Entries tagged with wildlife

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wildlife

BUNNY WABBIT!

Got home last night about 9pm from a cardiology appointment in Las Cruces (all is fine, annual EKG monitoring me). I pull in to the driveway, then into a path so I can turn around and back in to the carport. I back in so I won't have a problem pulling out if it snows, not that it may ever happen here again.

And when I pulled into the path, something scampered away - BUNNY!

At first I thought it was a cat or raccoon, as those are normal for the area. In my two decades up here, I can't recall having seen any BUNNIES up here, but sure enough it started hopping away! Thus applying my powers of deduction, I concluded it wasn't a kitty or raccoon.

I mentioned it to Russet, and she reported seeing one on the neighbor's property, perhaps we may have a warren in the area. I'm a little surprised as I'd think that coyotes and raccoons would make quick work of one and a population wouldn't be very viable up here on the mountain.

Entry tags:

wildlife

New disease found in seagulls cause by plastic ingestion!

The condition, Plasticosis, scars the digestive tract. It's likely that other birds also have this problem.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/03/plasticosis-new-disease-caused-by-plastics-discovered-in-seabirds

Entry tags:

wildlife

A mountain lion playing with a swing!

Watch on YouTube

Priceless. Makes me want to set up a swing and a camera trap. The moose one is also good, the bear one was disappointing: no interaction with the swing.

Crossposts: http://thewayne.livejournal.com/1022410.html

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Front Yard Critters

Yesterday I saw bluejays and a chipmunk. Today: take away the chipmunk, add a SQUIRREL! Fortunately my dogs didn't see it, or if they did, they didn't scream it and start after it.

These were all shot hand-held through my computer "room" window, which really should be cleaned, but considering it's over 10' above the ground, I don't know that I want to do that!

Bluejay: [edit^2: Moonhare identifies them as Stellar's Jays, I saw three of them in my front yard this week!]

I don't know how the tail is in focus and the head is not, blame it on a 300mm that when multiplied is effectively a 480mm at f5.6. I'm considering bringing in my monopod. The bluebird wasn't very cooperative in terms of staying in sunlight and holding still or posing.

Squirrel run across felled tree:

Squirrel run down tree:

Squirrel run up same tree, moments later:

Not as sharp as I'd like, but all things considered, not bad.

EDIT: my wife said they're Jays, not just Bluebirds. I didn't spend any points in Ornithology, they all went in to computer skills and photography. Recently my XP has been going in to cooking/baking and video editing.

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It's really nice living in a national forest

(or at least next door to one: the other side of our back fence line IS the forest)

I was sitting at my desk working on my computer this evening when some unusual movement outside the front window caught my eye. I looked up and it was an elk in my front yard. And then it was two. And then three. Possibly four, I'm not sure. Unfortunately it was well in to dusk so photography was out of the question. One was a very young (whatever immature elk are called) and among other things, they were nibbling at my weeds and grass, and I saw what I presume was the mother actually lift a foreleg and cuff the young'un! I guess it was going to eat something that was not strictly kosher for elk.

Although my coolest animal encounter is definitely when I opened my front door to let the dog out and there were three raccoons on my door step. They actually stayed in place long enough for me to grab my camera and get a few shots, but they weren't very good.