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Groundhogs are still out, feeding every day, in this crazy December weather we are having. Their fur is a cool orange-tint right now. I have to believe that continuing to eat well into December will help them survive when they eventually stay underground for the cold that is supposed to arrive... sometime. We had a tiny little yearling that was pretty skinny, and now he or she is much sleeker and fatter-looking, so I am hoping he will survive the winter. It helps that the darn grass is still growing, with all this nutty warmth we are having.
That always gives me the shivers when I hear it late at night. Don't know why, but it does. Around here, it is the Great Horned Owl we hear most of the time. And I have never actually seen one; just hear them at night.
Wish I had a photo to share, but my nature experience today flew away before my son could get the pic.
But at the end of our neighborhood is a pond, that belongs to the nicest old lady in the world, Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones has been substitute teacher at the local school for at least thirty years, always one with not only education for our town's kids...but life lessons - she pushes her everyday wisdom on them every chance she gets...a much loved lady around our parts. Her pond is always well kept, and attracts a lot of wildlife. Often I will see ring neck pheasant, deer and a turtle or two. But today my son and I were treated with a gorgeous heron. Just standing there, big as life, had to be at least four foot tall. Would have loved to get that picture, but he - with such grace for such a large bird - took flight across the pond, and into the wood line.
We get herons around here, too. They certainly are large and gorgeous. When we first moved year many years ago, I had never before seen a heron. I called the local division of wildlife office to ask them what that prehistoric-sized bird that slowly flapped across the sky was called. They told me it was a great blue heron. I have see them often since then. I think they sometimes eat my neighbor's pond fish!
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bjh
Hootie owl hootin' around our neck of the woods.
FWIW.........As some of you may be aware, I am blessed with having the good fortune of living 12 miles out of town in a forested valley in western MONTANA for the last 36 plus years.
The above quoted post reminded me of an encounter with a Great Grey Owl I had last year (December) while walking through the woods about 1/2 mile from my house.
I was sitting on a large stump in a brushy area, taking a " little rest" when this G. G. Owl came silently gliding into this immediate area and landed on a "dead-fallen" pine tree about 75 feet away with a field mouse in his talons. I had not been moving and he did not notice me.
After he decided to leave, I went over to where he was perched, and was able to determine his total height was about 33 inches and when he took flight I would estimate his wing span was approx 60 inches......Quite a sight!!!!!!
It's raining (very odd for this time of year since usually we have snow). Anyway, today I saw something
that I never saw before - hundreds and I mean hundreds of young Robins flying around like crazy.
I wonder what their up to.
It's raining (very odd for this time of year since usually we have snow). Anyway, today I saw something
that I never saw before - hundreds and I mean hundreds of young Robins flying around like crazy.
I wonder what their up to.
Not sure where you live, but here in central Kentucky, we get flocks of robins migrating south in mid-December, well after our "local" robins have departed. Often these "Michigan robins" show up a day or two before a cold snap or snow fall, and are very active, particularly in locating and gobbling down whatever food is available. Colder weather is currently on the way for much of the middle of the US, so perhaps you also are being visited by some northern robins.
A couple of years ago, I encountered huge flocks of robins in February, in the "Grand Prairie" around Stuffgart, Arkansas, aka the Rice and Duck Capital of the World. The Grand Prairie is flat and marked with numerous swamps and small tributaries, ideal for both rice and ducks. And evidently, wintering robins!
Apparently the shy male missed out a chance to get a delicious peanut. And I saw another red-headed woodpecker at a different place. I've seen red-bellied woodpeckers at several parks, including the latter place.
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They told me it was a great blue heron. I have see them often since then. I think they sometimes eat my neighbor's pond fish!