Good Hubby! This reminds me that the house next door to us has European Starlings living up in its soffit. The houses here are quite close together, sad to say, and the bird crap is a real problem.
Critters and wildlife in your area - post your pics
- Thread starter Oh Little Oji
- Start date
This morning as we were going out to the barn, Kali and Buddy were chasing a squirrel. He happened to be very close to the house and knew he would never make it past the driveway to get to a different tree so he ended up here LOL
He's not happy LOL there's just no place to go and they hate that. Of course the dogs were running all over the place except for looking up! I tried to show Kali where he was but you just can't point. Dogs don't get that!
He's not happy LOL there's just no place to go and they hate that. Of course the dogs were running all over the place except for looking up! I tried to show Kali where he was but you just can't point. Dogs don't get that!
MelonJ
Notable member
Yep! It was indeed a mockingbird. They’re actually our state bird. We have a lovely one that likes to mimic a creaking metal gate in the mornings. And a bluejay that loves to yell at it. Lord help us... LOL!
I don’t know if we have owls that big but our burrowing owls are tiny. They look like owl babies, haha. I love those massive ones. Our owls here are diurnal, so we hear them hooting all day long.
MelonJ
Notable member
Well, I bludgeoned a bat yesterday evening. Be mad at me if you will.
It was about time to get our daughters tucked in to bed and something caught my eye. At the top of the stone fireplace and peaking out from behind the wood trim was a brown furry thing that my eye initially interpreted as either a Tarantula or a bat.
I hastened the girls' exit on upstairs and took my wife aside to whisper to her and let her look across the rooms and see it. She had our older girl stay in her room until I gave the all clear but of course didn't tell her why. She has a pretty bad fear of bugs, critters and several other things like fires, storms, lightning, tornadoes and so forth. We DON'T need any further sleep problems!!!
Folks, it was us or the bat.
I was not going to try to mess around with catch and release. The last thing we needed is the thing escaping into the house!
The bat's physical position was perfect for us and too bad for the bat. Its head and wings were just right there – the rest of its body hidden tucked behind the trim. I donned the face mask I had been using to go grocery shopping, and some safety goggles (all in case there was any splatter) and I took a hammer, set up a stool, stepped up onto it and stalkingly moved toward the thing. I guess maybe "blind as a bat" is true. It never moved, but I was freaked out thinking any split second it would fly forth from its location. Got as close as I could with the hammer, then delivered the blow.
Yep, bats bleed red. Upon impact the freaky little thing's mouth opened like its initial reaction was going to be to bite.I followed up with several hammerings to the skull, then figured I'd break the wings which were the only other things exposed at the time. Can't be too safe.
So yeah, I probably committed a crime and, yeah yeah, I know bats eat mosquitos...
...But "not in my house!"
As a bat lover, I can’t blame you. I don’t think I could go through with it, but I’d do almost anything to get it our of our house. That reminds me of when we had pet rats. They were sweet and loving and smart and cuddly and yada yada, but once they died, they just seemed like exactly what they were: Dead rats in my house.
Oh, wonderful!
lol. The mockingbirds here go through a number of different chirps,beeps, and other sounds, each in a different tone and sometimes adding a little jump in the air for emphasis! He's actually very cute. I admit, his size took me by surprise. I was like, wheres the owl?
Saturday night my husband and I took my golf cart and took a ride down the road to the creek. Just wanted to see how high it was and observe. Suddenly we saw this little guy coming at us. I said, is that a snake? We were just talking about how someone told us there are cottonmouths in there. Yikes. Then suddenly we see this thing coming toward us! I took video but as he got closer we lost him. He seemed to go up on the bank in the brush. The rest of the video really doesn't show much so I just did a little gif with this shot. It's not a snake. But we can't make out what it is. It almost looks like he's paddling with his back feet lol maybe a wood chuck or mink?
If I thought a Cottonmouth had disappeared into the grass, I'd be like "Hit the nitrous on this golf cart, Hubs!"
Haha, well we were on the little bridge that goes over the creek so in no danger. You can see the beginnings of the railing at the very end of the video. We were looking down into the creek. And the bank of that Creek is pretty high.
I think maybe whatever it was, went under the road and down the creek on the other side. Watching the video again, the whole video, I think he went under water and may have just kept going under the bridge
You can see the beginnings of the railing at the very end of the video. We were looking down into the creek. And the bank of that Creek is pretty high.I think maybe whatever it was, went under the road and down the creek on the other side. Watching the video again, the whole video, I think he went under water and may have just kept going under the bridge
After a beautiful day of doing a lot of stuff outdoors, AND taking a shower, AND washing my hair, I felt this fricking thing on the back of my neck!!!!!!!!!
I was fresh out of the shower, in my nightgown, with my wet hair still up in a towel, sitting on my bed watching tv, when I thought I felt something....
.....was that moving???.....when I sat still and realized it WAS, I made a mad dash into the bathroom!!!
