Animals roaming free

[Mageth]

Both turkey and black vultures are common around here (Austin). You often see one or two, or more, perched on lightpoles on the boulevard down the hill from my house. Or cruising above the local highways. Or having a snack on the shoulder.

Doves and grackles are a dime a dozen in my neighborhood. We also get a couple of species of owls, woodpeckers, bluejays, cardinals, and mockingbirds. I even see the occasional chapparal darting across the road.

As far as mammals, there's deer, coyote, fox, raccoon, armadillos, opossum, skunk....all the usual suspects.

And not long ago I saw two yellow porcupine by a road through the hills. (unfortunately, dead).

Bark scorpions are common. Rarer are Texas red-headed centipedes. At 6 to 7 inches and fast as hell, they'll put the fear of sleeping on the ground in you. Found one exploring my living room a few years ago.

There are rattlers in our area, but I've yet to see one locally. There's a rare species of garter snake that I see occasionally.

 

[crazyfingers]

I realized that while I might be a bit bored of taking photos of northern cardinals because they are just too easy, non-north Americans here might appreciate a northern cardinal.



I do need to find a new place but some interesting stuff today.

Yellow Warbler


It's odd that I'd see another sitting still hummingbird in the same week. Twice in my life in the same week.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird



In the same tree a Prairie Warbler


Baltimore Oriole


I went down to my other place where the Mute swans are nesting. But first, really tiny Polywogs. Each of these is roughly only one centimeter or about 1/3 of an inch long. Not sure what kind of a frog they will be.


Lucky to see both a male and female Wood Ducks


Male sure in impressive


The Mute Swans have had their chicks


Family. I wonder how careful they have to be of the snapping turtle. There are two large ones that hang out in the same area of the pond.

 

[crazyfingers]

Well since my last post there are only three of the Swan chicks left. Three are missing. The old ladies that live across from the pond and feed the ducks and swans were all distraught.

The consensus down there is that one or both of the large snapping turtles got them. But there are large mouth bass in that pond. Herons are known to swipe chicks but I think that a heron wouldn't get past the guarding Swan parents. Fox and racoons are also a possibility. But I think that the snappers coming up from below is the best bet.

Anyway, I hope the remaining three survive.

On the plus side there are now two broods of mallard chicks. One has 8 chicks and the other is 7 chicks.

Here are some cute mallard chick photos.










Totally different critter now. Yesterday I heard an unfamiliar bird that was bouncing all around in one of my trees. I had the hardest time getting a good photo and these are not good photos but good enough to identify as Female American Redstart or a juvenile male redstart. Probably the juvenile male because it was singing and the bird people tell me females wouldn't be singing. It's a large warbler that feeds on bugs and is known to be constantly jumping about in the leaves of trees as this was doing.

This is a new addition to my life list.

 

[Davka]

Did not get close enough for a decent pic of the skunk in our meadow.

Which is probably a good thing.

 

[crazyfingers]

Long before digital photography and my interest in wildlife photography I had a skunk in my garage. I wandered in pretending not to see him. I eventually got him to leave by not looking at it but slowly doing stuff that encouraged it to keep getting closer to the door and finally leave. Very cute critter.

 

[Rhea]

Animal psychology!

 

[crazyfingers]

Interestingly, today I believe I got my first Barn Swallow. I don't usually try to photograph swallow flying as only 1 in 100 even come out OK but when I saw this I could tell that the belly was rust colored, not white like a tree swallow. So I tried a photo. No coloring can be seen and it's fuzzy but I can see that the forked tail is much longer at the sides than a tree swallow so I believe I have a positive ID.



Cedar waxwings. I don't see them much.


Another northern cardinal from this morning

 

[Sarpedon]

I had a mallard nesting beneath my scrap wood pile. Her ten eggs hatched last sunday. She walked them right up to my door and quacked loudly, as if to attract my attention. Sadly, I didn't have my camera nearby.

So at last I was able to do something about my scrap wood pile. You know it has gotten out of hand when a duck nests there for weeks without you noticing.

