Critters and wildlife in your area - post your pics

[LifeofRubie]

This big cicada brood emergence has long been over (since end of June), but we are experiencing some very odd after effects!

For the last several weeks, we've been getting mysterious welts. On our neck, chest, back, sides. They are big, red, itchy, and last for days, if not weeks!

Stumbled across an article that says they're likely due to... oak leaf itch mites! These things apparently feed on cicada larvae once they hatch from their eggs under tree bark and start making their way into the ground. They are tiny, mostly invisible to the naked eye, and can very easily become airborne. There are SO MANY of these itchy oak mites that these articles have recommended to even leave your windows closed as the wind can bring them in through screens.

Luckily they don't seem to be bothering the dogs; just the humans They are expected to be around for several more weeks. Only remedy is to avoid trees and shower and change pretty much anytime you come in from outside but we're outside so much and are surrounded by trees!

 

[JanS]

There are SO MANY of these itchy oak mites that these articles have recommended to even leave your windows closed as the wind can bring them in through screens.

That sounds like the darn noseeums we get and they're so tiny that they come in through the screen and those bites itch. I know yours are different but it's annoying.
We got one of these for upstairs and downstairs and there are tons of little and bigger bugs on them.

 

[MyBuddy]

For the last several weeks, we've been getting mysterious welts. On our neck, chest, back, sides. They are big, red, itchy, and last for days, if not weeks!

Omg! That's horrible! I haven't heard that from anybody. I told my husband about it and he was surprised. He said he's going to ask around to some of the people that had the cicadas to see if they are having problems. Are you using any ointment or anything to help?

We didn't get any of those cicadas here so I'm not worried but wow, that's got to be very annoying! It's like having a poison ivory! I hate being itchy! Thank God the dogs are not having a problem.

 

[Gpcoguy]

My friend sent me this. Apparently this guy has been hanging around his buddy's place in Colorado Springs

 

[Ravenbird]

Apparently this guy has been hanging around

Does that mutation of horns (I'm looking at a mountain goat?) have a name? Weird! If that's a deer/antlers it's Super Weird!

 

[Gpcoguy]

It is a deer

 

[JanS]

Wow that is strange. I know they're in velvet right now but I'd love to see that formation in a month or two.

 

[JanS]

We had a ton of fox kits in the yard this year and hubby said there are probably around 6 at least. This is one of them from the other day.

 

[Rits]

Does that mutation of horns (I'm looking at a mountain goat?) have a name? Weird! If that's a deer/antlers it's Super Weird!

I looked it up because I was curious too. It's called cactus buck and likely due to an injury to the testicles (likely from fence crossing) or testicles that didn't drop so the antlers cannot develop properly. Theres also a disease that causes a drop in testosterone levels.

What is a Cactus Buck and Why Do They Grow Such Funky Antlers?

Cactus bucks are rare and unusual-looking. Here are the most common reasons that whitetail and mule deer grow cactus antlers.

www.fieldandstream.com

 

[JanS]

It's called cactus buck and likely due to an injury to the testicles (likely from fence crossing) or testicles that didn't drop so the antlers cannot develop properly

Wow I would have never known that.

 

[Two Dobes]

For the last several weeks, we've been getting mysterious welts. On our neck, chest, back, sides. They are big, red, itchy, and last for days, if not weeks!

Stumbled across an article that says they're likely due to... oak leaf itch mites! These things apparently feed on cicada larvae once they hatch from their eggs under tree bark and start making their way into the ground. They are tiny, mostly invisible to the naked eye, and can very easily become airborne. There are SO MANY of these itchy oak mites that these articles have recommended to even leave your windows closed as the wind can bring them in through screens.

The same thing happened to us when we were in IL....and I looked it up and discovered the same thing! It was horrible. And now that we are in TN, the noseeum's that Jan spoke of are horrible! They leave those same giant welts that the oak leaf mites did! Nature is truly amazing....it's all connected, and takes care of itself. And then man gets involved....

 

[JanS]

Last week I saw what looked like a hawk sitting on a branch way out there in the woods. I zoomed in with the camera and this is what it turned out to be. LOL

 

[Ravenbird]

I zoomed in with the camera and this is what it turned out to be. LOL

Good zoom on a real camera is better than my binoculars!

 

[Ravenbird]

Never saw this spider before, about the size of a quarter. Looks like a face.

 

[Ravenbird]

Another critter ... she was great at posing for the camera!

 

[JanS]

I sure wish we had them.

 

[LifeofRubie]

We were chatting with our neighbor the other day (remember Tyvek house lady?) and she was asking questions about our hummingbird feeders, etc., because she doesn't get many hummingbirds in her yard. Then something about Mantis's came up and she said, "Oh, I KILL them when they're in my yard!" We both had HORRIFIED faces and were like WHY?

She said because they eat hummingbirds. I'm like, well they can but you don't have any feeders in your yard and you JUST said you don't see many birds! WTF psycho!

If I saw one perched by a HB feeder, I'd relocate but I would never kill a mantis!

 

[Gpcoguy]

Imagine if they were human size. How terrifying!

 

[MyBuddy]

She said because they eat hummingbirds.

Wow, I did not know that. But I still wouldn't kill them.

 

[MyBuddy]

I have no pictures but I'm telling you, I saw the most coolest thing last week sometime.

I was out on the back deck hanging over the railing watering the flowers below. I heard a little scuttlebutt with the birds over by my feeders which I can see from my position on the Big Deck. No sooner I had looked over there when this Hawk came flying past me almost at eye level. At first it almost looked like he was coming straight at me! But when he went by I could see over the top of him and all his beautiful feathers.

It all happened so fast I never even looked at the head. I was more mesmerized by the wingspan. But I know it wasn't a bald eagle. It was much smaller than that. And then I thought maybe an owl but I think it was even smaller than that. And he wouldn't be out during the daytime anyway. But I'm telling you when he flew by I can see the individual Brown feathers so clearly! Again, happening so quickly that I was Starstruck for a moment and just follow him as he flew by not more than 4 feet away from me. And then got chills all over my body LOL I was so excited!! That was so cool! Love those big birds!

I didn't even check to see if he had one of my birds in his mouth. I wouldn't have liked that and I'm sure that's why he flew past them. And I'm sure that's what all the scuttlebutt was about too! Run for your lives! I remember one time I saw some kind of Hawk just make a pass through where my feeders are and all the birds just scattered into the bushes.