Skip to main content
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
  • See & Do
    • See & Do
    • See all
      • See all
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
      • Accessibility
      • Arts
      • Attractions
      • Downtown
      • Health & Wellness
      • History
      • Live Music
      • Parks
      • Shopping
      • Stories
      • Weddings
  • Outdoors
    • Outdoors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Hiking
        • See all
        • Nature Walks
      • ADK Guides & Tours
      • Birding
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Cross-Country Skiing
      • Cycling
      • Downhill Skiing
      • Fishing
      • Golfing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Mountain Biking
      • Paddling
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
    • Eat & Drink
    • See all
    • Cafés & Coffee Shops
    • Craft Beer & Cocktails
    • Restaurants
  • Events
    • Events
    • See all
    • Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
    • ArtWorks ArtMarkets
    • Can-Am Rugby Tournament
    • Celebrate Paddling ADK
    • First Night Saranac Lake
    • Plein Air Festival
    • Winter Carnival
    • 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
    • Stay
    • See all
    • Cabins & Cottages
    • Camping
    • Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
    • Resorts, Hotels, Motels
    • Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
    • First Time Visitors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Accessibility
      • Downtown
      • Getting Here
      • Greater Region
      • Stories
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
  • Local
    • Local title-header
      • Live Here
        • See all
        • Meet the Locals
        • Real Estate
        • Town of Harrietstown
        • Town of North Elba
        • Town of St. Armand
        • Village of Saranac Lake
      • Do Business Here
        • See all
        • Chamber Job Board
        • Essex County IDA
        • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
        • Professional Services
        • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
      • Community Initiatives
        • See all
        • Arts & Culture Master Plan
        • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
        • Saranac Lake Brand
        • Village Community Development Department
What can we help you find?
  • See & Do
      1. See & Do
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
        3. Accessibility
        4. Arts
        5. Attractions
        6. Downtown
        7. Health & Wellness
        8. History
        9. Live Music
        10. Parks
        11. Shopping
        12. Stories
        13. Weddings
  • Outdoors
      1. Outdoors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Hiking
          • See all
          • Nature Walks
        3. ADK Guides & Tours
        4. Birding
        5. Boating
        6. Camping
        7. Cross-Country Skiing
        8. Cycling
        9. Downhill Skiing
        10. Fishing
        11. Golfing
        12. Ice Fishing
        13. Mountain Biking
        14. Paddling
        15. Snowmobiling
        16. Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
      1. Eat & Drink
      2. See all
      3. Cafés & Coffee Shops
      4. Craft Beer & Cocktails
      5. Restaurants
  • Events
      1. Events
      2. See all
      3. Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
      4. ArtWorks ArtMarkets
      5. Can-Am Rugby Tournament
      6. Celebrate Paddling ADK
      7. First Night Saranac Lake
      8. Plein Air Festival
      9. Winter Carnival
      10. 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
      1. Stay
      2. See all
      3. Cabins & Cottages
      4. Camping
      5. Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
      6. Resorts, Hotels, Motels
      7. Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
      1. First Time Visitors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Accessibility
        3. Downtown
        4. Getting Here
        5. Greater Region
        6. Stories
        7. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
  • Local
      1. Local
        1. Live Here
          • See all
          • Meet the Locals
          • Real Estate
          • Town of Harrietstown
          • Town of North Elba
          • Town of St. Armand
          • Village of Saranac Lake
        2. Do Business Here
          • See all
          • Chamber Job Board
          • Essex County IDA
          • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
          • Professional Services
          • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
        3. Community Initiatives
          • See all
          • Arts & Culture Master Plan
          • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
          • Saranac Lake Brand
          • Village Community Development Department

Visitors in My Yard

Watch Video
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
Alan Belford
October 01, 2013

            I keep a set of bird feeders up year round to attract birds to my yard.  They do remarkably well in that endeavor, and I’m excited when I find a new species of bird for my yard list.  But feeders also attract other things to the yard and I enjoy them as well. 

