Armadillos

On February 19, 2019February 18, 2019 By CarynIn Wildlife

Adult armadillo picture taken by the trail cam

Shortly after we moved in, we found that we had nine-banded armadillos living in the yard. Pretty sure you can’t get much more Texas than that. (You actually can, but it is a start.) In the last couple of weeks I’ve started to see signs of their passing again: small shallow holes dug in the ground as they look for tasty insects. Armadillos are insectivores, and so are good to have around. Now they also carry leprosy, so are not good to touch or handle.

Confirmation of armadillo activity resuming

The armadillo babies are absolutely adorable to watch, though. Here is a picture from last year of one of the four babies. Armadillo females give birth to identical quadruplets. Every time. I’m really hoping to see a new litter this summer!

And those protective shells must protect some vulture gold, because those unfortunate enough to have a fatal encounter with a car attract vultures quickly and in mass. The vultures clean out everything but the shell.

Another plus, they don’t eat chicken! Finally something in the yard that won’t be after our future birds!

Bobcat

On February 13, 2019February 11, 2019 By CarynIn Wildlife

Bobcats will also take out chickens. Our trail cam took this fuzzy picture last June (hey, his paws are in focus!). We haven’t seen signs of bobcat lately, but there is no doubting that they are in the area.

Bobcat going the other way, over a month later.

Wild birds

On February 10, 2019February 8, 2019 By CarynIn Wildlife

Since we moved into this house, we’ve known that we eventually want chickens. At our last house, we would put out bird feeders to attract wild birds to the windows (mostly for the edification of the inside cats, but to also entertain my kids as well). We did not put up feeders at the new house.

Male cardinal picture taken by the trail cam

Wild birds can carry avian bird flu, and if you are raising chickens, I have read that one way to help keep your chickens healthy is to NOT attract wild birds. So no feeders. Now, we have a bit of wooded land, which is happy fun land for wild birds, as our trail cam reports, but we will take steps not to actually attract them to the house or around the coop. Our chicken feeders will be closed at night (which is good to keep out the rats and mice), and I’m considering getting an automatic feeder that only opens when the chickens step up to the plate. Wild birds are too light to activate the lever, and the design keeps the chickens from knocking too much out onto the ground.

Now the handsome guy above was doing a great cleanup job on a bit of rabbit. He really seems like he is eyeing the camera, huh?

We also have other wild bird patrols.

Successful hunter, photo credit to my eldest

The outside cats also catch wild birds. In town I know people get riled up about the neighbor cat taking down their window entertainment, and I have to admit finding the bluebird of happiness dead on my front porch was a sad moment, but she is doing her job out here in the country. (I do love bluebirds, and it is sad that this is the first one I saw. It is nice that they are in the area. And the little hunter did get praised for her skills, because we are good cat minions.)

Red-Shouldered Hawk

On February 4, 2019February 19, 2019 By CarynIn Wildlife

So this is one of my better pictures of a hawk. Hawks will also prey on chickens (everything likes to eat chicken!), so we are putting welded wire on the top of our runs too. Since our property is mostly wooded, removing hawk perching sites really isn’t an option. This particular hawk lives along one of the walking trails in town. I noticed him because a Blue Jay was yelling at him; I startled him into flight when I pointed my camera lens at him. But we do have hawks and owls in the neighborhood.

The thing about taking my camera on my walks is that I always find SOMETHING to photograph. Sometimes wildlife, sometimes flora, sometimes I just like to experiment. This photo of the moon and trees is a composite that I put together with Photoshop because I couldn’t get the trees and the moon in focus in the same picture.

Some times I will even take a picture of my dog (he is awfully cute). Here is how he feels about me stopping and taking pictures.

Sad dog — He is not happy about me stopping. Again.

Guess what this is

On February 1, 2019January 31, 2019 By CarynIn Wildlife

Time to play “Guess What This Is”!

If you said a molar, points to you! If you said opossum molar, then you get the star. We found what we believe is an opossum skull in the back woods and this is one of the teeth from the jaw.

Opossums are omnivores, as you can see from the sharp incisors for tearing meat and the molars for grinding. We have seen these guys on the trail cam pictures too!

Critters and Craft

Category: Wildlife