Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) is an odd-looking creature, especially when you watch one creeping slowly through the salt marsh or perched high up in a tree. I do not want to add the demonic or monstrous label to them because they are lovable in their own way, but it feels like an appropriately strange species to highlight as we near Halloween. They can be found active throughout the day, but their somewhat secretive crepuscular and nocturnal feeding habits add to that feeling. I took these photos of a bird at a nest site earlier this spring. It was still working on...
Read MoreHorned Lark Camouflage
This is not exactly the best photo of a Horned Lark ever, but it certainly depicts their unbelievable camouflage. How perfect is this field for a bird with a back like that? Remember that, for the most part, birds – at least those species that possess flight capabilities – do not have to worry about mammals on the ground. This also excludes domestic cats, an introduced creature they are still learning to deal with. Otherwise it is usually very easy to elude mammal predators as a healthy adult bird. How could a red fox or a raccoon sneak up on you in a flock in the middle of an...
Read MoreRaccoon Patrol
Please keep your trash indoors or inside something! Even this yard waste in paper bags was attractive to the Raccoon (Procyon lotor) seen here as it wondered if there were any scrumptious snacks in what is sometimes a human sack of treats. Raccoons can be seen in the day if they are particularly busy looking to feed growing young, but we should never intentionally or unintentionally provide food for mammals at our homes. That is how they become problem individuals, sometimes aggressively looking at the helpful hosts to keep the meals coming. The Raccoon seen here seems healthy in appearance...
Read MoreWake Up!
It’s time to wake up – spring is here! Get outside and enjoy it, whether you’ve been snoozing in a tree or sitting on the couch…
Read MoreKeep Pets Indoors!
It is currently the heart of the winter season. Despite that I am often left wondering why dogs are roaming the neighborhood or left in the yard all day long, and how cats can be locked outside all night to freeze in the snow and dangerously low temperatures. Please keep your pets indoors or supervised for the benefit of wildlife and themselves! Cats should never be permitted outside as they are astoundingly adept bird and small mammal killers that take the lives of billions of creatures in our country each year. Dogs will enjoy playing outdoors any time, like my boy here, eating the snow...
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