            Of course, feeders always attract red squirrels, eastern gray squirrels, and eastern chipmunks, the latter of which look like furry vacuums as they suck up seed and fill their cheek pouches.  And it appears that a local fisher has been helping me save money on seed by catching a few of the squirrels – my neighbor has seen a fisher in his yard.  White-tailed deer also eat the seed when things are lean in the winter and I’ve moved my garden into buckets on the deck given their penchant for eating it. 

            I’ve even observed short-tailed shrews in the winter coming out from hiding, grabbing seeds and then scurrying back into cover.  And of course I have mice coming as well – which attracted a hungry barred owl to the yard a couple years ago. 

red fox - Larry
red fox - Larry

            Last summer a family of flying squirrels lived in the patch of woods across the street and Wren would occasionally bark or sit up with ears perked when they were on the deck eating seed.  I watched them a few evenings climbing the paper birch tree in my front yard and even gliding from tree to tree in the shadows.  It was very cool to see.  Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the flying squirrels this year.  Instead, this year I have seen a red fox a few times – although it is less interested in the seed - as well as a gray fox which my neighbor says comes regularly to his yard. 

            But it is the family of raccoons who are my regular feeder clientele this summer.  I started noticing small holes in the yard dug by their clever hands and the muddy water left in the bird bath from being used as their wash basin.  Sometimes it was dumped over in their efforts.  It took a little while for me to catch them in the act though, and it was Wren who finally helped me see them.  She is often the one who alerts me to their presence by suddenly rousing from sleep barking, or by jumping up and pacing the floor or looking out the window. 

            Several weeks ago I noticed the mother raccoon with two babies feeling their way through the grass for bird seed which they scooped up and ate.  A few days later I had a quick sighting of one baby raccoon.  Then on one evening there was the mother with four fuzzy babies!  They were very cute as they rooted around for seed and nosed the bird bath for water.  The raccoons generally come at night, but just today I saw them at twilight – the earliest I’ve noticed them.  One young raccoon stood on its hind legs to get a drink from the bird bath before the mother scooted them all into the bushes when I came to the window hoping for a photo.

baby raccoon
baby raccoon

            And while sometimes raccoons can make a mess of the garbage, I’ve had no such problems – partly because I never leave garbage out of the trash can.  All they seem to want is the bird seed and water and I’m happy to share.  My biggest concern is to avoid any conflict between the mother and Wren and I always go outside with Wren when I take her out in the yard at night.  So far there have been no problems. 

            It is one of the great things about living in the Adirondacks.  Wildlife is all around us and we can see it whether out in the woods or just sitting at home.  And it makes each day an opportunity to see something cool.  After all, I’ve got bird seed to spare. 

           

 

