Critters and wildlife in your area - post your pics

I didn't get a photo but Mr bear was up on the deck on Friday night again. Elroy and I were still up and it was still daylight so I got the camera out and told Albert "shhh" and of course that triggered him to look out the deck door and let out a good roar before I could get a photo. I was right up to the door ready with the camera too...
 
I didn't get a photo but Mr bear was up on the deck on Friday night again. Elroy and I were still up and it was still daylight so I got the camera out and told Albert "shhh" and of course that triggered him to look out the deck door and let out a good roar before I could get a photo. I was right up to the door ready with the camera too...
That happens to me a LOT! If you are focussed on something it needs seeing to. Glad we don't have bears here! (I'm sure Albert was there right with Elroy. 🥰)
 
It's been one of those days with Olive spending the day in the hospital and now this... This one was foaming at the mouth and aggressive coming up to the window on its hind legs and lunging at the dogs.
Both barking at bear on deck July 2 24.webp
 
Makes that glass door "not enough"!!! Maybe stop with the bird seed for a month or so to make it look for food elsewhere? Obviously it decided to come over in the daylight since you take the feeder down during the night. They are so much more agile than they look!
 
Holy mackerel! What the actual hell? I think I'd be crapping my pants if that happened in front of me! Your deck is up high too! How the heck did he get up there? Holy crap. No! Just No. No, no, no!
 
Your deck is up high too! How the heck did he get up there?
A bear can easily scale a tree so a nice set of steps is a piece of cake. Thank goodness I had just shut the deck door when it started sprinkling or I could see this one taking a swipe at the dogs.
 
A bear can easily scale a tree so a nice set of steps is a piece of cake. Thank goodness I had just shut the deck door when it started sprinkling or I could see this one taking a swipe at the dogs.
Oh, silly me! I never saw stairs in your pictures so I thought it was more like a balcony than a deck with stairs! Duh! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️
 
Cool critter, but what is it?
Actually a lizard, but we call them Horny Toads. They have a number of unique attributes, including the fact that the "horns" on the head really are horns (the other spikes are modified scales) and some can spit blood out of their eyes to ward off predators. You can read about them here:

 
Horny toad. Yes, I've heard of that name. They are really an unusual critter! Pretty cool looking and what a cool defense they have by spitting blood out of their eyeballs!🤣
 
I went out to feed horses this morning and found this guy standing on the Corral Fence! I've rarely seen them on the ground on our property in all the 22 years we've been here. He might be the second one. I posted one years and years ago of a blue heron that was walking around out front. That was so cool because I had never seen one in person like that. This one sat on the fence for quite a while

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and then took off. These are just video captures.

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A pictures search on Google says it's a gray heron!
 
I was out mowing with my husband for the first time since Annie. Usually we can be out for a couple of hours and I haven't wanted to leave her for that long. I know. I'm a worry wart. But she's been crated for some lengths of time while I'm out in the barn. So when we knew she was settled and tired we both went out. And I have a camera watching her. :sh: :thumbsup2:We have a lot of grass to mow and with only one of us doing it it's like never ending.

Anyway I was out front when I spotted this! I don't think I've ever seen one of these here! So this was an amazing find for me! I thought it was so cool! How beautiful!

I took a quick picture from my lawn mower in case it moved or flew away.
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When it didn't, I got off the mower and got closer.20240713_160818.webp
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Oh my God.

Yesterday I had a bat in my horse barn! :pullhair: My husband and I were out there in the evening bringing in the horses when Annie was making a fuss, barking and whining. I had her tied, as I do every night, sitting on her bed while we work to get the horses set up for the night. I looked over and she was barking at something about 15-20 ft away from her. I couldn't make out what it was but the way it kind of flopped around I thought it was a frog or a toad. When I got closer I was aghast that it was a bat! A freaking bat! 🤯 I yelled to my husband and told him to hold the dog while I try and get this thing out of the barn. I didn't know if it was dead, dying, sick or what! I certainly didn't want it in my barn. And what the hell was he doing in my barn?!

So I took a manure fork and lifted him outside. He kind of acted like he couldn't fly. I mean the way he was kind of flopping around I didn't know what to think. Either he was hurt or somehow he woke up too early? LOL I don't know! It was just weird!

But once I got him outside and tried to nudge him again, he finally took off! And I must say I was a little freaked out. They always kind of make me nervous. And he was a cute little guy. I took his picture and did a Google search and it said he is a red bat.
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He looked different than any I have ever seen.

So then my husband says I hope he's not living in our barn. 😟😮I'm m like, well I never thought of that! 🤦‍♀️ I just figured it was a one-night stay or something😁LOL he said, well I did see some droppings on the floor. That's how we found out we had Birds. By their droppings. So I look up and I can see where maybe he would have been hanging around. Pun intended.

