Showing posts with label paws. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paws. Show all posts

PAWSwalk Raises $170,000

Sunday, September 18, 2011

By Mark Coleman

More than 800 dogs and 1,200 walkers turned out on Saturday, September 10 to raise money for the animals at PAWS.

From Great Danes to Chihuahuas, dogs and humans alike converged upon Seattle’s Magnuson Park to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of PAWSwalk.

Participants enjoyed a beautiful walk, before spending the afternoon visiting the more than 40 exhibition booths featuring everything from doggie massages to pet hotels. The day also included dog contests and demonstrations, and games with dogs available for adoption at PAWS.

Radio personality Lee Callahan, emceeing the canine fest for the second year in a row, couldn’t believe the turnout.
“It was amazing,” says Callahan. “They were dressed up in everything from tutus to jogging gear…and that was just the volunteer staff!”

For everyone involved in this year’s PAWSwalk, PAWS would like to offer a huge THANK-YOU!!!!  Your time, efforts, and dollars will help take care of thousands of dogs and cats this year.

PAWS is a champion for animals – rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife, sheltering and adopting cats and dogs, and educating people to make a better world for animals and people.

Each year PAWS cares for more than 5,000 animals from 154 different species. From kittens to cougars, from canines to black bears, PAWS has done this remarkable work for 44 years.

(If you and your pup walked in the event - send us a photo.)


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Come Bark in the Park at PAWSwalk on September 10

Sunday, August 28, 2011

PAWSwalk, Saturday, September 10, 2011 at Seattle's Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way NE.

Check-in opens at 8 am - Walk begins at 10 am

Join thousands of walkers and their canine pals for the 20th Anniversary of PAWSwalk!

By participating in PAWSwalk, a benefit event for PAWS, you can save the lives of thousands of animals in our community. Help us reach our goal of $200,000…and have a great time while you’re at it!


Activities at PAWSwalk will include a 5k walk through the park, the Kids’ Zone, a canine agility course, FlyBall demonstrations, contests for you and your dog, shopping, and free samples galore.

Every year PAWS cares for more than 6,000 injured, orphaned or abandoned animals. You can help make sure there’s enough kibble to go around by lacing up…and taking a walk!


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Concerned about raccoons? PAWS can help

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Photo courtesy PAWS
From the PAWS Wildlife staff

Take our Raccoon Quiz and learn how to keep your home, pets and family free from Raccoon conflicts.

Photo courtesy PAWS
Summertime brings longer, warmer days, luscious blooming gardens…and Raccoons! 

During the summer months our phone lines at PAWS Wildlife Center are ringing with questions and complaints about Raccoons. 

Whether you love their cute “bandit mask” or you hate that they may be knocking over your garbage cans or frightening your pets, it is possible for us to co-exist with them. 

The best way to deal with Raccoons is to learn more about them so that you may alleviate conflicts and prevent them from recurring.

Take our Raccoon Quiz, not only to learn when and how Raccoon behavior can impact you, but also to learn how to Raccoon-proof your home. 

Visit our Raccoon page and download a brochure, which includes a detailed chart on how to prevent conflicts with Raccoons throughout the year. 

You’ll also learn about the effects of feeding wildlife, why relocating wildlife is not ideal, and seven tips on choosing a humane wildlife control company.

PAWS Wildlife Center - 425-412-4040


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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Crows

