Critters and wildlife in your area - post your pics

[LifeofRubie]

Ooooh we saw our own moth on our walk this afternoon!

Google says: Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), a North American member of the giant silk moth family.

 

[BGpa]

 

[Fladobe]

gopher turtle

 

[Js4fn]

Had one too

 

[JanS]

Had one too

I wonder if dogs ever get bored with stalking turtles? LOL

 

[JanS]

Not really a critter but yesterday I took Elroy to his last weight pull class and this time it was outdoors about 30 miles west of here instead of the dog training club that is east of here. Anyway, they have a ton of army worms over there and many of the trees are stripped. I bet it's been close to 20 years since we've seen any in this immediate vicinity. I guess that's why they released all of the Asian beetles and apparently they have done their jobs since the army worms used to come in about 5 year cycles.

 

[GennyB]

I went to a friend's house to help her with an irrigation system.
Had to tell her I might be back.

 

[Spocksdad]

Texas Gray Fox visit last night. You can ID by the large ears and black streak on constantly raised fluff tail. They move fast and sleekly, much different that the many feral cats we have around our neighborhood. They're smart and never get into the raccoon trap I set for our relocation program.

Fox Visit 6-22-26

Fox Visit 6-22-26 #caughtonNestCam

video.nest.com

Texas Gray Fox Stock Picture

 

[BGpa]

These two were perched overlooking a weedfield recently mowed, full of gopher holes. I let Bonnie off leash to investigate and keep their attention so I could get a bit closer.
Got lucky and caught onr as it launched. There is a wide variation in colors in this species, the cropped screenshots are from the Merlin Bird App.

First time I've seen two together hunting like this. My guess a breeding pair but not a bird expert...

 

[GennyB]

Just look at this itty bitty guy I found in the garden. There are literally 100's of them!

 

[JanS]

As much as I'm not a squirrel fan, this guy was looking tired and elderly just trying to bask in the sun on the deck so I didn't have the dogs chase him away.


And the fox kits have been coming to clean up bird feeder remnants under the deck so I grabbed a couple photos this morning.

 

[BGpa]

lots of hawks in a couple places we hike. Hard to tell the red shouldered from red tailed st a distance, until you hear the call- kee-kee-kee by red shouldered vs skreeee!!! Louder and harsher by red tailed.
Anyone use the Merlin Bird app? Its fun, and really educational.
Tip: you can play any recorded calls to try to lure them closer.
This guy was following but I was too slow catching him in flight...

 

[JanS]

Anyone use the Merlin Bird app? Its fun, and really educational.

I've had it for several years and used it yesterday. It picked up a bunch of cool birds but they apparently changed it and now it won't let me go back to my own recordings on any given day.

 

[BGpa]

I've had it for several years and used it yesterday. It picked up a bunch of cool birds but they apparently changed it and now it won't let me go back to my own recordings on any given day.

Thats a bummer! I wonder how they pick which calls to show under the species. There were several from East Coast but only one in CA for the red tailed. I used to save "my birds" but quit when the app glitched and I lost my account.

 

[Ravenbird]

First time I've seen two together hunting like this. My guess a breeding pair but not a bird expert..

Could be an adult with its fledged youngster. Our raven pair here has 3 fledglings and they fly everywhere together. I toss the mice/rats that I've trapped over the fence and the other day they were all there picking it over the carcass. Parents trying to make the kids learn and the kids begging the parents to feed them. Flycatchers just fledged off the front porch last week and we see the parent catch a bug and the babies (look like adults) next to them "gimmee, gimmee! and parent swallows it and says "Go get one yourself, you can fly" LOL, So that hawk in the photo looking up at the other has that look of You have something there? Feed me!" But yeah, the do spend some time with them teaching them how to hunt and the immatures in hawks and eagles can have much different colorations.

 

[MyBuddy]

Anyone use the Merlin Bird app? Its fun, and really educational.

Me too! I love it!

 

[GennyB]

Anyone use the Merlin Bird app?

All the time for several years now. Works well most of the time but my chickens do confuse it.

 

[DobieDesire]

lots of hawks in a couple places we hike. Hard to tell the red shouldered from red tailed st a distance, until you hear the call- kee-kee-kee by red shouldered vs skreeee!!! Louder and harsher by red tailed.
Anyone use the Merlin Bird app? Its fun, and really educational.
Tip: you can play any recorded calls to try to lure them closer.
This guy was following but I was too slow catching him in flight...

I JUST learned of the Merlin bird app, by one of my fellow cyclists on the tour I did. Installed it, now anxious to use it at home, where there's a few bird calls I can't identify.

 

[JanS]

now anxious to use it at home, where there's a few bird calls I can't identify.

I'm amazed how many it picks up here that we just never see. We do live in a heavily wooded area so we really don't see them unless they come to the feeder. The other day it picked up a cardinal, cedar waxwing and veeries but we never see them.

 

[Two Dobes]

I went to a friend's house to help her with an irrigation system.View attachment 161627
Had to tell her I might be back.

THAT'S a BIG ONE!!!! Is it a wolf spider???