Backyard Wildlife

[Jens]

I feel the same about grizzly bears. I shoo them on sight. NIMBY. And trust me, no grizzly bears come even near my backyard anymore. (seriously though, the toughest wildlife to get into my backyard was a merlin falcon or sparrowhawk that gave me the stink eye on the off chance I would be contemplating to steal the mouse he just caught...)

A few days ago a Belgian wildlife camera caught a few wolf cubs checking out a wild boar. The boar was not impressed. And good to know we are getting some NGC scenes back into our own country.

I guess you might mean "shoot" rather than "shoo"? Also, what is an NGC scene? For some reason I thought it was a catalog of galaxies or something like that.

[Nicolas]

I meant shoo, as play on words. And NGC = National Geographic Channel.

[Swift]

Visitor to our backyard the other night, a coyote. Think I also saw him another night on the game camera, but it wasn't as good a video (not that this one is great). I have also heard howling. Maybe this is why I haven't see the fox in a while.

[Trebuchet]

I really need to get a game camera! Or more than one. My nephew-in-law has one connected to the cell phone network so he can monitor it anywhere.

Quiz time: How many syllables in "coyote"?

[Nicolas]

Depending on which language you're trying to speak, I'd say 3.

In our backyard only a woodpecker to report. Or, in this case, soilpecker.

[Trebuchet]

Quiz time: How many syllables in "coyote"?

Depending on which language you're trying to speak, I'd say 3.

You aren't from where I was born!

[Van Rijn]

Here’s an article on five ways to pronounce coyote:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ed...onounce-coyote

I pronounce it with three syllables, “kai-yoh-tee” which is sort of a mix of pronunciations listed there.

[Trebuchet]

Here’s an article on five ways to pronounce coyote:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ed...onounce-coyote

I pronounce it with three syllables, “kai-yoh-tee” which is sort of a mix of pronunciations listed there.

I'm originally from Montana, so "Kai-oat"!

[Nicolas]

"fox"

[ozduck]

For those who think Koalas are just dumb animals permanently stoned on Eucalyptus See the link for the full story - but basically it was rescued from from a Freeway.




https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-...escue/13132506

[Jens]

For those who think Koalas are just dumb animals permanently stoned on Eucalyptus See the link for the full story - but basically it was rescued from from a Freeway.

Maybe it was trying to escape from a drop bear.

[ozduck]

Maybe it was trying to escape from a drop bear.

Very possibly and that is why it wanted to get behind the wheel and make a quick getaway

[profloater]

I have a bird feeder near my window and now the the air is cold, about -2 C , not cold for many I know, we get ten or more species from Goldcrest to Pigeon, liking sunflower seeds. I have noted the delay time from when I go out once or twice per day to replenish stocks, and it has shortened from fifteen minutes at the beginning to a few seconds now. The first to return always blue tits, and the nearest retreat only a few feet for the Robin. They are either learning a safe delay or the cold is making them braver.

[The Backroad Astronomer]

Caught the bird at the feeder.

[Swift]

Caught the bird at the feeder.

Looks like a Downy Woodpecker. Nice.

[PetersCreek]

Yep, looks like a downy to me, as well. They can be hard to distinguish from the larger hairy woodpecker if they aren't side-by-side but the suet feeder makes for a handy size reference.

[schlaugh]

I've posted about this before (and yeah, it's not my backyard) but Berry College in Rome, GA has an eagles nest on the campus which has been home to a pair of bald eagles for several years. This year the male apparently found a new mate (go figure) and she has laid two eggs, one of which hatched last week. It's not clear if the other egg is viable.

https://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/
https://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/nest2

NestCam 1 also streams audio.

[Torsten]

This one's been in my backyard a few times this week, accompanied by two magpies. These pics are through the kitchen window.

[PetersCreek]

Handsome little devil.

