What interesting creatures live in your garden?

[thistlebloom]

Well, no squirrels at the feeder today, but this crazy Red-shouldered Hawk was determined to have chickadee for lunch! Several chickadees were hiding out in a hydrangea bush about 15' from the feeder. The hawk dove down into this thick bush several times attempting to get them. All the while I'm thinking... stupid bird, go get the squirrels.

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It would not give me a nice face to face portrait of course... gloomy day, poor color, but the best I could get today....

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A few minutes later, down the food chain ... Garfield, the neighborhood wondering giant cat showed up. Biggest cat I've ever seen, and so slow, I don't think he would get a bird if it landed right in front of him.

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Dang I should be sewing.

I'm rooting for your chickadees!

 

[sumi]

We have a visitor I looked out the door just now and saw this beautiful creature calmly walking through the gate into our yard:

It's ambling around our former nursery area at the moment. I'm going to take it across the road later where it's very overgrown with plenty good eats and hiding places.

 

[Smart Red]

Great pics! I imagine it was looking for your lettuces?

 

[so lucky]

I have taken turtles across the road, only to stand and watch them turn around and head out into the road again.

 

[sumi]

Thanks @Smart Red!

@so lucky The piece of land down from us, across the road, has a steep bank and an irrigation ditch running the length of the side of it and a fence in-between, so the tortoise will be pretty much stuck there. It's a wonderful habitat for it though, so I don't think it will mind.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I know that is a tortoise and not a turtle, but I don't have any tortoise stories. A couple of years ago a reasonably large snapping turtle made its way from a nearby pond to an area I call "the bog" due to a wet weather spring and it being pretty low. My two dogs found it and started playing with it. One dog was reasonably intelligent for a dog and kept its distance, though it was barking like crazy. The other was really having fun, darting in and out. When I went to investigate I heard this snapping sound like a large steel trap snapping shut. Oh, that dog was having fun.

The turtle got the dog on the tongue once. Tongue wounds bleed quite a bit, by the way. Did that deter the dog? Of course not. She obviously was saying "Oh that hurt so good! Bet you can't do it again!" Man that dog was having fun!!!

I called the dogs off and used a shovel to get the turtle to a safe place where the dogs couldn't get to it. It eventually crawled away.

For those that don't know, a snapping turtle's head is so massive it cannot withdraw into the shell. It has to defend itself using its mouth.

 

[sumi]

Ridgerunner I heard turtles can bite you quite badly. I won't mess with them that's for sure.

We just caught a snake by the chick pen. I'll upload the pics tomorrow. Am badly in need of a drink now LOL We just came back from relocating it to a safe spot, far far away from the nearest farm or house. (We don't kill snakes unless we don't have a choice)

 

[Nyboy]

Once a groomer here cut a dogs tongue triming around its mouth. They do bleed a lot hard to stop. A ice cub on cut stopped bleeding the best. Everyone in town is talking about a bald eagle thats been sighted a few times by the lake, I hope I get to see it one day.

 

[Carol Dee]

@Nyboy Hop on over here, you can see LOTS of eagles. When the weather gets cold and the river freezes over they hang out near the dam and catch the fish that surface stunned after going under the rollers of the dam. (Water doesn't freeze by the dam ) January around here has trees lining the river loaded with eagles. I should have taken the camera with me when we went to Bald Eagle Days last weekend. Also saw several in farm fields picking in the freshly spread MANURE! So much for majestic images! LOL

 

[Nyboy]

@Carol Dee I have never seen one in the wild. Have tons of red tail hawks. Only once a owl.