We too live out in the country and have seen about all you have on your list. Just last Sunday though, our son in law spotted a cougar sleeping on the deck of my other property just east of this property, almost attached the properties are. We knew they were in the area but had not seen any. It ran off though the old barn and out the back toward where I live. I love the country, would never want to live anywhere else.

Sue in Central Indiana

We are less than a mile to the center of our town and RR station on an acre, with homes all along out street. We have most of the wildlife on Bob's list except the black bear (thanks anyway), wild turkey, and skink. I've never seen a snake here. We had a big snapping turtle in our driveway once.

A gigantic-wingspan heron (?) usually nests in the creek that runs alongside our ordinary suburban-y lot in summer. We have ducks passing through, sometimes staying long enough to raise a few ducklings.

I haven't seen one, but we do have bob cats in the area. The deer mostly stay on their path along the creek, but sometime leap our low fence into our back yard; had a 12-point buck, a doe and a young buck several times last fall.

Lucky you! I would love to have that variety of wildlife.

That sounds that sounds like our driveway. We could add wild hogs, flying squirrels, mountain lions, roadrunners, bobcats, raccoons, pygmy rattlesnake, copperheads, bats. I have seen ducks in the backyard but never a Canada goose. My favorite thing to see - deer and fawns.

In my suburban residential neighborhood, we have a small and not regularly seen local population of deer, squirrels and the very occasional skunk or coyote, but that's it. If you're happy with what you have, then it gets no better than that, congrats.

For me, all I like seeing in my driveway is the morning newspaper.

We have the normal run of the mill wildlife deer, squirrels, raccoons, hawks, turkey hawks, rabbits, mallard ducs and geese but no bears or coyotes. Lots of baby geese around right now, so very very cute.

Here's what I saw in my back yard this morning. Sorry it's not a great picture, but if I had gotten any closer I would hyperventilated! Black snake! Eeeekk!!

We have cougars here too, which many people find hard to believe until they see one.

We live on the bay side on the outer Cape (Cod) surrounded by National Seashore. Coyotes in groups are common. Foxes dig dens in our back woods. They feed and teach their young how to catch herring. We put fresh water out for them. No bears. We have eagles, egrets, heron, hawks, kingfishers, and so many beautiful migrating water fowl. Also turtles, people put up "turtle crossing" signs to alert drivers to be careful.

Squirrels, raccoons, skunks, chipmunks and rabbits are not delightful to me. They've all done a lot of damage to our home and gardens.

As the area has developed - more and more second homeowners - we have not seen snakes or the bevy of quails that used to trek in the underbrush. Honey bees, sadly, are disappearing.

Wild turkeys are quite prolific.

There were fisher cats where we used to live.

Trying to get rid of the deer. Deer bring ticks to the landscape. We're starting to get some help from the coyotes taking down the fawn and yearlings.

We have a few vultures hanging out, awaiting a kill by the red tailed hawk or coyotes.

The ducks eggs were eaten by the red fox and any ducklings were probably eaten by the coyotes. Cleaned up by the vultures.

Our neighbor brought home two small dogs a month ago. Since they keep using my yard as their waste bin, I had to give the neighbor a choice; an electric fence or a citation. Our HOA requires all pets to be leashed or controlled by electric fence. Another good benefit of HOA.

My gardening pal. He eats a lot of insects, especially ticks.

I've had several of those (Bob's list, including the bear)....our deer however are blacktail. I've never seen a fox in my neighborhood. Our lizards are newts not skinks I think - I don't know much about our lizards ;0) Other than I found one in my kitchen the first year we lived here and immediately had new storm doors and thresholds installed at each end of a hallway, both insect and little tiny varmint proof.

The day I found the lizard, lurching towards me in my bare feet and nightgown, no one was home but me. I scooped it up in a handful of Kleenex and it played dead, stiff as a board. Put it in a box outside in the shade so I could show it to DH when he got home from work and it was quite alive again by then - he released it in the ravine across the street.

I've never seen a grey squirrel in this city. I've seen one red squirrel here in my yard, twice. Lots of chipmunks. No rat snakes here, and I think its too wet for wild turkey. DH was part of a project where the company he was working for planted things for them to forage on, and acquired some to release. They didn't really thrive, increase.

