What are you up to?
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brianvds
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They do indeed - apart from the "bou-bou-bou" after which they are named, they utter a whole variety of rattles and whoops and whistles, males and females in a pair often singing in duet.
These are indeed predators, similar to shrikes, eating all manner of insects and other small prey. They don't have the gruesome shrike habit of impaling their prey on thorns though.
JStarr
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I had heard of the bird name shrike, but had no idea what one was until I got down here to the desert and found some rodent skulls impaled on some of the barbs of our barbed-wire fencing!They do indeed - apart from the "bou-bou-bou" after which they are named, they utter a whole variety of rattles and whoops and whistles, males and females in a pair often singing in duet.
These are indeed predators, similar to shrikes, eating all manner of insects and other small prey. They don't have the gruesome shrike habit of impaling their prey on thorns though.
Gruesome-ish, but works, and not much different than the hawks who pluck and devour a dove right outside a window.
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Maybenartist
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This is a Goldcrest, it's the smallest British bird, its cute
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Goldcrests are beautiful birds. I love your photos! I'm doing some work in a spruce plantation tomorrow so I will hopefully hear some.
I almost stepped on a robin a couple of days ago, I was pulling weeds up along the edge of our garden and I didn't realise he'd been following right behind me. I just love when you can get close to wildlife like that.
I almost stepped on a robin a couple of days ago, I was pulling weeds up along the edge of our garden and I didn't realise he'd been following right behind me. I just love when you can get close to wildlife like that.
Maybenartist
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He might be cold Margaret. Love to be near you again.He's a beautiful little bird, Ian. So chunky and short, or is he just cold?
Maybenartist
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Robin.Goldcrests are beautiful birds. I love your photos! I'm doing some work in a spruce plantation tomorrow so I will hopefully hear some.
I almost stepped on a robin a couple of days ago, I was pulling weeds up along the edge of our garden and I didn't realise he'd been following right behind me. I just love when you can get close to wildlife like that.
Maybenartist
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What are you doing at the spruce plantation?Goldcrests are beautiful birds. I love your photos! I'm doing some work in a spruce plantation tomorrow so I will hopefully hear some.
I almost stepped on a robin a couple of days ago, I was pulling weeds up along the edge of our garden and I didn't realise he'd been following right behind me. I just love when you can get close to wildlife like that.
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I was doing wildlife surveys. There's a plan to cut some of the trees down to put up wind turbines, so we need to make sure that this wouldn't disturb anything.
I didn't find anything there, but I did take a few fun photos.
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Maybenartist
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Gorgeous canopy pics and the stags skull looks quite dramatic in the woodland setting. I've never seen one around here and there are deer around.
JStarr
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Well, I'm going to tempt LadyLuck and her partner Fate here.
Last night, a bit after 2000, I took the two dogs to go outside before bedtime treats and all. They know the routine, so when I opened the screen door, they charged right off across the patio and around the cedar tree and then came high speed scooting back- fast and panicky. The screen door hadn't quite closed before they were back. I was just getting ready to tell them off for thinking they could fool me like that when I heard the bzzzzzzzz!
Get in the house- both of you--
Called to DH, I think there's a snake out there.
Out he went- sure enough, a young about 18" Diamondback to the front right of the cedar tree, tucked between two big pots with callas and tropicals. We called the local Fire Department and they sent a truck out with friendly young men who were unfailingly polite, who lifted the snake, put it into a lidded bucket and will take it somewhere away to release it. We were being *nice* to it. Before, we usually relocated them. Into the garbage can. With a shovel.
Well, we all got in bed, and to no one's surprise, Charlie was acting very agitated- he's a scaredy-cat anyway, he doesn't like anything that upsets his worldview of me being his Everything Saving him from everything that scares him. Eventually, we all fell asleep; but I woke up at around midnight. Charlie was still very agitated, unable to do his usual stretch out on his side and snore like a creaky butterfly. Took my pillow out to the couch, Charlie followed, of course, and we kind of snuggled in- and as I was rubbing Charlie's ears and head, I found an-egg-sized fluid filled ballooning under his chin. And his face had swelled so his head looked football shaped from the front.
*Bad Word Starting With F*
Charlie got bit by a rattlesnake
It's midnight in rural Arizona, two miles from the border. There's only one vet in town that is open seven days, and none are open past 2000 hours. Both DH and I take meds that mean we can't go driving on the Interstate up to Tucson at night- Bad Word Bad Word Bad Word
Well, we managed to wait until our vet opened at 0700, and we got Charlie right in. Fluids, pain meds, antivenin- they said we can pick him up tonight at 1800; we take him back for a recheck and he may have to stay another day for more fluids and pain control, but everyone is cautiously optimistic Charlie will survive.
