A mama gamble's quail is sitting on nine eggs in a flowerpot on the wall by my carport. Don't know how the little darlings are going to get all the way down to the ground--let alone back up to the nest--but for now they are safe from Gila Monsters, rattlesnakes and owls.

Vera

In Silicon Valley, it would have to be mountain lions. They've been coming down out of the hills into the city streets pretty regularly lately.

Palo Alto Weekly, Jan 15, 2005:

"...a resident of the 3100 block of Waverley Street, called the police at 9:55 a.m. after spotting a mountain lion out her window. The cougar appeared to be resting in a 50-foot elm tree between her and her neighbor's yard. The animal was the size of a golden retriever and had a thick, long tail, she told police. It was draped on a branch for a few minutes, then moved down the trunk to rest on a lower branch."

We live high in the hills about 10 miles or so north of Palo Alto and haven't seen any mountain lions yet (don't know whether to pout or consider myself lucky!) but we do see lots of red-tail hawks on a daily basis -- sometimes groups of 5 or 6 or more hovering just overhead -- and on our first day in our new place one swooped right by our front door as I was leaving the house and then up into a nearby tree...that was exciting for me! Plus the occasional owl...we hear them more often than see them although I did see one fly by one night as it went past a streetlamp. And of course coyotes, deer, racoons and jack rabbits.

Friday, I saw a great blue heron on the Stanford campus. The bird stood there motionless in a vacant field while half a dozen cars passed by slowly along Campus Drive.

This old one was topped again and I just reread most of it.

To the person who surmised about the dove. She isn't a new nester, she's the same female dove reusing the nest several times during the same season and restuffing it as necessary. I had one who had three different broods in one year near Chicago. My one student used to call her "that slut bird". In as, "Is that slut bird expecting AGAIN?"

And we have egret and heron like species all over Northern IL and MI now. They have taken up in a shopping mall pond near huge Orland Square (Orland Park). I guess they don't care if 50 cars a minute go by as long as they have their pond.

And the hawks are numerous, kestrels and all kinds here. Just saw a very unpretty sight and that is why I am posting this. We always talk about the beauty- and they are breathtaking, but wow their feeding habits!!!! Just saw one divebomb a dove in the prairie behind by yard and then proceed to hold it in one talon and rip it apart with beck. There are feathers and blood all over a 20 foot area.

The kildeers were successful raising three chicks for the first time this year. I think the cold spell in May helped them immensely. Not enough little people were out to disturb their grounds. They stood with two newborn chicks in one spot for 2 days waiting for the last egg to hatch. I was amazed. It was cold and rainy just then so the interference was reduced.

Wow, what a treat to see this topped :)I posted a year ago!
I love these stories!

JJ5, we have a few feeding dramas a day out on my patio :) with the birds hunting gekkos, the owls and hawks swopping down and the crows stealing babies from nests..sheesh!

We are now regularly visited by small white Egrets who fly in low and sort of drift to a landing in the front yard, then stroll along, through all the yards. Something I will surely miss when we leave here.

Yes, it is a drama, exactly. And that was beak not beck. Can't type when I think about it and how fast it happened. You can't even see the dive, just hear the snap/crack at the end. I've seen hunting before, but this was truly lethal immediately. I couldn't even look- I went into the house. But this hawk didn't seem to care that I was there or not, and it was only about 20 feet from the edge of my lawn. It was still there 20 minutes later when I came out, eating, and making a huge mess doing it.

We also have all the assorted animals mentioned like raccoon, opposum, ground squirels etc. but in the last 3 or 4 years the coyote are growing in number enough to spot most any evening around 8 to 9 o'clock scooting through the prairie and across to the corn planted or forest areas near us. They are starting to behave like cats and leave you a "gift" on your back patio or shed entrance door. They eat most of the rabbit and leave you the feet. And they say rabbit feet are lucky!!! Why??

When we were down near the Everglades, Scarlet, we spent nearly the entire time there just birdwatching. Such a variety in winter!!!

In MI I will never, ever tire of seeing those monster heron swooping low over the water and then landing on our boat lift. They fish sometimes standing on the lift bars. When they fly they are so huge and with their legs stretched behind them then look like white or grey pteradactyls. And they land so clumsily. When they take off they make a whack, whack, whack sound because they hit the water before elevating. We have swan there as well, but I do notice that they stay clear of herons, egrets and all the other larger birds. And if you get into their wetlands near their nests, they get super nasty. Dogs and other mammals don't seem to daunt the swans. They are really strong and tough and it ends up with dog or critter howling and running before they will.