There is a pair of eagles that can't be nesting too far away. I hear them, and see them overhead but don't know where the nest is.

We don't have much wildlife but we have birds, skunks, smart raccoons and coyotes. The coyotes have changed from being afraid to come out in the daytime to brazenly taking back the daytime. :(. We are warned to watch out for them particularly with little pets and little children :(

I live in a close-in suburb. At the end of my street (probably 1/2 mile away), there were deep woods that backed up to the country club grounds. The country club has decided to sell off lots in these woods and now we have deer eating my hosta (yes, they have already started), and coyotes. We already had possums from time to time and also the occasional raccoon (which try to get into attics). The newer, younger neighbors do not seem to understand that they need to buy multiple trash cans and tightly close the lids. They put our one big one with trash piled 2 ft above and the lid perched on top like a hat. So now, we have skunks.

If I'd wanted to live in the country, I would have moved to the country. There was already an overpopulation of deer in the woods and now with lots being developed, there is not enough food for them.

Some of you have seen the bear photos I posted a few weeks ago.

Along with bears, we also have mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, deer, raccoons, skunks, jack rabbits, gray squirrels, chipmunks, ground squirrels, snakes including rattlers, lizards, quails, turkeys, turkey vultures, bald eagles, other raptors, owls and various songbirds.

We aren't near water at our house, but along the river there are also otters and beavers.

Here in my central Ohio suburb, surrounded by Columbus, we have everything on Bob's list visiting our yards except skink and bear -- snakes there are, but I don't know what they are. Also have seen raccoons, turkey vultures, mallards, Red tail and Cooper's hawks, bats, turkeys, and a lot of different smaller birds. There are bald eagles, otters and beaver at the nearby river but those I've not seen in my yard. Weasels have been reported in the woods. Skunks have become rather overpopulated and close encounters with the neighborhood dogs happen weekly. Deer are definitely overpopulated and ravage our landscaping and gardens.

Deer

Oppossum

Racoon

Skunk family.....

Coyote family....

Doves

Killdeer

Robin families

Snakes

Cows (the electric fence was out)

Calves ( fence again)

Pigs (10 babies from neighbors..... they demolished the front yard and driveway!!! But they were so cute!)

Red fox tail squirrels

Eastern bulubirds

Indgo buntings

thatsall I can think of offhand! Good question!

Condo association sent out warnings this week about coyote's in area , plus big cat alert.

Been told when we don't see squirrels and chipmunks, we know the big cat is in the area, and usually seen behind mind condo. Why? I live in the woods and my place is where it likes to hang out. Usually a year or so when it meanders into the the area.

They send out alerts to keep small animals on a leash.

Did hear and see a possum looking for food the other night.

i'm in the burbs of NJ... maybe 30 minutes from center city Philly. typical suburban "development" a few blocks away is a park area... not uncommon to see a whole herd of deer grazing. rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks abound. most people have a shed in their yard... under each one is generally a groundhog family. once had a whole "flock" of wild turkeys wander through all of the adjoining back yards... and they can fly... way up into trees, too. town is getting to be known as a turkey buzzard capital... not uncommon to see 3-4 on a roof line, wings out stretched in sun. have heard coyotes. have seen coyotes and foxes... unfortunately as road kill. witnessed a red-tail hawk swoop down and carry off a "tree rat" from my backyard. there's a massive nest in a tree along route to school. EPA signage... think bald eagle. have been told nest could be 10-12 feet across and 4-5 feet deep. it's several hundred yards back off road in a totally dead tree... it ca't be missed.

My goodness! You all have a zoo on your priorities! I find it very interesting. We live in the suburbs and had a deer once. That's as weird as it gets!

I live in town and do not get animals like bobcats, etc. A psir of mallard ducks have appeared twice last week under my bird feeder. A few wild turkeys come around and at night, I might spy an opossum or racoon. I have not spied any snakes in my yard this year. In years past, twice I have found a good sized eastern garter snake.

