Critters and wildlife in your area - post your pics

[MyBuddy]

I love the term "varmint"! So descriptive! While you were filming there were so many birds calling out their spring songs all around. So lovely.

I took this little video this morning when it was so quiet and all you could hear were all the frogs from almost 3 inches of rain. Along with the birds! I love the tiny Wren and she was on top of the big evergreen I point to, singing her little heart out!

 

[MyBuddy]

I watch for my little Wren's to come back every year. Ever since I put this bird house up, they are here. I kept watching and didn't see her and I was getting a little nervous about it, wondering why. Finally I heard them! But still didn't see anyone going into the little house until this morning! I always loved watching them go in there with a stick that's bigger than the opening! They always make it!

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Almost literally stumbled upon this guy or gal today in the wooded area near our house! Good thing for the yellow markings, or there was a good chance I would have stepped on, or let my bike roll over 'im! We are surprised to see such a creature around here, as there is no pond or anything. It was a very rainy day though.

I wonder if it is naturally occurring, or if it was released as an abandoned pet.

 

[thylacinu]

This is an AWFUL picture, but this morning I went outside and saw a mama opossum carrying her little one across the yard!

 

[MyBuddy]

A week ago I was coming out of the side door when I realized there was a toad or tree frog, right in the track of the sliding door! We have been going in and out of it all morning. Stepping over him and sliding the door open and closed over him! When I finally realized what that was that was camouflaged so well, I couldn't believe it. He never moved. And he fit perfectly under the sliding door without getting killed. And not even a dog detecting him. He had to go. Before he did get killed or he ended up in my house! That has happened more than once, believe me!

 

[Rnrgyrl]

I love this! Beautiful property and lovely dogs! Blessed! Thank you for sharing

 

[JanS]

I wonder if it is naturally occurring, or if it was released as an abandoned pet.

It's really pretty and looks like an Eastern Box turtle.
Eastern box turtle - Wikipedia


By Matt Reinbold Matt Reinbold - Pyro's Fire, CC BY-SA 2.0, File:Eastern box turtle.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

 

[MyBuddy]

You can tell it's Spring with all the critters!

This was my first full size (but small) snake encounter. I've already posted the baby snake I found. This one was running away while I was on my mower! Good thing! I didn't see him right away and he would have been in pieces.

 

[MyBuddy]

This was my first full size (but small) snake encounter.

Talked to my neighbor as she walked by with her bull mastiff and she said she's already seen 5 snakes!! Wow! And shes is terrified of them! LOL Leave it to the one scared of them to see the most!

 

[LifeofRubie]

These guys showed up within 10 minutes of each other last night

 

[MyBuddy]

I don't know if I want to say that that is cool or scary LOL I just find it so amazing that you would have a fox on your doorstep and I have never seen one out here in the country. I have to start putting out my trail cams! I know there was one time that I heard this weird sound that I actually thought was a bird. After listening to Fox calls I realized it was a fox. But I have not seen one here in real time since we've moved here except one time. And that was when I was driving down the road and happened to see one crossing a field. That's it!

 

[JanS]

I don't know if I want to say that that is cool or scary

They're just annoying to me since they're always out here and they drive the dogs nuts. Hubby came across a mom and her baby by a den a couple days ago not too far back and he said mom barked at him and went to the den but it took a couple minutes for baby to follow. I guess the baby was grey so it will be interesting to see it as it matures.
My biggest fear this year is that Della is going to encounter one when she's out and it's going to drive her over the top heart wise...

 

[MyBuddy]

Not too long ago I heard something when I was alone in the house and I couldn't quite make it out. I tried to follow the sound and realized it was the dining room. When I stood there to listen I saw a cardinal fly into the window! I thought, oh no here we go again. I've heard of this happening to other people including my daughter. I've heard male cardinals will do this when they see their reflection and think it's another male and they want to fight. You know how competitive males can be! LOL

Well, after watching him beat himself up, I tried to figure out something I can do to make him stop before he killed himself. I came up with this taped to the window and it worked!



I just found that picture online, printed it out, and taped it to my window!


At 6am this morning I was sitting in my sun room having my coffee when this little guy showed up on the window!



It's a little yellow Goldfinch. Later on, I saw him again, hitting the window like the cardinal! I'm going to have to watch to see if that continues or my big fat Hawk will be there too!

 

[MyBuddy]

Last night I was weed whacking around my pasture fence when I came upon another hognose snake! I almost didn't see him in time and he would have died an ugly death by string trimmer!! But he mosied along when I gave him a nudge.

 

[JanS]

Well, after watching him beat himself up, I tried to figure out something I can do to make him stop before he killed himself. I came up with this taped to the window and it worked!

Interesting idea and I can see how that would work. We start seeing a lot of birds hitting the windows by mid to late summer when the youngsters are out and our reflective windows look like they're flying into the woods.

 

[MyBuddy]

FINALLY!!!



Moles can really do damage to the lawn! They are a pain in the ass. At my suggestion, last year our daughter gave her father this mole trap for Father's Day. We used it all last summer after that and never caught a thing! This spring I started putting it out again. Moving it every third day or so. I was really getting frustrated that I wasn't catching anything.

Then I saw a mole had made a mess right by my horse corral!


This was a fresh one so I knew that it was an active run. I put my trap out and by morning I had caught nothing!

So I moved it a little to a different run and when my husband and I went out to the barn later I saw that it was tripped!

Oh my God! I've never been so excited to kill an animal LOL I'm not a hunter but I was pretty happy about getting that little bastard.

 

[MyBuddy]

For size


And the mess they made! Where Buddy is laying, is always just sand because the horses come in and out there. But where the grass is are all molehills!

 

[MyBuddy]

So, last night I put the Trap here because there was a new Hill. I figured it had to be active. But this morning, nothing.


Last night my husband was hosing down some of the mole hills by the Corral. Not in the same spot where I caught the one yesterday. But down the fence line a bit.

This morning it looks like two fresh molehills! You can see to the left of the trap where my husband hosed it down where I put the trap there are two small hills. Those two Hills have got to be new! He would never leave those two up there!

So.....

 

[MyBuddy]

All the colorful birds are back! The grosbeak, Baltimore Orioles, the bluebird, and just today I saw the indigo bunting! So beautiful!

Indigo bunting




Baltimore Oriole on the suit and planter chain. Sparrow on planter.


Baltimore Oriole up high and the grosbeak down lower


Baltimore Oriole on the suet and the indigo bunting on the ground



Grosbeak


Hard to see cuz he blends into the bush but there is a brown thrasher at the bird bath


And my little Wren is building a nest in that house.

 

[JanS]

Grosbeak

We saw our first rose breasted grosbeak yesterday too so they're slowly coming back.