skinny.

Raccoon - a recent population explosion, a neighbour used to trap them in his corn patch. Pretty sure we have a den of them under a stump near the river. Fresh sand scattered from the opening and some poo. Lots of tracks in the shoreline mud.

Fox - Leaf has seen it, I've only seen the footprints in fresh snow, our property is only a small part of its range.

Red Squirrel - most common squirrel in our yard, seen daily. We used to have one that was a ninja. He'd scramble up the mesh screen of the sunroom, then leap backwards at an angle to barely grab the lip of the window bird feeder with his front legs, then haul himself in to it. As amusing as it was to watch - he wasn't successful every time so he'd thump into the window - I moved the feeder a few inches higher so he couldn't make it.

Black Squirrel - AKA bushy tailed rat. Infrequent visitor.

Flying Squirrel - nocturnal and I only know they are around because it was the one who chewed into our sunroom and got captured in the trap. I got this photo late at night a few days after beginning to wonder why the seed in the hanging feeder was disappearing so much faster than the window feeders when the chickadees prefer the window one.

Flying Squirrel

Chipmonk - a bunch. All called Alvin. Over the summer, we generally get at least one to take peanuts out of a hand, much to the excitement of the boys.

House Mouse - There is a better mouse trap.

Vole - seen sometimes scampering out of the garage or in the rockery.

Mole - most noticeable in the spring when winter tunnels are very obvious and widespread. A handful of mole hills. Didn't used to be a problem, but much of the grass on the property across the street was bulldozed a few years ago and I think we got refugees. 200kg of agricultural lime helped before, I may have to try it again. Very sandy soil plus acidity from pine needles equals terrible lawn loved by moles.

Rabbits - haven't seen any trace of them so far this year. Seen occasionally at first light in the yard, once by me when the boys and I were 'hunting', but droppings and tracks in fresh snow common. This summer (2014) we have a resident rabbit. Hangs out in the driveway, nibbles from the raised bed garden, and ate about half of my sunflower seedlings.

Beaver - damn beavers! This year is the first we've had problems, they gnawed down the only Slippery Elm on our property, plus one of the few young oak trees, plus most of the shrubs I planted to help with the erosion problem where the creek meets the river. In the past they dammed under the bridge over the creek, and there are old weathered stumps on the north side of the property, a surprising distance from the water. I wonder if the scent and noise of our dogs kept them away. I've caged our fruit trees with wire mesh.

Muskrat - one lives in the creek, we see him swimming around once in a while.

Deer - an infrequent and I think accidental visitor. The river and the highway make a funnel shape and we are at the bottom. Seen a handful of times, footprints in snow or soil seen more often. Once while kayaking about 1km upstream I rounded a bend to see a deer and fawn drinking at the edge of the river. It was a Bambi moment. Had a deer eating out of the raised bed garden this year (2014)

Bats - I don't know what species. Only seen occasionally at dusk in the back yard. We have a bat house, but pretty sure it isn't used.

Groundhog - Meandering through the front yard the other day.

Skunk - Never seen, but boy did I smell it the other night.

Weasel - Spotted in the driveway then hopping in the lawn on a very rainy day. No luck getting photo or video of it, but definitely much smaller than the other weasel I saw.

Mink - Went down to the river with the camera hoping for a shot of the wood ducks. Saw this instead.