Page 1 - Sentinel June 2018

The Perry Park

Sentinel

JUNE 2018

LARKSPUR WILDLIFE

People come to our area for the scenery. After they’ve been eas they always ask about bear and lion sightings: “Seen any
here a little while, they discover the wildlife. It seems fairly bears lately?” Almost always the first topic of conversation!
simple at first: a lot of people become birders, scatter bird feed-
ers of various sorts in their trees, waiting each spring for the With the proliferation of trail cams in recent years, we’re see-
return of the bluebirds. And turkeys—always the turkeys. Then ing all sorts of wild things we might have missed ten years
come the squirrels and raccoons—hey, we like bird seed too! ago. Now I’ve seen them all with my very own eyes over the
years—everything from raccoons swinging from the rafters to
And of course there are the mountain lion who peered in
lots of deer—lots and my bedroom window. But these
lots of deer. The Sentinel days—three mountain lions were
once ran a seasonal col- captured one night on a trail cam
umn called “Gardening in owned by my neighbors—not far
a Deer Park.” Soon we’ll from my bedroom windows! With-
have more because the out the camera, I would never have
fawns are due any min- known.
ute. I have at least four
does wandering around on Bears wandering around on porch-
my property. They’re not es at night—mmm, now where did
together. Each one is pre- that feeder go? Mountain lions
paring a nest somewhere strolling through our yards in pairs
here and grazing alone, all and trios...amazing.
in preparation for giving
birth. However, the best pictures are
taken in the daylight by some very
The does will leave their talented and dedicated local pho-
offspring in a safe place tographers who often post their
during the day when they best shots on the Larkspur Wild-
graze, but inevitably some life page on Facebook, created by
fawns will become adventurous and wander off. Do not worry. Sarah Heckathorn. Sarah and Kathy Meyer are local, licensed
Mama will find them. Last year I had a fawn on my front porch wildlife rehabilitators, and the FB page lets us see the photo-
all day. It was pretty obvious he had been left there by Mom graphic progress of foxes, raccoons, and bunnies from lost and
and told to stay put—mostly he did. Wandered up and the down often sick babies to spry young things almost ready to go back
the walk a bit. A couple of weeks later, I had twins on the to the wild.
porch. Deer are not dumb. They know there is no longer a
dog living here. And there are geraniums on the porch for an It has also become a gallery of our local wildlife (and some-
afternoon snack! times some not so local!) with stills and videos revealing what
we missed while we were working or sleeping. Would you be-
Beyond the deer—and never as obvious—there are the foxes lieve a pelican swimming in the Gateway Pond in Perry Park?
and the coyotes and the bobcats . . . And then the BIG GUYS, Check out the FB page. You’ll really like it.
bears and mountain lions. When I meet friends from urban ar- https://www.facebook.com/groups/215889188778210/
~KDale