Wildlife Around Your Home (post pics if you've got 'em!)

brianlux

tish said:

I saw a dead deer (road kill) on way to the skihill this morning.

Sadly, in many places, there are a lot of different deer predictors. 

Among others:

Baracuda

Beetle

Bronco

Cobra

Colt

Cougar

Eagle

Hornet

Jaguar

Marlin

Mustang

Rabbit

Stingray

Viper

Wildcat

Spunkie

Hunters, too!

Saw an eagle circling at the hill today too.

First Nations say they're closest to the heavens, best suited to carry up your prayers.

brianlux

tish said:

Hunters, too!

Saw an eagle circling at the hill today too.

First Nations say they're closest to the heavens, best suited to carry up your prayers.

Eagles are awesome!  We rarely see them down here- golden eagles once in a long while and almost never bald eagles.  I lived near Sequim, Washington for a few years and saw bald eagles out by the straight now and then.  My step daughter lives in Ketchikan, Alaska and has sent photos with as many as a dozen or more bald eagles hanging out together.  Quite amazing to see! 

brianlux

On our walk today, we saw this snag with at least 9, perhaps 10 Acorn Woodpeckers.  The don't all show here, but I did count 9 with possible one on the other side.  I've never seen this particular bird flock like this!

Spunkie

Good job getting your ass up and out. Thanks for the picture. Reminds me of a Woody tattoo on our Speedy dude.

brianlux

tish said:

Good job getting your ass up and out. Thanks for the picture. Reminds me of a Woody tattoo on our Speedy dude.

Yeah, I've been getting out and walking almost every day for about three weeks now.  Gonna try to keep it up!

LOL about the Speedy dude's Woody tattoo.

We knew something interesting was up ahead on the walking trail before we could see what it was.  These guys were flitting about like mad on this big snag and chatting it up big-time.  Quite a racket they were making! 

lastexitlondon

We have green woodpeckers here. My favourite to look at. Beautiful birds

brianlux

We saw our biggest flock of turkeys yet on our walk- I counted 56 and there may have even been a few more.  It's hard to see that many here because the photo is not zoomed in well but they were all over this field including some if front of the trees on the far side:

Spunkie

Thanks BBoy, I love seeing you getting out and amongst the turkeys!

brianlux

tish said:

Thanks BBoy, I love seeing you getting out and amongst the turkeys!

I like hangin' with my kind!   

tempo_n_groove

I recently took up "birding".  I haven't been taking too many pics but I might change that so I can post on here.

Anyone else into birds, lol?!?

brianlux

tempo_n_groove said:

I recently took up "birding".  I haven't been taking too many pics but I might change that so I can post on here.

Anyone else into birds, lol?!?

I've been a casual "birder" since the late 80's but I'm not nearly as into to it as the woman who got me started back then (Ex-wife but still friends), or another few friends who are really into it. 

We have the Sibley's bird guide as well as a Peterson's and a few others that focus on Sierra Mountain and California birds but mainly I use the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America for identifying, the book my ex got me started using.  In the back of the book is an index/ check list for keeping track of birds spotted.  My "life list" (birds I have identified) is a modest 162 species.  I'd have to travel more broadly to add many to that list, but it's a decent list.

Anyway, yeah, lots of fun.  Let us know how it progresses for you!

tempo_n_groove

brianlux said:

tempo_n_groove said:

I recently took up "birding".  I haven't been taking too many pics but I might change that so I can post on here.

Anyone else into birds, lol?!?

I've been a casual "birder" since the late 80's but I'm not nearly as into to it as the woman who got me started back then (Ex-wife but still friends), or another few friends who are really into it. 

We have the Sibley's bird guide as well as a Peterson's and a few others that focus on Sierra Mountain and California birds but mainly I use the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America for identifying, the book my ex got me started using.  In the back of the book is an index/ check list for keeping track of birds spotted.  My "life list" (birds I have identified) is a modest 162 species.  I'd have to travel more broadly to add many to that list, but it's a decent list.