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Crow. Photo courtesy PAWS

PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals. 
Crows are among the world's most adaptable and intelligent birds. For example, crows are able to recognize individual human faces, solve simple problems and use simple tools. Watch this example. They have evolved a varied language, and are capable of mimicking sounds they hear, including other animals. They also learn to associate noises with specific events, especially with food distribution.
Habitat and food
Crows live in diverse habitats across North America. They thrive close to humans in cities and suburbs. They roost at night in large flocks of up to several thousand during the winter. During the day, smaller groups may fly up to 50 miles in pursuit of food.
With a preference for coniferous trees like firs, crows build their nests in woods or isolated trees at least 60 feet above ground. Nests are solidly built of branches and twigs and are lined with bark, plant fibers, mosses, twine, and other found materials.
As omnivores, crows eat whatever is available, including insects, small amphibians and snakes, earthworms, eggs, nesting birds, and saltwater invertebrates such as clams and mussels. They also scavenge dead animals and garbage and eat wild and cultivated fruits and vegetables.
Crow.  Photo by Quinet.
 Nesting and population
Paired male and female crows together incubate their four to six eggs, which hatch in 18 days. The young first fly when they are about one month old. Frequently at least one young bird will remain with her parents through the next nesting season to help care for the new nestlings, by bringing them food and guarding the nest.
In recent years, crow populations have expanded in urban and suburban areas in the Northwest. Wildlife biologists suggest that the increase will soon level off. Although crows can find unlimited food sources, they have begun to run out of potential nesting sites.
Solving and preventing conflicts
Crows have survived centuries of efforts by humans to eradicate them. They have been shot, poisoned, and bombed, but they have endured and even expanded their range.
Common complaints about crows include:
  • Eating corn and other crops.
  • Raiding garbage cans.
  • Dive-bombing people during nesting season.
Most people may not know that crows can actually benefit agriculture by eating insects and larvae that damage crops.
Crow-proof your home
Crows are attracted to food scraps in garbage cans and compost piles, and easy pickings in gardens. Make it as hard as possible for them to raid.
  • Dispose of trash in secure cans with tight-fitting lids.
  • Secure lids further with a bungee cord or chain, or store in a locked shed.
  • Do not put food of any kind in open compost piles.
  • Bury food in an underground composter or put it into a lidded worm box (read more about composting from Seattle Tilth).
  • Avoid feeding cats and dogs outdoors. If you must, pick up bowls, leftovers and spilled food as soon as pets have finished eating.
  • Protect trees and shrubs with bird netting, which can be purchased in a variety of sizes at garden and hardware stores. Tie the netting securely at the base of the plant or on the trunk of the tree to prevent birds from gaining access from below. Harvest crops immediately as they ripen.
  • Crows are particularly fond of young corn plants. As soon as corn has been planted, protect germinating plants with a row cover until they are about eight inches tall.
Flying crow. Photo by John-Morgan.
Avoid dive-bombers
While crows have young in the nest and on the ground learning to fly, they may defend their nesting territory by dive-bombing other animals and people. This territorial behavior is only temporary and will quickly subside as the young fledge from the nest and learn to fly. If possible, it is best to stay away from nesting areas until the young have fledged and the parents are no longer as protective.
Dive-bombing crows are using intimidation to keep what they think is a potential threat away from their young. They rarely hit their targets. If entering the crow's nesting territory is unavoidable, carrying an open umbrella will keep the protective parents from coming too close.
More information

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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Woodpeckers

Sunday, April 3, 2011

PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals.

Northern Flicker Woodpecker. Photo courtesy PAWS
Woodpeckers have four strong toes, two pointing forward and two back, with sharp claws that enable them to cling upright to the bark of tree trunks and branches. Their stiff tail feathers also prop them up vertically.

Woodpeckers use their hard, pointed beaks to chisel into wood in search of insects and sap or to excavate nesting and roosting cavities. They also use their beaks to drum out signals during breeding seasons. They have thick skulls, which are protected from the concussive force of drumming by a narrow space around the brain that works as a shock absorber.

With long, flexible, bristled and sticky tongues, woodpeckers can probe small holes in wood to catch insects. Most woodpeckers start feeding at the base of a tree, searching for insects and spiders. Then they move up the trunk in spirals until they reach the larger limbs, where they explore the undersides of branches.

Some species, such as sapsuckers and Hairy Woodpeckers, drill holes in live trees. Others, such as flickers and Downy Woodpeckers, prefer to drill in dying and dead trees also called snags. In either case, the birds tunnel down 6 to 18 inches deep, making the excavation wider at the bottom for the egg chamber.

