View Full Version : Funny/neat sight last night
I was riding my golf cart towards the house last night, after closing up the coop. And there was a huge great blue heron perched on top of our TV antenna! Wish I could have gotten a pic of it.
You just never know what to expect here...........and I love it!
Tussiemussies
7-31-13, 2:24pm
Sounds like a treat! I love to see unexpected parts of nature too!
We've had a couple of instances of magnificent birds visiting our home. One day we arrived home to find a peacock perched on the ridge line of the roof. By the time I got into the house and located my camera it left for, I'm supposing, a more private location.
Another time, I was sitting in the family room watching my local football team on TV when I heard a noise at the door leading out to the deck. It was a wild turkey pecking at the glass. Luckily, I did get a couple of pictures of it before it became annoyed with my intrusion.
13061307
I had a small brown rabbit out front yesterday, quietly playing 'possum until I went away.
I was riding my golf cart towards the house last night, after closing up the coop. And there was a huge great blue heron perched on top of our TV antenna! Wish I could have gotten a pic of it.
You just never know what to expect here...........and I love it!
How neat! I can just picture it in my mind!!
Wow Alan! Peacocks and wild turkeys? Do you live next to a lot of woods? I'm surprised we don't have those things out here. Do the wild turkeys eat all your flowers?
That's pretty cool! (not the eating your flowers part)....
There are flocks of wild turkeys where we live, too. I love to see their tracks in the snow in winter, because after they leave tracks and the snow melts for a day or two, it looks like there were giant prehistoric birds marching through our yard!
We have herons, cranes, egrets, and pheasants as well. I love to see them all! After years of my exclaiming about all sorts of critters, my daughter acts as if each butterfly were a miracle. Which, really, it is!
We have a blue heron that resides in and around the creek behind my home in a very typical suburban subdivision so it's a bit exotic for a Jersey bird, but it's always a treat to see!! Nessie, my dog, will start barking at it and the thing will just take off, spreading its immense wings as it flies away. It's certainly something to see.
Very cool to see it perched on your antenna!
I had a small brown rabbit out front yesterday, quietly playing 'possum until I went away.
We had a little run in with possums here. They really do "Play possum" you'd think they were absolutely dead.
We have a mom and baby turkey in our urban core neighborhood, they've been here for a few weeks. There were originally more babies, but now just one.
We had a little run in with possums here. They really do "Play possum" you'd think they were absolutely dead.
sad thing but DH shot and killed a baby possum yesterday morning. It was walking across our patio in broad daylight, with no mother in sight.
And today was a 4 squirrel day, he was gleeful. They have decimated his peach trees and are moving down to tomatoes.
Give my regards to DeadEye. Way to kill a feel-good thread.
iris lilies
7-31-13, 11:42pm
Give my regards to DeadEye. Way to kill a feel-good thread.
ahh sorry. circle of life and all that.
Had a faraway neighbor chase after a mother elk (700 lbs) and her newborn calf this week with a hoe, and was surprised when she turned around and chased him up a tree. You could hear him bellowing at the other neighbors to "shoot that thing."
No, I don't think I will. Stupid ought to hurt.
But on a positive note not involving firearms, we had a mother-and-baby herd come through the neighborhood yesterday, 25 babies in all, most still wobbly and wearing spots. From the safety of my now-fenced gardens, I could really enjoy them...... All the little squeals and calls to keep locating each other, really sweet.
Just curious irislilies...........why did you DH feel the need to shoot it?
While we're on the subject of backyard rodents (sorry for the hijack, CathyA).. a few weeks ago I had my dog off-leash in the schoolyard--there are woods behind the field, and my dog noticed and then ran after what looked like a groundhog on the edge of the woods. Usually she comes when called, but not when chasing something, which doesn't happen much at the school.
I didn't know what was going to happen, because a groundhog can't outrun a dog, to my knowledge anyway--but Nessie chased it into the woods--and while I was running across the field to retrieve her fearful that she was going to try to eat it, I heard her squeal. I couldn't find her right away, but she came out a bit chastened. I checked her over for bites and scratches and there were none..
I'm just curious about how a groundhog would defend itself around a dog. This one sure put Nessie in her place, apparently.
iris lilies
8-1-13, 9:22am
Just curious irislilies...........why did you DH feel the need to shoot it?
I don't know and kind of wondered the same thing, it was unnecessary. He usually lets the opossums go. Even though the population is high they aren't destructive in the garden as far as I can tell. The fact that it's walking around in front of people in broad daylight is unusual but that is due to it's youth, I suppose. They are night wanderers.
I don't know and kind of wondered the same thing, it was unnecessary.