red fox - Larry
red fox - Larry
baby raccoon
baby raccoon

Related Stories

Fall Flavors
The Taste of Community: Saranac Lake
Bar Flies and Fish Stories
Saranac Lake is Fall-tastic for Kids!
Best Off The Beaten Path Fall Foliage Finds
Happy Campers
It's Snowmobile Season
Five Ideas for Winter Family Fun
Saranac Lake Adventure Travel
Three Fantastic Fall Hikes in Saranac Lake
A Fall Vacation with Hot Sara
Norman Ridge Ride
Fall Fishing in the Adirondacks
Lost Among the Rows
A Decidedly Different Fall Day in Saranac Lake
Fall Events
Lake Kushaqua, A Beautiful Place to Rest
Fall Fun in Saranac Lake
Mt. Pisgah: The Adirondacks’ Finest Uphill Bike Park
Perfect Paddling at the VIC
Decidedly Different Saranac Lake
Hiking Haystack
Gravel biking at Kushaqua
It's All Good at the Saranac Lake Skateboard Park
A Week’s Worth of Nightlife in Saranac Lake
Cycling Loops in Saranac Lake
Paddling Middle to Lower Saranac Lake
Hot Town, Summer in the Village
Finding Fun and Snowfleas at the VIC
Finding Winter Finches — and other Cold-Weather Species
Cross-Country Ski The Jackrabbit Trail
Skiing from Placid to Saranac Lake
First Day on the Bog
Saranac Lake's Snowshoe Centers
Snowshoeing at the VIC
The VIC's Black Pond Loop
5 Paths to Winter Adventure in Saranac Lake
A Day on McKenzie Mountain
A Fall Hike up St. Regis Mountain
Fall Paddling in the Adirondacks is Amazing!
Beat the Heat!
Saranac Lake Trail Running
Fall for Saranac Lake
Summer Scoop: Five ADK Ice Cream Destinations
Hiking and Birding in Bloomingdale Bog
Rebuilding a Whitewater Park
Extreme Art: Painting Inside the Blue Line
Saranac Inn Golf and Country Club
Our Five Favorite Swimming Holes
Music on the Green 2018
Hiking an Adirondack Mountain for the First Time
Sweet Isle O' Mine - Adventures in Island Camping
Two Ways of Exploring the Natural World at the VIC
The VIC: It's Luxury Hiking!
Walking the Walk: 20 years of ArtWalks in Saranac Lake
Get down! The best low-elevation hikes in Saranac Lake
The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration!
Rejoice!! May Birding is Here!!
Three of Saranac Lake's Best Paddling Routes
The Excitement of Early Spring Birding!
Family Paddling Day: Planned for You
Get away with the girls
WINTER IS COOL
So Much Snow! And Some Great March Skiing!
Let's Glide - Enjoy Fish Creek Park!
Top 5 tips for fishing on Lake Colby
Woods and Waters Trail, a great ski!
A Holiday Ski!
First Skis of the Season!
Get Acclimated!
Feeling Grateful
Detours are great!
Paddling Jones Pond in the Fall
A Fall Hike Up Mount Baker
An Evening Paddle on Lake Clear Outlet
Azure Mountain Adventure
The Great Adirondack Corn Maze
A Fall Paddle on Little Green Pond
A Fall Paddle on the Floodwood Loop
Top Three Loops for Foliage
Five Fab Fall Viewpoints
Fall Migration is in High Gear!
Fall Seasons Cold Water Paddling
4 Go-To Paddling Destinations for Fall Foliage
Gorgeous leaves, all access
Be there at the finish!
An Evening Paddle on Middle Pond
Crossbills and Boreal Birds
Moose Pond: A Cool Fishing and Camping Combo
Paddling and Birding along Quebec Brook
How to pick your camping spot
McKenzie Road Bouldering
Not just a walk in the park
Rugby — A Gentleman’s Sport
Family fun that's free
Stock up for your stay
Sprung!
Slow paddle to Oseetah
Skiing and Exploring the Jackrabbit Trail
A Great Ski on the Jackrabbit Trail!
Dewey Mountain - Just Wild Enough
Ice Fishing First-Timer
2016 Most Popular Blogs
Cross Country Skiing in Lake Clear
Enjoying Late Fall Cold Fronts And Their Migrants
Great Fall Birding!
New Road Mountain
Dia de Muertos at Pine Ridge
A Fall Paddle On Lake Clear Outlet
The Possibilities Of Fall Birding
A Fall Hike on Baker Mountain
Ampersand: A Family Tradition Realized
Village of Boulders
Fall Events: a blaze of glory!