Male Red-shafted Flicker waits for his mate. 
Photo by Patrick Doheny.
Both male and female woodpeckers take turns incubating two to eight eggs. Hatchlings are naked and blind. Depending on the species, young leave the nest between 21 and 30 days after hatching.

Species in the Puget Sound area range in size from the larger Pileated Woodpecker, which is about 19 inches long, to the smaller Downy Woodpecker, which is 6 to 7 inches long.

The Northern Flicker is a woodpecker species that has adapted well to cities and suburbs. Unlike other woodpeckers, flickers often feed on the ground where they eat ants. Their wings and tails have reddish-orange undersides.

Solving and preventing conflicts

On occasion, woodpeckers may damage building exteriors, and their drumming may annoy occupants. There are three possible reasons for their behavior that should be assessed before taking remedial action.

Protecting territory
Since resident woodpeckers drum against hard, resonant surfaces to proclaim territory, they are likely to return to the same spot repeatedly during breeding season in spring. This can become frustrating when the site is a metal gutter, downspout, or wooden siding of a house, and especially when the woodpecker pecks on it in early morning.

To discourage drumming, change the site surface by covering it with fabric or foam. Providing an alternative drumming site may also work. Nail two boards together at one end and hang them on a secure surface.

Looking for food
If the woodpeckers' drumming activity is not restricted to one site on a building, and if it occurs throughout the year, the birds are likely drilling for food. They are attracted to insect-infested wood where they can drill small holes into the surface to extract the insects.

The first step is to control the insects, and the second is to repair or replace affected timbers, siding, or roofing.

A place to live
Woodpeckers may also drill cavities for nesting, roosting or storing food. Look for round, deep openings, often near knotholes in boards. In the spring or summer, assume there is an active nest with eggs or hatchlings inside, and wait until you are sure the young have completely left the nest before you begin repairs. Plug small holes with caulking or wood filler, and fill larger ones with wooden plugs, steel wool or wire screen before sealing.

Scare them off
At the first sign of activity, woodpeckers can also be scared away from a site by making noises at a nearby window or against an adjacent inside wall. Strips of foil, fabric or commercially available bird-scare tape hung from eaves might also deter them. You should never scare birds away from a nest with young.

If you or a neighbor have questions or a current problem with wildlife, please call the staff at PAWS Wildlife Center at 425-412-4040. PAWS helps resolve conflicts with wild animals and also rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife found by the public.

--PAWS Wildlife Center Staff | wildlife@paws.org

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PAWS Wild Night 2011

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Join 500 like-minded community leaders at the beautiful Sheraton Seattle Hotel for four courses of delicious animal-friendly dining, exciting live and silent auctions, and the opportunity to raise funds that will help save animals' lives. 

PAWS Wild Night is a wonderful opportunity to be a part of our efforts and become a champion for animals.

Saturday, April 9, 2011
      5:30 p.m. Cocktail Hour and Silent Auction
      7:00 p.m. Dinner and Feature Program
                      Live Auction and Fund-a-Need

Sheraton Seattle Hotel
1400 6th Avenue, downtown [map]

Attire: Cocktail Attire
Attendees: More than 500 compassionate community leaders

Tickets:
$125 each before March 11, 2011
$150 each after March 11, 2011


Host a Table
We would love to have you join us as a table captain at PAWS Wild Night. If you are interested in hosting a table of friends, family or coworkers, please contact us for more information.

Contribute an Auction Item
PAWS is seeking unique auction items to include in our live and silent auctions at PAWS Wild Night. If you have a fantastic item or experience that you would like to donate, please contact us.

Become a Sponsor
PAWS Wild Night 2011 sponsors make a significant contribution to help the animals at PAWS, while enjoying a generous suite of recognition opportunities. Contact us for more information.

