BS: A natural blessing

Subject: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 03:52 PM

For the past few days we have had a hawk standing guard over the back yard. Today, it has a mate. The Chickadees don't seem bothered but the Squirrels are very nervous. They have taken two of the little "Tree rats".
We are so lucky to live in an area where there is abundant wildlife. Flocks of wild Turkeys and herds of Deer, not to mention many species of birds.
No way could I live in a city.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: Big Mick
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 03:59 PM

I know what you mean, Captain. I like being close enough to cities to be able to get there, but not in them. I live in the same kind of area you do.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: Rapparee
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 04:03 PM

Kendall, I have some bottles of Wild Turkey....

I saw a white-phase goshawk in my backyard a couple of years ago. It was just sitting on the pole in the yard, looking for breakfast. This past December I saw a coyote trotting along just outside the backyard fence.

Last winter there were elk out on the golf course behind the house.

I live in a city where at least once each year moose are removed from the downtown area, where a year ago three cougars were spotted several times on the University campus.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: SINSULL
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 04:07 PM

I have a skunk nesting under my shed. Does she count?
She and the cats get along but Seamus is fair game...and occasionally gamey.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: My guru always said
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 04:24 PM

I'm with you Kendall, very happy with the world where we live! Enjoy!

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 07:39 PM

With all the negative energy we have around us these days, it's easy to forget the good stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: Tangledwood
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 05:47 PM

"We are so lucky to live in an area where there is abundant wildlife."

It's a privilege to be able to share with them, isn't it.

Birdlife is abundant here, detailed in the other thread.

A Brushtailed Possum lives in my verandah, koalas frequent the area, wallabies often seen, and even an occasional kangaroo. Flying foxes come in when there are trees in flower, traces of sugar gliders and ring-tailed possums are found but they're rarely sighted.

Then there are the reptiles too. I had a beautiful resident Eastern Water Dragon (lizard) for a long while but she disappeared last year. There is now a small one, about nine inches long, that I think may be an offspring. Not everybody likes snakes, but the occasional visiting Carpet Pythons are beautiful creatures.

City dwelling? No way!!!

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: gnu
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 07:12 PM

They are death on the tree rats, Kendall? Can you rent them out? I hate them rats with the bushy tails.

The Sharp Shinned Hawk here nailed a Cedar Waxwing in my pines yesterday. Well, I think it's the Sharp... dunno fer sure. Um... I think it was a Waxwing... the only feathers I have to survey are those that floated near the house. I am not so curious as to wallow through the snow like it was CSI Kent County. I don't even watch the TV stuff let alone chase the crows away from the carcass for forensic investigation.

Hmmm... Birder CSI... she wrote...

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 07:34 PM

I don't like it when they take a Cardinal or a Chickadee.
I wonder why they never take a crow? Or a Bluejay.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: open mike
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 07:52 PM

yes the wildlife here is all living with the challenge of fire ravaged habitat. i put seeds out for the birds, and am constantly pissed off at neighbors who allow their dogs (beagles, hounds) to run loose and scare every living thing that survived the fire. their baying and howling is not acceptible....i finally spoke to the owners about fencing their dogs...all the fences in the area burned along with the houses. so the dogs think they own it all now..

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: Don Firth
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 08:02 PM

I live about five minutes' drive from downtown Seattle. Around here there are squirrels till hell won't have it. I once watched a brilliant bit of strategy by a couple of squirrels rifling a waste can where someone had tossed some French fries. They very cagily outwitted three crows and a seagull, all after the same snack, by cooperating in some very clever diversionary tactics.

Crows, however, are so smart they're downright spooky sometimes. Lousy musicians, though. They all play the oboe and they only know one note.

My wife had just parked the car one afternoon and was coming into our apartment when down the sidewalk came raccoon with a string of little ones following behind her.

I was looking out the office window one afternoon and saw what I could have sworn was a bald eagle flying toward the downtown area. I checked with the resident bird watcher, and he told me that there is a brooding pair of them out at Discovery Park (northwest corner of the city). He told me that they sometimes get tired of their diet of fish and head downtown to dine on city pigeon, of which there are multitudes.