[Torsten]

I've posted about this before (and yeah, it's not my backyard) but Berry College in Rome, GA has an eagles nest on the campus which has been home to a pair of bald eagles for several years. This year the male apparently found a new mate (go figure) and she has laid two eggs, one of which hatched last week. It's not clear if the other egg is viable.

https://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/
https://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/nest2

NestCam 1 also streams audio.

Wow, that chick is still just a ball of down with stubs for wings, and doesn't look like it can move around the nest yet.

[schlaugh]

Wow, that chick is still just a ball of down with stubs for wings, and doesn't look like it can move around the nest yet.

In a very short while the chick will become very mobile. In previous seasons at least one chick has fallen from the nest before it could fledge.

[Swift]

This one's been in my backyard a few times this week, accompanied by two magpies. These pics are through the kitchen window.

Wow! Grey fox, I think. As shy as red fox are, I think grey fox are even more so. We have grey fox around here, but I've never seen one.

[Jim]

This one's been in my backyard a few times this week, accompanied by two magpies. These pics are through the kitchen window.

Wow, that chick is still just a ball of down with stubs for wings, and doesn't look like it can move around the nest yet.

Wait a minute ...

[Trebuchet]

This one's been in my backyard a few times this week, accompanied by two magpies. These pics are through the kitchen window.

Is that a fox? I didn't know they came in black! Not well camoflaged!

[Torsten]

Wait a minute ...

My guide Mammals of the Canadian Wild indicates that only red fox, Vulpes vulpes, are found in central BC, but that they occur in three distinct colour phases. This one is a "silver fox", which is described as totally black except for white tips on the tail and a variable amount of frosting. Note this one also has a white patch on the chest.

The black fur may have been thermally helpful yesterday, as it was -28C at the time the pictures were taken. He seemed to be enjoying the sunshine.

[Swift]

My guide Mammals of the Canadian Wild indicates that only red fox, Vulpes vulpes, are found in central BC, but that they occur in three distinct colour phases. This one is a "silver fox", which is described as totally black except for white tips on the tail and a variable amount of frosting. Note this one also has a white patch on the chest.

The black fur may have been thermally helpful yesterday, as it was -28C at the time the pictures were taken. He seemed to be enjoying the sunshine.

Thanks for the info

[ozduck]

Much as I don't wish to add to the - false - impression that Australia is not a safe place to live in I couldn't resist this opportunity for a fun post

W are currently on the south coast of W.A about 450 km south of Perth. This is a lovely inlet with a river mouth that is often closed off by sand. It is currently open, in a small way



There is a small, sandy island a few hundred metres from the river mouth and it can be reached by a couple of short pontoon bridges. I suspect the bities came in on a high tide.

[grant hutchison]

The black fur may have been thermally helpful yesterday, as it was -28C at the time the pictures were taken. He seemed to be enjoying the sunshine.

I've certainly read speculation that the melanistic morphs of red fox and various tree squirrels persist at more northerly latitudes because they have a thermal advantage. I've certainly yet to see a melanistic squirrel or fox in Scotland, where our winters below the tree-line generally don't get much below freezing for any long period of time.

Grant Hutchison

[Swift]

I know my brain is weird, and the line over the shark is the water line, but to me this sign looks like a cross between a shark and a heliocopter.

[Torsten]

I've certainly read speculation that the melanistic morphs of red fox and various tree squirrels persist at more northerly latitudes because they have a thermal advantage. I've certainly yet to see a melanistic squirrel or fox in Scotland, where our winters below the tree-line generally don't get much below freezing for any long period of time.

Grant Hutchison

Okay, selective pressure for the trait makes sense to me, although I've never seen a melanistic red squirrel as dark as this fox.

Interesting to me was the fact that this fox spent a lot of time over a five day period hanging out in my yard. Much of the time was spent rolled into a ball and sleeping in the same spot as in those photos. I observed years ago that bears will often find a spot to nap and then return to it daily for about a week. I guess like humans, other species can come to enjoy a particular place.

I know my brain is weird, and the line over the shark is the water line, but to me this sign looks like a cross between a shark and a heliocopter.

Then I'm weird too, because that's what I saw at first.