A couple of locals showing off today
9 Likes
I have been keeping an eye on a sharpshinned hawk, who was at my birdfeeders,last year. He’s scouting from the tree tops, so far.
2 Likes
Yes, they like to use the feeders as bait stations. If my feeders are suddenly vacated I know there’s a Sharp-Shinned Hawk around.
14 Likes
Very pretty bird!
You better keep an eye on him, Faye! Now that I’ve started keeping my chickens in a pen with my quail, the hawks around here have made up the difference in local birds. Just this weekend I found beautiful red fathers all around an area under a tree and it was obvious a hawk had caught and eaten a cardinal. I felt bad because I feed a lot of sunflower seeds in winter, which of course attracts mostly cardinals in my area. So I feel like I lured them to their death!!! I just can’t warm up to hawks, even though I understand they have to eat too! ha
2 Likes
I’ve seen these around here. thought they were a falcon of some sort. good looking bird!
Yes, the sharp shinned “hawk” is falcon species (Accipiter striatus).
2 Likes
Yes, the first time one showed up so close I was excited. Then I researched what it was and realized the cannibalistic bugger was feeding off the birds coming to the feeders. Like @thecityman Kevin I felt like an enabler. Seems like they show up once a winter now and hang around for about a week. @Richard, I didn’t realize they were in the falcon family. Is cannibalism common amongst falcons?
I wouldn’t regard it as cannibalism. Humans do eat other mammals, and so do tigers, wolves, etc.
I’m not a very big snake fan but this guy was so cool I had to get his pic. I had just disced some land and was using a subsoiler and this little fella came up. He’s 2-3 foot total long. Anybody ever seen one and might be able to identify it?
5 Likes
We would call it a garter snake here. Don’t know if that’s right but that’s what we would call it!!! 
Nice. I remember that name from Ohio. Very good snakes to have. Pretty too … I hope it’ll get some of these damn mice here…lol…
It is actually a legless lizard! They can break off their tails like geckos, called Glass Lizards.
5 Likes
Garters I know have stripes, not that checked pattern
You know . When I saw the head I said to myself that looks like a lizard without legs! Very interesting… Time to do some research. Very cool… Thanks HB…
You gotta go look him real close for eyelids and ear holes!!!
2 Likes
Very nice. Don’t laugh at me…LOL are those daffodils? Mine are blooming. We are supposed to be 29 degrees Monday and I’m wondering if I’ll lose them… Awesome pic… Your wife gets a lot of those. Very good eye…
1 Like
They are cauliflower blossoms! Notice the similarity to wild mustard flowers?
2 Likes
