KITTIES and Kinglets

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation.

​Psalm 91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) is a very small perching bird found throughout North America. Recently returned to Monroe, Walton County, GA with the fall migrations. The kinglet is migratory, and its range extends from northwest Canada and Alaska south to Mexico.

Outdoor stray cat catching birds in Walton County, Georgia. Third eyelid is visible indicating illness such as feline immunodeficiency virus FIV or Feline leukemia virus FeLV. Feral or unowned cats are responsible for an estimated 69% of all cat-killed birds in the U.S.

​Wednesday - As I was out for a brief wildlife photography walk this morning, I found I was not the only one interested in capturing some little birdies! Sure, my goal is to capture them on camera, but her goal is to capture them in her mouth! A female feral cat was stalking the tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglets that had recently arrived in Georgia upon the winds of fall migration.

Being a lover of all animals, my opinion on feral cats goes back and forth. They are here because of us. By no fault of their own, they now must scratch out a living almost like any other wildlife species. So should we be trapping and euthanizing them just because they are “non-native”? Don’t they have a right to life too?

On the other hand, many studies have shown the amount of damage that stray and owned free-roaming cats can have upon populations of birds and reptiles. I hate it when I see cats staked out to ambush birds at feeders. But isn’t that just nature; survival of the fittest? Or do we have an obligation to protect native wildlife from the threats of introduced species?

And what about the life of a feral cat? It isn’t really an easy existence. This one in particular looks a bit ill. Her third eyelid is showing, which is sometimes an indicator of illnesses such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or Feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Are we really doing them a service with our trap-neuter-release programs?

Like many other issues, there are so many sides to the feral cat issue. I suppose your conclusion will be decided by your feeling toward cats, your position on wildlife conservation… and many might not even care at all. I suppose there will never be a correct answer... but it's food for thought.

Walton County, Georgia
Today: mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
Sunrise Today:7:52 am; Sunset Today: 6:41 pm
Daylight Hours: 10 hours, 49 minutes (-1m 51s)
Moon: 52% Waning Gibbous

Another feral cat photographed Monday, November 5, 2018. This one looks like a pregnant female.

Monday, November 5, 2018 at 9:22 AM. Spotted a Golden-crowned Kinglet on the flooded beaver wetlands this morning. Walton County, GA.

Monday, November 5, 2018 at 9:22 AM. Spotted a Golden-crowned Kinglet on the flooded beaver wetlands this morning. Walton County, GA.