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Wildlife Sightings Today

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    • TrafficJam wrote:

      I'm kind of disappointed that I haven't seen any rattle snakes. :(
      These photos were taken on my wife's "last" backpacking trip with me, she almost put her foot down on the rattler that was in the middle of the trail and almost impossible to see, I had trouble seeing it as she pointed to it the cammo was so good, the worst of her trip was sitting a tick pod and getting 100's of tiny ticks on her...not to mention the hornets...I had a good hike though.
      Images

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      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • I saw 5 bears (including 3 tiny cubs) south of Unicoi Gap last Saturday. I took several video clips which look awesome on my phone, but they're all distorted and pixelated on youtube. Bummer.

      The first was likely "Dad" as he was fairly large. A simple "Boo!" scared him up a tree. 3/4 of a mile farther was mom who wasn't scared of anything. I hung out for about 5 minutes talking to her before she finally meandered off trail. Next thing I know, I see three tiny cubs climbing high into a nearby tree. Badass! :D
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • :(
      As some may recall through the years I've talked about the wrens that come to the shop an build a nest each year. This has been going for more than six years now. And this year was no different.

      At the end of April the nest was built and eggs laid by the first of May and five babies hatched by the 16th. They'd be leaving the nest by June 1.

      Well walked into the forge to an extremely agitated set of wren parents defending their nest and attacking a black snake. It had climbed the wall and got into the nest. By the time I'd found it, the snake had consumed all the chicks.

      Rather sad, and yet an amazing display of nature. I'm hoping the parents will make another go of it.
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • When we lived in Houston nearly every Saturday morning I took my children to children's museum and the zoo. I think my wife really enjoyed having Saturdays off after staying home with them all week.

      One of the favorite moments in my life was when I had all four children age 6 and under with me at the zoo, and this rough looking motorcycle guy looked at me and said to his friends "that is one tough man".
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • my favorite zoo exhibit was where when walking into a building there was a large window into an emclosure. Everyone would gather around looking for the animals. Then you realize you are looking into another cooridor with people walking out of the building. The display had a proper sign for Homo sapien with a range map and species description.

    • odd man out wrote:

      my favorite zoo exhibit was where when walking into a building there was a large window into an emclosure. Everyone would gather around looking for the animals. Then you realize you are looking into another cooridor with people walking out of the building. The display had a proper sign for Homo sapien with a range map and species description.
      I wonder if the range map included polar research stations.
      I am human and I need to be loved - just like everybody else does

    • odd man out wrote:

      my favorite zoo exhibit was where when walking into a building there was a large window into an emclosure. Everyone would gather around looking for the animals. Then you realize you are looking into another cooridor with people walking out of the building. The display had a proper sign for Homo sapien with a range map and species description.
      I remember one like that, where the signs going up to the window said that behind the window lived the most dangerous animal in the world.

      I seem to recall that the range map had a dark highlight on East Africa, then a lighter one in a corridor to Central Asia, then still lighter across Europe and the rest of Asia and Africa, and then over the rest of the world, a color indicating "Not native: imported invasive species."
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • Now I don't know if this is true, but i heard somethin' like fire ants will send some kind of signal to sting all at once, and thats what makes it worse. Growin' up in texas i remember being stung/bit while playin' on the ground, later i remember my papaw sayering they were fire ants. But the worst sting i've ever felt to this day was from an Asp/catapiller....weoooowah.

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      my favorite zoo exhibit was where when walking into a building there was a large window into an emclosure. Everyone would gather around looking for the animals. Then you realize you are looking into another cooridor with people walking out of the building. The display had a proper sign for Homo sapien with a range map and species description.
      I remember one like that, where the signs going up to the window said that behind the window lived the most dangerous animal in the world.
      I seem to recall that the range map had a dark highlight on East Africa, then a lighter one in a corridor to Central Asia, then still lighter across Europe and the rest of Asia and Africa, and then over the rest of the world, a color indicating "Not native: imported invasive species."
      Send in the Daleks.
      I am human and I need to be loved - just like everybody else does

    • mental note wrote:

      Now I don't know if this is true, but i heard somethin' like fire ants will send some kind of signal to sting all at once, and thats what makes it worse. Growin' up in texas i remember being stung/bit while playin' on the ground, later i remember my papaw sayering they were fire ants. But the worst sting i've ever felt to this day was from an Asp/catapiller....weoooowah.

