Author Topic: Backyard critters  (Read 103734 times)

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Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #350: July 30, 2012, 08:45:42 AM »
the local fox is my new best friend- huge crow decided to kick the bucket in my driveway yesterday. Since it was late by the time I even saw it, I decided to give the fox a night to dispose of it for me- woke of this morning and not a trace of bird

Offline Vega

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #351: July 31, 2012, 08:52:10 PM »
I had a spider on my bathroom window for quite a while, but I got rid of it today when this happened:



(This is highly magnified; they were really small, so they weren't that terrifying, but they're pretty creepy in this picture.)

Offline Copecwby20

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #352: August 04, 2012, 03:35:05 AM »
Well I just discovered that I have about six HUGE wild turkeys that live in my front yard. I might start feeding them good and fatten them up for my friends that like to bowhunt. I'll try and get pics soon.

Offline Clever

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #353: August 04, 2012, 10:39:44 AM »
I have a hummingbird's nest in my gutter.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #354: August 04, 2012, 04:24:54 PM »
We have two fawns bedding down in separate places in my yard (the parents leave them when they are young to lay quietly during the day - apparently they are safest this way).

I have a hummingbird's nest in my gutter.


Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #355: August 04, 2012, 04:25:58 PM »
I would love to see what that looks like. We have about five feeders out as they are our favorite bird...
I have a hummingbird's nest in my gutter.


Offline mitlen

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #356: August 04, 2012, 04:26:19 PM »
Well I just discovered that I have about six HUGE wild turkeys that live in my front yard. I might start feeding them good and fatten them up for my friends that like to bowhunt. I'll try and get pics soon.

Thanksgiving ain't that far off.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #357: August 04, 2012, 04:27:08 PM »
Do you live in the DMV?
Well I just discovered that I have about six HUGE wild turkeys that live in my front yard. I might start feeding them good and fatten them up for my friends that like to bowhunt. I'll try and get pics soon.


Offline 1995hoo

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #358: August 07, 2012, 09:46:21 AM »
Not exactly a "backyard critter," but it seems to fit in with this thread so I'll post it here rather than starting a new one.

WTOP reports that this little fellow somehow got his head stuck through a manhole cover. He was rescued but died a short time later anyway.


Offline Obed_Marsh

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #359: August 07, 2012, 09:48:26 AM »
WTOP reports that this little fellow somehow got his head stuck through a manhole cover. He was rescued but died a short time later anyway.

Excellent. I was hoping winter would come late this year. :thumbs:

Offline Frau Mau

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #360: August 09, 2012, 08:47:25 AM »
Not exactly a "backyard critter," but it seems to fit in with this thread so I'll post it here rather than starting a new one.

WTOP reports that this little fellow somehow got his head stuck through a manhole cover. He was rescued but died a short time later anyway.

(Image removed from quote.)


Offline Obed_Marsh

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #361: August 09, 2012, 08:51:32 AM »
Weird. I must have blocked out entirely that he died. :?

Offline 1995hoo

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #362: August 09, 2012, 09:16:44 AM »
A bright red cardinal has started visiting our deck on a regular basis.

This morning when I was eating breakfast I had tossed a couple of peanuts out there for our friend the squirrel. The cardinal landed on the deck, picked one up, then flew up to the deck railing and started pecking at it. Eventually I guess he got tired of it and he flew away.....carrying the peanut in his beak. Never seen a bird try to eat a whole peanut in the shell before.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #363: August 09, 2012, 12:46:58 PM »
We were skiing at Whistler back in April, and the base area there has a big resident population of ravens...those guys are smart.  They were grabbing coffee creamers from the tables outside a cafe across the way, peeling off the tops, and tipping them back for a nice little drink of half and half. 
A bright red cardinal has started visiting our deck on a regular basis.

This morning when I was eating breakfast I had tossed a couple of peanuts out there for our friend the squirrel. The cardinal landed on the deck, picked one up, then flew up to the deck railing and started pecking at it. Eventually I guess he got tired of it and he flew away.....carrying the peanut in his beak. Never seen a bird try to eat a whole peanut in the shell before.