For more information, contact Eleanor Blackford, Events Coordinator, 425-412-4027.

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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Waterfowl

Monday, March 7, 2011

PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals.


Waterfowl is a term that refers to ducks, geese and swans. Throughout North America, the most common waterfowl in cities and suburbs are Mallard Ducks and Canada Geese. Both species are highly adaptable, and often gather in large numbers in city parks and on freshwater beaches.

Although Mallards and Canada Geese are migratory, large flocks remain throughout the year in the mild Pacific Northwest climate, where they can find food and shelter year-round.

Photo by Jennifer Rotermund.

Mallards 
In breeding plumage, male Mallards are distinguished by their green heads, white neckband, chestnut breast, and black, upcurled tail. Females are mottled brown overall.


Mallards are dabblers, feeding mostly at or just below the surface of the water. They eat seeds, sedges, pondweed, aquatic insects, fish eggs, and mollusks. On land, they eat grass and weed seeds.

Mallards build their down-lined nests of leaves and grasses at the edges of sloughs, lakes or marshes. Females incubate 8 to 10 eggs, which hatch in about 26 days. Shortly after hatching, the ducklings' mother leads them to water. They first fly about two months after hatching. Mallards are genetically capable of cross-breeding with other species of ducks and often produce hybrids.

Photo courtesy PAWS
Canada Geese
There are at least 11 different subspecies of Canada Geese in different North American ranges. Males and females are alike in color, but the male is somewhat larger. Like dabbling ducks, geese feed at or just below the water ‘s surface, eating tubers, roots, leaves and eelgrass.

On land they graze for grasses, bulrushes, clover and other plants. In the fall, they pick up waste grain and corn from stubble fields in agricultural areas.

Geese form lifelong pair bonds, but if one mate dies, the survivor will find a new mate. Geese nest on the ground and on platforms near water. With the male standing guard nearby, the female incubates 5 to 6 eggs for about one month. Goslings follow their parents into water within a day of hatching, and they fly from 63 to 86 days later.

Solving and preventing conflicts
Mallards and Canada Geese are frequently blamed for trampling lawns and for polluting water and grass with accumulated feces. They find abundant sources of food and shelter in parks and along lakes and ponds. They frequently stay in one place for long periods of time. Habitat modification can encourage waterfowl to disperse.

Do not feed ducks and geese

Supplemental feeding attracts large flocks of waterfowl and promotes their dependence on handouts which do not provide proper nutrition for the birds. When left to feed on their own, waterfowl consume and help control aquatic plants such as millfoil and algae.

But when people dump their uneaten food and leftovers such as bread and chips, the rotting food can compromise water quality and promote bacterial infections in animals.

Make them unwelcome
  • If ducks and geese congregate in an area that is small enough to be enclosed, plastic netting or chicken wire fencing will keep them out.
  • Waterfowl are attracted to large expanses of lawn, especially near water. Landscaping with barriers of shrubs, hedges or tightly planted groves of trees, will break up the line of flight between the lawn and the adjoining water.
  • To scare waterfowl away, place poles with 2-by-3-inch plastic flags that have been split down the center. Suspend the bags so they will move with the wind. Eyespot balloons and bird-scare tape are available through catalogues and at garden and hardware stores.
  • Waterfowl are sensitive to noise. You can buy a variety of automatic noisemaking devices. Use a combination of many types to frighten birds at the first signs of their activity.
For information on solving conflicts with geese, see the Humane Society of the United States or Geese Peace.

If you or a neighbor have questions or a current problem with wildlife, please call the staff at PAWS Wildlife Center at 425-412-4040. PAWS helps resolve conflicts with wild animals and also rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife found by the public.

--PAWS Wildlife Center Staff | wildlife@paws.org

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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Pigeons, Starlings and Sparrows

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals.

Songbird Sparrow. Photo courtesy PAWS.

