Living in Crestline, we get a variety of wild animals living in and among our dailyness.

• RACCOONS

Last night we had a huge raccoon climbing around our back porch - I assume attracted by our large bowls of water and dry dog food. It had no fear of me. I gave it a respectfully wide berth myself. Raccoons can be very vicious - never approach or feed one. They will fight and hurt a dog if attacked. Still, these are neat animals to watch.

• COYOTES

We’ve had coyotes cross our front yard and even come up onto our front steps to look at our small dogs inside the house. Most locals with small dogs do worry about the coyotes. While our coyotes tend to be on the small and scrawny side, they WILL and DO grab small dogs like puppies, chihuahuas, maltese, yorkies and the like. We ourselves have a very fluffy pomeranian that we are not sure a coyote would go for - the hair makes her look bigger than she is. A coyote did manage to corner her on our front stoop one afternoon when she had escaped from our yard. The coyote was definitely considering her as possible prey.

I would suggest a small to small-medium dog should never be allowed to roam free up here, just in case. Medium to large dogs should be safe from coyotes unless they like to fight. Our large standard poodle has come home twice with bite marks from who knows what and we no longer let him out alone.

We also try to keep our garbage cans well sealed - hungry coyotes know to tip over garbage and recycling cans to get at the goodies inside. Many winter mornings people awake in Crestline to discover their half-chewed garbage strewn across their driveways. We keep a bungie cord placed over the tops of our cans for this reason.

• SQUIRRELS

A lot of people living here enjoy the mountain squirrels. Some people even put out food for them. I have heard people mention their local squirrels are comfortable enough - brazen enough even - to tap on the windows of the houses where people feed them, showing off like the little beggars they are.

Those who choose to feed squirrels need to be cautious - no matter how cutely they appeal to you for treats, keep your hands away from the creatures. Squirrels are wild things that can carry rabies and will bite if you stick your fingers in their face. That said, you can certainly capture adorable photos of these charming critters if you’re inclined to befriend them.

• BATS

As the sun sets, the bats come out. Our bats are the size of small birds, are shy of people, and provide a valuable service to the community by eating literally millions of insects each night. I love seeing these fascinating mammals swoop over and under my back deck every dusk. They take over from the dayshift ’s insect-eating swifts and swallows, in a sense. Bats are delightful creatures and not to be feared - hanging a bat nesting box on your property will provide you with free insect control all year long and make for cool evening viewing.

• BIRDS

Bird watchers find Crestline a great place for birding! We get a lot of raptors soaring over Lake Gregory and down below the Rim of the World highway. While a lot of the usual suspects hang around people’s homes and feeders - crows, Stellar’s jays, scrub jays and robins, we also see mountain bluebirds, Cassin’s finch, Gamble’s quail, western tanagers and at least three kinds of woodpeckers. Lake Gregory has a large population of ducks and sea gulls. Our winters see a healthy population of Bald Eagles perching on tall pines overlooking the several lakes in the area.

• SKUNKS

Skunks also deserve our respect - no one wants to get sprayed. Keep your dogs leashed or in your house if this is a concern, also remembering that skunks can carry rabies. That said, it sure is cute to see little skunk families rambling around. If a family moves under your deck, don’t attempt to remove them yourself, however! Call animal control.

• LESSER SEEN BUT STILL AROUND

We also have mule deer, bobcats and grey foxes. Black bears, cougars and bighorn sheep can be found roaming in some areas but tend to avoid the towns.

For more Crestline area wildlife information:

Wildlife Viewing Areas in the San Bernardino Mountains

Flora and Fauna of the San Gorgonios (scroll down to the charts)

San Bernardino Animal Control Center

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