Guess who's coming for dinner 
     
    
   
   
    
     BY ANN DUTTON 
     
    
   
   
    
     Most of us who enjoy watching the antics of daily visitors to our 
     
     bird feeders are secretly hoping to entice the rare and unusual into 
     
     our gardens. The chance of this happening is much greater if we extend 
     
     our feeding beyond the winter months into what the tourist—operators 
     
     like to call the "Shoulder Seasons“, or even all through the year. 
     
    

    
     Some friends who live in the south-eastern area of the Island, in 
     
     Murray Harbour North, operate their feeder year—round. Early last July 
     
     their interest was aroused one evening when their cat suddenly became 
     
     alert and wary and rushed through the house to jump up and stare 
     
     through the window nearest the bird feeder. My friends looked out and 
     
     saw a raccoon eating the sunflower seeds the birds had spilled on the 
     
     grass. It ate all it could find before disappearing into the 
     
     trees. 
     
    

    
     The next day, some left—over potato salad was put 
     
     outside and as dusk approached, so did the raccoon 
     
     who soon consumed this exotic supper. 
     
     Hoping it would become a regular 
     
     visitor, my friends next placed a 
     
     dish of sunflower seeds on the 
     
     ground under the feeder. That even- 
     
     ing they waited expectantly, but could 
     
     hardly believe their eyes when the 
     
     adult raccoon appeared, leading five 
     
     babies straight to the food! 
     
    

    
     After that the family came 
     
     every evening. In addition to seeds and vegetable 
     
     scraps they consumed large quantities of Purina Dog Chow. The mother 
     
     left them in August, but the babies continued to visit daily and soon 
     
     grew from about eight inches in length into healthy—looking adults. 
     
    

    
     My friends said that the raccoons would even go to the kitchen win- 
     
     dow to eat from their hands! They had a bad scare one evening when a 
     
     dog belonging to visitors chased them into the woods. But they were back 
     
     within a day or two unharmed. The raccoons took Hallowe'en in their 
     
     stride - disappearing into the bushes as each carload of Trick—or— 
     
     Treaters entered the driveway, and returning to their supper as it left. 
     
    

    
     They continued to visit regularly until mid-November, when pre- 
     
     sumably they went into hibernation. Now everyone is wondering how many 
     
     will mate and bring their broods to dine next summer! 
     
    
   
   
    
     Wildlife and woodlots 
     
    
   
   
    
          
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     BY BOB BANCROFT 
     
    
   
   
    
     Lakes and streams throughout Nova Scotia offer opportunities for a 
     
     wide variety of animals, from moose to salamanders. Forested lands bor— 
     
     dering these areas provide some of the best habitat or living areas for 
     
     our wildlife species. This article takes a fresh look at forestry prac— 
     
     tices on lands near waterways. 
     
    

    
     Buffer strips along waterways should be considered Special Manage- 
     
     ment Zones (SMZ) where shelterwood, strip and patch cutting and other 
     
     alternatives to large-scale clearcutting can be employed. This approach 
     
     would maintain fish and wildlife habitats while still offering forestry