Critters and wildlife in your area - post your pics

[Tropicalbri's]

They found a dead deer on our walk today. Both were out of my sight and I heard their alarmed barks in unison and my heart froze. All I could think was a rattlesnake or gator as I ran wide open to find them. They were charging it’s hooves then backing up and barking with a full Mohawks. I almost puked from the maggots covering the head. I couldn’t tell if it had been shot or hit. Nothing looked broken with the legs and neck from a couple feet away but I called USFW and reported it.

I found this note attached to a branch so they did respond to my call which surprised me because most times they do nothing.

The note says they were notified and that it will naturally decompose.

 

[jazzies mum]

^^^^^^^ Now that is a sensible approach, but I suppose it saves them a nasty job too!

 

[Tropicalbri's]

^^^^^^^ Now that is a sensible approach, but I suppose it saves them a nasty job too!

If it had been on the side of the highway they would have been forced to remove it because they would have been inundated with calls until something was done to remove it.

 

[jazzies mum]

At first light this morning there was a Dingo howling not too far from home. I suspect it followed Jazzies trail and when we went for our morning walk I let her have a really good scout around and sniff so I know it actually had sneaked right up for a look. It is the time of year when they mate so there could be a few about for a while! I found some audio of Dingos howling so you have some idea. The ones on the recording are a lot further away than the one that fired up this morning!

Jazz quietly got up and walked to the door with her blanket on, looked out, then quietly came back and went back to bed! No barking, not even a low growl!!!

 

[MyBuddy]

I found some audio of Dingos howling so you have some idea.

Wow! That sounds like a scary movie LOL but a little bit like our Coyotes out here. Except ours usually howl, ending up with a yip, yip, yip, yip, yip...real fast. I have a recording on here somewhere of them when I was out in the barn one time. Its always an eerie sound! Most of the time the dogs seemed a little shall we say cautious? Curious? I'm not sure what they're thinking. But I don't think it's something they feel the need to investigate LOL of course when we are outside and hear coyotes, we don't stick around. I shuffle them inside right away. But it just seems to me that there is no sign of them wanting to run toward the sound.

 

[MyBuddy]

Yesterday afternoon I walked into my horse barn and walked right past a snake! Didn't even see him! Thank God I didn't step on him LOL. I had turned around to go grab my cart when I saw him!

I grabbed my little snake catcher and released him outside. I don't mind the snakes. I do mind them inside my horse barn!




He looks like he's laughing at me LOL I took him over to the side of the property into the woods and watched him Slither away.

 

[jazzies mum]

^^^^^^^ What a great little snake! He looked really pleased to be released.

 

[MyBuddy]

I walked by my dwarf lilac tree and the bird flew out. I figured it was a good time to try and sneak in there and catch a picture of her nest. It's pretty dense and was rather difficult trying to get my phone inside there but it looks like two eggs.


I talked to a friend of mine who said she also had a dwarf lilac tree and had Cardinals building a nest in them. They must prefer them for some reason. But she said that even with the tree so close to a window where she could see, she never saw babies. She always thought that maybe they never survived. I don't know why they wouldn't but that was her view on it. I am sure that I will not see them either only because they are so buried inside the tree and it's not something I continually watch even though it's fairly close to a window. It's funny how you see baby robins but seldom see baby Cardinals or baby blue jays, etc. Or maybe I'm just not recognizing them LOL

 

[JanS]

It's funny how you see baby robins but seldom see baby Cardinals or baby blue jays, etc.

Oh I see the little Blue Jays at the suet all the time and their screech is 100 times worse than the adults. They normally don't come out in the open until they leave the nest but you can tell by the awful noise they make.

 

[JanS]

I could have swore I posted these yesterday but we've had the yellow rumped warblers hanging around the deck for the last couple weeks. I think they just pass through in the spring since I never see them for more than a few weeks.

 

[jazzies mum]

Jazz jumped up and went out to create a huge frenzy of barking and jumping around in the middle of the night. This little snake was all jacked up in defense!

I wrestled Jazz back and tied her. She was MOST offended, but I got a chance to take pics and let the little guy make his getaway.

 

[MyBuddy]

He's long!! ^^^

 

[MyBuddy]

A pair of barn swallows were sitting on the fence yesterday. They almost looked like they were waiting for me to leave. I wonder if there is a nest in my barn. I try to keep the birds out of my barn! I love the birds. I feed them all. But I don't like them in my barn. They just make a mess. The barn swallows are usually very quiet so you don't even notice that they're there. Until I see bird crap. Or a fallen egg. Or one time a fallen baby bird. Later in the year we can sit on our back deck and watch as dozens of barn swallows and dragonflies dart over the back property eating up all the bugs in the air. Its quite a sight!

I saw my first hummingbird today too! And I'll bet they're at my new flowers! These are supposed to be a hummingbird's favorite. I had taken them down when the storm was approaching. And I was standing there taking pictures of the sky when he flew in, hovered for a moment under the eave and then flew away! He'll be back!

 

[JanS]

Our hummers showed up last Tuesday too and hubby forgot to tell me until Wednesday when I came home for my split so needless to say I spent a good share of that time cleaning and filling the feeder on the deck.

 

[MyBuddy]

needless to say I spent a good share of that time cleaning and filling the feeder on the deck.

I used to put out those feeders but found they come to all our flowers ! And we always have flowers so why bother ? I even bought a Baltimore Oriole feeder. Well, they LOVE the suet and are here everday! So I don't bother with the liquid stuff anymore.

The new flowers that I posted above look like they might be a winner for attracting hummers. They've been here again to visit! And we always have Lantana because its another favorite of theirs. Many mornings and evenings we sit on the back deck and they are right there on the hanging pots next to us!

 

[MyBuddy]

Yesterday we were gone at a nursery in the morning and when we came home, rain was quickly approaching. So we got on our lawn mowers to tackle some of the long grass we have growing with all this rain. We mowed until dark clouds were gathering very close! When I can feel raindrops, I motioned to my husband that I was heading in.

I get back to my barn and there's this very long snake on the stones right outside. Of course I want to get a picture of him! So I grab my phone. As I get off my mower, he starts heading into my horse barn! No effing way! You don't belong in there, buddy!!

You might get a kick out of our encounter!

 

[Viemarangelrock]

What sort of spider is that?

 

[Rits]

What sort of spider is that?

View attachment 95815 View attachment 95816

Green orb weaver? Looks like a little watermelon on his bottom lol!

 

[Viemarangelrock]

Green orb weaver? Looks like a little watermelon on his bottom lol!

View attachment 95819

lol my sister-in-law is freaked out....thankfully it’s in her house and not mine

Yes, a watermelon butt!

 

[JanS]

I used to put out those feeders but found they come to all our flowers !

That's if it was warm enough to have any flowers out yet. Heck we're barely getting buds on our flowering crab yet, let alone blossoms. Even in the summer I keep the HB feeder out so they go between that and the flowers.

I even bought a Baltimore Oriole feeder. Well, they LOVE the suet and are here everday! So I don't bother with the liquid stuff anymore.

I gave up on Oriole feeders a long time ago since they just pass through here for a few days. They love the orange slices I put out so I'll just stick with that.