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Wild and Not So Wild World |
AlohaStation
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 27, 2004
Posts: 2135
From: So FL
|  Posted: 2014-01-21 08:21 am Permalink
Can you see it? In the middle of the tree is a nested Bald Eagle. The nest is on top of a tall Cyprus tree (maybe 100' up) at the County Park next to my house. It may look small in the picture but when it takes off, its wingspan is about 6+'.
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 7251
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2014-01-21 5:15 pm Permalink
Nice Tom. One of my goals for this year is to photo-document every bird I can find within a half mile of my house. We are in a major migratory flypath and we get lots of species.
Speaking of birds, I saw something on my way to work the other day. I could see 2 medium sized birds in the road up ahead of me. As I approached in the car it was a pair of mallard ducks, one flew off to the right and the other FLOPPED of to the left - clearly it had a broken wing. It looked like the healthy one was staying with the wounded one - do ducks mate for life?
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When you hurry through life, you just get to the end faster.
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lunavideogames
Grand Member (2 years) 
Joined: May 09, 2012
Posts: 1082
From: San Diego
| Posted: 2014-01-21 9:54 pm Permalink
Yes they do Mike. My 6th grade teacher told us his story of why he quit hunting. He once shot a duck and the ducks mate flew down to him and put its wing over the dead bird. The ducks mate actually died too, on the spot. He said it was the saddest thing he had ever seen and he put his jacket over them and never hunted again.
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5666
From: Sun City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2014-01-21 10:15 pm Permalink
Just have to share this, saw it on FB and it is hysterical...that is some serious talent there. TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP>>>>
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=704364939607865&set=vb.166337376743960&type=2&theater
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AlohaStation
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 27, 2004
Posts: 2135
From: So FL
| Posted: 2014-02-17 11:37 am Permalink
Here's a better picture of the Bald Eagle that has set up shop at my local park.
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (6 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 7251
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2014-02-17 12:52 pm Permalink
Sweet Tom, with hatchlings!
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (6 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 7251
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2014-02-18 6:21 pm Permalink
Found this giant Sphinx Moth trying to break into my house and eat my cat!
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When you hurry through life, you just get to the end faster.
Pirate Ship Tree House
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Atomic Tiki Punk
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 19, 2009
Posts: 5880
From: Costa Misery
| Posted: 2014-02-18 6:28 pm Permalink
Mike, don't those have a top speed of Mach 2?
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lunavideogames
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: May 09, 2012
Posts: 1082
From: San Diego
| Posted: 2014-02-19 7:15 pm Permalink
I got to see some whales and dolphins over the weekend. The crappy looking water is funnily in Mexico, but I think its just the lighting. The whale was right off the coast of my beach. I can't believe I've never seen one from shore in California. The dolphin was from shore. It is difficult to get pictures of these underwater mammals, as I am sure many of you know.
[ This Message was edited by: lunavideogames 2014-02-19 19:17 ]
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (6 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 7251
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2014-02-25 08:19 am Permalink
Not sure what this is? Some sort of bumblebee? We see bumblebees infrequently here but they are always black.
What's up with the giant insects? 
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When you hurry through life, you just get to the end faster.
Pirate Ship Tree House
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komohana
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 08, 2010
Posts: 404
From: western australia
| Posted: 2014-03-01 10:56 pm Permalink
Those Bald Eagle shots are awesome!!
I've been reluctant to post any snake stories without pictures and, strictly speaking, still don't have any as the brown snakes,
to which species the gwarda and dugite etc. belong, are generally shy and keep to themselves, unlike the tiger which is much more
aggressive, though not as common in our particular area.
Not wanting to bore anyone with our pets, I'll briefly say that at present we have two cats and the dog.
Jack on the left, mouser/ratter extraordinaire, tolerates the dog.
Rosie on the right is not my favourite in any way, shape or form, but has a strong bond with the dog.
Anyhow, my respect for Rose took a slight turn north about two months ago as I was in the shed and some
movement caught my attention. Looking over, I'll be buggered if she wasn't wrestling a small dugite, throwing
it into the air and biting it etc. I stood there stunned for a moment until the snake took off for shelter.
It went behind a stack of tyres, which I soon moved and could see the snake but wasn't quick enough to take
a photo before it moved behind our morning glory vine. I poked around for almost an hour without seeing it again.
I'd say it was about two feet long, maybe three.
A couple of days after that, the young couple next door said they had one about a foot long in their back room.
Around a week ago our other neighbour, a terrific old bloke, said that on two consecutive days he'd encountered
a large one about seven feet long in his yard. This being about as big as they come.
The land adjoining our back fence has only recently been developed and was essentially virgin bush beforehand.
The bloke that has built a house there is a landscaper and I've been taking keen interest in the work he's been
doing on his property. Yesterday I found the below shed skin that wasn't there the day before.
Measuring about four foot six inches, I'd say the owner was a about five foot and looks to be that of a dugite.
[ This Message was edited by: komohana 2014-03-02 20:32 ]
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Atomic Tiki Punk
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 19, 2009
Posts: 5880
From: Costa Misery
| Posted: 2014-04-20 02:14 am Permalink
Happy Easter Tiki Central!
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tikicoma
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: Jan 16, 2010
Posts: 368
From: wakinekona
| Posted: 2014-04-20 4:32 pm Permalink
Why do they just eat the plants I want and not the ones I don't want!
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (6 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 7251
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2014-04-28 6:41 pm Permalink
I took a Zoology class in college that had bird watching as part of it’s curriculum so I have paid attention to birds ever since. I have often thought about photo-documenting the birds of my area but the Imperial Valley is in a major migratory pathway and we have hundreds of bird species here. So I narrowed down the scope of my project by doing the birds I could find in one month (April) in the one square mile around my house. I came up with 35 species photographed and another 3 spotted but not photographed
One square mile with my house in the middle. Grass farmland, a hay compress, a small wetland, and some tumbleweed scrub area.
 
American Coot. They take off flying by running across the water
Anna’s Hummingbird (female)
Bank Swallow
Black Crowned Night Heron
Black Necked Stilt
Black Phoebe
Blue Winged Teal (not a great picture)
Boat Tailed Grackle
Brewer’s Blackbird
Burrowing Owl, with his burrow mate behind him
Cactus Wren (he wouldn’t come out in the sun for a better pic)
Cattle Egret
pair of Cinnamon Teals
Cliff Swallow
Common Yellowthroat
Desert Great Horned Owl (best pic I could get at night)
Eurasian Collared Dove
European Starling
Gambel’s Quail
 
Glossy Ibis
Great Egret
House Sparrow
Kildeer
 
pair of Mallards
Mourning Dove
Northern Mockingbird
Red Tailed Hawk
Red Winged Blackbird
Ring Neck Pheasant – this bird was standing gloriously in the morning sun when I drove past. By the time I stopped and got the camera he was almost gone!
Roadrunner with lizard
Rock Doves or Pigeons
Turkey Vulture
Western Kingbird
Western Meadowlark
Whimbrel
Birds seen but unable to photograph:
American Bittern
Belted Kingfisher
Rufus Crowned Sparrow
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When you hurry through life, you just get to the end faster.
Pirate Ship Tree House
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Atomic Tiki Punk
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 19, 2009
Posts: 5880
From: Costa Misery
| Posted: 2014-04-28 8:06 pm Permalink
You cataloged & photographed all these birds yourself Mike?
Well add Scientist & Ornithologist to your "Renaissance Man" resume!
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