Spring Wildlife Pics

[tutu_sue]

Last week 4 bears came out of the woods into my neighbor's front yard. Three adults and a cub. This was the big un that came down first.

 

[savageactor7]

^yup one of the biggest black bears I've ever seen.

3rd year in a row these dove's have nested in this spot in our garage. I'm quick to get rid of swallows and bats but have a soft spot for these doves...they kind of hang out with me. Wherever I am...there they are, close by.

^HELP ^HELP^
Mystery eggs I need help identifying. This is twice now they've found their way into my golf shoes I keep in the garage. The first time I thought they were my sons paint balls. But they are leathery and if you break them and get the oily like yoke on your hand it takes a solvent to get rid of it. I think they are some kind of reptile eggs because of the lack of nesting material and my shoes may represent a hole of some kind...but I dunno.

 

[CTburning]

It is rare to see a fox around here as well. Last year I had one move into my brush pile and "hang out" in my backyard. Now she has 3 pups and they are always playing in my backyard. Here is a pic from last fall. Be careful with neighboors, especially one's with CATS. My neighboor has come over twice to ask if the fox's are out. She is worried that they are going to eat her cats. Cat people can be weird!!

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Big pileated woodpecker has been around. He doesn't "peck"- he really winds up and hammers. Very cool.

 

[webbie]

Be careful with neighboors, especially one's with CATS. My neighboor has come over twice to ask if the fox's are out. She is worried that they are going to eat her cats. Cat people can be weird!!

The coyotes already ate all the neighbors cats.......

Someone found the coyote den and there were a bunch of collars around there!

If you let a cat roam free around here.....that will soon be the end.

Maybe that is a cat bone in the fox video (near the end) that they are chewing on...

 

[webbie]

Awesome video Craig! Everytime I get a chance to take a pic of what limited wildlife we have here, by the time I get the camera its gone.....you ust have some good video Karma!

Dumb luck....as I said, 4 years before this I had ten seconds of fox total....

These are still there, though.....I suppose sooner or later we should scare them off. I noticed that the cubs are getting smarter - more paranoid - and that is probably a good thing. They are looking around a listening closely...survival and all...although I doubt they have too many predators around here after them (other than humans).

 

[firefighterjake]

^yup one of the biggest black bears I've ever seen.

3rd year in a row these dove's have nested in this spot in our garage. I'm quick to get rid of swallows and bats but have a soft spot for these doves...they kind of hang out with me. Wherever I am...there they are, close by.
. . .
. . .

I hear ya Savage . . . I've got a phoebe that has nested in my garage for the past three years . . . first year she had one brood, last year two broods . . . I have to admit I'm rather partial to her. I talk to her everytime I come home . .. about the only thing I do special is make sure my wife's car which is parked right below the nest has the sunroof closed.

 

[firefighterjake]

Big pileated woodpecker has been around. He doesn't "peck"- he really winds up and hammers. Very cool.

I've had a pileated woodpecker attempting to take down one of my pine trees out front . . . I was shocked by the size holes he was able to bore in such a short time. Unfortunately, he has shown me that this pine is dead . . . but just doesn't know it yet so it will have to come down sooner or later.

 

[colebrookman]

Big pileated woodpecker has been around. He doesn't "peck"- he really winds up and hammers. Very cool.

I've had a pileated woodpecker attempting to take down one of my pine trees out front . . . I was shocked by the size holes he was able to bore in such a short time. Unfortunately, he has shown me that this pine is dead . . . but just doesn't know it yet so it will have to come down sooner or later.

Great photos firefighterjake. We've got one flying around here but never when I have a camera. Nice shots.
Ed

Edit sorry Adios, wrong credit but your photos are terrific!! I bet firefighterjake is envious as I.

 

[Delta-T]

^yup one of the biggest black bears I've ever seen.

3rd year in a row these dove's have nested in this spot in our garage. I'm quick to get rid of swallows and bats but have a soft spot for these doves...they kind of hang out with me. Wherever I am...there they are, close by.

^HELP ^HELP^
Mystery eggs I need help identifying. This is twice now they've found their way into my golf shoes I keep in the garage. The first time I thought they were my sons paint balls. But they are leathery and if you break them and get the oily like yoke on your hand it takes a solvent to get rid of it. I think they are some kind of reptile eggs because of the lack of nesting material and my shoes may represent a hole of some kind...but I dunno.

I'm leaning towards the blue-balled shoe wren....joking
Looks like paintballs to me too. I'm not aware of any reptile/amphibion that lays blue eggs that size. Most lay white/off white and in huge numbers (except maybe turtles).
Some birds do lay spherical eggs, but not many. Put some of those "eggs" in water and see if they dissolve.

 

[Jags]

Put some of those "eggs" in water and see if they dissolve.

Or maybe see if they "fit" in the paint ball gun??

 

[Delta-T]

Put some of those "eggs" in water and see if they dissolve.

Or maybe see if they "fit" in the paint ball gun??

And thats why you get paid the big bucks my friend, thats using your noodle

 

[savageactor7]

Well my wife thinks they're paint balls too...maybe they are. Just strange they find there way into my shoes...and unlike paintballs they get sticky. anyways thanks for checking it out.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Paintballs get sticky when exposed to moisture or humid air. I've had them swell up until they don't fit into my breeches. Had paintballs swell up until they don't fit into my paintball gun too.

 

[Jags]

You need bigger breeches my friend. ;-)

 

[savageactor7]

Well I'm finding the paintball/eggs all over the garage now...my son flew in from Savannah for the weekend so when he wakes up he'll know if they're his paintballs or not.

Anyway here's the 1st appearance of a very skittish mother duck babies to the front pond where there's corn available.

Unfortunately I came roaring out of the woods with the tractor and scared them away from the corn. They are so small I can't count them. I don't think our resident geese have any eggs but baby geese would be neat too.

Edit to add...

...Yes those were paintballs. I guess the only mystery is what's moving them around in little stashes in the garage. Maybe a mouse? No chipmunks here.