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Wildlife Sightings Today

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    • max.patch wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      Had the perfect sighting for the 4th of July on Saturday. Went for a short walk in the woods at our local park. Saw some Turk's Cap Lillies and a grove of large sassafrass (you don't see many large ones around here for some reason). The black raspberries are just ripening and were able to pick a handful.

      But the 4th of July treat was seeing the Bald Eagle fly over the pond being chased by 4 blackbirds. He got directly overhead, made a u-turn, and went back over the trees (blackbirds still harassing him). He wasn't more than 50 feet up so we could get a good close up look at him. This park is on the Grand River just a fraction of a mile up river from an Eagle Nest monitored by the park service. Last I heard they had eaglets in the nest. The one we saw was almost certainly from that nest.
      I get goosebumps everytime I see an eagle.
      and to think, our national bird was almost the Turkey
      That would have ruined Thanksgiving.
      Probably take a lot eagles for a Thanksgiving dinner.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • My wife already ran over the national turkey a couple weeks ago. Repairs were 1900$ ( we paid the 100# deductible).

      But my favorite eagle sighting was a few years ago at pyramid point in sleeping bear dunes national Lakeshore. A few hundred feet looking down a perched dune into lake Michigan was a bald eagle soaring below us.
    • Saw the eagle again yesterday. He has a favorite sycamore tree right next to the parking lot overlooking the river. The branches are pretty bare so you can get a good look. There were a number of other people milling around. I ask them if they saw the eagle. They say what eagle. I point to the tree and say that one. They were amazed.
    • I love taking pictures of wildlife, got tons from my various hikes on the AT, everything from insects to bears. However, I also like to attract wildlife to my yard and since I started creating habitat for them in the dead middle of suburbia, where I'll never see a deer or bear, much less a bigfoot ; however, I've seen quite a few species of birds I've never seen before. This is what you get for ripping up all your grass, heavily mulching and planting stuff that attracts things and allowing some "weeds" to grow.

      I'll stop there, way too many more....
    • Took a motor bike trip on the Blueridge Parkway this past week, Cherokee to Ashville (was going to Mt Mitchell but the road was closed just north of Ashville, second time I was going there but got cancelled), came around a curve to see a flock of turkey in the road, was going too fast to stop, thankfully they ran off the road instead of taking to the air.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.
    • Silly bird stole a jalapeño from my pepper plant and tried to carry it away but didn’t get very far. Good thing, those jalapeños are HOT!
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      Lost in the right direction.
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      Silly bird stole a jalapeño from my pepper plant and tried to carry it away but didn’t get very far. Good thing, those jalapeños are HOT!
      I use hot pepper treated bird seed in my bird feeder as a squirrel deterrent. Supposedly birds cannot taste the hot pepper, but the squirrels can.

      My observation..... the birds seem to like it a little less, but still polish it off with time. The squirrels were definitely deterred at first. But now I have one squirrel that seems to have grown a taste for the stuff, and he cleans me out. I've stopped feeding for the summer, but I expect him back for the winter when I start putting seed out again.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • IMScotty wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      Silly bird stole a jalapeño from my pepper plant and tried to carry it away but didn’t get very far. Good thing, those jalapeños are HOT!
      I use hot pepper treated bird seed in my bird feeder as a squirrel deterrent. Supposedly birds cannot taste the hot pepper, but the squirrels can.
      My observation..... the birds seem to like it a little less, but still polish it off with time. The squirrels were definitely deterred at first. But now I have one squirrel that seems to have grown a taste for the stuff, and he cleans me out. I've stopped feeding for the summer, but I expect him back for the winter when I start putting seed out again.
      Might be time for him to be relocated.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • IMScotty wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      Silly bird stole a jalapeño from my pepper plant and tried to carry it away but didn’t get very far. Good thing, those jalapeños are HOT!
      I use hot pepper treated bird seed in my bird feeder as a squirrel deterrent. Supposedly birds cannot taste the hot pepper, but the squirrels can.
      My observation..... the birds seem to like it a little less, but still polish it off with time. The squirrels were definitely deterred at first. But now I have one squirrel that seems to have grown a taste for the stuff, and he cleans me out. I've stopped feeding for the summer, but I expect him back for the winter when I start putting seed out again.
      I wondered if the pepper would affect him, thanks for the education!
      Lost in the right direction.
    • I am used to having deer in our backyard and under our persimmon tree. But this little guy was in my wife's flower beds in the front yard. I believe I was more impressed than she was. :)
      Images
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • I am used to seeing brown rabbits running around, but this guy surprised me. Looks too domesticated to just be running around. Makes we wonder if he recently escaped from a cage or a house.
      Images
      • 20200804_062733.jpg

        118.32 kB, 800×388, viewed 267 times
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • I loved listening my sisters Woodstock album when I was young. Before iTunes became a thing my wife decided to get me the album for my birthday. She went to Tower records (remember when there were giant record stores?). She could not find the album and asked a young worker there where she could find it. The kid just scoffed "Woodstock? that is for old people." I think I ended up getting new underwear for my birthday that year.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • We had my father-in-law at the oral surgeon last week. They back up to a green belt. Sudden flurry of activity as a LARGE bobcat was walking along the creek back there. We have a large Texas lake within a mile of that office so lots of wildlife. Some can really freak people out. The receptionist said they see bobcats fairly often and try and take a photo.

      Some 8 years ago, I was with a buddy on a canoe trip on the Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas. There was close to no one around as we were on the lower part of the river where no day-use areas exist. We turned a bend and noticed two bald eagles perched above us. We paddled another 50 yards and SWOOP, over our heads (not close really) flew one of the eagles. We looked back and the other one was still in the same tree. The one that flew over us, went towards the next bend. When we got perhaps 100 yards from that one, here came the other eagle! We figured they were making sure we passed out of their fishing territory. Eagle nest are quite large but we didn't spot it. Probably our poor human eye sight (compared to those eagles).

