Suburban Wildlife

Wildlife diversity seems to be on the rise in Roseville. As a child I recall our backyard served as habitat for about four different types of “wild” animal: sparrows, robins, squirrels, and rabbits. As I grew older, we saw cardinals, orioles, and raccoons. After I left home, my parents served as “god-parents” of sorts to a mother duck (mallard hen) who insisted on building nests in the window well by the kitchen door. One year my Mom was home for the big “Make Way for Ducklings” scene. She even helped the mother lift the little ones out of the window well and then walked along with them as the waddled to the nearby pond - stopping traffic along the way.

Roseville is no less exciting. Here are some recent posts about Bald Eagles seen within less than a mile of our home. Turkeys are also big in the neighborhood, with a two or three routinely disrupting rush-hour traffic at Fairview Avenue and Highway 36.

To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 09:32:43 -0600
Subject: [mou] Bald Eagles Roseville/Falcon Heights

To my surprise I observed a pair of Bald eagles male and female, I presume due to size difference, perched in a tree behind fast food row ,specifically Burger King, 1 block west of Snelling Ave. and Cty Rd B across from Har Mar Mall in Roseville! One flew over my car tree top level and lead me to the tree where I observed the second. They vocalized quite a bit and preened. They seemed quite content unlike the crows which were of course mobbing and growing in numbers as time went on.

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Reported Tuesday, 2/28, by another observer: adult BALD EAGLE in the "Grove" area near the U of M St. Paul campus, Ramsey County. Bird was in the trees southwest of Larpenteur and Cleveland Aves. Being harassed by a flock of crows.

Don’t even get me started on deer - they are as bad as squirrels in some places. Haven’t seen a ton in Roseville, though others have, but I did have an interesting encounter Tuesday while walking on the “path” out back at work. As I approached three deer who were munching along the side of the path, two scampered away, but one held his ground. It was situated on a bend in the path, so I was walking directly toward it - but it had no fear. I was able to pass within 10 feet of it, and it didn’t budge. Probably could have betted the dang thing if I approached it slowly and said cute, cuddly things to it. Hope it shows more fear of cars.