      Squash one and they will do that. Just like if you squash a bee.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • WanderingStovie wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      my favorite zoo exhibit was where when walking into a building there was a large window into an emclosure. Everyone would gather around looking for the animals. Then you realize you are looking into another cooridor with people walking out of the building. The display had a proper sign for Homo sapien with a range map and species description.
      I remember one like that, where the signs going up to the window said that behind the window lived the most dangerous animal in the world.I seem to recall that the range map had a dark highlight on East Africa, then a lighter one in a corridor to Central Asia, then still lighter across Europe and the rest of Asia and Africa, and then over the rest of the world, a color indicating "Not native: imported invasive species."
      Send in the Daleks.
      ah, a Doctor Who fan.

    • LIhikers wrote:

      WanderingStovie wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      my favorite zoo exhibit was where when walking into a building there was a large window into an emclosure. Everyone would gather around looking for the animals. Then you realize you are looking into another cooridor with people walking out of the building. The display had a proper sign for Homo sapien with a range map and species description.
      I remember one like that, where the signs going up to the window said that behind the window lived the most dangerous animal in the world.I seem to recall that the range map had a dark highlight on East Africa, then a lighter one in a corridor to Central Asia, then still lighter across Europe and the rest of Asia and Africa, and then over the rest of the world, a color indicating "Not native: imported invasive species."
      Send in the Daleks.
      ah, a Doctor Who fan.
      So that explains why I do not know what he was talking about.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • We went on an all day birding walk at a bird festival in Ontario at a park on the shore of Lake Huron. It was lead by a guy with a PhD in wildlife biology. His ability to ID things was amazing. He would stop and announce the location of all the birds in the area by their songs. Then he would ID a bird in a tree that was just a speak on the horizon. It was pretty amazing. Saw (and heard) birds I'd never heard of like Winter Wrens and Werlins. Also saw some good good flowers like Pink Lady Slippers and a very rare Pitchers Thistle. It was a great day but it was a little depressing to realize how little I know about nature compared to this guy.

    • Rode my bike up to Cade's Cove. On the way, I pulled over to rest and saw a mama bear and cub about 20' away. It was on a steepish part so I was pedaling slow and hoped she didn't chase me. :)

      Also saw a beautiful hawk perched on a limb and some bucks and several doe. Every one of those deer walked into the stream and peed in the water.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      Rode my bike up to Cade's Cove. On the way, I pulled over to rest and saw a mama bear and cub about 20' away. It was on a steepish part so I was pedaling slow and hoped she didn't chase me. :)

      Also saw a beautiful hawk perched on a limb and some bucks and several doe. Every one of those deer walked into the stream and peed in the water.
      I guess those deer missed LNT training. :rolleyes:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Rode my bike up to Cade's Cove. On the way, I pulled over to rest and saw a mama bear and cub about 20' away. It was on a steepish part so I was pedaling slow and hoped she didn't chase me. :)

      Also saw a beautiful hawk perched on a limb and some bucks and several doe. Every one of those deer walked into the stream and peed in the water.
      I guess those deer missed LNT training. :rolleyes:
      No trace was left....washed right away.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Have had strawberries growing around the perimeter of the backyard pool for the last 12 years. Never ever have I harvested one berry. The day one starts to turn red, it disappears. I always assumed it was rabbits, of which we have plenty, caught many times eating the green beans in the garden. Anyway, I did some careful wildlife observations the other day while sitting by the pool drinking gin and tonics. I discovered it is not the rabbits that eat the strawberries, but the robins. One more species to hate. Arghhhh.