B: A while back (blog VI to be exact), Alicia and I touched on some common wildlife myths. Tonight, I would like to touch on a few more, flagrantly plagiarizing myself as I quote from Second Chance Wildlife Center's Guide to Wildlife.

Some of the myths we reviewed last time involved raccoons, foxes, rabbits, opossums, vultures, bats and songbirds. While those of you faithful readers may feel jaded about reading "repeats", some of these do bear repeating.

First and foremost: The Legend of the Human Scent. Trust me, dear readers, if our local wildlife were so bothered by our scent, they would certainly not be choosing to nest in our backyards, attics, basements, wood piles and car engine blocks. Songbirds, for all intents and purposes, have little to no sense of smell. Think of you with horrible congestion; no smelling. The only birds with nasal capacities worth note are vultures (for sniffing out carrion) and many pelagic (ocean-faring) birds.

Mammals do have excellent smelling capabilities but are also not bothered by our scent. The reason (I feel) this myth got started is well-intentioned people were replacing babies back in the nest but were not staying far enough away for the parents to feel safe to approach. The human desire to step in can do wildlife more harm than good in times like these. If you are able to replace a fallen baby in its nest, please do so, and watch the reunion of parent and child from a safe distance (preferably in your home, if possible).

Other cases of wrongful abandonment include white-tailed deer fawn. Citizens are constantly stumbling upon "helpless" fawns in their yards, trying to understand why the doe would leave her young in such a treacherous area. Well, all I can say for that is when the doe left her fawn in that spot in the pre-dawn hours, your garden was pretty quiet.

White-tailed does will leave their fawns for up to ten hours at a time (depending on the age of the fawn) but are usually never out of earshot. As most mammals do not produce scent until puberty, the young would be hard to find, even with the sharpest nose. If the doe, and all her pheromones, were to hover about the fawn for extended periods, the chances of a predator finding her fawn when she is not there increases greatly. If the fawn you find is lying comfortably, appears dry and warm and is not covered in insects, you can leave it be. If you must continue to check on the fawn, please do so at a safe distance. If you do not wish for the doe to leave her fawn in your yard, all you need to do is leave an unwashed shirt next to the fawn. You leaving your "scent marking" next to the fawn tells the doe that she (and her young) are not welcome. Think of it as a peaceful protest.

Continuing with other babies is the myth that most baby birds eat worms. Ok, so this one is true, but please (please!) refrain from shoving an earthworm down the tiny throat of a baby mockingbird. While most songbirds do feed insects to their babies, these insects are treated first. For very young babies, the insects are partially digested by the parents and then regurgitated to the young (sorry for that image). For older babies, the insects are washed (would you feed food covered in dirt and bacteria to your children?) and pulverized. For all baby birds, insects are only a portion of what they are fed. Even the baby animals have to eat everything in the food pyramid.

Except dairy! The fact is, that "all babies need milk" thing is a HUGE myth. The only baby that can fully and properly digest cow's milk is a calf. Yes, I know most people can digest milk products, but only a small percentage can properly digest the enzymes after puberty and even less can do so after their thirties. Mammal young do best on the milk from their own mother and once a baby is weaned, it should refrain from being fed milk - mammals are weaned off milk for a reason. And as birds, reptiles and amphibians are not mammals, they should not be fed milk. Remember high school biology? Only Mammals (starting with M) produce Milk (also starting with M). Many babies that are brought to us after being fed a diet of milk products are, because of nutritional deficiencies, stunted in growth or do not survive.

Lastly in the nutrition column is what people love to feed waterfowl (ducks and geese) - human junkfood. I can understand the desire to feed a wild animal; I do not understand the desire to feed them what causes horrible health conditions in our own species. I know they like potato chips and lo mein noodles (I do, too), but this is not what they need to survive. Plus, the continual feeding of waterfowl (especially Canada geese) causes them to habituate to humans, losing their fear, the fear that keeps them safe. Most of us think it is sweet when a wild animal approaches us for food but what about when it approaches someone who does not like animals (or at least that species)? Or if you have nothing to offer? Some animals get quite aggressive when they are denied a hand-out they feel they are entitled to (squirrels and geese readily come to mind).

I know everyone who reads this little blog desires nothing more than to keep our wild neighbors safe, but you must remember to keep yourself safe as well. Wildlife should be enjoyed from a safe distance.

Tune in next week when chapter II discusses what to do when you find a squirrel.

Questions or comments about the Nut House blog? You can either comment below or email Brittany at nut.house.ab@gmail.com. Want to learn more about Second Chance Wildlife Center? Simply go to www.scwc.org.