So, it is a house finch?
Birds, Critters and Such #10
It looks exactly like that Eastern Kingbird. Maybe they haven't had 'Nest Building 101' yet. LOL!!!!
This message was edited Jun 21, 2010 12:45 PM
LOL Good because it does not look like a house finch ;o))
I keep editing my posts to add more blah blah blah. No, I looked that up too, this one is just a tad too big. They built that nest within a half a day. Saturday morning it wasn't there, Saturday evening it was, complete with bird. I hope she gets less skittish so I can take a picture of her sitting in the nest.
Eastern Kingbirds will toss out a Brown-headed Cowbird egg, so if you see a splattered egg on the front porch, it may not be theirs. Both male and female will feed the babies. They may not take a liking to the cat...they may divebomb actually!
Look what I found outside tonight. Don't know what made me look up and see him. He's a baby. Momma is around somewhere. I saw something run the flower bed by the back door last night - bet it was him.
That is a 'possum, right? My aunt lives in Little Rock and they've been eating up her garden this year.
Yep it's a possum. We always seem to have them. I've trapped several in our Have a heart trap. One year momma possum deposited a pile of babies right next to our back steps. We also have a very large racoon that is very evasive! He doesn't like traps. Saw a snake in a my compost pile this afternoon but he was the good kind. A garter snake. I've seen several of those recently but leave them alone.
What a wonderful shot MM . You have proof the white wing was there. A lovely picture. I always enjoy your photos. Not only do you have pretty birds and varmints, you have the talent to capture all that through your lens.
Kim love the picture of the staring birds and if that is through your window it is much cleaner than mine.
Kim of course your duckies steal the show. They are so cute . great pictures
Is your camera new? I saw where you were going to attend a class. I really need to myself. It would be a lot more fun together though.
Terrye pictures please?
Crissy What a great fun it will be to watch the birds nest and feed. I went to the camp this weekend. I was able to get a few pictures. I have posted pictures before of the Killdeer but never her eggs. She does not make a nest. She lays her eggs among the rocks. Sunday we rode by one sitting her egg. I took a picture of the one egg but when we drove back by a few minutes later she had laid another one. By that time the battery was down on my camera so no shot. They are so funny when you are near their young. They will do the broken wing act to lure you away from their young but never let you get near enough to pick them up. The killdeer baby is born running but somewhat clumsy.
I saw a few bucks and was able to catch a doe and last years fawn. This is the yearling. I believe it is a button buck.
This message was edited Jun 22, 2010 2:04 AM
This is the doe
This guy kept going back an forth right behind the camp. He was about 6 1/2 ft . Becca and Brandon had their little Jack Russell there and I believe this gator was thinking she would be tasty. I don't think they will be bringing her anymore soon.
A black bear has been spotted this last weekend by many people within a couple miles of my house as the crow flies and as a bear travels, through the woods. We came home to hear that on the news. I am not happy about that. They have invaded our camp now they are near my home. bummer They, like the alligator are protected by laws. What protects our domestic animals or us from them. nothing.
On to other things. This was a log about 12 feet long that has been used as a hive for several years. I couldn't get a good picture because I was on the wrong side of the truck. I wasn't going to get out either because it was over 100 degrees and they were swarming all around.
I dig get to watch a Great Blue Heron feeding
And a not so great Little Blue Heron
We have a few carpenter bees that we are going to strongly suggest that they leave and don't come back. We are also not so politely suggesting the rats leave too. The water has been up around the island so it has caused the rats to come closer. My Husband puts poison and deterrents under the hood of the vehicles and he leaves the hoods up. This weekend our Polaris Ranger would not engage the 4 wheel drive. The rats had chewed the wires into all the way to the housing for the front end.. We found out today that is going to be a costly repair.
They have chewed many wires into but this one was the first one my husband was unable to repair. I guess we are going to have to try the Balsam Fir oil. It is said they do not like the smell. We have done the moth balls already.
Good shots Cindy! I would be very unhappy about the rats also. Would have never thought to put bait under the hood of the vehicle.
Bears can get in strange places. My friend lives almost in downtown Arkadelphia and last year a bear ate all the koi in her pond. The bear was spotted in a tree by one of the busiest streets in town and the wildlife folks came and shot it with a stun gun and hauled it off.
A pair of deer somehow wondered into downtown Little Rock this weekend and spent the night on the lawn of the Federal Building. One ended up getting hit by a car and had to be shot and the other they were able to get with a stun gun and relocate.
Thanks, Cindy. I bought a new camera last fall but I am still not getting the hang of all the stuff that I should do to get perfect pictures. Now that it is so hot, I probably will not be instructed until fall...it would be fun to do it together! Do you think you could commute? LOL
BIG gator...that one can eat a JR terrier in one gulp! Glad the gator was spotted before doggy got too close! There are some gators around the central AR area and (I think) they relocate them once they are over 4 ft long. I don't know how the measure them! hahaha I wish you would send the honeybees this way! We desperately need them...there are so few in LR, the veggie growers are beginning to worry. Great pix of the Herons!
