Critters and wildlife in your area - post your pics
- Thread starter Oh Little Oji
- Start date
jazzies mum
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The wildlife in this campground are totally unworried by the campers! Bob the emu and one of the many Kangaroo mums carrying too big joeys.
I wonder if that might be a jaguar...or?Nice kitty, warm kitty, fluffy ball of fur..... this guy was caught on a Game cam in the town next to us. (mind you my town is only 8 miles wide)
East Texas! The one thing I just knew we would have issues with when we were moving up here was wild hog... we haven't seen a single one!
View attachment 142778
Jaguarundis: Is the Mystery of Texas Black Panther Sightings Solved?
Jaguarundis are the covert cats of south Texas, but could a small population of them in central Texas explain the long-standing legend of black panthers roaming the Hill Country and surrounding areas?
texashillcountry.com
And your dog isn't trying to chase them?
This is for @JanS . I've always admired this unusual but beautiful woodpecker that you post from your backyard. Never have I seen one in real life here so I just assumed it was a Minnesota thing. Or elsewhere. Just not here.
Well, we have a state park about 5 minutes from here and people go out there and photograph and post the wildlife and somebody posted this!!
My mouth dropped! I never knew that we had this woodpecker here. He's never been at one of our feeders. And I just have never noticed them anywhere else. I was really excited to see that!
The other thing I learned a long time ago was the bald eagle is at the State Park too! And remember I talked about standing looking out my window and I saw a large bird coming from the corner of my eye and I just assumed it was another turkey vulture. They're flying in the sky all the time. But as it went by I saw the white head! And I was in heaven! Never thought I'd ever see a bald eagle. My cousin and and his wife once went to the bald eagle breeding grounds in some other state. I believe it was on the East Coast. Since they went out of the state to go see these Eagles I just assumed that they were not here. I told my husband I guess we've got to go over to the state park and just sit and observe. Anytime we've been there I've been on a horse and not paying attention to birds. Except for some big heron type of bird that flew out of the brush one day right in front of me and my horse! Holy crap, scared the crap out of me but my horse did very well. Thank you very much! LOL
Well, we have a state park about 5 minutes from here and people go out there and photograph and post the wildlife and somebody posted this!!
My mouth dropped! I never knew that we had this woodpecker here. He's never been at one of our feeders. And I just have never noticed them anywhere else. I was really excited to see that!
The other thing I learned a long time ago was the bald eagle is at the State Park too! And remember I talked about standing looking out my window and I saw a large bird coming from the corner of my eye and I just assumed it was another turkey vulture. They're flying in the sky all the time. But as it went by I saw the white head! And I was in heaven! Never thought I'd ever see a bald eagle. My cousin and and his wife once went to the bald eagle breeding grounds in some other state. I believe it was on the East Coast. Since they went out of the state to go see these Eagles I just assumed that they were not here. I told my husband I guess we've got to go over to the state park and just sit and observe. Anytime we've been there I've been on a horse and not paying attention to birds. Except for some big heron type of bird that flew out of the brush one day right in front of me and my horse! Holy crap, scared the crap out of me but my horse did very well. Thank you very much! LOL
You should, I think you'd be amazed. My cousin in the cities goes to a nature park to take photos nearly every day and I'm amazed at the birds he captures photos of.
I had to hit the brakes hard a week or two ago since one almost flew into the grill of my vehicle. Usually they will swoop right over but this one would have been toast if I didn't brake.
No. I dont think she noticed as I was distracting her a bit, puppy clueless...
They were not making much noise, passing through quickly, seeking mice, on the trot.
They were upwind and nonchalant about us. SubUrban yotes, mellow.
So last Friday at about 7:30 a.m. Kali and I went out to the horse barn to feed the horses and get them outside. As I do every time, when I open the big overhead door I always take a look out and scan the area for anything dangerous for Kali.
So that morning off to my left side I see something that I couldn't make out. I knew it didn't belong there but I wasn't sure what I was seeing. Because standing at the barn opening, this is how far away it was.