Anyway, yeah, lots of fun.  Let us know how it progresses for you!

I have an app for my phone, Merlin Bird ID.  It's great.  Really helps w identifying the birds.  I'm only at 14 right now but I haven't bothered to do the common birds like pigeons and seagulls yet.

One of the cooler birds I have seen so far is called a Hooded Merganser.  Look that one up, lol!

dankind

I took ornithology as a summer college course for what I thought would be an easy A to knock out my science requirement. It was the absolute worst summer of my life. Every morning up at 4 to take a trip to some swampy ass woods with some creepy professor. We also had to stuff a dead bird.

I wound up writing a horror screenplay about it for catharsis.

brianlux

dankind said:

I took ornithology as a summer college course for what I thought would be an easy A to knock out my science requirement. It was the absolute worst summer of my life. Every morning up at 4 to take a trip to some swampy ass woods with some creepy professor. We also had to stuff a dead bird.

I wound up writing a horror screenplay about it for catharsis.

Bummer!

I took advance field biology in college in my senior year and it was a really tough course.  The prof was an ornithologist- a damn good one who was published and well respected but he was also a bit crazy.  I always attributed that to his having spent many years in the lab working with chemicals used in bird taxidermy.  But he really know his stuff, that's for sure.

goldrush

This blue tongue lizard has started hanging out in our garden. He appears from under the fence most days and just sits there, working on his tan!

The next-door neighbour’s cat keeps taking swipes at it, but this guy isn’t taking any shit from her!

mickeyrat

mickeyrat

tempo_n_groove

goldrush said:

This blue tongue lizard has started hanging out in our garden. He appears from under the fence most days and just sits there, working on his tan!

The next-door neighbour’s cat keeps taking swipes at it, but it his guy isn’t taking any shit from her!

This reminds me of the alligator lizards we used to catch in socal.  Very Cool.

brianlux

goldrush said:

This blue tongue lizard has started hanging out in our garden. He appears from under the fence most days and just sits there, working on his tan!

The next-door neighbour’s cat keeps taking swipes at it, but it his guy isn’t taking any shit from her!

Cool!  I love lizards!

mickeyrat said:

Beauties! 

brianlux

I wish I had photos, but two great ones yesterday.  First, in the AM we heard first then saw a huge flock of Sand Hill Cranes way up high.  The sound they make as a flock is gorgeous!

Then later, on out walk, we saw a huge flock of wild turkeys in a field.  I counted 44! 

Loujoe

^^heard those once before, sand hill cranes. Way up high. Heard them before I saw them. Very unique gurgling sound if I remember correctly. Nature is amazing and thankful for being able to tune into it all.

For me it pulls me back to what's important.

Loujoe

Spunkie

^ awwww SweetLou

brianlux

Loujoe said:

Mmmmm! Hors d'oeuvres!

tempo_n_groove

I’ll add this in the Bird thread too. Out at silver point each club here on Long Island there was a Snowy Owl sighting. One seems to come around every year and I’ve made two attempts to find it but came up short. 

I went out yesterday and found a she. Female snowy owl. A rare birding treat. 

Loujoe

^Fantastic bird to see! Think of the distance they travel. Thrilled for you!!

lastexitlondon

Thats amazing Chris 

tempo_n_groove

Loujoe said:

^Fantastic bird to see! Think of the distance they travel. Thrilled for you!!

lastexitlondon said:

Thats amazing Chris 

I was shocked and very excited to find her.  I called my GF and whispered to her as I saw it hoping that she wouldn't be spooked even though I was pretty far, lol.

Thanks you two!

Fifthelement

Loujoe said:

Adorable!

tempo_n_groove said:

I’ll add this in the Bird thread too. Out at silver point each club here on Long Island there was a Snowy Owl sighting. One seems to come around every year and I’ve made two attempts to find it but came up short. 

I went out yesterday and found a she. Female snowy owl. A rare birding treat. 

Awesome!  I’m thrilled for you.  Great find.