A Major Attraction

There are many things you can do in your yard to attract wildlife . At the Mattawa CPR section house , there were no gardens and hiding places for animals immediately around the building . Yet , critters wandered out of the bush on a regular basis and spent time visiting a major attraction right beside the house : the clothesline pole .


Porcupines: visited at least annually in early spring for a few days.

Raccoons: startled in the pre-dawn were caught up the pole on a regular basis. Most often the young and inexperienced.

Red Squirrels: consistently running the pole to stash food in the top of the pole where it was hollowed out by dry rot. An easy leap from the pole to the house for access into the attic when they moved in one year.

Chipmunks:always trying to raid the squirrel's stash

Downy Woodpeckers: who love to peck at poles/trees at five o'clock on summer mornings- right outside the bedroom window.

Ravens and Crows: also out to see what the squirrel left behind . And to have a chat with whoever was hanging wet laundry at any time. And to steal clothespins.


On three occasions that I remember , some very rare visitors got caught up the pole. These were observed quickly from a distance and left to leave when the time was right.

Bobcat: probably on the scent of the little critters. Or the culprit that 'treed' the raccoons.

Lynx: one winter when the snow was especially deep a frighteningly beautiful adult waited atop the pole . I expect in position to pounce on emerging squirrels. It left shortly after being spotted.

Black Bear: This was not a young cub with a mother close at hand, but a three year old male chased away into an adult world -Mother must be pregnant again . Life is kind of scary without Mom. He learned his lesson well . When in doubt 'climb and stay put'. He spent two days on top of the pole.

I learned never to assume that hanging laundry was a mundane, unexciting job.