Member Seakdiver says in Alaska they call them tree rats. Most wild life shun the cities not only because of danger but lack of food. For rats and raptors that's not a problem... garbage for the rats, and plump juicy pigeons for raptors.

I am now feeding the birds on my windowsill. Well, they're nesting in the tree next to my window. Mostly I attract woodpigeons - possibly my least favourite bird - but I have seen the occasional crow.

I have to scatter the seed late at night, as it's quite a thin ledge and half of what I dole out bounces into the courtyard two floors below. This is birdseed bought when I was in the nuthouse, so even if I only attract woodpigeons it's at least being used.

I saw my first woodpecker up on the Chevin in the last week. And hear them nearly every time I use the outside gym in the park (it's close to a small section of woodland).
Very pleased with myself.
I still have to hear a cuckoo though.

I hear they sound like a clock. you're not missing much.

Our (Eastern US) cuckoos can be listened to here and here. I see a lot of the yellow-billed here but the black-billed are around as well.

Aha, so it was a black-billed Cuckoo I was hearing. :idea: Thanks Griff.

I just saw the full video, I wish it had been subtitled. The story is cute. You just have to watch out for the wheel loaders.

Man. I hate when this happens.

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That little bit of flesh color under the seals whiskers? Yeah, that's dude's hand.

On today's episode of Find The Turkey:

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Attachment 51329

How do I claim my prize?

You already have it, my friend.

Pride of Turkeywing Findership.

An inch to the right and you coulda had Pride of Turkeyhead Findership.

:D

As with any animal you're looking for anywhere...

...look for the eye.

you are one funny jive turkey, Grav.

I was recently reminded of turkeys when I watched "Life", the "Birds" episode when they discussed White Pelicans. They're large birds, about 10 kilograms, and I thought, huh, about the size of a big turkey. What was shocking about the segment was

SPOILER

The pelicans were filmed preying on crested gannet chicks, about the size of a chicken. The pelicans attacked unattended chicks, SWALLOWED THEM WHOLE, then flew back to the pelican nesting site. At the feet of the pelican chicks, the momma/poppa pelicans disgorged the gannet chick, alive but partially digested, presumably to be re-eaten.

WTF.










END SPOILER

Uh, yeah. I was about to post that today I saw oven birds, cowbirds, goldfinches, a gazillion robins, cardinals, yada yada at the feeder, and our male fox hanging out on the back slope - this year we've seen the foxes (dog and vixen) frequently, very unusual ... but that pelican thing sort of took the blush off.

Dammit. You're making me learn stuff.

Again.

I had to know about the ovenbird, never heard of it. Having seen a pic of one, I've never seen one live and in person before, and, according to wikipedia's range map, they should be, literally, in my backyard.

I was wondering how they got their name. It's from the shape of their nest. It resembles a kiln, or a dutch oven:

Attachment 51331

I also came across this.

EXACTLY, IM.

^whs^

I'll admit to going there first.

Sorry so big

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I suppose that the warmth generated by the light was one factor in them choosing this site.
The signal appears to be on a pole rather than suspended above the road, so the proximity of pedestrians and vehicles can't have been of too much concern to the birds.

Releasing an ungrateful young moose from barbed wire. About 1:20 he shows why Moose are so dangerous, they're not satisfied to knock you down they want to tap dance on you. I imagine a 1500 pound Bull Moose, or even a 1000 pound Cow Moose, tap dancing on you, might be uncomfortable. :eek:




Suggest full screen.

My Adobe flash crashed and I couldn't see your video, Bruce. But ... they exist independent of us, as they should. If they tap dance on one of us from time to time, it's just the universe talking. ;)

He coulda been talking to Baby...

Foxes have a ball.
http://i.imgur.com/5D1ZdQG.mp4

that's awesome.

foxes are really adapting to living in people's back yards. It's kind of unreal.

When I was on Cape Cod a month ago, I saw several in broad daylight, in residential neighborhoods, beside the road. They showed respect for cars but no apparent fear.

I was on photo safari the other afternoon, and happen to see a couple of turkeys in a field. I stopped and snapped a couple pics, and thought, this road curves around this field, and gets closer. So, I pulled down the road a piece and did get a little closer, about ~200 yards away from them.