Can you imagine sitting on one of the benches across from the downtown library and eating your lunch when a bird only slightly smaller than a B-25 suddenly swoops down from on high and grabs one of the pigeons playing around your feet?

One day several joggers who frequent the three and a half mile path around Green Lake in the north part of the city freaked out and called animal control. There were alligators in Green Lake!! Animal control came to check out the reports (there having been several) and discovered a pair of caiman about three feet long lurking in the bullrushes at the south end of the lake. Probably a couple of exotic pets that someone had dumped because they'd grown too big to handle.

Lot's of non-bipedal wildlife in the inner city if you know where to look.

Don Firth

P. S. I was thinking at the time that, were it not for dogs and small children, it wouldn't have been a bad idea to leave the two caiman there. Around Green Lake, goose poop is a real problem.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: RangerSteve
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 09:49 PM

Kendall, yes, hawks will take blue jays. I saw it happen once. It was not pleasant. The jay screamed and fought for about 5 minutes, before the hawk gutted it, right outside my window. Just be content with the knowledge that hawks kill jays, and hope it doesn't happen while you're around.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: KT
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 12:00 AM

"We are so lucky to live in an area where there is abundant wildlife."

I'm with you on that, Kendall. Last week, I went for an early morning walk with a friend. Walking along the shore, we heard first, the cry of a lone eagle in the tree above us. As we sought it out, we saw not one, but two white heads against the dark of the Spruce. Within a minute or so, there came from the other side of the channel, a Raven call, which grew in volume as it approached, until its voice was joined by that of the two irritated eagles, in protest that their turf had been invaded by the Raven.

Just below them, perched in statuesque stillness on the dock, a very large Great Blue Heron seemed to ignore the cacophony above him, focusing instead, on the slight turbulence in the water below him. We followed his lead and watched, eagerly awaiting the source of this sole ripple in the otherwise still salt water. It wasn't long before the surface was broken by the emergence of a dark, shiny head - a harbor seal, who, like us, was contentedly going for an early morning "stroll."

KT

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: KT
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 04:14 PM

oops....cacophony....such a great word I can't resist fixing the spelling.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 05:32 PM

Well, last summer I got to stand right underneath a (deserted!!) bald eagle nest and take pics!.....THAT was a Blessing, let me tell you! I'm sure the adults didn't mind....the nestlings had left and the adults were still around, just watching us. They never gave us a LEAVE NOW warning, so I'm sure they used the nest again.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 08:21 PM

Having a Bald Eagle drop a feather in your vicinity is considered a blessing by certain Indians.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: gnu
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 02:10 PM

I was sad when I sold my camp up country. I spent hours sitting in the screened in porch, or in the yard, or along the river, or in the woods, watching an abundance of wildlife.

Of all of the animals, a perrigine falcon was my favourite. The first meeting in late May was quite a surprise. I walked along the deck on the side of the camp and when I came out from under the eave, "Beaker" was on the upper deck railing. It flew a feet feet over and perched again, no more than ten feet from me. I sat on the lower deck railing and started talking to it. It was calm and accepted my presence.

For the rest of the summer, I watched it hunt for mice and snakes and partridge and whatever for hours at a time. Mice were getting into the camp for a while and I was catching them. At first, I would toss them to Beaker on the upper deck. Then, in the air and he would snatch them. Then, hold them by the tail in my outstrected hand and Beaker would swoop in, turn sideways, and grab them.

Unfortunately, Beaker nailed a Moosebird (Canada Jay) one day. Partrigde? Understandable. Blue Jay? Fine. Whipoorwill? Even better. But, a Moosebird? Unacceptable. I revoked his hunting license.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 02:43 PM

Don't tell me you believe that old myth about Canada Jays?

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: gnu
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 02:46 PM

Indeed I do, K. Indeed I do.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: gnu
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 02:48 PM

Imagine if a Moosebird flew into a mirror of yours and broke it!