The rats come up the creek into the neighborhood and we have to get "violent" with them ;o) They have tried to stop people from feeding the waterfowl, bread, fries, popcorn, etc at the lake because the rats are actually the biggest eaters, but I am afraid they are already viable and more than not feeding the ducks must be done...
Charlotte, we have had deer come to backyards across the street...but I have not ever seen them. Amazing how animals adapt. We have tons of coons, possums, foxes, etc here and they are about as welcome as the rats!
Oops, I forgot to add...
Crissy, I think the bird that you have is an Eastern Phoebe, not Kingbird. Phoebes build on platforms and Kingbirds usually nest in a box or an old hole in tree. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Phoebe/id
This message was edited Jun 22, 2010 12:04 PM
I'm off tomorrow so I'm going to try to get pics of the babies. She has 10! She moved then over to our lower lake sometime today and all 10 made it over. Ray took them some feed and Momma let them come up and eat. This is like a chicken starter feed. Will that be okay for them, Kim?
Terrye
Kim the coons, possums, etc are not welcome here either! I've got to get my Have a Heart trap back out. There is a huge racoon that is also a very smart racoon as well as the possums. We've seen him several times, my next door neighbors sees him and has also commented on how large he is. I've tried to trap him several times and he is too smart. The possums are a lot easier to trap. It gets bothersome taking them out to the country.
As long as it is not medicated, Terrye, it should be fine. (I am assuming you mean "chick" starter food...it is for all baby fowl-type birds like turkey, chickens, ducks, etc) Looking forward to pix!
Here we go. I finally got some pictures. She started toward us as Ray rattleed the bucket. She knows what that means!
If you notice that is not one of our lakes. She had moved them back to Rays cousin's lake today. She goes back and forth across that highway too much and she'll for sure lose some of them.
Terrye
Momma let us get closer today. She brought the babies right up to us. She was fine unless I bent over to try to get a closeup and then she would hiss at me. She's a careful momma!
Terrye
I got one picture where you can see all 10 of them plus momma. The babies ate like little pigs. There are 6 that are yellow and four are mostly brown.
Kim, I can't imagine how you got that closeup of your duckling. I could barely get these still enough to keep them in a wide shot! lol
One last one...
Terrye
they are so cute !!
They weren't very scared of us as long as Momma was close. They are beginning to venture off from her some now. One little brown one though is a Momma's baby. It makes every move she makes staying right on her tail! lol
Terrye, they are too cute!! Muscovy ducks make the best Moms. She will watch their (and y'alls) every move. But she does forget that they cannot fly and/or keep up with her, so when she goes across the street and makes it just fine, then they should, too ;o) Congratulations!!
I think she'll eventually bring then back to stay. She'll want to be with the other ducks sooner or later.
I'm really liking my ducks. Even the cats are getting aling with them. Ray looked out the window one day last week and all 5 of the big ducks and both cats were laying under the shade tree together about 4 feet apart just taking it easy. lol
How nice ;o)
Those babies are so precious!!
Nothing cuter then baby Muscovy ducks. Maybe some will stick around. I went over tonight to turn my ducks in and had a Mallard and her grown babies walk right into the bird house with mine.
Did she stay? Our little muscovy has lost 1/2 of her babies...she is down to 5. We tried to bring her home but she would have NO part of it. I hope at least a few survive.
I decided to take...well, try to take...a picture of the male hummer that I have hanging around. But before I could get a shot, this pudgy bumblebee landed and stuck its head as far down inside feeder as possible. Was fascinating to watch!
LOL Iwonder if he got any liquid LOL
cute shot.
I sure hate to hear that about those babies. that's so heartbreaking .
The hummingbird did not care that I got close but as soon as I lifted the camera, he would fly away. So, this picture is not very good but it shows his lovely throat.
Terrye, how are the ducklings? I am afraid our 10 ducklings has dwindled down to 1...not to worry, she will nest again.
Yes, it's sad but true. Those ducklings and geese juvies are exposed to all kind of danger out in the elements. But would they submit to human's shelter offering. NOOOOOO! Stuborn ones! LOL, all jokes aside. I've seen many- a- time Canadian goslings twindling down to a mere one or two from the beginning of being a dozen or more in number.
Terrye, do keep us informed how your ducklings doing?
Kim, have I a Kildeer here please? Saw this one in my neighborhood, if it's. It's a 'lifer' for my list.
That is what you saw ;o)
Ah Kim, thank you! The babies hatched Monday morning! Of course I can't see them and since I don't do ladders, and Dave says, "Leave The Birds Alone!" LOL!
Look what I got a picture of...
This baby wonders where momma went...
