In L.A. we had few wild animals in our backyard, even if you include the two guys who jumped our fence and stole our lawnmower.

Birds, squirrels and possums and one rabbit were the only wild creatures that ever appeared around the house. I will grant that the birds included some unexpected species: hawks, falcons, parrots, and herons. The parrots were the tiny bright green variety that would arrive annually in a very noisy flock of hundreds to eat the nuts from the street trees.

We built our koi pond specifically to heron-proof it.  When the heron visited our neighbors’ pond, the neighbor lady ran out to the sidewalk screaming that “There is a pterodactyl in my pond!!”  She was serious.

If you expand the boundary to include the neighborhood where we walked the dogs, we also saw coyotes, raccoons, peacocks and the occasional mountain lion.

Now that we are in Michigan the variety of nearby animals has increased significantly.  This is the list (so far) of the wildlife we have seen in our yard.  No need to go looking, they all come to us.

Deer – Lots of deer, some of which have come up on our deck to look in the window

Rabbits – These come in all sizes, from tiny to Jack-Rabbit size, bigger than our dogs.

Raccoons – that like to eat the food we leave for the cats that live in our stable.  We raccoon-proofed the barn, while still letting the cats come and go as they please, by putting the cat-doors 42″ off the ground.  Cats can jump, racoons can’t.

Possums – As they eat ticks  we are happy to have them around.

Squirrels – Big enough to feed a family of four.

Peacocks and peahens – They seem to be fearless and will walk right up to the back door.

Bats – We have bat houses to encourage their bug-eating activities.

Chipmunks – Vala-dog considers them great sport.

Snapping turtle – Just one that we know of but she is quite large, maybe 2′ across.  We named her Agatha.

Turkeys – They walk through the yard in groups of 14-20.  We think they are two adult pairs plus their kids.

Herons – They keep the fish and frog populations in the pond from getting out of control.

Coyotes  – So far, they stay in the woods and don’t appear to come close to the house.

Geese – We have two nesting pairs that return each year to the farm pond to hatch and raise their goslings.

Fox – Rarely sighted, and they keep their distance when we do see them.

Buzzards – So big and heavy that they break a lot of the tree limbs they try to sit on.  Sometimes there will be 20 at a time all trying to perch in the same tree.  But they take their animal carcass clean-up responsibilities seriously.

Groundhogs – Mixed blessing.  They eat dandelions, but they dig big holes everywhere.

And of course mice, moles and voles.  But fewer and fewer as our “working” cats work.

Owls – Heard more than seen

Snakes – Just little garter snakes

Huge Woodpeckers -that like to drill holes in our house

And a staggering number of small birds