I have been predator free for a little while...everyone has been free ranging and enjoying life...last night I lost a young Toulouse goose...today on coming home from shopping, I spied a mangy, skinny fox exiting my property far too close to the bird yard...odd to see IT out in the daylight hours...it looked sickly and just stopped and stared at me...not frightened in any way by the close proximity of me and my truck...I will be standing guard tonight and resetting the traps...they, the traps, have had a holiday but now it is time to get back to work...I am sick over my little goose...and the adults were very upset this a.m. when I went out to feed them and visit...they were all grouped up with the ducks under the peach trees...no one laying down resting as per normal behavior...and they were silent...that rarely happens too, espicially when I exit the house...they are usually very loud in their morning greeting and expectation of food or treats...I am totally over run with wild rabbits so it is not like there is nothing else out there for the predators to eat...I guess my birds are cheap and easy meals...I hate this...
