City Life- Oakland, Pittsburgh
My little city shade garden is at it's lowest point this time of year- just before the ferns and hostas start to push green sprouts up through rotting leaves. Twigs, and bird seed litter the ground, the bricks and the marble top table.
I spent 4 hours cleaning up the empty hulls of about twelve 25 pound bags of sunflower seeds.
It's worth it though. I love feeding and watching the birds and squirrels eat and helping them get through the winter.
In spite of living in a very busy city neighborhood (my little house is literally in the shadows of these tall buildings; a survivor of the victorian era that has so far managed to avoid being torn down) we've had lots of wild creatures in our backyard over the years. One summer a pheasant hung out there eating seeds for a few hours.
This is one of several kinds of hawks and falcons (not sure what kind) that come to my little garden too. They are magnificent to see, but I'd rather it didn't stalk the birds at my feeder.
Here is a link to a live cam of the falcons two blocks from my house.
FalconCam at Cathedral of Learning in Oakland
I've even gone outside and clapped my hands to get them to go elsewhere, but they ignore me and leave when they decide.
These wild turkeys are becoming very common in Pittsburgh. These two were casually walking around my friends house just down the street from us. So far we haven't had one in our back yard, but one of our tenants told us there were deer in his back yard, one street over.
Cleaning up some old leaves I missed picking up last autumn I found 3 of these little mushrooms.
I like the amazing detail a camera can give such a small thing. It makes me feel as though I'm small standing next to it.
I think people in the suburbs and the country would be surprised that there is so much animal life in the city.
I spent 4 hours cleaning up the empty hulls of about twelve 25 pound bags of sunflower seeds.
It's worth it though. I love feeding and watching the birds and squirrels eat and helping them get through the winter.
In spite of living in a very busy city neighborhood (my little house is literally in the shadows of these tall buildings; a survivor of the victorian era that has so far managed to avoid being torn down) we've had lots of wild creatures in our backyard over the years. One summer a pheasant hung out there eating seeds for a few hours.
This is one of several kinds of hawks and falcons (not sure what kind) that come to my little garden too. They are magnificent to see, but I'd rather it didn't stalk the birds at my feeder.
Here is a link to a live cam of the falcons two blocks from my house.
FalconCam at Cathedral of Learning in Oakland
I've even gone outside and clapped my hands to get them to go elsewhere, but they ignore me and leave when they decide.
These wild turkeys are becoming very common in Pittsburgh. These two were casually walking around my friends house just down the street from us. So far we haven't had one in our back yard, but one of our tenants told us there were deer in his back yard, one street over.
Cleaning up some old leaves I missed picking up last autumn I found 3 of these little mushrooms.
I like the amazing detail a camera can give such a small thing. It makes me feel as though I'm small standing next to it.
I think people in the suburbs and the country would be surprised that there is so much animal life in the city.