So last night I was out there by myself and I went to check to see if he or another one was in there. I looked up and I thought I saw him. It's very high ceiling and of course my flashlight was not bright enough. :facepalm: So I got the bright idea of using my battery operated sprayer that I use with my Wonderside to reach him! On the jet spray setting I was able to shoot all the way to the ceiling! And sure enough he comes flying down! We played 'catch the bat' for a couple of minutes! At times he looked like he was coming right at me and I would duck and spray and I knew that I hit him a couple of times just by the sound. Just as my husband was coming in the door he flew over the opened overhead door. I tried spraying over there I never got any response and then I closed the door to see if he was somewhere above there and I never found him again. I thought maybe he was on top of the open door and when I closed it he just went out.

This morning I go out there and forgot the damn flashlight that I just put fresh batteries in! 😡 I was so mad at myself! But I looked up in that same spot and I swore it was there but it was hard to tell. I sprayed it anyway and did not get any response. So I don't know if I finally scared him out of there or what. But I certainly don't want him in my barn! And I really didn't want to kill him. I'd rather make it a little difficult for him to live there. I hope that's what happened. We have bats flying around out here all the time. I never thought much of it. I mean as far as where they live. I think they're great for eating all the mosquitoes. Just don't live in my barn. Please. Anybody! Except my horses. Their home! Not yours! :tap:
 
:spit:Oh my God.

Yesterday I had a bat in my horse barn! :pullhair: My husband and I were out there in the evening bringing in the horses when Annie was making a fuss, barking and whining. I had her tied, as I do every night, sitting on her bed while we work to get the horses set up for the night. I looked over and she was barking at something about 15-20 ft away from her. I couldn't make out what it was but the way it kind of flopped around I thought it was a frog or a toad. When I got closer I was aghast that it was a bat! A freaking bat! 🤯 I yelled to my husband and told him to hold the dog while I try and get this thing out of the barn. I didn't know if it was dead, dying, sick or what! I certainly didn't want it in my barn. And what the hell was he doing in my barn?!

So I took a manure fork and lifted him outside. He kind of acted like he couldn't fly. I mean the way he was kind of flopping around I didn't know what to think. Either he was hurt or somehow he woke up too early? LOL I don't know! It was just weird!

But once I got him outside and tried to nudge him again, he finally took off! And I must say I was a little freaked out. They always kind of make me nervous. And he was a cute little guy. I took his picture and did a Google search and it said he is a red bat.
View attachment 147964View attachment 147965
He looked different than any I have ever seen.

So then my husband says I hope he's not living in our barn. 😟😮I'm m like, well I never thought of that! 🤦‍♀️ I just figured it was a one-night stay or something😁LOL he said, well I did see some droppings on the floor. That's how we found out we had Birds. By their droppings. So I look up and I can see where maybe he would have been hanging around. Pun intended.

So last night I was out there by myself and I went to check to see if he or another one was in there. I looked up and I thought I saw him. It's very high ceiling and of course my flashlight was not bright enough. :facepalm: So I got the bright idea of using my battery operated sprayer that I use with my Wonderside to reach him! On the jet spray setting I was able to shoot all the way to the ceiling! And sure enough he comes flying down! We played 'catch the bat' for a couple of minutes! At times he looked like he was coming right at me and I would duck and spray and I knew that I hit him a couple of times just by the sound. Just as my husband was coming in the door he flew over the opened overhead door. I tried spraying over there I never got any response and then I closed the door to see if he was somewhere above there and I never found him again. I thought maybe he was on top of the open door and when I closed it he just went out.

This morning I go out there and forgot the damn flashlight that I just put fresh batteries in! 😡 I was so mad at myself! But I looked up in that same spot and I swore it was there but it was hard to tell. I sprayed it anyway and did not get any response. So I don't know if I finally scared him out of there or what. But I certainly don't want him in my barn! And I really didn't want to kill him. I'd rather make it a little difficult for him to live there. I hope that's what happened. We have bats flying around out here all the time. I never thought much of it. I mean as far as where they live. I think they're great for eating all the mosquitoes. Just don't live in my barn. Please. Anybody! Except my horses. Their home! Not yours! :tap:
:spit: He was probably up there grabbing any insects that came in! Bet he doesn't come back after the sudden spray!
 
I personally would love to have bats roost anywhere except in my house. (previous post here when they actually got inside) They can eat 500+ mosquitoes per HOUR! I even put up a bat house when we first moved here to encourage them living around the property. There's bat poop on the porch in the summer, I just sweep it off... Seriously they are one of the most beneficial critters you can possibly have living on your land.
 

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