I couldn't make it out and I turned on my video on my phone so that if something was there I would have a recording of it. But I couldn't tell in the distance what it was and I for sure couldn't look on my phone and make it out. Too small and the day too bright! Even though now looking back at the video it was plain as day. I quickly secured Kali in the tack room and I walked closer to see what it was.
Yep. Big coyote! He never moved. Just stood there and looked at me as I walked closer to him. I went and got a firearm. He was in the same position when I got back. I wasn't going to kill him, although I had a good shot and he was that close. But I damn sure wanted to scare him. And I did. I may change my mind if I see him again.
So that morning off to my left side I see something that I couldn't make out. I knew it didn't belong there but I wasn't sure what I was seeing. Because standing at the barn opening, this is how far away it was.
I couldn't make it out and I turned on my video on my phone so that if something was there I would have a recording of it. But I couldn't tell in the distance what it was and I for sure couldn't look on my phone and make it out. Too small and the day too bright! Even though now looking back at the video it was plain as day. I quickly secured Kali in the tack room and I walked closer to see what it was.
Yep. Big coyote! He never moved. Just stood there and looked at me as I walked closer to him. I went and got a firearm. He was in the same position when I got back. I wasn't going to kill him, although I had a good shot and he was that close. But I damn sure wanted to scare him. And I did. I may change my mind if I see him again.
I'm surprised by that. We have several that hang out around here. I think we counted 6 different types of wood peckers this winter. Including my fav, a Northern Flicker.
I think they have several breeding places, including the St. Louis area. I grew up going the eagle festivals that celebrating their arrival. Now that their numbers are up, we see them all the time. Last summer I was driving somewhere and went around a corner to find a pair in the middle of the road eating road kill
Hey Genny!
Good to see ya!Yea, I just have never seen that one here. Maybe they are in our woods where there are more trees.
. We've seen the Downey, the flickers, Red bellied, and my favorite, the Red headed woodpecker! He's a beauty!
I'll keep my eyes open for some others!
Hey, thanks! I come around every now and then.Hey Genny!
I just don't have the time like I used to. Things may free up now that we have most of the work done on our property.I don't know why you aren't seeing them but probably just as well they stay at the park. They are a big bird that can cause a lot of chaos at a feeder.Yea, I just have never seen that one here. Maybe they are in our woods where there are more trees.
We'd love to see some updated photos of that too!
We had tracks in the snow all over the chicken yard this morning, found where it went under the hot wire which is about 4" off the ground, with their heavy haircoat, maybe a skunk would not feel that on their back? Then through the fence, checked out the coop area, went into the barn stall that the chickens use in the day time. Feeder with chicken pellets was not disturbed. At first I thought weasel family which would be a disaster, but next door had a skunk a few months ago that got IN their HOUSE. LOL, that's another story...They killed it, but I know we have skunks around. One thing a little snow is good for is the stories of what goes on at night! 
They are pretty small and I don't think a raccoon could fit through the 2" x 4" fence wire. Also the tracks went right into the coop (not secured) and back out with 4 hens roosting in it. I think a raccoon or weasel type would have slaughtered them all. A skunk might have been looking for eggs. That's my thoughts anyway. I'll post some photos later when I have a few minutes the difference between raccoon & skunk.
In the 9 years here I've never seen a raccoon or signs of one. I don't think they can live in my area due to no year round water source. We have a great creek that goes through, but it's dry 6+ months of the year. I know they live on the Gila river, similar arid forest, but it never goes dry.
Anyway, those are my reasonings that I think it's a skunk. The snow makes it a little harder to see clearly. Here are track ID's.
I didn't see the part about the fence wire, so you're right that a coon probably couldn't fit through it. I've never seen one here (aside from our friends pets) but I do see them dead on the sides of roads. I'm sure they like to follow sources of water, like you said.
No skunk smell? There's been a few times that I will smell skunk but not see them when I walk out of the house very early in the morning. I just figure they must have recently passed through nearby. It's usually when there's no snow to check tracks.
