Foxes in suburbia

Yes foxes are found in suburbia everywhere. Aparently they say there is 1 fox minimum per sq km in melbourne suburbia and urban areas. So many people living in the city/suburbs feel 'safe; from foxes and don't realise the risk.
We unfortunatly learnt the hard way 7 or so months ago when we forgot to lock the chooks up one night and we lost 1 (Marg) we were very thankful it was just the one, the fox had access to all 6!

So we have been much more vigilant with locking the chooks up every night, though it is the hubby's job, its mine to let them out in the morning. (the chook shed/house is behind the garage shed, if we leave it til after dark its pitch dark down there and to be honest I am a bit scaredy cat and hate going down there after dark so thats why it is his job for night and mine for morning)

So last night I couldn't sleep. I sufer insomnia on and off. It was 2:30am as I was watching the tv thinking I should probably go to bed and try reading. I heard a few funny noises outside, one was like a cat squealing, then rustling about. I thought at first 'oh cats fighting'
so ignored it for a bit, then after a another minute I heard louder noises and then I heard a chook clucking nearby.
I raced to the window and saw the chook first, fapping about in the driveway... then i saw it.... THE FOX . I hit the window and yelled out. It froze and looked at me.
I raced to the nearby cupboard grabbed the torch and went bursting out the backyard. the fox ran off as I went running into the drive.
The chook was no where to be seen.
My heart was pumping, I raced next door and woke my fther in law so he could come help me check the chook house (was too scared to go on my own) so went and checked and all fine except one chook missing. We hunted round the yard with torches and found her eventually, hiding under a bush. She seemd unharmed so we locked them up for the night. Was then really worried about the bunnies as they live under the deck at night. and my mind kept going back to the squealing noise I heard... bunnies can squeal when terrified or being attacked. Otherwise they make virtually no noise.
I hunted everywhere and realised the bunnies were not going to come out from under the deck and just hoped they were fine.

I hopped into bed by this time it was around 3:30am. I couldnt sleep after all that and kept hearing noises and getting back up to check. Eventually I drifted off around 5am.

The hubby came home form work at 6:30am and I woke then and explained what happened, he had thankfully spotted one bunny on his way in so I felt a little relieve and went back to sleep.

When I got up finally today I went and did a check and asked everyone what animals they had seen so far in the day. Both bunnies had been spotted at some point in the morning happily munching hay out the back....phew.

I went down and checked the chook house and nearby. You could see where the chook had been grabbed and where the fox has tried to drag it over the fence... there was a trail of feathers... thanfully chook must have struggled and got free and then ran to the drive where I heard it. Lucky chook.

We discussed today that we need to make a plan for lock ups for weekends when hubby is working, we cant risk losing them over something as silly as forgetting.

A couple of the chooks taken today.



In happier news! We recently got 2 new kittens. Meet Ablett and Bartel (yes the hubby and son are Geelong fans and are responsible for their names!)

ABLETT


BARTEL


and a photo from today of our dog Tiny. Tiny is getting quite old now, she'd be pushing 15 years old. She is still spritely and in very good health, though a bit deaf and a bit blind.


and while I'm here, some photos of the kids from today.
Tiahna, who is 9... I love this, she talks with her hands all the time.

love this of her too


my 2 tree climbing monsters!
Liam (he's off to school next year, can you believe it!)

and Jaime

and Miss Tiahna pushing her sister round in the wheelbarow. Its a gorgeous day outside so am glad they are out playing. Think I might go join them again!


then lastly this....

look closely. Its my daughters bike up in the fig tree. I'm not impressed. The father in law has thrown it there.... why? well she must have left it in the driveway. thing is she has been looking for it and hasnt found it for the last 2 weeks. I had no idea, thought it had to be around somewhere. What annoys me is a few things.
- he could have asked her to move her bike.
- throwing it in the tree is a grown man having a tanty and setting a bad example.
- not telling us he did it even after he knew we knew her bike was missing is silly games.
Now I know my daughter should also learn to put her things away but I strongly believe this is NOT the right way to teach her. Her reaction to finding it in the tree was 'oh wow look, never knew my bike could fly'

now I have no idea how to get it out, its high and all tangled in small branches!