Zooming Around in the Fall
So many hikes, so little time
Girls just wanna have fun
Searching for Philadelphia Vireo and other species
The coolest camping is on an island
Tri to stay dry
Puppy's first mountain climb
A Rainy Day Birding Trip in Madawaska
Coolest Places to Get Your Cone On in Saranac Lake
Coolest Adirondack Chopped Challenge!
A beginner's mountain bike adventure
A Ride That Takes You Off The Beaten Path
A Friends Weekend in the Coolest Place
Early Spring Birding!
Wonderful Weddings in Cool Places
Springing!
Spring Ice on the McKenzie Mountain loop
Cross-Country Skiing on the Bloomingdale Bog Trail
Yeah, we're cool - no matter what we're wearing!
Gray Jays!
Fun with Ice: Saranac Lake Creativity
2015 Most Popular Blogs
Five Great Wilderness Views
Trotting for Turkeys
Select seven: Family hikes under four hours
Shopping without the stress
Tubing: the sport to please the masses
Timeless Tubing at Mount Pisgah
John Brown's Other Bodies
Excellent October Birding!
Five top tips for cooking the hunt
Brighton: Dusk 'til Dawn
Unleash Your Inner Picasso
Paddling and Hiking Around Little Green Pond
Camping in the Cold (Disclaimer: This is NOT a How-To Guide)
A Cool Adirondack Adventure
Daddy Longlegs Love Burlap
Fall Warblers and Other Migrants!
Upcoming Fall Events
Enjoying Late Summer Wildflowers!
Dog Days of Summer aka Beach Time!
Martha Reben: Staring down the Great White Plague
Seeing if the boot fits: Exploring the Bays
Lake Clear: Our Secret Paradise
Paddling and Birding Around Jones Pond
Paddling Middle Pond
Stevenson Cottage - small outside, a world inside
Paddling in the Adirondacks for the First Time!
Hiking with the Crew up Baker Mountain
Riding the Rails, Adirondack style!
Keeping It Local
July is when things heat up!
Great Birding at Intervale Lowlands - It's that Time of Year!
Finding Lots of Birds Just by Taking a Simple Walk
Coming Home to Saranac Lake
Great Birding and Loads of Warblers in Madawaska!
Saranac Inn, golf with a taste of Scotland
Free Water Park Ride In Our Backyard
Summer music is everywhere in Saranac Lake
Early May Wildflowers: A Kaleidoscope of Color
Fun and Free (or almost)
A Spring Hike Up Baker Mountain
5 reasons we are the Lake Country
Learning to Love Every Season
Exciting Beginnings of Spring Migration!
In Defense of Mud Season
Skiing in April and on Easter - No Foolin'!
Boreal Birding In and Around Town
The Joy of Spring Skiing
Adirondack Cure for Cabin Fever
Jackrabbit Trail: Lake Placid to Keene
Jackrabbit Trail - Day 2: McKenzie Pond to Lake Placid Pub & Brewery
Newbie Skier Tackles Titus
Memorable Firsts: Carnival & Cross-Country Skis
Skiing the Fish Pond Trail
Wedding planning with the pros
Two sides of the Trifecta
Enjoying Winter Birding
Adirondack Traditions, then and now
Enjoying White Snow to Take Away the Winter Blues
Wellness Resolutions: Easy does it!
Four Seasons of High Points
Skiing - and Falling - in a Winter Wonderland
Early Season Cross-Country Ski Destinations
Fly our Adirondack skies
St. Regis Canoe Area - An Interesting Ski Tour
Where to find hot beverages
The First Ski of the Season!
Healthy Holidays, Adirondack Style
Birding Along Lake Colby
Saranac Lake Remembers the Great War
A Guide to the Great Indoors
Fall Paddling; Being Ready for the Cold
New fun at Titus Mountain Ski Area
Doing the Doggie Paddle: Paddling the Adirondacks with your pet!
An Apt Pair: Ampersand Mountain & Follensby Clear Pond
The biggest Cure Tour of them all
History Comes Alive in Saranac Lake
Learning to Identify Fall Leaves
The Horse Knows The Way
Mount Pisgah getting ready for winter ski season
Paddling and Snorkeling Little Green Pond
A Red Phalarope at Little Clear Pond!
Searching for Fall Warblers and Other Songbirds