It was readily apparent that one of them was a tom because as soon as I stopped GC1, he went full thanksgiving turkey on me and started swelling up. He strutted (literally walking back and forth, vogue-ing in front of his intended), and drummed (that's when the tom drags his wingtips on the ground, while stomping his feet rapidly. This is what makes the hen say "He's for me!!".) for the hen. Every time he got close to her she would lay down almost flat on the ground. He would drum up near her and she would jump and trot a few steps away. She's not quite 'ready', so to speak.

Meanwhile, in the bushes, another hen was taking all this in. She wasn't nearly as picky about things. She came right out and just took the cock, took it, I say. She laid down, and, when tom came up to her she didn't haggle at all, she said "Get after it!", and he did, too.

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Now, I'm sure there are lots of pictures of mating wild turkeys, but, I consider myself very lucky to have photographed a mating pair of turkeys, in flagrante delicto, no less.

Hand-held, full 24x zoom, ~200-300 yards out.

Here's an unprocessed screen cap of one of the failures to launch:

Attachment 51425

That's so freaking cool. Not many wild turkeys around these parts.

I glanced at the second picture and thought it was a turkey on a gorilla. :lol:

(sooo sleep deprived I'm hallucinatin')

I've had a little trouble sleeping for the last several days.

Sleep is highly overrated.

Were you at my house Grav? :eyebrow:

Had 4 eggs but only 2 birdiesAttachment 51473

This little guy was chillin' outside the Laundromat the other day. I think he might have hit the window and was stunned. He was moving his head around but wasn't flying away. I've never seen a hummingbird standing still. I wasn't sure what to do with him but my brother (biology major type kind of guy who knows a lot about birds) later said it was best I just left him alone. Anyway, he's a beauty.

Very nice!

Slick caught a hummingbird once (Once!), and I managed to get it away before the final blow was dealt. One wing was twisted around on his back, and I put it back gently as I could. It made a little, teeny tweet, and sat there, in the palm of my hand, for just a moment and then flew away.

That was so ƒucking awsome!

He is a beauty. I've never seen one perched.

I had one land on my finger once. He came in the house and got behind a window and couldn't figure out how to get out. I very carefully lifted my finger under him as he hovered. He perched on my finger and I walked him outside. He flew off but circled back around and hovered at eye level inches in front of me. His thank you complete, he blew out of there.

So. Jealous.

Good boy!!!



That kitteh deserves extra treats tonight!

These three hares are sitting in a line about ten, 20 and 30 feet from my house. They seem to be placed along the line of the outpipe to the septic tank and the last one is more or less on the septic tank hatch. Maybe it's a little bit warmer along that line?

No Grav!
NONONONONONO.
I love cats and I love bats and now I'm all confused as to where my loyalties lie...

Limes, gosh I love your hares.
Saw some gorgeous handcarved moongazers at the Show. Couldn't even take their photographs in case they drew me into a bank balance defying purchase.

More likely the grass is a little sweeter.

Due to the 'honeypot' you mentioned.:D

Shouldn't make any difference to the grass between the house and the tank, the leach field after the tank would feed the grass. Maybe that pipe is providing warmth but it's probably down three feet or more. It could be creating a vibration or magnetic line to attract them. Or they might be look-outs for the crew tunneling into your pantry. :unsure:

Limey's pantry is worth burgularing...

some pictures of geese and baby geese...and R the Wonder Dog from my dad's lake. This is the southernmost of the two lakes...not even the pretty one but he and the other partners and my brother were discussing a business venture involving the land near that lake. I was impressed with the huge amount of baby geese (goslings? ryan?) but my other brother was impressed because they'll make for good shootin' next goose season. :eek:

If'n they survive. A friend had a duck hatch 17 (seventeen yes SEVENTEEN) ducklings the other day. Within less than a week they'd all been taken by the gulls and the ravens.
And look at that Dawg's expression gazing across the water - he's thinking about they little ryans 'n'all ....

Yes, probably. :)

However, she is unaware that she can swim. She's only a year old, and she'll get into the water but not swim out. Her cousin, otoh, is a crazy swimmer so here is a pic of J dog chewing a stick he fetched out of the water and R dog wanting that stick, then walking away like "hmmmph...you can keep your stupid old stick you retrieved."

They appear in large numbers like that because of the vibrating, magnetic water.

Even I can see that R is a pearl of a dog.

These are the good guys.

I have no idea what that means.

She is, very sweet and good.

I love it that you are posting pictures, Infinte Monkey. New camera?

Nah, I'm just realizing my phone takes some really good pictures!

One day I will post my Giant Abe pictures.

Do try to keep up.

:p:

The older I get the denser I get. :blush:

:thumb: