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Tag: Wildlife

Other creatures in our world

Garden Shelter, Now With Toad

Mary used a garbage can lid to shelter some plants, left it in the garden for a while, and a critter moved into the new shelter. She first noticed two well-prepared front entrances:

Garden shelter – front entrances

And a rear entrance or, perhaps, the emergency exit:

Garden shelter – rear entrance

Gingerly lifting the lid, she found a dismantled bird corpse:

Garden shelter – bird corpse

Along with a large stash of sour cherries from a nearby bush:

Garden shelter – sour cherry stash

A good-size toad kept an eye on the proceedings:

Garden shelter – toad in lair

We didn’t know toads ate sour cherries, but the evidence seems clear:

Garden shelter – toad on sour cherries

The image of a toad taking down a bird can’t be unseen, but, more likely, a recently fledged nestling took shelter and couldn’t figure out how to get out again.

We’ll never know the rest of the story.

2016-08-13
Hawk Roadkill

New hawks must somehow learn that swooping across roadways doesn’t work like swooping across lawns:

Road-killed hawk – Red Oaks Mill – 2016-07-04

We think one of “our” new Cooper’s Hawks didn’t survive its lesson.

That’s the third dead hawk we’ve seen on recent rides; it’s been a rough few weeks for new hawks. Mary also spotted a smashed owl along one of her routes.

Yeah, they’re just birds, but …

Cropped and tweaked from a Sony HDR-AS30V helmet camera image.

2016-08-07
New Coopers Hawk: Drying Time

Hawks lack waterproofing, which means devoting the morning after a torrential downpour to drying out:

New Coopers Hawk – drying

The dark bar across its back comes from an overhead utility line.

The male sparrow of the pair nesting in that box wasn’t pleased about the situation:

Coopers Hawk and Sparrow

Not much he could do about it, though …

2016-08-06
Staghorn Beetle Salvage Operation

This resembles nothing so much as a “developing country” shipbreaking operation:

Stag Beetle vs Ants – rear

For all I know, the ants haul the carcass into position, blow the scuttling charges to loosen the armor, and sink it in a convenient spot on the driveway:

Stag Beetle vs Ants – side

The hulk vanished later in the day.

This is the season for staghorn beetles; the one we spotted a few years ago was in much better condition.

2016-07-31
Salted Rabbit

The original owner of our house positioned two blue plastic barrels along the driveway, filled with salt for ice melting. We’ve neither used the salt (a snowblower suffices for most storms) nor removed the barrels; they’ve been in those spots for at least three decades.

Many critters pause in front of the barrels:

Rabbit at salt barrel

Those who fit often hop inside:

Rabbit inside salt barrel

We’re pleased to provide public salt licks!

2016-07-23
Red Tailed Hawk in Red Oaks Mill

We often see Red Tailed Hawks circling high above the area, but this one came closer than most (clicky for more dots):

Red Tailed Hawk Red Oaks Mill 2016-06-27 – 0195

Surely you can see it, just to the left of the speed limit sign? It took us by surprise, too!

Near the middle of the road:

Red Tailed Hawk Red Oaks Mill 2016-06-27 – 0211

And away:

Red Tailed Hawk Red Oaks Mill 2016-06-27 – 0227

Perhaps it’s taking a break to enjoy just flying around? That’s about what we were doing; it was a fine morning for that sort of thing.

Squinting at a few more frames, it’s flying at 18 mph with 4 wingbeats per second. Not in a hurry, that’s for sure, and still traveling faster than we were.

We spotted a few Gas Hawks above the airport, too, but they stayed too far away for pictures…

2016-07-17
New Hawks: Front Yard Adventures

The new Cooper’s Hawk siblings recently explored our front yard:

New Coopers Hawks – siblings

When they’re bigger, they’ll perch in treetops, but a new hawk’s got to know its limitations:

New Coopers Hawks – master of the stump

When you see something, pounce on it:

New Coopers Hawks – pouncing

Practice makes perfect:

New Coopers Hawks – tall pounce

Eventually, you’ll catch something in those mighty talons:

New Coopers Hawks – capturing something

Which looks like the wily and elusive snail:

New Coopers Hawks – practice prey

Everybody wants to stand on the bird box, but a majestic takeoff requires more practice than you might think:

New Coopers Hawks – bird box takeoff whoops

They’re now capturing their own food and don’t share their prizes.

They’re welcome to all the chipmunks / moles / voles / groundhogs / deer / whatever they can take!

2016-07-16