Keep an eye out for wildlife this fall

Now that fall is upon us, it’s important to be mindful of what this season means for our wildlife neighbors. Animals begin to migrate and forage for food in preparation for winter, deer enter the mating season and less daylight hours mean there’s an increased risk of animals getting hit by cars. In fact, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions peaks this time of year.

The mating or “rutting” season for deer can be especially dangerous — for deer and us. Marin Humane is already seeing an increase in calls from people reporting deer hit by cars or getting into situations from which they can’t extricate themselves. During the rutting season, bucks are flooded with testosterone and preoccupied with chasing doe, becoming almost oblivious to their surroundings. They’ll even forgo eating for the opportunity to breed. They can also become aggressive to humans during this time. If you encounter a buck and he starts to change his stance and ear posture, or begins to stomp his feet or huff, slowly back away.

Deer are most active at dawn and dusk, so people should be especially cautious driving at those times, when they’re likely to be out feeding. Not coincidentally, this is also a peak driving and low-visibility time for motorists. Slow down, scan the road and shoulder ahead of you, and use your high beams in the evening when it’s safe to do so (the bright lights reflect off their shiny eyes, making them easier to see). Remember, deer tend to travel in groups. If you spot one, know there are probably others nearby, so take appropriate caution.

“Evening is a very active time for wildlife,” says Alison Hermance, director of communications and marketing at WildCare. “The end of daylight saving time puts the busiest human commuter time right at the point of peak wildlife activity. WildCare’s wildlife hospital sees an increase in hit-by-car animals, including owls, as the clocks change, because it takes wildlife time to shift their patterns to accommodate us. Watch for animals both on the ground and in the air at dusk, and be prepared to call WildCare or Marin Humane if you see an animal get hit.”

This is also a time of year when migrating songbirds hit windows, a truly sad sight.

In just one night almost two weeks ago, more than 1,000 migrating birds died after crashing into a single building in Chicago, due to what experts say was a deadly combination of migration season, difficult weather and a lack of “bird-friendly” building measures.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, glass windows are worse than invisible; by reflecting foliage or sky, they look like inviting places to fly into. And because the sheer number of windows is so great, the toll on birds is huge. Up to 1 billion birds die from window strikes in the United States each year.

You can help prevent this from happening by identifying dangerous windows, including large picture windows, paired windows at right angles to each other or windows with feeders outside. Go out and look at your windows from a bird’s point of view. If you see branches or sky reflected in or visible through the glass, that’s what the birds will see, too. If you have windows that could be dangerous to birds, put decals, stickers, sun catchers, Mylar strips, masking tape or other objects on the outside surface of the window. These are only effective when spaced closely.

And if you find an injured animal, please don’t hesitate to call Marin Humane at 415-883-4621 or WildCare at 415-456-7283.

Lisa Bloch is the director of marketing and communications for Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal-related questions and stories about the people and animals in our community. Go to marinhumane.org, find us on social media @marinhumane, or email lbloch@marinhumane.org.