A raccoon in the wild. Photo by Dave Harper, Oakley, CA.

Above, is a raccoon in the wild.

Below, is a raccoon in a wild suburban backyard. /Gary

Lawn damaged by raccoons foraging for earthworms & tasty insects

Cooper’s hawk feeds on pigeon in Oakland, CA, backyard. (Erich Hayner, Oakland, CA)

Gary:
This is a picture of my backyard Cooper’s hawk with his dinner (we have lots of pigeons). I’d spent all day at hawk hill scouring the skies for raptors with no luck. As I drove up my driveway, this guy popped down and made his kill right before my eyes (a first). Just goes to show, nature is everywhere!
Erich Hayner, Oakland, California

Erich:
There’s so much “nature” going on in our backyards, I now call our backyards … “The Urban Wilderness.” /Gary

Where’s the deer? Photo by Dave Harper, Oakley, CA.

Wild animals can be amazing. All they have to do is stand still, or sit down, or just stop moving and they blend right into the background and almost disappear. Natural camouflage. It’s pretty handy when there’s a predator in the area. /Gary

Vet technician Jane Townley examines one of the first arrivals at the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society since the May 20, 2010 fire. Photo courtesy of Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society.

I Just received the news release below from the fire-damaged Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society. Good news! It’s on the road to recovery! read on … /Gary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Two puppies, nine kittens and a momma cat make it official: the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society is back to saving lives!

Join other animal lovers at the “Purrcasso Arts & Crafts” benefit this Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 6-7) to support the group’s rescue efforts (more below)

Just four months ago, the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society was wondering how it would survive the devastation of the May 20, 2010, early-morning fire that left the 83-year-old institution homeless and financially strapped.  Today, the award-winning animal welfare organization has much to purr about as it takes its first major steps on the long road back to full recovery.
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Skyler. Photo by Melinda Lassair, Clayton, CA.

Gary:
It’s not every day that kittens fall from the sky.  But in mid-September, Anna witnessed just that.  Drawn to her backyard after hearing a ruckus and neighbor dogs barking, Anna found that a hawk had accidentally dropped a baby kitten onto her lawn and was circling above, getting ready to dive down and pick it back up again.

She threw open the door and rushed outside, scooping the severely underweight kitten up and scaring off the hawk.  Once inside, Anna evaluated the tiny Siamese mix and found that amazingly, she was still in one piece.  She obviously had been without food for quite some time, as every tiny bone in her fragile body was evident to the eye.
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Sierra Marie. Photo by Lisa Madigan in cyberspace.

Dear Friends:
After 14+ years, we said goodbye to our lovely Sierra Marie last Friday. Our vet was able to come to our house, where Sierra was most comfortable, and let her go here.  She had a rough last year, and it was time for her pain and discomfort to end.

Call me crazy… but what can you say about a dog that loved you unconditionally, poked your pregnant belly with her nose, taught you how to parent, strengthened your marriage, let your toddlers pull her ears and tail, sat with you as you mourned the death of your parent, walked two miles each day with her leash in her mouth, was known by name by all in the neighborhood, traveled with you on almost every family vacation, was with you during most of your marriage and every milestone in your young family’s lives, cheated death two times, and let you know when it was time to let her go?

She was an incredible friend and a huge part of our family.

We will miss our furry girl, we will never forget her, and we thank you for allowing us to share how much we loved her with you.
Lisa (& Frank, too) Madigan, in cyberspace

Lisa & Frank:
I wish I had known her. /Gary

Cooper’s hawk sits on the fence, checking out sparrows feeding at a nearby bird feeder. Photo by Lloyd Garbutt, Livermore, CA.

Gary:
I have a Cooper Hawk which visits every once in a while in my backyard and I managed to watch him for some time trying to flush out some sparrows from the bushes below my bird feeder. Attached are some photographs which I took.
Lloyd Garbutt, Livermore, CA

Lloyd:
Cooper’s hawks, being bird-eaters, always try to take advantage of bird feeders by preying on the little birds that are attracted to the feeders.

Because of this, the sparrows, doves, finches and other birds that use the feeders have to continually be on the alert for these aggressive hawks. Otherwise, it’s bye-bye-baby.
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Hot dogs in Singapore. Photo by Gary Bogue, Benicia, CA

Hot Dogs in Singapore

A couple of weeks ago I was in Singapore on vacation with my wife. It was VERY hot and humid.

The dogs that live there certainly know how to deal with the heat and humidity. /Gary