      We also saw elk. And a river otter. We figured we'd missed some of the otters.
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork
    • rhjanes wrote:

      We had my father-in-law at the oral surgeon last week. They back up to a green belt. Sudden flurry of activity as a LARGE bobcat was walking along the creek back there. We have a large Texas lake within a mile of that office so lots of wildlife. Some can really freak people out. The receptionist said they see bobcats fairly often and try and take a photo.

      Some 8 years ago, I was with a buddy on a canoe trip on the Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas. There was close to no one around as we were on the lower part of the river where no day-use areas exist. We turned a bend and noticed two bald eagles perched above us. We paddled another 50 yards and SWOOP, over our heads (not close really) flew one of the eagles. We looked back and the other one was still in the same tree. The one that flew over us, went towards the next bend. When we got perhaps 100 yards from that one, here came the other eagle! We figured they were making sure we passed out of their fishing territory. Eagle nest are quite large but we didn't spot it. Probably our poor human eye sight (compared to those eagles).

      We also saw elk. And a river otter. We figured we'd missed some of the otters.
      Bald Eagles are so large compared to other birds, they appear closer than they actually are.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • On that same trip, we had a Whip-or-Will across the river from us. It started up around 11 PM. Would make noise for 20 minutes. Shut up for 10, start up again. Went on most of the night. We didn't get much sleep. Next morning I said "thing finally shut up around 4 AM". My friend said "yeah, now I hope the rest of the forest keeps the dang thing up all DAY like it kept the entire forest up all NIGHT".
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork
    • odd man out wrote:

      If you see wildlife, it is a sighting. What do you call it if you hear it? A hearing?. We're camping a couple nights in the UP. we heard the loon, cranes, and great Horned owl, but never saw them.
      Like rhjanes covers, the key is when you hear it. Sometimes it might make you want to see it in the sights of your gun. :D
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • rhjanes wrote:

      On that same trip, we had a Whip-or-Will across the river from us. It started up around 11 PM. Would make noise for 20 minutes. Shut up for 10, start up again. Went on most of the night. We didn't get much sleep. Next morning I said "thing finally shut up around 4 AM". My friend said "yeah, now I hope the rest of the forest keeps the dang thing up all DAY like it kept the entire forest up all NIGHT".
      35 years ago we were staying at a cabin at Isle Royale NP and a white throated sparrow would start singing right outside the window at 4 AM. There was no sleeping through that. This one's song was much more intense than the recording.

      youtu.be/WdMOVrIJXeI
    • LIhikers wrote:

      While we were hiking in the 100 mile wilderness we got to see a fresh water otter. It didn't hang around long enough to get it's picture taken.
      They are fun to watch, got a pic of one in my back yard, would show it to you but I lost my phone a couple weeks ago on a bike ride on the Blueridge Parkway, had about seven crash into the water beside me when I was paddling a run behind the house, scarred the crap out of me, saw a litter of young ones on the Etowah eating a large striper the mom had pulled upon a log for them...really neat little criiters.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.
    • odd man out wrote:


      35 years ago we were staying at a cabin at Isle Royale NP and a white throated sparrow would start singing right outside the window at 4 AM. There was no sleeping through that. This one's song was much more intense than the recording.
      youtu.be/WdMOVrIJXeI
      A beautiful song. I would have no problem listening to that every morning at 4 AM.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • IMScotty wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      At least it was not a deer.I don't even want to even imagine the damage a moose could do up in ME.
      This article provides some details...
      newengland.com/today/living/ne…ironment/brake-for-moose/
      Interesting article. Glad I live in Michigan for many reasons, not the least of which is that the chance of me hitting a moose in Michigan is very slim. Although we did see one once, up in the UP, on the way to Taquamenon Falls.
    • Trillium wrote:

      Interesting article. Glad I live in Michigan for many reasons, not the least of which is that the chance of me hitting a moose in Michigan is very slim. Although we did see one once, up in the UP, on the way to Taquamenon Falls.
      No fair. I've never seem a moose in MI. But I did go backpacking in the UP with the former DNR moose biologist in Baraga. I got 4 days of UP moose stories. When they reintrduced moose into the UP, he was the moose catcher. His job was to catch the tranquilized moose as it was lowered by helicopter onto a frozen lake in northern Ontario in mid winter. Fun.
    • max.patch wrote:

      rhjanes wrote:

      Orb spider, also called a Banana spider. Excellent mosquito remover! Will also "bounce" the web when you are near so you know it's there (It's smart, knows you are not a meal, so bounces it to say 'this is my web, go away').
      Now that's one smart spider.
      Rattle snakes do the same. Interesting creatures. We have rattlers and then copper heads here in Texas. Oh and coral snakes but I've not come across one of those yet.
      I'll take a rattler any day over a copper head. Copper heads are born pissed off and then get mad. They can't control their venom injection and give zero warnings.
      Rattlers, coils, Puff UP (Look! I'm BIG!) and then go to rattling a VERY distinct noise. They do this to warn you away! We are not "food" for them and they know that. Many bites, while still needing medical attention are "dry".
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork
    • LIhikers wrote:

      While we were hiking in the 100 mile wilderness we got to see a fresh water otter. It didn't hang around long enough to get it's picture taken.
      We used to have one that we would see around our 30 acre lake when I was growing up in FL. Was close to a canal, where I believe he probably hung out more.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • From a distance this looked a little like a snake. Especially when it was darker.

      But just some of the minor damage from Laura blowing through.
      Images
      • 20200829_091053.jpg

        176.18 kB, 800×388, viewed 217 times
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General