Osprey
 

We are hoping to get a courtyard villa
because of the high fence. We have
two little, 10 pound white dogs who
will probably be playing in the backyard.
Someone mentioned that there are a
lot of osprey that sometimes prey on
rabbits rather than fish. Now I am
worried about my dogs because they
could be easily mistaken for rabbits
from an osprey's eyes.

Any information would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks so much,

WCS

Hi WCS,

We have a small white (half-Maltese) doggy too. We have a home than partially backs up to a villa wall.

There are many big birds of prey in the area - including hawks, eagles and osprey. I think osprey are the least to be concerned with as they generally eat small fish.

Most of the folks behind in the CYVs let their little doggies out alone loose. We choose not to, mainly because our lot gets wide at the back and opens onto a golf course. There is far more visibility in our yard than in a courtyard with the walls on 3 sides and the villa, itself, on the fourth. We are afraid that a predator could spot Finley from a distance.

Not sure if this helps, maybe you could reach out to UF to get more info?

Ospreys would be my least concern. Saw 1 Sunday with a 4 ft snake that it took to a nest on Lake Harris. Any other time I've only seen them with fish.

As Katezbox mentioned, there are eagles, hawks and owls that routinely hunt small prey in all parts of The Villages.

DO NOT leave your dogs unattended in the yard. I also have small dogs (one is white) and the hawks zero in on her all the time and start coming in closer to our yard. In the evening, owls will pick up a small dog, too. So be sure to be outdoors at all times with your pets and keep an eye on the sky. These birds fly silently and you will not know they are above you if you don't look up.

A CYV is a great solution in TV for those of us with dogs. If you have a birdcage that extends past your lanai, you can grow a patch of grass inside the cage. That is the best solution if you want to leave your little ones outdoors without being right next to them. You can also put a doggie door from inside the house out to the birdcage.

But DON'T leave them outside a birdcage without being with them. Even when I am with my dogs outdoors in the back yard of my CYV, sometimes I have to take them indoors when the birds come so low. Even when I wave my arms and make noise, it doesn't scare those big birds away. Please be careful.

Watch: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3NkJN1ircQ[/ame]

if you listen to the worrywarts on this forum youll walk around scared to death of either a sinkhole,lightening,predators,roundabouts,dogs in the squares,alligators etc etc etc....i have a little yorkie-poo who commands our cyv backyard on a golf course and the only danger so far was an errant golf ball. so rest assured this is a very nice safe place to live. only the wild imaginations on this forum should you fear!:welcome:

Red Tail,

I am the furthest thing from a worrywart that you will ever meet. Also, I am a very optimistic person and not looking for negative where it does not exist. My imagination is not wild. Maybe one day, I'll video those birds for you swooping down on my backyard checking out my dogs. Some people don't believe bad things can happen until it is too late.

I pray that your little dog stays safe.

Mrs. K9

Worrywarts? Just because you might not have experienced something doesn't mean it can't or doesn't happen.

I'm glad your little pooch hasn't had any dangerous encounters. There was this rabbit in my yard a while back, I posted about it....being chased by a rather hungry hawk. This went on for a few minutes. That rabbit wasn't little, wasn't big, but it was going to be lunch without a doubt. A small dog could also be lunch.

Everyplace one lives has some dangerous conditions and one needs to be aware of them and make the proper adjustments to live with these conditions. It's not going to stop one from living and enjoying themselves, but hopefully avoid some heartache.

I agree Mrs. K9. Those birds have to eat too and they're doing what comes naturally.

My mother in law lived in Sabal Chase for a while and her neighbor behind her had caged birds, two cockatiels. One day they were outside on the lanai, suddenly they were screaming. Seems a bird of prey was just "hanging" around the outside of the lanai cage, eyeing those two birdies.

My little guy in the picture above was stalked by a coyote while we lived up north. Coyotes have been seen in TV as well as bob cats, hawks, eagles and owls. It is not overreacting to say that these little dogs need to be watched while outside. In my yard we have a daily visit by an extremely large hawk who feeds on the mourning doves as well as rabbits. So many of us have lived lives removed from nature and have no idea what can happen to domestic animals when hungry birds of prey as well as coyotes and bob cats live all around us. The thread here on TOTV about bald eagles with a live video cam has shown the eagles feeding their eaglets ducks as well as squirrels and large fish. We lost the buffalo to this kind of attitude; my neighbor was head butted by one when he tried to lean over the fence to feed a huge buffalo.:shocked: Another day I watched a grown man and a child climb a fence at Palmer to get a better look at an alligator sunning himself.
The height of ignorance.:(

alligators and snakes contrary to old wives tales....will run when encountered by humans. alligators when fed by humans may not run but generally they are not a danger.

Not to get off track, but I think you point out something that not too many have had to think about duffysmom...many might not have encountered some of the "wildlife" we now live amongst. When we lived in CA, a colleague of hubby and colleague's wife, lost his little Doxie to a coyote that jumped their fence, grabbed the little dog and then jumped back over. This happened right in front of them. They were beyond heartbroken. We had coyotes walking through our neighborhood in CA and it was far from rural. Kitties were a favorite food of the wild beasts.
Ah, nature, it's all around us and we have to remember that wildlife is just that, wild and they will do what they naturally do and that could include hunting our domesticated pets.

I've forgotten my manners, Welcome westcoastsunshine. You'll love it here!

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...196427,00.html

http://www.narutoforums.com/archive/.../t-672485.html

http://www.squidoo.com/killer_gators

Red Tail, these alligators didn't run away, they ran or swam toward their prey.

i give up ladies..... live your fantasies....

Obviously, you need to do more research. We'll expect a 1000 word report by the end of the week. :D With footnotes. Signed: Anxiously awaiting an apology.