This year for the first time we have some algae problems. Our lake has become infested by a zebra mussel that is not native. Idiots coming from the Great Lakes with their boats and flushing them into our lake through their boats' systems. It has been close to perfect and this has really got everyone angry. I think the days of public boat launches for anyone who cares to come, are going to be a thing of the past in the Midwest by the end of the next 25 years or so. States like Minnesota and Michigan have 1000s today.

The last couple of times we've been in Florida (Anna Maria Island) we've had a wood stork come strolling into the front yard looking for a handout; a very curious bird -- came right up to the door -- but I didn't know what to feed him.

This is as good a point as any, with that intro from travlsolo, to mention that it is not a good idea to feed wild animals under any circumstances. You will often do more harm than good. (A starving bird can actually die from being fed.) If you feel the circumstances require it, please try to contact a local wildlife agency for advice. Thanks!

Marilyn, yes and just as you said, with any wildlife- any species at all.

We have a problem on my college campus with squirrels actually coming up and pawing on your leg if you are seated on any of our portico areas. One person has made it her life's goal to give them peanuts and walnuts every day. Some of us have tried with administration and she still receives no consequences for her actions. There should be a fine.

The result is now an overpopulation that is artificial, and all kinds of nasty and pestering, aggressive behaviors by these squirrels. They actually climb the stone monuments and jump out in front of you, thinking they are going to get a treat. And when animals don't learn the correct ways to forage naturally, they will starve in the long run. Never feed.

Ha! no, swans are not bothered by the sight of a big hairy poodle, that is for sure!
We took a walk recently by a lake with a huge swan, grooming himself. In the water, right at the edge.
Pup was ecstatic, a new pal to play with. I had to hold on tight, he was all ready to throw himself in the water..the swan never even glanced at him. He could have cared less.
But I know Pup would have gotten the worse end of that deal if he had been loose :)

JJ5, you have hit all 3 of the most important reasons not to feed wildlife:
1. Artificially supports overpopulation
2. Population crashes when feeding stops
3. Animals become habituated to humans which can lead to injury or death.

Marilyn -- I totally agree with not feeding wildlife. Obviously some of our neighbors have been feeding this stork, but I'd rather not even have him in the yard, although he is interesting looking. I'd rather have more lizards around. :)

I "feed" the birds in my yard. Or rather they feed themselves, and I've given up trying to stop them! :d It's my cherry trees. The birds love them. I've given up all hope of any cherry pies this season. The birds are eating them all. I have to say it's pretty entertaining watching them peck off all my prize cherries, though, especially when they get in fights about choice dinner time fare!

We have a nest of robins outside my kitchen windows. The babies are getting so big. We're in the middle of a heat wave here in the Midwest and the poor little things just sit in their nest with their mouths wide open, not saying a word...just melting in the heat wishing Mama Robin would bring them some of my prize cherries!

About ten feet behind our house is a large city drainage pond that's also a nature refuge. So we can look out the kitchen windows and see great blue herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, pheasants, Canada Geese (and their many goslings right now), wood ducks (with 12 babies this year), and two jackrabbits. Then there are all the little birds; 2 goldfinches just landed on the feeder--we hadn't seen any for about six weeks. Last week a grosbeak tried to fit itself on the window feeder, and yesterday there was a black phoebe. About 5 miles from where we live is a heron rookery with hundreds of nests for egrets and night herons--absolutely stunning to walk through the trees and look up. Carefully.

OMG Underhill, hundreds of them?? how wonderful!
mermaid, I would like some cherries to please...mouth open too :D

I would rather have the egrets and herons than the poor lady who had a bear in her yard that followed her into her house!!
I saw on the news today a mama bear and babies in someones yard too...
Great for videos but I don't think I want to have them visit me :)

Underhill, that is fabulous! What a wonderful place to live. We are right on a creek and every once in a while we'll get a great blue heron landing here.

to my friend , underhill,
The Canadian geese have eaten all the grass along the Charles river, and, the Public Garden, It's sad that they are so destructive, yet so beautiful.

I am topping this for the last time to tell those who spoke about Hummingbirds in their gardens...we have one or more!!!
The size of my thumb, with a bright green back.
A week before I move LOL

I am hoping there will be plenty of little Portland bird friends in our new home ((F))

Hi Scarlett! I look forward to reading about the critters you'll encounter in Portland. A week or two ago, as I bent over on the deck to water a plant, I heard the sound of what I thought was a humungous bee--I froze, looked up and alas it was a hummingbird visiting the feeder above my head. I didn't move until he left--fascinating little birds! :-)