The most common roosting birds in cities and suburbs are pigeons, European Starlings, and English House Sparrows. All are highly adaptable, and very capable of finding shelter and roosting sites on and in buildings. They eat food from garbage cans and bird feeders, and in parks where people offer them handouts.

Wild pigeons

Pigeons, also known as Rock Pigeons, were introduced into North America in 1606. They nest under bridges, inside barns, and on building ledges, rafters, and beams. They lay eggs throughout the year and raise several broods of one or two young, who can fly about 35 days after hatching.

Rock Pigeons were the first birds domesticated by humans, raised for food and used later as message carriers. Wild, city pigeons are feral descendants of domesticated Rock Pigeons.

Starlings

The European Starling was introduced in New York in 1890 and has since spread across the continent. In spring, the starling's plumage is black with iridescent tints of green and purple, and the bill is yellow. In winter, the bill is dark and the plumage is lighter and speckled.

Starlings often roost in large numbers, and during fall and winter they flock to and from their communal night roosts. They nest in cavities, including holes in freeway signposts, and they compete aggressively for nest holes in trees with native birds such as flickers and bluebirds.

Starlings raise two to three broods per season, each with four to six young who usually leave the nest 21 days after hatching. Known for their diverse vocalizations, starlings can imitate the sounds of other birds and animals.

House Sparrows

The House Sparrow was introduced to North America in the mid-19th century and now lives throughout the United States. The male has a brown back and wings, pale gray underparts, and a black bib. The female has a solid grayish-brown breast and no black markings.

House Sparrows always live close to humans, and are frequently seen in large flocks in city trees and hedges, or under the eaves of buildings, where they build their nests. They raise two or three broods during the spring and summer, each with three to seven young. The youngsters leave the nest at about 17 days after hatching.

Solving and preventing conflicts

Roosting birds, like pigeons, starlings and sparrows, rarely cause damage, but when they gather in large numbers their droppings can get messy and unsanitary. Habitat modification can keep birds out of areas where they are not welcome.

Bird-proofing with netting

Bird netting made of weather resistant material is available in a variety of sizes and is a versatile tool for bird-proofing. To prevent birds from roosting on window ledges, anchor the netting to the roofline, stretch it across the front of the building, and secure it at the bottom and sides.

You can overlap large panels of netting and hang them in front of a garage or other open door. Netting can also be used inside buildings to prevent perching on rafters and other horizontal surfaces.

Physical barriers

  • To keep pigeons off flat surfaces, such as ledges, you can modify the surface. Make a false ledge by fastening wood, stone, or metal over the surface, angled, at least 60 degrees. The birds will slide off when they land.
  • Use parallel lines of monofilament line or stainless steel wire to make a barrier. String the lines through eyelet screws a few inches above the roosting surface. Keep the lines taut by placing the eyelets no more than 18 inches apart.
  • To prevent starlings and sparrows from nesting in buildings, seal holes under eaves and in outside walls and replace loose shingles and siding. If the birds have already nested and are caring for babies, wait until the young have fledged and left the nest, then remove all nesting materials and close openings.
  • If you put up nesting boxes in your yard, choose ones with small openings that accommodate chickadees, nuthatches, and wrens. Boxes with holes larger than 1 inch in diameter fit starlings and sparrows, therefore you should avoid them if you do not want to attract these birds.

If you or a neighbor have questions or a current problem with wildlife, please call the staff at PAWS Wildlife Center at 425-412-4040. PAWS helps resolve conflicts with wild animals and also rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife found by the public.

--PAWS Wildlife Center Staff | wildlife@paws.org

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Living alongside raccoons: PAWS speaker at Echo Lake Neighborhood meeting Tuesday

Monday, February 14, 2011

Photo by Sonya Reasor
Tuesday, February 15, 7-9 pm, Shoreline City Hall, 3rd floor

PAWS speaker Cindy Kirkendall, Wildlife Admissions Specialist at PAWS Wildlife Center, will talk about what human wildlife conflict is, why it occurs and how to solve some of the more common conflicts humanely, specifically with Raccoons.