But I still want to know what The Bad Word a rattlesnake was doing IN MY YARD in MID-NOVEMBER when it is only sixty or so degrees?? We've not seen a snake IN THE YARD in quite a few years- and that was a gopher snake, and by now, most of the dam-- dang-- things should be denned up and hibernating, NOT moseying around my potted plants.
I am going to lodge a complaint at the highest level.
Charlie
Last night, a bit after 2000, I took the two dogs to go outside before bedtime treats and all. They know the routine, so when I opened the screen door, they charged right off across the patio and around the cedar tree and then came high speed scooting back- fast and panicky. The screen door hadn't quite closed before they were back. I was just getting ready to tell them off for thinking they could fool me like that when I heard the bzzzzzzzz!
Get in the house- both of you--
Called to DH, I think there's a snake out there.
Out he went- sure enough, a young about 18" Diamondback to the front right of the cedar tree, tucked between two big pots with callas and tropicals. We called the local Fire Department and they sent a truck out with friendly young men who were unfailingly polite, who lifted the snake, put it into a lidded bucket and will take it somewhere away to release it. We were being *nice* to it. Before, we usually relocated them. Into the garbage can. With a shovel.
Well, we all got in bed, and to no one's surprise, Charlie was acting very agitated- he's a scaredy-cat anyway, he doesn't like anything that upsets his worldview of me being his Everything Saving him from everything that scares him. Eventually, we all fell asleep; but I woke up at around midnight. Charlie was still very agitated, unable to do his usual stretch out on his side and snore like a creaky butterfly. Took my pillow out to the couch, Charlie followed, of course, and we kind of snuggled in- and as I was rubbing Charlie's ears and head, I found an-egg-sized fluid filled ballooning under his chin. And his face had swelled so his head looked football shaped from the front.
*Bad Word Starting With F*
Charlie got bit by a rattlesnake
It's midnight in rural Arizona, two miles from the border. There's only one vet in town that is open seven days, and none are open past 2000 hours. Both DH and I take meds that mean we can't go driving on the Interstate up to Tucson at night- Bad Word Bad Word Bad Word
Well, we managed to wait until our vet opened at 0700, and we got Charlie right in. Fluids, pain meds, antivenin- they said we can pick him up tonight at 1800; we take him back for a recheck and he may have to stay another day for more fluids and pain control, but everyone is cautiously optimistic Charlie will survive.
But I still want to know what The Bad Word a rattlesnake was doing IN MY YARD in MID-NOVEMBER when it is only sixty or so degrees?? We've not seen a snake IN THE YARD in quite a few years- and that was a gopher snake, and by now, most of the dam-- dang-- things should be denned up and hibernating, NOT moseying around my potted plants.
I am going to lodge a complaint at the highest level.
Charlie
Artyczar
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Gorgeous photos!!!
JStarr
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Charlie made it through so much better than anyone thought he would, he didn't have to get anymore IV fluids or antihistamines- he was released to us last night with antibiotics (snakes' mouths, I was told, are 'disgustingly filthy!') and some prednisone to assist in the dissipation of the swelling- significant swelling. His face was shaped like a football when we picked him up last night, that's a bit better this morning, but the flesh around his eyes is still swollen (appears to be a second strike just above his left eye) and he honestly appeared to look like Munch's Scream- with fur, but, still.
He's just kind of shrugged it off- he was bit the first time in the mouth- yet, this morning while I was gone putting some sustenance into a grocery cart, he found Lucy's (black and white poodle mix who is very bossy) old chewy dental bone from yesterday, and HE ATE IT.
I can't imagine chewing on one of those grater-textured things with venomous slashes in my mouth- but he did.
Oh, and for those with pets in an area of venomous creatures: Get vet insurance. Holy crap- if it wasn't for Care Credit (or, because DH would do anything for one of the pets, the IRA) we'd be at a bank getting out a second mortgage. The antivenin alone- one dose- was $500!!
Merry Christmas, Charlie!
He's just kind of shrugged it off- he was bit the first time in the mouth- yet, this morning while I was gone putting some sustenance into a grocery cart, he found Lucy's (black and white poodle mix who is very bossy) old chewy dental bone from yesterday, and HE ATE IT.
I can't imagine chewing on one of those grater-textured things with venomous slashes in my mouth- but he did.
Oh, and for those with pets in an area of venomous creatures: Get vet insurance. Holy crap- if it wasn't for Care Credit (or, because DH would do anything for one of the pets, the IRA) we'd be at a bank getting out a second mortgage. The antivenin alone- one dose- was $500!!
Merry Christmas, Charlie!