I sure hope MO has a stand-your-ground law :)
Earlier this spring we had a bull elk that got caught in a neighbor's fence. He was a big boy! Anyway, animal control sedated him and got him out with no real harm done. At our old house in CO we had a herd in the yard all winter, but the interesting part now is that we are right in the middle of town and several hundred miles east of any place where elk sightings are common. All the deer hunters I ran into were flabbergasted. None of them have ever seen an elk in this part of the state. It was weird.
iris lilies
8-1-13, 11:24am
Well, if it makes any of you feel better, DH has got to climb up on the garage roof to dispense with the squirrels. He was up there 5+ times yesterday. This morning he's been up twice to dispense with squirrels in the trap.
He's happy because he's not gotten an squirrels for some weeks, and while this year the population HAS been down, they tree rats have complete stripped his apricot and peach trees. So he is happy to have found a new place to trap them--on the roof. He's got to work for it.
The cocktail party talk at our last neighborhood social was: the method of dispensing with squirrels. I personally find DH's solution to be most humane. Two women there talked about drowning them. One household, for a while, drove them out to eh country. I believe evidence shows that squirrels taken out of their habitat die, anyway. A quick bullet to the head sounds better to me.
The owner of one of the biggest houses in our neighborhood said that they bagged 27 squirrels when they were redoing their roof. 80% of the damage had been done by squirrels.
catherine........I'm sure a woodchuck could defend itself.....and if it had young around, it might have been extra aggressive. Is your doggie up on his shots?
We used to have woodchucks around all the time. Man, can they dig big holes with lots of tunnels. Fortunately, haven't seen any for awhile. Nature has a way of balancing itself out........if humans aren't involved.
Gregg....what part of the country do you live in?
I wonder if animals are showing up in unusual places because their habitat is being destroyed?
I always feel sad when I see an opposum. Such solitary animals......such a hard life.
I quite feeding the birds in the back yard, because the fallen seed would attract racoons, and their babies, and their relatives, and..........
I am afraid of racoons. They can be very vicious. They're cute as babies and seem to make good pets....but the adults can be scary.
Have you ever heard a rabbit scream? Its pretty strange. We had one caught in our fence once. I put on leather gloves and had to adjust its hips so it could get through. But the scream was awful!
Alan......do you think the peacock got lose from the zoo??
Iris Lilies........I can't believe you have turkeys where you live! Are they a problem with eating things?
iris lilies
8-1-13, 11:57am
CathyA the turkeys here are an oddity. I've not ever seen them before. On Saturday they were hanging around the community garden and community orchard. No one denies them food because they are such an anomoly. Where there are flocks and flocks of them, that will be a different situation.
Wow Alan! Peacocks and wild turkeys? Do you live next to a lot of woods? I'm surprised we don't have those things out here. Do the wild turkeys eat all your flowers?
That's pretty cool! (not the eating your flowers part)....
Alan......do you think the peacock got lose from the zoo??
We live in the suburbs, in a neighborhood that was an area of old growth woods 20 years ago. The semi-custom builder who developed the area only carved out what was absolutely necessary for streets, utilities and houses, leaving very heavily wooded lots. So, we have lots of wildlife in our little slice of suburbia.
A few years ago, I was floating in the pool on a warm summer day when I noticed a collection of dive sticks in the deep end, left there by the grand-boys. I dove down to the bottom to collect them and then surfaced next to the side of the pool facing my section of woods. When my head came above the surface, I found myself nose to nose with a visiting deer. I'm not sure which of us were more startled as I pushed off to return to the center of the pool and the deer disappeared in a blur of white tail bounding through the trees. We see lots of deer, racoons, opossum, rabbits, squirrels, etc., but seldom see them eye to eye unexpectedly.
I'm not sure where the peacock came from. One of the neighbors said that there was a homeowner in the next neighborhood who kept several peacocks and that this one probably went for a walk. I'll go with that.
Sounds like a wonderful place to live, Alan! Sort of the best of both worlds.
A rabbit screaming -- yes, a couple of times. We have a lot of critters where we live (suburbs but near a large space of about 500 acres of undeveloped land/wetlands), and a couple of times around 11pm or 1am we've heard what has to be a rabbit being attacked by an owl, fox, coyote, or raccoon. It is quite a sound to come from an animal that I always thought of as being silent!
try2bfrugal
8-1-13, 8:18pm
A rabbit screaming -- yes, a couple of times. We have a lot of critters where we live (suburbs but near a large space of about 500 acres of undeveloped land/wetlands), and a couple of times around 11pm or 1am we've heard what has to be a rabbit being attacked by an owl, fox, coyote, or raccoon. It is quite a sound to come from an animal that I always thought of as being silent!
We have had these screeching pterodactyl sounds coming from our backyard for some time. We finally traced the source up in the trees the other day - it was a pair of falcons. I think some of the extra loud screeches have been when the falcons prey on smaller birds, and then the falcons are screeching and the prey are squawking and trying to get away. It is pretty cool having falcons around but they sure are loud and apparently very early risers.
