Actually, Dswan, I kill wildlife fairly often. Only in the appropriate season and only what I eat...and I don't feel bad at all about it. But I can sympathize about the snake...or any other critter that gets killed for no good reason at all. I've sadly run into enough boneheads over the years (and many aren't hillbillys...not sure if we technically can legally call them "hillbillys" in Canada...it may be like "champagne" is only rightfully applied to certain wines produced in the appropriate districts in France..perhaps we can call them "sub-alpine oriented peoples" ) who seem to feel that the only appropriate response to any critter on their property is extermination. I have a skunk that lives under my front verandah...not so much lives but loiters. In the several years that it's been resident, I've smelled it only once, and my olfactory abilities are finely honed. I've enjoyed watching the old girl raise litter after litter of handsome young skunks. A visiting relative was shocked by my entire family's nonchalance over the skunks. I told him that we learned to accept them and their odd habits, in much the same way my family came to accept him. Still, on his own little slice of rural bliss, he routinely dispatches any and all skunks, coons, and squirrels as they are "vermin". I find this appalling. What's worse is that he is an extremely civilized, well read and thoughtful individual...and unless Manchester, UK qualifies as part of Appalachia, I'm doubting his hillbilliness. Every day I hear complaints about Canada geese, cormorants, and sundry other birds and mammals. More and more, these complaints are coming from retirees and yuppies, refugees from the urban sprawl of Toronto or Ottawa. I hear comments about control and culling, and how the environment is "out of whack" Personally I'd like to see the exposion of these minivan driving Homo sapiens brought under some sort of control..they've taken to building their large bulky homes in every corner of our once proudly rural township...they clutter our roads and insist on trying to recreate the exact situations they left behind...if anyone has any suggestions I'm open.

Donna I'm so sorry to here of your loss. Last yr. was my first yr Blue Birding and my first nesting was killed by wrens and I cried as if one of my kids....your right they bring so much joy. I had'nt seen my mama blue today so this evening I went out and raised up the wren guard still couldn't see inside to dark so I ever so gentley open the door slowly and she was in there sitting on her eggs....I was so thrilled to see she was ok. I worry even though I have the baffle, wren guard and spooker up. Like Al said hawks or owls worry me, had a hawk yesterday almost fly into my pic window. But I hope your Mr. Blue finds a new mate and you have a new nesting soon.

If the feathers are neatly placed in a pile, it sounds like a hawk de-feathering the bird before eating it. I once found a circular pile of Caroline Wren feathers in front near the bird bath. Cats will not leave a tidy pile or any pile. Besides, if it were the neighbor's cat, they would take the bird to the neighbor's patio, not yours. My cat has occasionally caaught a bird and she brings it to the deck and eats it, leaving only a couple tufts of feathers in a disarray. It is helpful for the birds to have thick shrubbery or evergreens somewhat near the placement of the feeders or bird baths, within about 10-12 feet, so they have a chance to escape into cover from a hawk. Also keep the feeders and baths in the open at least 5-6 feet away from perennials or such where a cat might be lurking (learned that the hard way, which is how my cat caught the birds!).

One dog dies last year and I believe the other did this year. Maybe she just got tired of them and gave them up. It has been quite quiet around here, neighbors have commented on it. As for moving should she replace them, I inherited the house I grew up in. My mother designed it, my father built it. There are over 400 specific plants in the gardens and there is just too much sentimentality involved, not to mention that I am a bit old to be relocating. For now, her hedges have thickened and grown tall enough that all anyone sees is a nice green backdrop for my gardens. You would not even know there was a house in there. It is very unfortunate because the house has an excellent picture window that used to overlook the valley. Last summer, in the only patch of sun filled area in her yard, she had a lawn chair out and was sunning herself. I could only see her through a bathroom window and she looked like the proverbial beached whale. I pulled the curtains to stop from laughing. The dogs are just a memory now....