# Today in nature I saw **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854 "2020-07-20T18:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 117
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2323 "2023-05-23T17:24:33Z")
What a cool find! I spent a couple hours with a group of birders looking for rails, and we ended up seeing only one, very far away at the edge of a marsh. Good thing someone brought a spotting scope! ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2324 "2023-05-23T23:52:06Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > So the King Rail isn’t really a “rare” bird but more one that is tough to find because it is really good at hiding in marshes and tall grass Always a good day when you see a Rallus. I started to just say ‘rail’ and then I remembered coots are technically rails and they tend to be slightly easier to find 😉. > [@romansperson](#): > > I spent a couple hours with a group of birders looking for rails, and we ended up seeing only one, very far away at the edge of a marsh. King tides aside (when they tend to great driven onshore and exposed), I’ve found the best time to find them is around tide changes, especially the start of high outgoing tides. If you can get a good view of marsh edges as the tide is going out you can often see them getting active and starting to hunt along those margins. Of course the vagaries of local population size has a big impact. The area I mentioned in an earlier post is an unusually concentrated habitat thick with them. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2325 "2023-05-24T01:23:01Z")
Nice shot, @Kolak_of_Twilo . I’m sure I would have been too excited and failed. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2326 "2023-05-24T02:40:57Z")
Thanks for this, @Tamerlane. If I get a chance to go out there again (this was at the Outer Banks of NC), I’ll take a look at the tide schedules to see if I coordinate for best results. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2327 "2023-05-24T04:04:28Z")
@Tamerlane yes, coots are easier to find, even in the middle of Chicago where this picture was taken. A sighting of any other member of the rail family causes a great deal of excitement for just that reason. @carnut, I probably wouldn’t have gotten such a good shot except this guy was pretty much out in the open for a good 10-15 minutes. I managed to get at least a dozen good captures. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2328 "2023-05-24T04:07:42Z")
@romansperson, if you find yourself in Chicago you should check out Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary. It is crazy with birds during migration even though it is located in the middle of the northern part of Lincoln Park on Lake Michigan. A major resting spot for birds in the middle of this big city. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2329 "2023-05-24T16:05:24Z")
A fox has been hanging out just outside my front door in view of my doorbell cam. Here s/he is carrying a freshly caught squirrel. Cool. 🕶 [https://i.imgur.com/NRuCd7Z.mp4](https://i.imgur.com/NRuCd7Z.mp4) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2330 "2023-05-24T16:20:35Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Here s/he is carrying a freshly caught squirrel. Cool. Very cool! And in daylight no less, which is uncommon for a gray fox. Wonder if it is out and about because of pups? It would be the right season. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2331 "2023-05-24T16:25:30Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > And in daylight no less, which is uncommon for a gray fox. Yeah, I was wondering about that. Door cam has caught the fox 3 times in the last week around noon, and not once at night, unlike my 4 am skunk that pops up sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2332 "2023-05-24T17:59:29Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Here s/he is carrying a freshly caught squirrel. Cool I’m envious, I rarely see a fox. Is that a distortion from the camera or would all water be funneled down to your front door off the blacktop? ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2333 "2023-05-24T20:35:08Z")
One good fox deserves another. Well, two actually: [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bZ5LiDo0gMuOvDWvsAuGX9tBI0GIgNr0V2pxetoZUV_cNIg1hBTtw0IKUxq8U3ImeC4DK9tBC1fpErX2IawJ933eXPkvXqu-aUQTBEK4dohdq7SL32ecnn2tgMszNGizJChuZnln2w=w600-h315-p-k "New item by j") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/LUYQCKqyPdYNNDEp9) Two of our cubs investigating Boot Camp under the security lights. (Boot Camp being where young plants get hardened up before transferring to the allotment). j ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2334 "2023-05-24T20:49:17Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > would all water be funneled down to your front door off the blacktop? The driveway slopes left to right; water drains away from the house ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2335 "2023-05-24T23:11:21Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > > [@ftg](#): > > > > Last Sat. we spotted a herd of pronghorn in our area. This time there was a bit of snow on the ground so they looked particularly nice by contrast. Just a couple hundred yards where new houses are going up. Enjoy it while you can, gang. > > Well, the silt fences are up on that area. Next comes the bulldozers. Ticky-tacky will ensue. Well, the graders are scrapping the range grass off the area now. The pronghorn will never be feeding there again. Next up [Cement, Clay and Glass.](https://youtu.be/Ck1UmjpD38M) ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2336 "2023-05-25T01:12:04Z")
Not me, but a neighbor: she filmed a young black bear on her property. It’s that time of year that the youg’uns are run off by their mothers to go live their own lives elsewhere and they get seen in our area until they land in their new territories. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2337 "2023-05-26T14:51:25Z")
A bluebird. They’re uncommon around here. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2338 "2023-05-26T15:09:00Z")
I saw an indigo bunting on my ride this morning. They are quite a beautiful bird. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2339 "2023-05-27T19:42:48Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > What we did see was a single crow “mobbing” a stork - a remarkable thing given the disparity in size. Just to add, a few days ago, working on my allotment (/community garden) I saw a single crow mobbing a (European common) buzzard; and today, at about two in the afternoon, right outside our house, we saw a single crow mobbing a _ **fox** _. Crazy - they’ll take on anything. j ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2340 "2023-05-27T20:15:25Z")
No today, but I’ve seen a mockingbird attack two crows at once. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2341 "2023-05-29T21:08:27Z")
Yesterday, I saw a crow faking an injury at the roadside until he realized that no one was watching except the driver of a vehicle that in no way could be construued as the one that injured him. He suddenly stood straight, looked at me, and flew off. I am so curious about what he was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2342 "2023-05-29T21:44:12Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > Yesterday, I saw a crow faking an injury at the roadside I also saw a crow yesterday, only mine was robbing a barn swallow nest at work. I chided him/her gently for their lack of respect for the sanctity of the home. It listened politely while mostly ignoring the dive-bombing parents, then went back to grab another chick. Ah, well. ‘Nature, red in tooth and claw.’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=116) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=118)