nature thread

[Blooie]

Believe it or not this picture was taken in the parking lot of MacDonald's in Sheridan, Wyoming. At least it made waiting for our drive thru order more interesting!

 

[holm25]

beautiful

 

[lularat]

This hawk flew over my son's head into a tree and grabbed a squirrel. He grabbed his camera and took pictures. Have some wonder pics, but this is the only one that you can't see the squirrel. He had the squirrel in his talons and as my son took pictures, the hawk started spreading its wings, as if to protect its catch. After a few minutes, it flew off with the squirrel.

 

[DarleneE]

OMG how horrible!! Poor little squirrel. I HATE those hawks and am SO afraid for my hens that I won't leave them alone outside.

 

[lularat]

Yes, I felt bad for the squirrel. We live in town and this hawk and it's mate have been around for a couple of years. We have our hens in a very secure run.

 

[holm25]

just some pics i thought i would post

 

[Blooie]

OMG how horrible!! Poor little squirrel. I HATE those hawks and am SO afraid for my hens that I won't leave them alone outside.

If it wasn't for worrying about my chickens, I'd hire hawks to come and take care of the squirrels! I detest them! We didn't even have them in our small town until about 5 years ago. One man who'd moved here from back in the Midwest somewhere "missed" them, so he went to another town 30 miles away, trapped a dozen, and brought them back and released them here. They multiplied like wildfire and they've decimated my apple, pear, cherry, and apricot trees. They get into bird's nests and eat the eggs and have even killed the baby birds. They have found a way under my house and pull out the insulation to line their nests. My bird feeders aren't safe. I rarely see a bunting anymore and the number of goldfinches and common redpolls has dropped significantly. To me, they are rodents and pests...they just happen to be acrobatic and have cute fuzzy tails instead of long, naked ones.

Now before you flame me for being heartless and cruel, let me assure you that as a general rule I'm not that way at all. We live in a high desert, and as I said there were no squirrels here before. We have tons of trees in town, all planted by the pioneers who settled here in the 1900's, but the area between communities is totally devoid of them. So the towns nearer the mountains and the scrawny little river had them. They are not native to this isolated little pocket in the area. When the first one appeared our neighbor was outside trying like crazy to get a picture of it. Now we have so many that the novelty has long since worn off.

Hmm, we are a Navy family. Wonder what would have happened here if I'd suddenly decided I missed wharf rats and imported a bunch for release?

 

[DarleneE]

Well let's just say that I could have lived happily the rest of my life WITHOUT having heard all of that!!

 

[Blooie]

Well let's just say that I could have lived happily the rest of my life WITHOUT having heard all of that!!

Sorry.

 

[holm25]

If it wasn't for worrying about my chickens, I'd hire hawks to come and take care of the squirrels! I detest them! We didn't even have them in our small town until about 5 years ago. One man who'd moved here from back in the Midwest somewhere "missed" them, so he went to another town 30 miles away, trapped a dozen, and brought them back and released them here. They multiplied like wildfire and they've decimated my apple, pear, cherry, and apricot trees. They get into bird's nests and eat the eggs and have even killed the baby birds. They have found a way under my house and pull out the insulation to line their nests. My bird feeders aren't safe. I rarely see a bunting anymore and the number of goldfinches and common redpolls has dropped significantly. To me, they are rodents and pests...they just happen to be acrobatic and have cute fuzzy tails instead of long, naked ones.

Now before you flame me for being heartless and cruel, let me assure you that as a general rule I'm not that way at all. We live in a high desert, and as I said there were no squirrels here before. We have tons of trees in town, all planted by the pioneers who settled here in the 1900's, but the area between communities is totally devoid of them. So the towns nearer the mountains and the scrawny little river had them. They are not native to this isolated little pocket in the area. When the first one appeared our neighbor was outside trying like crazy to get a picture of it. Now we have so many that the novelty has long since worn off.

Hmm, we are a Navy family. Wonder what would have happened here if I'd suddenly decided I missed wharf rats and imported a bunch for release?

thats not heartless and cruel its true