The Board will present the amended by-laws for a vote.

The Echo Lake Neighborhood Association has no dues. Membership is open to those living or working within the neighborhood boundaries of I-5 to Aurora and 185 to 205.

Meetings are 7-9 pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, 3rd floor.

For more information visit the webpage or send an email.

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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Opossums

Thursday, February 3, 2011

PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals.

Opossum

Natural Behavior

The Virginia Opossum is the only marsupial (pouched mammal) native to North America. Also known simply as "possums," they originally lived only in the southeastern United States. Opossums were introduced to the West in 1890 and currently have established populations along the West Coast from British Columbia to San Diego.

Generally nocturnal, opossums spend the day in hollow tree trunks, rock crevices, under brush piles, or in burrows. Because of their long, naked tails, opossums are sometimes mistaken for large rats. Their long teeth give them a menacing look, but opossums are actually quite docile and prefer to avoid human contact.

Opossums live in forested or brushy habitats, but they have adapted well to living close to people in cities and suburbs. They are excellent climbers and good swimmers. Opossums also spend a lot of time slowly ambling about on the ground. Sadly, as a result, they are frequently struck by cars. When facing danger, they also do "play possum," entering a state similar to fainting that can last from less than a minute to six hours. The maneuver is designed to make predators lose interest.

Diet and breeding

Opossums are omnivores. They eat both plant and animals and scavenge carrion and garbage. Basically solitary, opossums avoid each other except during breeding season in late winter.


Opossum young being raised at PAWS
Like other marsupials, opossums give birth to almost embryonic young. The newborns crawl into their mothers' pouches, where they will remain firmly attached to a nipple until they are about 50 days old. When the pouch becomes too crowded, the young venture out to ride on their mothers' backs.

Solving and preventing conflicts

Although opossums sometimes overturn garbage, eat fruit or vegetables from the garden, and occasionally get into an urban chicken house they don't do much harm. They can easily be discouraged through habitat modification.

Removing attractants

Food scraps in garbage and compost attract opossums. Secure your trash can with a bungee cord or chain, if possible. Do not put food of any kind in open compost piles; bury food waste underground or use a tightly sealed compost bin or lidded worm box. (Read more about composting from Seattle Tilth.)

Opossums are also drawn to pet food. It is best not to feed cats and dogs outside, but if you have no other choice, pick up bowls, leftovers and spilled food as soon as your pets have finished eating. Do not leave bowls or food scraps outside at night. To prevent opossums from entering through pet doors, do not put food near the door and lock the flap at night.

Exclusion techniques
  • Opossums look for convenient denning sites, which include rock, wood and brush piles, and spaces under porches, houses and sheds. Before sealing possible den sites or entries, be sure there are no opossums inside, especially young who are mobile but not yet independent. To determine if there are animals present, you can cover openings near the ground with loose soil, and watch to see if an opossum digs out.
  • If you suspect activity by an adult in a crawl space or opening in a wall, begin exclusion by sealing all but one available entry. Fit the one hole with a one-way door with a hinged flap so that the opossums can escape but not re-enter.
  • Leave the door in place for several days while you continue to watch for activity. Once you are certain all opossums have left, close all openings with boards or metal screening, making sure that the barrier extends 8 to 10 inches underground. Remove other potential cover such as debris piles and low-growing vegetation.
  • If you keep chickens (as more and more city dwellers and suburbanites do), it is best to prevent opossum predation by enclosing the coop at night. Make certain that the coop has well-fitting doors and a solid concrete floor. To prevent opossums from digging in, surround the coop with fencing that extends 6 to 8 inches underground.
If you or a neighbor have questions or a current problem with wildlife, please call the staff at PAWS Wildlife Center at 425-412-4040. PAWS helps resolve conflicts with wild animals and also rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife found by the public.