Another bright note, the Dame's Rockets are starting their bloom. These grow wild in my area. I have a few in my yard. These are common alongside roads and pathways. Its time I take a hike to look for trillium and other spring wild flowers.

Glenda..what kind of big cat?

We're limited in what we see because the new houses are crowding out the animals.

I missed it, but there was an alligator that had to be removed a few months back. We have all kinds of herons and ocean type birds, lizards and green anoles, coyotes, snapping turtles, ducks, rabbits, and snakes. We had a 4-5' water moccasin hanging out in the bushes by the trail near the lake last year. Jake or Jacqueline, whichever sex she was, appears to have moved elsewhere.

Just yesterday I added a few more to the list, a groundhog heard the lawnmower and bolted to hide beneath the gazebo near the pond. And I saw a small bat flying along in front of me as I drove in. Also since the pond is close enough to the driveway, I can add bluegill, minnows, and a larger, long skinny fish, perhaps a bass?

On a trail ride around the area a few days ago my wife saw a beaver.

Although I haven't yet seen any at our new place, at our old house, over the years we were there, I saw nearly all I listed above, plus

• Snapping Turtle
• Skunk
• Raccoon
• Cow
• Fence Lizard
• Garter Snake
• Ribbon Snake
• Northern Brownsnake
• Black Widow Spider
• Gray Fox
• Field mouse
• Star-nosed Mole
• Vole
• Pileated Woodpecker

This has nothing to do with driveways, but there's nothing cuter than seeing a baby groundhog following it's mother across the road. I stopped the car and just enjoyed the moment. There wasn't anyone behind me.

I have a few new animal sightings on or from our driveway.

• Rat (in the Barn)
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Osprey
• Black Vulture
• Turkey Vulture

and just today

• Parakeet

The parakeet is certainly an escaped pet. I've called some of the neighbors to see if they are missing one. It can probably live just fine through the summer, but I don't think it is suited to the winter around here.

Neighbour saw 4 coyotes on our very short 2 block street. They're moving in. We've seen more skunks and raccoons this year than in several previous years. Noble our Labradoodle had a close encounter with a skunk and has been sporting a faint odor thereof for the last few days. He's had several washings but that skunk scent is unrelenting.

The Chicago Tribune reported on an increase in the skunk population this summer.

We're seeing deer prints in our gravel driveway when we pick up the morning newspaper. (Maybe we have our own local bachelors?)

Our bumper crop of rabbits is being thinned at last. I've heard coyote pups yipping with excitement over 'dinner' in the late evenings.

yeonassky, there are several enzyme-containing skunk odor treatment products that are safe and completely effective with just one application. There's no lingering odor. It's safe for you and the dog and all materials in the house. Nature's Miracle is the brand we keep on hand but I believe there are others. Check with your local Petco or PetSmart.

We have at at our lot and various homes in Colorado (all in the same general area of town)

Bear (lots)

moose (often)

elk (often)

deer

fox

skunks

squirls

an occasional rabbit

eagles

osprey

there are a few mountain lions in the area, but so far none near our part of town.

yeonassky - A few years ago, I had not one, but two German Shepherds get "skunked" during our evening romp in a field 15 minutes from home via car. Oh joy! Soon as we got home, I bathed both in a kiddie pool outside using:

1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1/2 cup of Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)

1 teaspoon of liquid soap

Mix together to make a shampoo.

Rinse well to remove the shampoo from the fur after vigorously shampooing.

You may need to double or triple this recipe depending on the weight of your dog.

I'll admit, I didn't measure carefully and was really pleased how well it worked.

As Elmer mentioned, Nature's Miracle is very good too.

Bob, I had a parakeet appear on my kitchen window sill one blustery cold March day in Michigan a few years ago. It seemed to want in, so I opened the window and it hopped onto my finger. It entertained us for about a week with it's antics...obviously it came from a home where it was the 'star of the show'. Tried, but never found it's owner. The little guy insisted on being free to roam and I was afraid that our dogs would do it harm, so gave it to a friend who raised canaries.

I saw the parakeet in the same location again yesterday. No luck on coaxing it closer or finding someone who is missing one.