Boat Trip Massages: Two Roads to Wellness
Forks, Fests, and Flatwater: 3 Featured Fall events
Paddling Little Clear Pond
3 Short Paddles found in the St. Regis Canoe Area
Paddling Lake Clear Outlet
Hiking and Exploring Azure Mountain
An Evening Paddle on Moose Pond
A Great Place to Break Down
A cure cottage tour, a step back in time
The Art Walk is a path to art, music, and fun!
Mid-summer events in Saranac Lake
Adirondack Paddling, Choosing the Right Paddle
Adirondack Paddling - Choosing The Right Boat
Birding at the Spring Pond Bog
“One Particular Island” all to ourselves
Events roundup for Saranac Lake
Roughing it in style: a tour of White Pine Great Camp
The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration
Spring Paddling on Lake Colby
One Magic Canoe: The Seven Carries Canoe Route
Roadside Gems, Paddling the Saranac Lake Region
5 Hidden Gems for Hiking, Paddling & Trail Running
Our lakes were born for boating
Top 10 Spots for Paddling in Adirondacks
Get Ready For Fishing Season
VIC music sweetens a ski Sunday
Thursday Night Music Jam
Night Skiing at Mt. Pisgah
Mid-Winter Events 2014
Best Ice Fishing Holes
Building the Ice Palace
Silent Night
Snowshoe Shopping
Lost and Found
Short & scenic hikes
Something to Gobble About
Debar Mountain and Black Peak
Ducks and Otters at Lake Colby
Muskrats!
Hiking during Hunting Season
Goodman Mountain
Ducks on the Pond
Saving Einstein
Snow up high on McKenzie
You Don't Paddle Into the Wind
Five things you can do in Saranac Lake on Halloween week
Hiking St. Regis Mountain
Fall at the VIC
Panther Trifecta
A Fall Paddle on Jones Pond
A Fall Hike Up Baker Mountain
Sparrows Along Lake Colby
Going to Church
Visitors in My Yard
A Hike Up Panther Mountain
Where the leaves are on fire with color
Artist at Work Studio Tour this week
The Colors of Late Summer
Fun family events for fall foliage season
Scarface Mountain Adventure
Bloomingdale Bog Birds
Late Summer Yard Birds
Fifth Annual Hobofest: Music, Food and Fun on the Tracks
Stomping out the Saranac 6 – Week 2 – St. Regis Mountain
Hobofest tops the calendar this weekend
FlavorFest at The Wild Center
Lows Lower Dam to Lows Ridge, A surf and Turf Adventure
Hobofest Returns to Saranac Lake
The Osgood's
A Birding Trip in Madawaska
Black Pond to Bridge Brook Pond – A new trail
Local Massage Therapist Takes It Up A Notch
Local Family Friendly Swimming Spots
A peaceful afternoon on Jones Pond
Take A Swim!
Ampersand Mountain
Hiking and Birding on Baker Mountain
Entertaining events will keep you hopping this weekend
A Birding Trip to Bloomingdale Bog
Blog on Bogs
Top 5 Family Friendly Activities in the Saranac Lake Area
Searching for Spruce Grouse
Camping in the rain - better known as "damping"
Safe Guiding Services with High Adventure!
Follensby Clear Pond to "Round Pond"
Trail Running the Deer Pond Loop
Birding in Spring Pond Bog
Hiking and Birding on the Jackrabbit Trail
Birding in Massawepie Mire
Lower Saranac Lake Path
Long Pond to Pink Pond's
The Amphibious Choirs of Spring
Little Clear Pond and Grass Pond, a Canoeing experience
The Kettle Trail
Hiking from the North End of the Bloomingdale Bog Trail
What can we help you find?
Sign up to receive more information.
Enter Email
Do•Stay•Eat•Shop•Events
Work Here•Contact Us•DEI•Media Kit•Privacy Policy
39 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Powered by the Regional Office of
Sustainable Tourism
THERE’S MORE TO EXPLORE
We’ve got the best ideas for things to do on your next Adirondack adventure, and we will deliver them right to your inbox! THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING! Your next adventure awaits you in your inbox! Tell us more about what interests you, and we can help you plan your next trip.
MANAGE YOUR PREFERENCES