Wild critters? Flora and fauna? Insects? (lake, house, water, coyote)

[mollyblythe]

Just wondering what animals you see in the wild in your area? What pretty plants grow wild? What plants and insects are most problematic where you live?

In central CA where I'm at, I see lots of rabbits (cottontail and Jack), gophers, lots of doves, hawks (not sure what kind), ground squirrels and not uncommon to see coyotes. Before this area grew up so much, I saw possum, frogs, gopher snakes and the occasional skunk and fox. I enjoy the morning birdsong, but am not an active birdwatcher so am not sure what birds serenade me.

Pretty plants are golden poppies, mustard and in nearby hills, blue lupine. I know there are more but these are the ones I can think of offhand. Lots of beautiful cultivated (not wild) orchards here and verdant vineyards.

Most problematic plant around me are good old foxtails and tumbleweeds on fallow lots. Flies and mosquitoes mostly here. I've had digger bees the last few years and some years we have ticks. At least no chiggers. I've had unpleasant experiences with those little fellas when visiting family in OK!

What's it like in your area?

[slamont61]

Critters that pass through my yard: Deer, Rabits, Foxes, Squirels, Skunks and Coyotes although not all at the same time.

Insects; Mosquitos and Ticks corner that market but a few bee's are allowed to pass through too.

We are located just south of the Pine Line (latitude where the eastern hardwoods stop growing) Ash and Birch trees are abundant here with all manor of Pine trees.

[JAG_HRD]

Pampas grass! Oh and pine, oak, and manzanita. Deer, skunk, fox, possum, raccoon, goats, pigs, horses, mountain lion and the odd snake. Lots of kitties but I bring most of them in. Was given a bird feeder as a present and now have a part time job keeping it filled.

Forgot to mention the squirrels....thx slamont61

[mollyblythe]

Originally Posted by slamont61

Critters that pass through my yard: Deer, Rabits, Foxes, Squirels, Skunks and Coyotes although not all at the same time.

That would be quite an experience if they all came at once. You'd have to put up a traffic light!

[dsh1127]

Let's see, what I see in the wild on a regular basis would be:
Deer, elk, coyote, fox, turkeys, ducks, geese, and tons of different kids of birds! On a less regular basis - skunks (glad that it's a less regular basis), bobcat, bald eagles, snakes and racoon. We have an irrigation ditch that runs through the property that has hundreds of salamanders in it in the spring - the kids have a blast catching them!

Pretty wild plants - We have what seems to be wild orchids that come in purple and white. I had this thing pop up not far from the house this spring that looked like a white rose, but it was not on a bush, it was it's own little plant! Who knows what it was, but we all admired it! These are aside from all the pine, fir and oak trees.

Problematic plants and insects:
Plants would be poison oak (luckily I don't get it), blackberry bushes (just because they will completely take over if you let them) and all kinds of weeds that have burrs on them (my cat brings them inside in his long fur)!

Insects would be wasps, earwigs (I hate those), and these big hissing beetles that if they manage to get on you, will not let go - - Nothing worse than trying to shake a bug off that won't come off!!

Next.............

[SCGranny]

Deer, coyote, turkeys - a momma and 12 brand new babies walked thru yesterday, antelope, king snakes (two already this year) skunks, raccoons, rabbits, lots and LOTS of goldfinches. The occasional barn rat last year, none so far this year.

I saw two of the weirdest wasp critturs yesterday - they were almost all black with a loooong tail like a dragonfly with a 'string' attached to the end of it, their wings were gauzy black and tattered-looking, and their heads had eyes like dragonflies too - but their wasp-looking thoraxes were bright yellow. We don't have ticks; I think the area is too sandy. But we do have sand mites that leave a nasty welt. Not a whole lot of bugs, especially not mosquitoes, even around the troughs. Too cold in the winter, and too dry in the summer.

We have wild indigo and bright PINK cactus flowers, yellow clumpy flowers that look like wild mums, wild roses everywhere that bloom with five petals that are a purplish pink, and wild phlox that spring up EVERYWHERE. Also black-eyed susans and sunflowers. The wild oats here, once they head out, are a beautiful red color, too. And what the folks here call sandburrs that we call "goathead burrs" big thick rascals that can make you cry when you step on/kneel on them!

[PNW-type-gal]

Walked out yesterday to get the newspaper and mail (it's about 2 miles down a gravel road) and ran across a cougar, sitting in the middle of the road, eating his bunny breakfast. I know we have a bobcat female and her two kits, but it's the first time I've ever seen the cougar. Heard rumors that he was here, but I'd never actually seen him - and we have a lot of summer people that I wasn't sure I trusted to ID a cougar from a bobcat.

Other than the cougar and the bobcat - deer, the occasional group of elk (migratory), the occasional lost antelope, coyote, allegedly foxes (I've never seen one), raccoons, porcupines, badger, jackrabbits, rabbits, skunks, various "ground rodents," bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey, various hawks, pelicans, egrets, cranes, herons, ducks, geese... we overlook a huge lake on the North America flyway and refuge, so pretty much any bird that migrates up and down the west coast we see here.

We have some early morning/evening mosquitoes when it's calm and for about a month in summer we get these little iridescent green midges which are irritating because they fly around in big swarms (they look like the genie coming out of the lamp in a big column) - they're hatched without mouths, so they don't eat or bite, but they mean you can't sit outside in early evening until the hatch finally ends. The other trick is to put up a fan on the deck because they only like still air.

Plant-wise, I have a whole bunch of the wild Klamath plum (cross between a shrub and a tree, grows to about 20' high and as wide across) on my property which puts out a small tart plum that makes great jam. Right now all the native lupine and iris are in bloom, and they are lovely. Otherwise we have Ponderosa pine, aspen, chokecherry, manzanita, huckleberry, bitterbrush (smells like cloves when it's in bloom with tiny rows of yellow blossoms), sage, green and silver rabbit brush and various wild grasses. Down by the lake and river, marsh grass, reeds, cattails. About 2-3 miles west it starts to get drier and the juniper is common, but it's not right here.

[Kemba]

I'm in a fairly urban area, so I see many small animals with the exception of the occasional alligator or eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Mostly I see squirrels, armadillos, all kinds of birds, rabbits, coyotes, cuban anole lizards, black racer snakes, red rat snakes, ringneck snakes, tree frogs, toads, and turtles. I have seen stingrays in shallow water at the beach.
For insects and arachnids, you can kind just about any type around here.
Scorpions are rare in this immediate area, but they are here. I have seen one.

Less common, but I have seen deer, cottonmouths, gopher tortoises, glass lizards, scarlet king snakes, coachwhip snakes, and other nonvenomous snakes, lizards, and turtles. The most commonly encountered venomous snake in my area is the dusky pygmy rattler. As much as I am outdoors, I have never encountered one in all the years I have been here. I did run into one somewhere else, and as the name suggests, he was very small.

[Alaskan Mutt]

Moose, ravens and magpies stop by the house all the time. There is a brown bear close by but so far has not stopped by to introduce himself.

[mistyriver]

We've seen on our property: grizzly bears, black bears, moose, elk, wolves, deer, cougar, ermines, bald eagles, osprey, other assorted water fowl. Haven't seen them but they are here: wolverines. I'd love to see one but not too close up.