Author Topic: Backyard critters (Read 105758 times)

blue911 · « **Reply #575:** May 23, 2013, 10:09:59 AM »

Quote from: GburgNatsFan on May 23, 2013, 10:08:37 AM

It took me until yesterday to figure out that my favorite backyard bird song (tweet tweet tweet tweet birdie! tweet tweet tweet tweet birdie! tweet twee tweet tweet BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE!) was a male Cardinal.

Carpenter is camping in your yard?

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #576:** May 23, 2013, 05:04:53 PM »

Quote from: GburgNatsFan on May 23, 2013, 10:08:37 AM

It took me until yesterday to figure out that my favorite backyard bird song (tweet tweet tweet tweet birdie! tweet tweet tweet tweet birdie! tweet twee tweet tweet BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE!) was a male Cardinal.

What diocese?

1995hoo · « **Reply #577:** May 26, 2013, 07:19:34 PM »

Eating dinner outside tonight we spotted what Ms1995hoo believes is a dove sitting on a nest in our neighbor's cherry tree. Bit too many shadows to get a good picture at this time of day. Interesting to see, though. The bird just sat there staring at us the whole time we were out there.

Edited to add: Got a picture last night with the DSLR. I wasn't nearly as close as the picture makes it look. I had it zoomed all the way in and then this is a small piece of a much larger photo.

1995hoo · « **Reply #578:** June 28, 2013, 09:52:48 AM »

We went for a walk around the lake near our house yesterday evening and I spotted a strange creature I had not seen before. I think it was an otter based on its appearance and based on images I found with a Google search. See below—it's swimming along the shoreline to the left between the bridge and the two geese swimming together. You can see its tail better than you can see the critter itself. Almost seemed like it was swimming laps!

GburgNatsFan · « **Reply #579:** June 28, 2013, 11:04:39 AM »

Wow. Can't see the tail well, but are you sure it's not a juvenile beaver? There's LOTS of those around. Could it be a juvenile nutria?

Otters, I haven't seen many of those. Are they rare around here?

Quote from: 1995hoo on June 28, 2013, 09:52:48 AM

We went for a walk around the lake near our house yesterday evening and I spotted a strange creature I had not seen before. I think it was an otter based on its appearance and based on images I found with a Google search. See below—it's swimming along the shoreline to the left between the bridge and the two geese swimming together. You can see its tail better than you can see the critter itself. Almost seemed like it was swimming laps!

(Image removed from quote.)

Copecwby20 · « **Reply #580:** June 28, 2013, 11:10:25 AM »

Quote from: GburgNatsFan on June 28, 2013, 11:04:39 AM

Wow. Can't see the tail well, but are you sure it's not a juvenile beaver? There's LOTS of those around. Could it be a juvenile nutria?

Otters, I haven't seen many of those. Are they rare around here?

That's what I thought too, but there are River Otters in the area, I don't know how common they are though. Cute little buggers though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_river_otter

GburgNatsFan · « **Reply #581:** June 28, 2013, 11:30:07 AM »

I'd love to see one of those in its natural setting.

Quote from: Copecwby20 on June 28, 2013, 11:10:25 AM

That's what I thought too, but there are River Otters in the area, I don't know how common they are though. Cute little buggers though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_river_otter

Copecwby20 · « **Reply #582:** June 28, 2013, 11:39:11 AM »

The only time I've seen one was at the Zoo in DC. If you can see them during feeding time, it's pretty cool. They stand up on their hind legs and "chatter" at the zoo keeper as he tosses them fish.

GburgNatsFan · « **Reply #583:** June 28, 2013, 12:39:28 PM »

My daughter's working down there now. I'll ask her to get a video.

Quote from: Copecwby20 on June 28, 2013, 11:39:11 AM

The only time I've seen one was at the Zoo in DC. If you can see them during feeding time, it's pretty cool. They stand up on their hind legs and "chatter" at the zoo keeper as he tosses them fish.

Frau Mau · « **Reply #584:** June 28, 2013, 12:50:44 PM »

Quote from: GburgNatsFan on June 28, 2013, 12:39:28 PM

My daughter's working down there now. I'll ask her to get a video.

I don't see an otter cam, but plenty of other really cool critters.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/webcams/default.cfm

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #585:** June 28, 2013, 12:52:05 PM »

That place is like a 10 minute walk from the house. Home away from home...the only major zoo in the country (and one of the only ones in the world) that does not charge admission.

Quote from: GburgNatsFan on June 28, 2013, 12:39:28 PM

My daughter's working down there now. I'll ask her to get a video.

1995hoo · « **Reply #586:** June 28, 2013, 12:58:05 PM »

Quote from: GburgNatsFan on June 28, 2013, 11:04:39 AM

Wow. Can't see the tail well, but are you sure it's not a juvenile beaver? There's LOTS of those around. Could it be a juvenile nutria?

Otters, I haven't seen many of those. Are they rare around here?

Maybe. I really don't know and I was just guessing as to what I thought it might be. This is the first time we've ever seen an animal that looks like that swimming around the lake. Next time we go for a walk maybe I'll bring my DSLR so I can get a better picture (the ones above were with an iPhone), but of course if I do that it means we won't see it!

