Mammals in my yard
Generally, I'm hoping to attract creatures "smaller than a breadbox". Not only do I find the smaller creatures more interesting, but I believe it's more suitable for urban/suburban areas like mine. Conversely, I believe that humans need to be smarter about how and where we build our communities so that we leave more space for wildlife - and for people to enjoy these larger creatures in more appropriate settings.
I definitely don't want deer. Yes, they're appealing with their big brown eyes, but their numbers are all out of proportion with what is sustainable. They're devastating to people's landscapes, of course, but more important, they're devastating the forest ecosystems. As a society, we need to come up with some solution, but I'm happy that I live in an area that doesn't have a deer problem.
I also don't want cats in my yard! And although we had a wonderful shepherd mix dog when the kids were young, I'm happy to be dog-less, too. I'm enjoying all the creatures in my yard - without the vet bills or responsibility that pets entail. (Although I did find myself looking for someone to take care of my monarch pupae when we went camping this summer!)
In general, I've designed my yard for pollinators, birds, butterflies, and amphibians along with all the littlest creatures we hardly ever notice, such as those found in healthy soil or in the compost pile.
I do enjoy my chipmunks, though, whom I indulge with many, many peanuts. It's hard to believe such a small creature could really eat that many, but I guess it's better to provision your warren with too much than with too little.
We think (hope) that this is a shrew, since shrews seem to be rather benign from what we've read. This little creature and his cohorts scurry around in established paths in the yard. We haven't noticed any damage, so we assume they're not a problem.
