I haven’t seen a pheasant around here in over a decade. They used to be fairly common. I love the sound of a male ringneck pheasant taking off.
I saw a warbler at our feeder yesterday - there are many warblers that look very similar to one another, so I cannot be sure exactly which type I saw, but it was cool to see a cheery little bright yellow bird bopping around.
I saw a cardón cactus (giant elephant cactus) in Baja Mexico. Driving down to Cabo San Lucas on Mexico’s Highway 1 you see cardón cactus everywhere from the road. This one was next to the highway so we went right up to it — and it’s only when get right next to it that you see how large it really is!
That’s my wife Theresa next to the cactus, and my shadow as I took the picture from the highway. This cardón cactus is located at lat / long Grid 30.029560, -115.264760.
I saw this picture today as I searched for old photos of us. This pic is from February 2006.
Driving along yesterday, I saw what I thought was a pack of buzzards noshing on something at the side of the road. As I got closer, I saw the little black things weren’t buzzards but little black pigs! We do have wild boar here, but they aren’t an everyday sight.
All right - this happened while “in nature”, but it was not entirely “natural.”
My sister and I often bike on local trails, which often go through forest preserves and along streams. After Halloween, it is not uncommon for people to dump their pumpkins in the forest preserves - I presume in the mistaken belief it is good for the animals or something.
Yesterday we were biking on a path along a river where the path dips to pass below a road. So as we come out from below the road there is a steep slope up to the right, and then the stream right on the left. With no warning, a large pumpkin comes bounding down the slope, across the path, and into the river. Not exactly a near collision, but if it were any closer we woulda had to slam on our brakes.
We assumed some squirrel up the hill had it in for us!
Could you elaborate on this. I’ve always heard that pumpkins are good for animals, that the seeds provide natural deworming in chickens & pigs. What makes them not good?
I would assume that a vine had grown and the pumpkin, feeling the vine weaken in the cold took the opportunity to break and run for it.
Well, not necessarily not good, so much as not natural/indigenous. The forest preserves are not pristine environments, but they try to keep down the trash - and artificial food sources for wildlife. And pumpkin seeds can sprout.
(This from my sister who volunteers at the forest preserves.)
Ahhh, that makes sense. Thanks
Back in post 905 I noted that this year was a helluva year for goose numbers round these parts. The end of summer was marked, more than I can remember for years, by vectors of geese heading of south for the winter (I presume). I tried in vain to photograph them for this thread - they pass low and quick.
A few weeks ago I took a walk past the small lake at our local park, where there were dozens of geese over the summer - and they were all gone.
It’s been really raining round these parts, heavy rain on and off all week. Rivers have flooded - the photo below is a river flooded out of recognition. And yes, enjoying the floodwaters are dozens, maybe hundreds, of geese.
Where’d them guys come from?
j
(Rhetorical question, BTW)
For any Dopers near St. Louis MO, at Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton IL during winter months they host Bald Eagle Viewing Days. It is an excellent event! I used to travel to STL MO several times a year for work. I did this several years ago (approx 2012) with Scott Isringhausen, and according to web sites he is still there.
Highly recommended.
Canada. They have electronic passports that are scanned in when they land. BTW, this pic makes me feel at home. I know that lake. It’s not terribly far from my ex’s home.
Yesterday, I witnessed 16 hours of snow that ended up being 18-1/2 inches on the ground. It’s beautiful. I’d post a pic, but I already planned to not stir from the home today.
If you can snap a pic tomorrow and share, I’d be interested.
Enjoy your day today being hunkered down.
Thanks!
Since moving here from SoCal I have this attraction to water. I can’t imagine why.
The local coral snake turned up again. Our big dog found it, fortunately I was nearby and got them separated right away. I thought the snake was dead, so I picked it up by the tail. It was about two feet long, rather a shoestring of a snake. It turned its head to look at me and I put it down in a hurry! Then my husband picked it up with some tongs and carried it to the edge of the property. Hopefully it won’t return.
Coral snakes are beautiful but deadly. Luckily they only strike if provoked.
I saw this on a walk in the woods last weekend. I was surprised when a friend who lives in the city had no idea what it was.
Go on then, I’ll bite. A hunting platform?
j
Yep. I guess deer aren’t threatened from above, so sitting in a tree stand you can shoot them easier than walking or sitting on the ground.
This one was on our property, right on the line. My gf called the people who own the adjacent land and they hadn’t given anyone permission to hunt. It dismantled easily and it’s now behind our barn.
There’s one on the route of a walk we do occasionally, but it’s a much taller, more elaborate and robust affair (and it’s been there for years, so I could probably justify adding “permanent”.)
j
ETA - I suppose I should point out that the UK doesn’t have the same hunting culture as the US, so this sort of structure isn’t something you come across every day.