--PAWS Wildlife Center Staff | wildlife@paws.org

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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Beavers

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Beavers live in Twin Ponds and Ronald Bog, where the newly planted trees donated by Rotary have had to be fenced to keep the beavers from cutting them down. They did destroy a large willow at the north end of the Bog. Are there beavers in any other parts of Shoreline/Lake Forest Park? -Editor

Mountain Beaver. Wikimedia Commons
PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals.

NATURAL BEHAVIOR

Weighing an average of 40 pounds, Beavers are the largest rodents in North America. They are built to live in water with their thick fur, webbed feet, paddle-shaped tails, and ears and nostrils that close when they dive under water. Beavers also have strong, constantly growing incisor teeth that allow them to gnaw through wood. They are herbivores and prefer to eat leaves, bark, twigs, roots and aquatic plants. Although occasionally active during the day, Beavers are mostly nocturnal.

Nature's engineers

Beavers are well-known for their engineering abilities. They build dams with brush and tree trunks on a foundation of mud and stones to flood an area for their lodge, to stay safe from predators and promote growth of their favorite foods. Dams are constructed higher than the water level. Successive generations of Beavers may repair and enlarge dams made by their parents and grandparents. Beavers do not build dams if they are living in a body of water that has a constant water level, such as a lake or pond.

Lodges, built in the water that is contained by the dam, have a single chamber inside that is above water level and one or more entrances that are accessed under water. Beavers do not hibernate, but they may become less active during the winter, spending most of their time in the lodge.


North American Beaver. Smurlo, Wikimedia Commons
At Home

Beavers live in small, compatible colonies generally made up of a mated, monogamous adult pair and their young up to 2 years old. They have a short breeding season in late winter. From April to June litters of 2 to 4 kits are born already furred and with open eyes. The young attain sexual maturity at about 2 years, at which point their parents usually force them to leave the colony.

Human impact on Beavers

Once one of the most widely distributed North American mammals, Beavers have suffered a sharp decline in their numbers. Unregulated trapping for Beaver pelts has decimated populations. Landowners have also killed Beavers who build dams that flood agricultural or other private lands.

On balance, Beavers do far more good than harm, creating scarce and valuable wetlands and habitat for a number of plants and animals. The population decline in Beavers has damaged both the species and the environment.

Beaver in Liquid Gold. Photo by Cecil Sanders. Creative Commons 

SOLVING AND PREVENTING CONFLICTS

Homeowners can modify their property to prevent or discourage Beavers from dam building that damages trees or causes flooding.

Fencing

It may be possible to keep out Beavers by enclosing a parcel of land in a metal fence. When metal fencing is not practical, an electric fence may work. Be sure to consult your local zoning or electrical inspection office and search any neighborhood covenants to determine whether electric fences are permitted in your area. You also need to know what kind of electric fencing is allowed.

Beaver-cut tree.  Wikimedia Commons.
Protecting trees

You can protect your trees from Beavers by wrapping the trunks in metal flashing, wire mesh, hardware cloth, or tree wrap. These materials are usually available at garden stores. Wrap the tree trunks at least 3 to 4 feet above ground, or at least 2 feet above the high water mark if the trees stand on land that occasionally floods.

Another option is to make tree trunks unpalatable to Beavers. Make a repellent by mixing 1 tablespoon of hot pepper sauce in 1 gallon of water, then paint or spray the mix on the tree trunks. You will need to reapply it regularly, especially after a heavy rain and in spring and summer when Beavers are most active.

Modify the water flow

It is pointless to destroy Beaver dams because Beavers begin rebuilding immediately. But it is possible to use a flow device to keep the water level rise to a minimum.

You can find plans on how to do this in the Beaver fact sheet on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website in the section called "Preventing Conflicts."

If you or a neighbor have questions or a current problem with wildlife, please call the staff at PAWS Wildlife Center at 425.412.4040. PAWS helps resolve conflicts with wild animals and also rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife found by the public.