 

[crazyfingers]

Have you been giving the mallards bread scraps so that she would think to bring the chicks to the door? Normally I try not to feed wild animals, aside from the bird feeder, but I think that mallards are an exception as they are not likely to become pests like racoons and bears could.

 

[Angry Floof]

I had a mallard nesting beneath my scrap wood pile. Her ten eggs hatched last sunday. She walked them right up to my door and quacked loudly, as if to attract my attention. Sadly, I didn't have my camera nearby.

So at last I was able to do something about my scrap wood pile. You know it has gotten out of hand when a duck nests there for weeks without you noticing.

Aw, sweetness. Maybe she was thanking you for letting her rent out the wood pile.

 

[bradw]

Rabbit giving me the evil eye after I almost squished a bunny in my back yard.



And a little lost robin. I think it was later found by its parents.

 

[Rhea]

crazyfingers I have both barn and tree swallows allovertheplace. I'll try to snag one if I can.

 

[crazyfingers]

The red bellied woodpeckers who have nested in the hole in back of the dead tree have gone very quiet. Recall I suspected a nest because of so much activity by the male and female back there in my woods. Well they are still there, evidenced by this photo today, but they no longer squalk back there, I suspect no longer willing to draw attention to themselves.



A mangy squirrel way up in a tree that's being eaten by green winter moth worms.


Down the street a different red bellied woodpecker possibly also going for the green winter moth worms.



Three turkey vultures were circling. Bad sky for a photo from below but some brightness and contrast adjustments bring out the red bald head.



I realize that while blue jays are all over the place I have few good photos. This is not great, taken at ling distance, but at least another photo. Jays have a reputation fir mischief but hate to have their picture taken.

 

[crazyfingers]

This morning the male red bellied woodpecker looking out of the nest hole.



Checking in on the swans, there are still three chicks left. The third is just poking it's head out in front of the right side parent.


Hard to get a good photo though as I'm standing here and the swan are the two white dots in the center of the photo on the far side of the pond.


The mallard chicks appear to be doing fine.


Mother mallard is keeping an eye on me


I don't know anything about mallard social structure but I have noticed that these two male wild mallards and the domesticated mallard are always hanging out together.


Very icky


Down at the the other pond with my kids, the baby painted turtles have hatched. His new name is "Mr. Flappy".


Later in the afternoon, a white tail deer on my path in the back yard.


No Jesus in this butt.

 

[crazyfingers]

Not a lot of interest to post.

The swans still have three chicks. Two are riding on the adult's back.


The mallard chicks are down by two. The snappers are still there. Th swans are still on the far side of the pond. I do hope that the mallards move too but they like the bread that the old ladies feed them right there where the snappers are.

 

[gmbteach]

Not a lot of interest to post.

The swans still have three chicks. Two are riding on the adult's back.


The mallard chicks are down by two. The snappers are still there. Th swans are still on the far side of the pond. I do hope that the mallards move too but they like the bread that the old ladies feed them right there where the snappers are.

What happened to the Turtle's back? It looks dented.

 

[crazyfingers]

I think that's a pretty standard snapping turtle shell. It's the way it is.

 

[gmbteach]

I think that's a pretty standard snapping turtle shell. It's the way it is.

But he's got a dent in his back.

 

[Deadend]

The swans still have three chicks. Two are riding on the adult's back.

I've never seen swans carry their young like that, cool.

I was awake far too early today so I took my camera along on my bike ride to work. Animals that usually ignore me when I cycle past, do notice me when I stop to take a picture and are apparently really camera shy. These storks were a bit more cooperative.

 

[aupmanyav]

@Philos: There are monkeys, cats, squirrels, rats, kites, pigeons, crows, parrots, owls, cuckoo, peacocks, doves, mainas, etc., but unfortunately, no sparrows. It has been quite some times since I saw them. Delhi has lost them though it is the state bird. I miss their chirping. And do not forget cows, bulls, water buffalows, dogs, goats. After all, it is India. Killing any will be a punishable offense.