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We have a few hummingbirds still around, also, and various sparrow-sized birds passing through which I haven't identified. One I have is a black throated grey warbler with its dab of yellow eye shadow. He must be lost!
I saw Canadian geese tracks on my swimming beach during what will probably be my last swim of the season. I'll enjoy when they start honking their way south, the younger, weaker ones riding in the wake of the stronger leaders.
I do so miss the bats. When we moved here there were plenty and we hung a bat house but now I've seen no bats in the area for decades. A sad thing.
The winter I spent in the jungle in the Yucatan the night sky was alive with dwarf bats. I'd load up on mosquito spray and join them on my balcony. Rarely did I actually see one as it was very dark there but I 'felt" them all around me. Quite an eerie experience, nearly like communing with ghosts.
Best time of year here in southern New England. Warm dry sunny days.
A lovely healthy looking frog was enjoying the front yard birdbath when I went to change the water yesterday. I scooted her out and she returned when I was finished, hopping up into the bath from the depth of the pachysandras. Jumped about five times her height. How cool is that.
The past few evenings have been warm enough to sit outside until dark. Lodestar, you are correct, the cardinals are late feeders and come after the doves leave. First we can hear them chirping in the trees, coming closer and closer. Then they swoop in and chow down on the cracked corn. The red breasted grosbeaks and the black eyed juncos are gone for the season. And most of the hummingbirds seem to have flown the coop as well, although we see a few stragglers now and again.
But the nicest thing recently was sitting outside as it gets dark and seeing the whole family of bats come out of their louvers and bat house. They start flying, swooping and darting all over the evening sky, high and low, scooping up bugs to beat the band.
I have enough mosquitos to feed a bat army, but only saw a single bat the entire summer.
and my bat house has been unoccupied since I got it two years ago.
I live in the high desert of NM about 4-5 miles up slope from the Rio Grande. Sparsely developed residential area, most people have about an acre but large areas are left wild. Last night we were sitting outside after sunset talking when interrupted by a loud lapping sound coming from the stream that flows into my goldfish pond. Something as large or larger than an adult German Shepherd was in the stream drinking (20 ft. away). It had a cat's tail that partially curved upward but it was too dark to get a good view or color and my daughter was freaking a bit so we went inside. My guess is a cougar but I rigged up my critter cam so I might get a photo if it comes back. It is common to have coyotes in the area but I haven't seen any in a couple weeks and this was not a coyote. Cougars have been known to travel along the river bosque forest, tracked for some great distances but I'm surprised if one is in my desert area. It was not shy about coming into the courtyard to drink so I'm wondering if it has been coming every night. I've seen signs that something has visited over the last few days. My pond has attracted other wildlife but this is a first.
I live in the high desert of NM about 4-5 miles up slope from the Rio Grande. Sparsely developed residential area, most people have about an acre but large areas are left wild. Last night we were sitting outside after sunset talking when interrupted by a loud lapping sound coming from the stream that flows into my goldfish pond. Something as large or larger than an adult German Shepherd was in the stream drinking (20 ft. away). It had a cat's tail that partially curved upward but it was too dark to get a good view or color and my daughter was freaking a bit so we went inside. My guess is a cougar but I rigged up my critter cam so I might get a photo if it comes back. It is common to have coyotes in the area but I haven't seen any in a couple weeks and this was not a coyote. Cougars have been known to travel along the river bosque forest, tracked for some great distances but I'm surprised if one is in my desert area. It was not shy about coming into the courtyard to drink so I'm wondering if it has been coming every night. I've seen signs that something has visited over the last few days. My pond has attracted other wildlife but this is a first.
Please let us know if you get a glimpse of your mystery night visitor, SunGrins.
Madam Spider in my window never presented a problem for me to solve other than me feeling a sense of sadness for her industrious and hopeful life ended incomplete. Apparently no mate was able to hear her little legs sending out her dangerous love song and find his way to her web. Indeed, I don't know how she lasted so long as even the web failed to attract much in the way of sustenance.
So finally she went the way of all grass spiders in the fall, not even leaving a cozy sac of progeny to winter over. I sighed in spite of my relief and DH got out the vacuum cleaner and unceremoniously sent her to the place few spiders go. R.I.P.
I do so miss the bats. When we moved here there were plenty and we hung a bat house but now I've seen no bats in the area for decades. A sad thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by uggabugga
I have enough mosquitoes to feed a bat army, but only saw a single bat the entire summer.
and my bat house has been unoccupied since I got it two years ago.
I think another thing that contributes to the relative success of bats in our area is the fact that the woods in back of our house have lots of cliffs with cave-like nooks and crannies where bats can hibernate. Also, very few folks around us use those yard services that spray insecticides. And I read somewhere that CT is a state with a high number of trees and wooded areas (relative to its small size, of course)
Very early this morning, we were lucky to see a barred owl ("who cooks for you?") land on a branch (right where the branch came out of the trunk) on a maple tree. (Lucky bc once landed, she was so nearly completely camouflaged by her feathers matching the trunk of the tree that it is unlikely we would have noticed her had we not seen her landing) She was only about 20 feet from our window and when we looked at her through the binoculars, she was a real beauty. (a real chouette chouette.. see below) She sat there for several minutes, first ripping apart and then chowing down on a field mouse. First one half down the hatch (seemingly swallowed whole) followed by the other half. Then she gracefully and silently glided away.
This reminds me of a joke- In French the word "chouette" (pronounced shwet) means a female owl. It is also slang for something or someone very nice, very pretty.
So, the joke is-
Why is the male owl (an "hibou") always so happy? BC his wife is chouette.
Last edited by LilyMae521; 09-28-2019 at 07:47 AM..
Cute joke. I'm not sure if we even have different names for male and female owls in English. Considering some of the darker associations owls can have I think I like their French names.
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