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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 27, 2011 20:08:36 GMT
Pretty exciting, Kimby. Is the exposed earth and little mound left over from constructing the house? Looking at the all the grass and the water, it would seem a logical grazing area for them, & they seem quite relaxed about a big new structure being there. Where do moose go in the winter?
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Post by Kimby on Oct 27, 2011 22:12:35 GMT
Is the exposed earth and little mound left over from constructing the house? Yes, but the next day the excavators came to push it around and smooth out the devastation construction zone. It will look a lot better when the native grass seeds we'll be planting this week come up. Where do moose go in the winter? I think they stick around, as their habitat is usually the river bottoms and wet areas with willows and dogwoods to eat. What's a little snow and ice to such a brute?
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 28, 2011 0:53:07 GMT
That will be lovely -- a meadow look on the lake. You call them brutes? They're beautiful to each other!
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Post by Kimby on Oct 28, 2011 18:52:26 GMT
Yes, anyone with sex on their mind will find another of their species of the opposite sex attractive. ;-)
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 29, 2011 0:10:08 GMT
Well, I was thinking more of the mother's feeling towards her daughter and vice versa.
So, what do you have on your mind? ;D
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Post by Kimby on Oct 29, 2011 1:07:59 GMT
I don't have a maternal bone in my body, so that angle didn't occur to me. You meant "a face only a mother could love" Right?
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Post by Kimby on Nov 30, 2011 19:12:05 GMT
A small one. We saw a big one whilst canoeing yesterday!
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 30, 2011 20:37:41 GMT
Wonderful picture, Kimby! (also lets us know where you are -- ) Is it scampering for the water in that picture, or just resting? It definitely seems to have its eye on you! Hey -- as you see, I'm moving this thread to Putting Down Roots, as we discussed much earlier. It's the perfect companion to the Wild & Wonderful Garden Birds thread.
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Post by Kimby on Dec 1, 2011 17:44:42 GMT
It was lying in the sun, looking for all the world like a tree root. Had its eyes closed till I advanced on it taking pictures. It's only 3 feet long.
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Post by Kimby on Dec 31, 2011 20:07:35 GMT
No picture of this neighbor, but evidently he likes perching on our eaves after a big meal!
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Post by Kimby on Dec 31, 2011 20:13:58 GMT
This coyote appeared out of nowhere to look for fish remains at the ice-fishermen's holes. They have been called "ghost dogs" and now I know why. He came out of thin air, materializing a mile from any cover, and disappeared just as completely, going who knows where. It came back again 3 out of the next 4 days. We even saw it once while we were cross-country skiing on the ice. It looked surprised to see us out there, trotted way out on the ice and sat down till we'd passed safely by, then trotted back to whatever it was up to when we interrupted its journey.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 1, 2012 1:28:29 GMT
My god, that is a beautiful animal!!
Gorgeous shots, Kimby.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2012 18:24:09 GMT
I am reminded of all of those nature movies that show what an ordeal it is for such animals to look for food all through the winter.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 11, 2012 19:32:04 GMT
Maybe someone can help me identify the bird I heard & sort of saw last night. I was in the patio well after midnight, waiting for the dog to take her final pee of the night. As I stood there, I heard a steady creak-creak-creak-creak-etc., exactly like the sound of a squeaking hinge. I could tell it was getting closer, so looked up, as did the dog. It was quite a large bird flying with a slow flap of its wings, maybe 8 feet above my head. Owl?
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Post by onlymark on Jan 11, 2012 20:12:52 GMT
Making that kind of noise it would probably be the Ferruginous Buzzard, otherwise known as the Rust Hawk.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 11, 2012 20:50:59 GMT
The local elk herd stopped by on New Year's Eve...sometimes we see them crossing the road, but they stayed pretty high up this time. Making it hard to tell them from cattle, but believe me, they are elk (similar to what is called "red deer" in Europe, I believe)
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Post by Kimby on Jan 11, 2012 20:51:57 GMT
p.s. I'm impressed with Mark's ID skills, unless he's just blowing smoke. Which is always a possibility.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 11, 2012 20:52:16 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 11, 2012 20:53:28 GMT
hey are elk (similar to what is called "red deer" in Europe, I believe) I thought that in Montana they were called "meat".
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Post by Kimby on Jan 11, 2012 21:06:16 GMT
And so they are, bixa. Lotsa people with freezers full of elk about now.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 11, 2012 21:09:30 GMT
bixa, barn owls are very widespread around the world. It's quite possible that's what you heard, and their calls are rather variable and not always long like that one.
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Post by onlymark on Jan 12, 2012 4:50:27 GMT
Blowin smoke Kimby. Squeaky hinge and rust just seemed to go together.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 17:19:23 GMT
Oh Wow!! I missed the coyote pics!! Beautiful creature yes!!! Today on the way home from my second walk of the day in the neighborhood, this little fellow is stranded in the light of day in a neighbor's yard. I see someone gave it a piece of 'Bunny bread' to snack on.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 15, 2012 17:27:21 GMT
Oh -- he's an itsy baby!
Super pics.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 17:29:28 GMT
I could have got closer but, he started hissing, and was clearly frightened enough as it was.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 17, 2012 1:12:23 GMT
He's actually kinda cute in the first picture, but looks rather rat-like in the second one. Good on you for backing off when he got nervous.
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Post by lugg on Jun 17, 2012 5:41:40 GMT
What is he/she ?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2012 9:58:18 GMT
Oh!! I'm sorry! I thought I had ID'd the varmint. It's a young opossum. They are quite prevalent here, usually the ones I see are much more mature and feasting on my blood orange tree, which btw, has not one orange on it this year.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2012 23:14:16 GMT
Purple martins
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Post by Kimby on Jun 27, 2012 2:24:34 GMT
The Martin house at my parents cabin used to house Martins, but has been taken over by Tree Swallows in recent years. Haven't even seen a Martin in a long time...
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