Not all birds construct their nests and lift their younger in birdhouses, and never each birdhouse is appropriate for the birds that do. The sizes of the homes and the openings each matter.
DEAR JOAN: I used to be cleansing out my birdhouses over the weekend to get them prepared for nesting season. One of many hen homes had a precision ring gnawed throughout the metallic guard defending the opening, apart from a small space on the prime. As an alternative, the roof overhang was gnawed. Any thought who would do such a factor?
Marti, Danville
DEAR MARTI: It may very well be the work of 1 creature, however I believe you might need two completely different animals reworking your birdhouse.
Rodents and squirrels have a organic have to gnaw on issues to maintain their tooth from rising too lengthy. The roof harm is probably going their doing.
The ring across the opening sounds extra like a hen making an attempt to widen the doorway to allow them to declare the home or to make it simpler for them to get in and seize future eggs and chicks of different birds.
You possibly can attempt “portray” the hen home in sizzling pepper sauce to maintain the rodents away, however there’s not a lot you are able to do about birds enlarging the doorway gap.
You need to take a list of the birds visiting your yard and decide that are cavity dwellers. Then put out containers which can be made particularly for them. Species-specific birdhouses are constructed to the suitable dimension for the birds and have the proper opening dimension. It gained’t cease a bigger hen from reworking, however at the least you’ll be making an attempt to offer the proper dwelling for the birds you could have.
DEAR JOAN: I noticed an advert within the paper for a looking resort in Sonoma that talked about looking quail. I believed it was unlawful to kill the state hen.
Yvonne Moss, Harmony
DEAR YVONNE: Though the California quail is the state hen and has protections afforded all migrating birds, it nonetheless is taken into account a recreation hen and thus could be hunted throughout particular seasons with a license and allow from the state. There are limits to what number of quail could be killed per day, per hunter.
The California Division of Fish and Wildlife divides the state into three quail looking zones. Searching season in all zones usually opens in mid October and runs by means of Jan. 30. It may begin a little bit earlier and final a little bit longer relying on the zone and the hunter’s most popular weapon. Falconers, for instance, can hunt quail with their birds from late August by means of the top of February.
DEAR JOAN: Each on occasion my canine regurgitates a little bit viscous yellow fluid. I assume it’s bile.
What do you assume may very well be the reason for this? He's furry and infrequently grooms himself. May ingested hair be the issue? He typically needs to eat grass, too, and I’ve been instructed that’s most likely associated to him throwing up.
D.J., Palo Alto
DEAR D.J.: If you happen to haven’t already, discuss to your vet. Bile is produced within the liver, saved within the gall bladder and launched to assist with digestion. Canine are almost certainly to throw up bile after they have an empty abdomen or are consuming plenty of fatty meals. Consuming grass also can trigger it.
The vomiting may very well be a symptom of an ailment, otherwise you would possibly simply want to regulate his meals. My canine can’t tolerate fats, and his entire system goes loopy if he eats an excessive amount of of it. Thus, he’s on a restricted weight-reduction plan and will get three small meals a day as an alternative of 1 massive one.
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Use this manner to submit questions. Pictures needs to be mailed individually to jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com.