--PAWS Wildlife Center Staff | wildlife@paws.org


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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Squirrels

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Eastern Gray Squirrel Preparing for Winter in Ridgecrest. Photo by Steven H. Robinson
PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals.

The gray squirrels - they're everywhere.  The brown squirrels are around, too, but there are very few of them.  They live in The Highlands, and I saw one in the Esperance area of Edmonds. [Editor]

Natural behavior
The most common tree squirrel in Western Washington is the non-native Eastern Gray Squirrel. Introduced into the Seattle area in the early 1900s, it has become well established in cities and suburbs.

Gray squirrels are active during the day, especially early morning and late afternoon. Gray squirrels build large nests of leaves and twigs on tree branches or within tree cavities. They also nest in buildings where they can gain access through open spaces in the roof, attic or walls.

Although they do not hibernate, squirrels often remain in their nests in cold or stormy weather, venturing out when they need to find food, which they often have cached near their nests.

Eastern Gray Squirrels are omnivorous. They eat seeds, nuts, tree bark and buds, fungi and occasionally eggs and nestling birds. Like other rodents, squirrels are gnawers, using their sharp, constantly growing front teeth to strip bark and chew through wood and plastic.

Breeding season begins in late winter. Depending on conditions and food availability, squirrels may produce two litters a year. Average litter size is three, and the babies are born naked and blind. Young squirrels remain in the nest for about six weeks.

Solving and preventing conflicts
Squirrels are opportunistic, making use of all sources of food and shelter available to them. They can also cause property damage, gnawing through electrical wiring or overturning bird feeders. The best way to discourage squirrels is to change your property to make it unappealing to them.

Do not feed squirrels
Discourage squirrels from raiding bird feeders by placing them at least six feet away from fences, trees, and buildings or by hanging them under steeply domed baffles.

Do not put bread, popcorn or other leftovers out for them. Even if you enjoy feeding squirrels, your neighbors may end up having problems with the animals, and often, people turn to harmful, inhumane means for solving these problems.

If squirrels have moved in
Squirrels, especially adult females, seek openings for potential den sites, and a house in poor repair is an invitation to move in. Gnawing to enlarge holes, squirrels can enter through small spaces. If you suspect a squirrel is living in a wall or attic, look for likely entries and listen for telltale scampering sounds.

Assume there are babies in the nest from March through September. You need to wait to seal the nest until they are old enough to leave on their own. When you are positive the juveniles are gone, you can begin closing the squirrels out of the space.

Frighten them away with a radio set to a talk station or other loud noises, or wait until they have gone outside during the day.

If you aren't sure that all the animals have left, you can leave one hole open and fit it with a one-way door that has a hinged flap so the squirrels can leave but not re-enter. Leave the door in place for several days, listen for activity, and if possible inspect the space regularly until you are certain the squirrels are gone.

Once you are sure all animals are out, seal the openings with half-inch hardware cloth or metal flashing. Be sure to extend the seal over the hole at least six inches in all directions to prevent squirrels from gnawing through it.

If a squirrel is running freely in your living, a bedroom or office, first close surrounding interior doors. Keep windows or an exterior door open and leave the room while the squirrel finds his way out.

Prevent them from moving in again
Squirrels will return to a building with loose, holey or rotting siding, boards and shingles. Repair or replacement it is essential to squirrel-proof the building permanently. Also, trim branches away from the sides and roofs of buildings to prevent easy access.

Protect your garden
To keep squirrels from stripping bark or otherwise damaging trees, wrap a 24-inch metal cylinder around the trunk at least six feet high, and trim lower branches. Occasionally, squirrels dig up bulbs, which can be protected by laying chicken wire over the soil.

If you or a neighbor have questions or a current problem with wildlife, please call the staff at PAWS Wildlife Center at 425-412-4040. PAWS helps resolve conflicts with wild animals and also rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife found by the public.

--PAWS Wildlife Center Staff | wildlife@paws.org

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