I leaned over the sink and pulled my nightgown over it and THAT dropped off!!!!
I called my husband who immediately came and took joy in making sure that bastard was deader than a door nail! And also in examining me for more! 
Have I ever said I hate ticks????
I was fresh out of the shower, in my nightgown, with my wet hair still up in a towel, sitting on my bed watching tv, when I thought I felt something....
.....was that moving???.....when I sat still and realized it WAS, I made a mad dash into the bathroom!!!I leaned over the sink and pulled my nightgown over it and THAT dropped off!!!! I called my husband who immediately came and took joy in making sure that bastard was deader than a door nail! And also in examining me for more! Have I ever said I hate ticks????
Same here! And not only is it a reflection of the Woods or any other open area, but in certain parts of the house you can see right through the house. They probably think they can go right through!
Sitting in our sun room, they can see right through the sunroom, the deck and into the breakfast room and see the outdoors. They probably think they can go right through. We've had Birds hit the window many times!
The other day my husband and I were driving across the back of our property on my golf cart when he said, Wait a minute!! Back up! Snake. 
I get out of the cart and he's like, "don't mess with him...oh, you're gonna take a picture." Duh, yes, darling, a picture. I wouldn't dream of messing with him. 
I get out of the cart and he's like, "don't mess with him...oh, you're gonna take a picture." Duh, yes, darling, a picture. I wouldn't dream of messing with him.
The moles have really been up pain in the ass. Since my first capture I haven't been able to catch anything. Right where my husband planted some new grass, there was several runs. But I put my trap there and didn't catch a thing.
Then in another area, I found this. What a mess! Stupid thing. So I moved my trap here.
And Bingo.
Then in another area, I found this. What a mess! Stupid thing. So I moved my trap here.
And Bingo.
LifeofRubie
Moderator
I'll be we have dozens of these guys coming up in our yard
What is it?
LifeofRubie
Moderator
It's a cicada! I think they're the 17 year ones but they are different than the usual annual cicadas. You can tell because they're smaller and with the red eyes (based on my internet knowledge).
I've been brushing up on my cicada knowledge: these are the longest living insects in the insect world. They lay their eggs in trees which then hatch into ant-type 'babies,' which then crawl down into the ground a few inches up to over a foot. There, they basically feed on the tree's root system for 13-17 years and then emerge!
Illinois is brood XIII but it seems like they're 4 years early? They were supposed to emerge in 2024 but I can't figure out why they're not then 13 year cicadas
I'm still researching!
I heard about them coming out this year! I remember the one time they came out in our last home. It was pretty incredible. But we've been living here 18 years. 19 if you count the yeat building
and I don't remember seeing them here. Not in the numbers in our last home, anyway. So you have them coming out already, huh? I haven't seen any yet but I'll keep an eye out!
LifeofRubie
Moderator
I heard about them coming out this year! I remember the one time they came out in our last home. It was pretty incredible. But we've been living here 18 years. 19 if you count the yeat building
So you have them coming out already, huh? I haven't seen any yet but I'll keep an eye out!
They are coming out in DROVES. Since they feed on tree roots for the 13-17 years, they come up in those areas. We have that giant birch in the parkway that no doubt has roots that run along half the yard so that's where we're seeing them in the grass, on bark, in the landscaping nearby. They can get up to 90 decibels but they've been quiet... so far...
OH! I also wonder if your water video isn't of a muskrat? We see them around here frequently enough in forest preserves.
Rubie is having quite a bit of a fun with the Cicadas... She loves stirring them up and then chasing, catching, and eating them
The burning bushes (under the birch tree and clearly above the roots) are LOADED with them.
Oh my God! No I have not seen that. yet.
My sister-in-law just texted me this morning. She lives up in Lemont where we used to live and she said she's inundated with them! She said she noticed a few last week but today it was Mayhem! They were everywhere! She was asking the same question as you. Nope. Not here. Not yet. I doubt we'll get away with it LOL Although watching your dog eat those I hope we do cuz that's disgusting LOL do they eat the flowers?
My son suggested that that was a muskrat too!
My sister-in-law just texted me this morning. She lives up in Lemont where we used to live and she said she's inundated with them! She said she noticed a few last week but today it was Mayhem! They were everywhere! She was asking the same question as you. Nope. Not here. Not yet. I doubt we'll get away with it LOL Although watching your dog eat those I hope we do cuz that's disgusting LOL do they eat the flowers?My son suggested that that was a muskrat too!
The dogs were expressing curiosity at something this morning on our walk and I went to look and saw this!
I haven't mowed back there for a while so I don't think he got caught in the lawn mower. Some Critter must have gotten it. But it looks like a different kind of snake than I've ever seen.
I haven't mowed back there for a while so I don't think he got caught in the lawn mower. Some Critter must have gotten it. But it looks like a different kind of snake than I've ever seen.