We also get wild turkeys in our neighborhood. We had one the other day on the hood of one of our cars checking out his reflection in the windshield.
Interesting try2bfrugal.........do you live in the country? suburbs? How neat that you have falcons!
Once, I thought a rabbit was screaming back in the woods. Turns out, it was hawks who were being bugged by crows.
I also have a redtail hawk that flies overhead and screams alot. Not sure if its a young one, or if its an adult calling for a mate, or just doing territorial things.
But I've never had them so vocal on a regular basis as they are this summer. Its great!
Tussiemussies
8-2-13, 2:51pm
We just recently had a family of wild turkeys show up in our yard with their 8-10 young ones which weren't super small but have not gotten to the halfway mark yet. It was a treat to watch them all, with Mom and Dad.
Deer are here and are not all that afraid of us which is a detriment to them. Have only seen one monarch butterfly and hardly any bees at all. Next year I plan on growing food for butterflies and bees, which is a lot of fum to watch them...
Cathy A, I have also stopped feeding the birds to prevent rodents from coming around since so much seed falls on the ground....I miss seeing them though. There are quite a lot of Blue Jays in my yard and my neighbor who does feed the birds said that he gets quite a lot of different birds including Blue Birds....:)
Wow Tussiemussies.......sounds like a great place! I grew a little section of Joe Pye Weed and the butterflies really love it. I know that the Butterfly bush can be "invasive" in some areas, but its not here, and they really like that too. They also really like the Agastache that I planted.
Yeah, that bird seed can attract alot of rodents of all types. Seems like alot of people here have turkeys around. I feel left out! :~)
Tussiemussies
8-2-13, 7:05pm
Wow Tussiemussies.......sounds like a great place! I grew a little section of Joe Pye Weed and the butterflies really love it. I know that the Butterfly bush can be "invasive" in some areas, but its not here, and they really like that too. They also really like the Agastache that I planted.
Yeah, that bird seed can attract alot of rodents of all types. Seems like alot of people here have turkeys around. I feel left out! :~)
Hi Cathy,
Have never heard of the plants you have used to attract butterflies. I usually use zinnias and hummingbirds also have stopped by. Next year when I am planning my garden I will consult with you. I do only want to have annuals though. I live in NW NJ, have never heard of anyone saying that their butterfy bush is invasive -- but there is always a first!
I have mostly perennials. I've found that hummingbird moths seem to like the Cleome, which is an annual. I'll be thinking of more for you, for next year!
Tussiemussies
8-2-13, 9:07pm
I have mostly perennials. I've found that hummingbird moths seem to like the Cleome, which is an annual. I'll be thinking of more for you, for next year!
Thanks Cathy, I also like to see the hummingbird moths, which I have only ever seen once in my life. Cleome is such a beautiful flower in mass plantings!
Oh........and I saw a hummer at the verbena bonariensis today. That's really nice in large plantings too.
Tussiemussies
8-3-13, 2:10pm
Oh........and I saw a hummer at the verbena bonariensis today. That's really nice in large plantings too.
Cathy, you really know your plants! Glad you got to see a hummingbird today!
Thanks tussies, but I really don't know much! I only know about the ones I have. Its like my chickens.......I only know about problems that they have had.......not all the others other there!
Tip for you about hummingbird feeders. If you want to keep the bees from drowning in it, choose a feeder that has no yellow on it. Once I got rid of the ones that are red with yellow ports, the bees left it alone. I guess they are attracted to yellow. I buy the First Nature brand.
Tussiemussies
8-3-13, 3:23pm
Thanks tussies, but I really don't know much! I only know about the ones I have. Its like my chickens.......I only know about problems that they have had.......not all the others other there!
Tip for you about hummingbird feeders. If you want to keep the bees from drowning in it, choose a feeder that has no yellow on it. Once I got rid of the ones that are red with yellow ports, the bees left it alone. I guess they are attracted to yellow. I buy the First Nature brand.
Thanks Cathy for all the information. Yes, with the bee decline I don't want to kill any bees. Didn't realize you have chickens too. You must
be one busy lady!
I'm down to only 4 chickens. I started out with 17 10 years ago, but some have died from falling off the roost accidents, some illnesses, some things I couldn't explain. They are like pets to me, so they do take a fair amount of attention......but I love them! :) They're my "girlfriends". :) They're getting old and crotchety and so am I, so we get along well.
Tussiemussies
8-3-13, 4:26pm
Hi again Cathy, Being an animal lover I am so happy to hear that they are your pets. I have seen some beautiful ones on the Martha Stewart show, that is when I watched TV. I wanted to also have chickens as pets but decided that cleaning out the coop was another chore I just don't want to do. Lucky you!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.