Offline Nathan

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #364: August 09, 2012, 02:37:58 PM »

Offline 1995hoo

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #365: August 09, 2012, 03:43:40 PM »
We were skiing at Whistler back in April, and the base area there has a big resident population of ravens...those guys are smart.  They were grabbing coffee creamers from the tables outside a cafe across the way, peeling off the tops, and tipping them back for a nice little drink of half and half. 

Back in 2003 when Ms1995hoo and I took a vacation on Kauai we were playing golf at the Prince Course and when we got some hot dogs at the turn, the snack bar attendant warned us not to leave any food in the cart when we went to putt or else the roosters that are all over the island would steal it. We followed his advice. I still wish I had taken my camera to the green with me because as we were walking to the green, I looked back at the cart and saw three roosters running over to it. They jumped up onto the cupholders and started pushing around the stuff on the shelf looking for food. When they didn't find any, they stood on the floor on the driver's side of the cart staring at the green almost as if they were glaring at us for not being stupid enough to let them steal our lunch. (Thankfully they didn't hop up and crap on the seat.)

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #366: August 09, 2012, 05:33:31 PM »
When my kids were little, we put out plastic Easter eggs for an Easter egg hunt, then left for Church. Most of the eggs had chocolate in them, like Hershey's kisses.

We came back to an egg hunt disaster. Maybe a dozen crows cawing and flying around (yes, some of them were there when we put the eggs out earlier), and the kids were finding open eggs with all the chocolate gone.

But, apparently, crows don't like Smarties or Lifesavers.

Back in 2003 when Ms1995hoo and I took a vacation on Kauai we were playing golf at the Prince Course and when we got some hot dogs at the turn, the snack bar attendant warned us not to leave any food in the cart when we went to putt or else the roosters that are all over the island would steal it. We followed his advice. I still wish I had taken my camera to the green with me because as we were walking to the green, I looked back at the cart and saw three roosters running over to it. They jumped up onto the cupholders and started pushing around the stuff on the shelf looking for food. When they didn't find any, they stood on the floor on the driver's side of the cart staring at the green almost as if they were glaring at us for not being stupid enough to let them steal our lunch. (Thankfully they didn't hop up and crap on the seat.)


Offline 1995hoo

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #367: August 09, 2012, 05:52:28 PM »
So how did your kids react to that?

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #368: August 09, 2012, 07:39:18 PM »
They were amazed at the crows. They decided to experiment with different egg colors, fillers, and deterrents like a little scotch tape. They sat with the binocs for an hour or so. The experiment went for a few days. Result: Crows are frickin' smart birds that like chocolate.

So how did your kids react to that?


Offline Copecwby20

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #369: August 14, 2012, 01:33:22 PM »
Do you live in the DMV?

I don't know if it's considered the DMV, but I'm in Fredericksburg, Va.... about 45 min to an hour south of DC depending on traffic.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #370: August 14, 2012, 02:01:14 PM »
I was just thinking, you gotta be pretty far away from the city to get a flock of wild turkeys through your yard.
I don't know if it's considered the DMV, but I'm in Fredericksburg, Va.... about 45 min to an hour south of DC depending on traffic.


Offline tomterp

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #371: August 14, 2012, 02:06:22 PM »
I was just thinking, you gotta be pretty far away from the city to get a flock of wild turkeys through your yard.

Years ago there was a lone turkey who had taken up residence along the GW Parkway near the Washington Sailing Marina, just south of National Airport.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #372: August 14, 2012, 02:29:02 PM »
Tom - check recycling for my thoughts.

Offline Count Walewski

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #373: August 14, 2012, 04:31:45 PM »
Turkeys are increasingly found near urban areas. There was an infestation in the Boston suburbs in 2007 - in Cambridge, MA, not some outlying commuter suburb. Turkeys were found walking the campus of Harvard Business School.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #374: August 14, 2012, 05:11:21 PM »
In my view, there are a lot of turkeys around Harvard.

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