Spring Visitors

I thought by living in the city I wouldn't have to deal with wildlife in my yard.  You don't really think about random animals being in a heavily populated metropolitan area. 

The first critter I encountered was a mouse in the garage.  This isn't really out of the ordinary.  Mice happen.  As I was taking the recycling out, a mouse came scurrying out from behind the recycling bin and ran behind the car into a dark corner.  Great.  I hate mice. 

The next day, Jason came home from work for lunch and wondered why I had draped straw and weeds across the porch light.  After further investigation, we discovered that a bird was trying to build a nest on the porch light by the front door.  We pulled the nest down, but an hour later it was back.  We pulled the nest down 5 or 6 times that day and the nest always came back.  I looked online about getting rid of the nest building bird.  Among the suggestions were to keep pulling the nest down or put a rubber snake up.  I went to Dollar Tree and purchased a rubber snake and draped it over the light.  A couple of hours later the bird had built the nest on top of the rubber snake.  I guess the bird knew better. 

A couple of days later, Jason was getting our yard swing out of the shed when he noticed a nest-like substance in the grass in the middle of the yard.  He thought it was a full of spiders so he rammed a metal pole into the center of the nest.  Five or six baby bunnies came running out of the nest.  I hope the neighbors weren't watching because he jumped back screaming profanities.  Since then, we've noticed probably a dozen rabbits in and around the yard.  I can't open a door without a rabbit scurrying away.  A couple of days after that, I noticed a second rabbit nest.  This one had been vacated.  I have no clue where the baby rabbits ran off to.  Except for one who ended up in a big pile of yard debris with another critter.....

When Jason went looking for one of the baby rabbits in the pile of yard debris, he found a snake.  The only thing I hate more than a mouse, is a snake.  The best part is that it slithered away before Jason could kill it. 

A couple of days after that, as we were eating dinner we noticed a large animal walking past Jason's patrol car.  It turned out to be a deer.  Then there were two deer.  What is going on?  We live in the city.  We watched as the deer grazed upon trees and bushes in the side of our yard.  After a few minutes, they slowly walked away.

{Caught in the act.}

Obviously the snake has to go.  The mouse has to go.  The bird needs to build its nest somewhere else.  The rabbits are OK for now.  They just need to stay away so Callie won't bark at them while Katherine is sleeping.  The deer can stay as long as they don't run out in front of my car when I'm driving. 

But seriously.  I live in the city.  Why do I have critters? 

I couldn't have a new post without a picture of my little mini me.  She's 6 weeks old!  She's found her tongue and likes to show it off.