Edited to add: I looked at both the river otter article linked above and the Wikipedia article about nutria (they call it a "coypu") and it looked like it could be either of those. The tail looked a lot skinnier than any beaver I've ever seen, but I'm no expert so I don't know.

GburgNatsFan · « **Reply #587:** June 28, 2013, 01:01:14 PM »

Yeah. The girl is on a temporary job, but would love to become a permanent part of the staff.

Quote from: Ali the Baseball Cat on June 28, 2013, 12:52:05 PM

That place is like a 10 minute walk from the house. Home away from home...the only major zoo in the country (and one of the only ones in the world) that does not charge admission.

Copecwby20 · « **Reply #588:** June 28, 2013, 01:42:39 PM »

Quote from: 1995hoo on June 28, 2013, 12:58:05 PM

Maybe. I really don't know and I was just guessing as to what I thought it might be. This is the first time we've ever seen an animal that looks like that swimming around the lake. Next time we go for a walk maybe I'll bring my DSLR so I can get a better picture (the ones above were with an iPhone), but of course if I do that it means we won't see it!

Edited to add: I looked at both the river otter article linked above and the Wikipedia article about nutria (they call it a "coypu") and it looked like it could be either of those. The tail looked a lot skinnier than any beaver I've ever seen, but I'm no expert so I don't know.

I thought Nutria were more concentrated in the south? I would guess river otter now, knowing that they are known to be found in the area.

skippy1999 · « **Reply #589:** June 28, 2013, 02:08:07 PM »

Quote from: Frau Mau on June 28, 2013, 12:50:44 PM

I don't see an otter cam, but plenty of other really cool critters.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/webcams/default.cfm

OMG I'm not getting any work done ever again, love this! thanks for the tip Frau

GburgNatsFan · « **Reply #590:** June 28, 2013, 02:25:05 PM »

I'm not watching this, because my wife often watches webcams of baby birds being fledged on building ledges, and cannot stop watching.

Quote from: skippy1999 on June 28, 2013, 02:08:07 PM

OMG I'm not getting any work done ever again, love this! thanks for the tip Frau

Minty Fresh · « **Reply #591:** June 29, 2013, 08:19:00 AM »

Quote from: Ali the Baseball Cat on June 28, 2013, 12:52:05 PM

That place is like a 10 minute walk from the house. Home away from home...the only major zoo in the country (and one of the only ones in the world) that does not charge admission.

We take the kids every year.

FREE THE GOLDEN TAMARINS!

1995hoo · « **Reply #592:** August 19, 2013, 09:53:03 AM »

Whoa.....this little guy was out on our deck this morning and was rather....excited.

Frau Mau · « **Reply #593:** August 19, 2013, 11:44:57 AM »

That must be a really good nut.

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #594:** August 22, 2013, 02:58:15 PM »

Man, at least here in the inner city we don't have stalker perv squirrels peeping in the windows with acorn boners

Mathguy · « **Reply #595:** August 22, 2013, 03:11:41 PM »

Try doing more research in DuPont Circle

Quote from: Ali the Baseball Cat on August 22, 2013, 02:58:15 PM

Man, at least here in the inner city we don't have stalker perv squirrels peeping in the windows with acorn boners

Copecwby20 · « **Reply #596:** August 24, 2013, 04:16:24 AM »

Caught this little freaker raiding my bird feeder at about 4 AM. There were two more, but they were able to run down the stairs. This guy was trapped up on the post set up for the bird feeder and was about 40 feet in the air so he decided to freeze and wait it out. allowed me to get within about two feet of him and snap some pics.

nats2playoffs · « **Reply #597:** August 24, 2013, 12:20:07 PM »

Someone up here just posted on Craiglist a FREE raccoon trap:
Raccoon cage trap (Bethesda/Glen Echo, MD) (collapsible).
Havahart brand, model #1809
like new. call Joel at 301-814-9470 do not email me.

Location: Bethesda/Glen Echo, MD
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Posting ID: 4022434679
Posted: 2013-08-24, 9:01AM EDT

But you can watch a game with a raccoon...

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #598:** August 24, 2013, 12:34:24 PM »

Quote from: nats2playoffs on August 24, 2013, 12:20:07 PM

Someone up here just posted on Craiglist a FREE raccoon trap:
Raccoon cage trap (Bethesda/Glen Echo, MD) (collapsible).
Havahart brand, model #1809
like new. call Joel at 301-814-9470 do not email me.

Location: Bethesda/Glen Echo, MD
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Posting ID: 4022434679
Posted: 2013-08-24, 9:01AM EDT

But you can watch a game with a raccoon...
(Image removed from quote.)

I like that the raccoon uses two hands. Good fundamentals. Solid defensive replacement who would not get fooled by bad lighting.

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #599:** August 24, 2013, 01:44:57 PM »

Raccoons have very dainty hands - like concert pianists. They used to raid the cat dishes at my mom's house in Miami and then wash their hands in the pool. Such refinement!