Nature Watch, Your Flora and Fauna Photos and Stories

Squirrel tracks...

Ooh kinda got a vulture type shot he was eating carcass over the fence from me then another one landed they did battle over the food but at least I got more than a branch and blue sky

So winter can be interesting - you tend to get a different view of wildlife than you do in summer. For example one night a while ago, we heard something banging on the back deck. There was obviously some sort of creature out there, so we investigated - didn't get a photo but looking out the bedroom door to the deck, there was an Opossum with a dead squirrel - the squirrel was frozen solid as it was very cold, and the banging was the opossum knocking it around as it was finding a spot under out patio furniture to presumably have a snack...for those who aren't familiar, this is the opossum:



In keeping with the examples of various tracks, looked out the shop window recently and saw this:



So what look like wood worm but in the snow. These tracks are made by Voles who burrow under the snow creating these tunnels, and when we had some rain and a melt, the upper layers of snow melted, leaving the tracks behind. You wouldn't know these creatures were even around if it wasn't for tracks like these we see every so often.

Here's another rather odd and somewhat rare one. Some might be familiar with the Frank Zappa tune warning you not to eat the yellow snow...


Well, here is some blue snow - you shouldn't eat it either...



This comes from rabbits eating the bark of the Buckthorn tree/bush, and this causes their urine to turn blue when exposed to sunlight.

Cheers, Al

In the UK when we talk about a Pea-Souper it normally means a fog..... not the Frog Pond :0)
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I took my new phone out to the Wichita Mts. today to see how the camera is, and I ran across this guy. I had to wait about seven minutes for him to turn so I could get a decent picture of him.

Francis now visits our garden every day and when my wife calls he will come running 🥰

A colourful visitor, Big Island, Hawaii.

On yesterday’s ramble it felt like spring had sprung.
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A view from Saturdays ramble along a drain / dike
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Mason Bees from my wife’s Mason Bee condo building.

There are lies, damned lies, and worst of all developer's lies....











🙁

An absolute disgrace, we are experiencing more and more of this behaviour and despite complaining to our planning authority nothing ever happens 🤬

We fought hard to keep a section that was about 35 feet deep that spanned across 3 properties intact. This is native Carolinian forest that is in serious decline here, in particular in residential areas like ours. Over the 25 years we have been here we have done as much as we can to keep it all native trees and other plants, removing decorative trees, plants, and invasive species from the area. We have deep root fertilized the tress to keep them healthy, cleared fallen branches, etc.

Not being a billionaire (like the developer) it's tough to fight a battle like this and win. Our municipality was useless in this fight, as they do not have a tree removal bylaw as most municipalities do.

We are also losing two trees that are on the boundary line, including a very tall maple. Both will be undermined and root systems damaged by excavations required to install a retaining wall that is to be built right on the line. My wife was in tears most of the weekend...

From the news today by coincidence it looks like in the UK there can be repercussions - but too little too late as the damage is still done. Still worth reporting and highlighting when people break the rules.
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A few photos from my backyard in Montana


This is Ennis Lake about a four-mile hike from my house one spring when the lake was melting and the birds coming back after a long winter.

An American bald Eagle on a power pole by the house


A pair of moose in my neighbor's yard they been coming back once a year for the last few years.



Some antelope that I saw on the walk to the lake one day.

Hope to never see one of these someone on a solo hike in Yellow Stone Park about 50 miles from me recently got killed by one.

Oh geez my wife’s friend on the other side of town sent her this pic. Sorry it’s a picture of her computer screen so not that clear but bear and cubs just a mile or two down the road. I think it’s quite likely those were bear tracks in my backyard this winter. They sunk down deep.