Heheheheee.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: gnu
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 02:53 PM

Um... and broke it's neck... I should have been more clear. Seven lifetimes of bad luck would suck.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: Rowan
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 09:48 PM

Moons and moons ago I was in Columbia SC while my other half was there on study leave. Gondwana never quite had squirrels so I spent a bit of time watching them. On a ledge on the outside of the Anthropology building at the USC there was a pigeon's nest partly obscured by the branches of a tree next to the building.

As I watched, a squirrel stalked the nest, which at the time was occupied by a fully grown pigeon. I thought the squirrel might be after eggs or chicks but, no, it went for the adult bird. It ate it on the spot.

Most of the locals I mentioned it to were surprised; I got the impression they all regarded squirrels as vegetarian fructivores.

Back home (here in the Oz New England and safe from squirrels) I don't get to see much in the way of predatory behaviour (except from banks) but I'm entertained by the rosellas getting stuck into the seeds on the trees and the Eastern Greys (kangaroos, to you) cluttering up the driveway. There is a wallaroo that lives up near the tank who pays the odd visit to the driveway and I get to hear gliders now and then. When the hawk moths come out after the summer rains and gather outside the lighted windows a boobook will occasionally crash into the window glass but I haven't (yet) had to deal with any neck casualties.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 09:03 PM

That hawk has taken up residence in the big Pine tree just a few yards from our house. He's getting bigger and bigger, probably because of the large squirrel population. I have fewer and fewer coming to the bird feeders now since he took up station.
As long as it leaves the Cardinals alone.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 10 Feb 09 - 07:49 PM

Sure we get snow that's hub deep to a ferris wheel and colder than a dead man's tongue, but I wouldn't live anywhere else.

"It's a gift to come down where we ought to be"

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: Leadfingers
Date: 10 Feb 09 - 08:13 PM

Living in the Suburbs of Greater London , I DO so envy you people with 'interesting' visitors , but we DO have our moments . Last year I had TWO young foxes wandering round the back of my houuse one afternoon . Provision of an E Mail will get piccies by return !!

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: ranger1
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 07:00 PM

Kendall, I live in the city and see plenty of wildlife. There's a big, fat, glossy fox that cruises down our street in the early hours of Wednesday, checking out the trash. There's a woodchuck living under the neighbor's tool shed, plenty of skunks, a wide variety of songbirds and in the summer we are lucky to have six osprey to keep us entertained with their territorial squabbling. And last year there was a red-tail hawk hanging out in a tree across the street.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 07:17 PM

Portland Maine hardly qualifies as a city. LOL

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: lefthanded guitar
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 08:31 PM

I love nature, and live in the one of the biggest and most bustling cities in the world. I've seen 200 year old tulip trees in Manhattan, crowned with their peach colored blossoms, foxes on Long Island, mommma raccoons in Staten Island shepherding their bushy -behinded babies across the road. Every May and June during the full moon; the horseshoe crabs scuttle ashore to spawn - ungainly creatures that date back from before the age of dinosaurs, about the size and color of hubcaps, are strewn across the beaches of Brooklyn. In autumn, maples turn red and gold in the ridged woodlands of Queens. A river flows through the Bronx, amidst a forest,salamanders turn into newts there, and spring peepers trill through the night. Hawks circle, mayapples bloom, flowers unfold.



It's there if you look for it. And it's closer than you think.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: maeve
Date: 11 Feb 09 - 10:35 PM

Nice post, lefthanded guitar. Thanks for stopping by.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 07:51 AM

We have a male Cardinal that stops by often and fights with the mirror on the car. Well, he does no damage, and after all, he is a bird brain.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 10:02 AM

Now we have a flock of Robins eating left over cherries that didn't fall from the tree. I thought they just ate worms.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: ranger1
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 08:33 PM

Nope, they eat a lot of fruit in the colder months because there are more calories in fruit than in worms or insects. The calories keep them warm.

This and this are what I got to see today.

Subject: RE: BS: A natural blessing
From: kendall
Date: 12 Feb 09 - 09:20 PM

Wow! I've only seen two of those woodpeckers in my whole life! Never seen a cross beak.