What Did You See In Your Yard Today?

[bobss396]

My girlfriend was driving hone from work a few years ago, she lives in the sticks, quite rural for the most part.

She comes to a stop sign and sees a hawk dismembering a LIVE bluejay. It really shook her.

[ksnow]

52 minutes ago, bobss396 said:

My girlfriend was driving hone from work a few years ago, she lives in the sticks, quite rural for the most part.

She comes to a stop sign and sees a hawk dismembering a LIVE bluejay. It really shook her.

Nature isn't Disney, that's for sure.

[espo]

10 hours ago, bobss396 said:

My girlfriend was driving hone from work a few years ago, she lives in the sticks, quite rural for the most part.

She comes to a stop sign and sees a hawk dismembering a LIVE bluejay. It really shook her.

Used to live by a small body of water that would freeze over often during the winter. Canadian Geese, I curse the birds but not the country, would hang out all winter and destroy our yards eating what grass was not covered with snow and defiling the countryside with their droppings. I would enjoy watching an occasional Bald Eagle dinning on a Gose dinner on the ice sometimes.  

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 5/15/2025 at 6:36 AM, bobss396 said:

My girlfriend was driving hone from work a few years ago, she lives in the sticks, quite rural for the most part.

She comes to a stop sign and sees a hawk dismembering a LIVE bluejay. It really shook her.

Couple years back, as I entered the driveway in the early evening a hawk was perched on the top of my mailbox ripping the tasty bits out of a squirrel.

'Bout the same time, one night I heard one of the feral kittens screaming, went outside and couldn't find it, saw it under one of the vehicles a couple days later, pretty much nothing left but half a rib cage and a tail (which is how I knew which kitten it was). Raccoons probably got it, possibly coyotes. We have both.

Yup, it's a jungle out there.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Not in "my yard" exactly, but a block away in my neighborhood as I was driving to the grocery store last night at about 9 PM...two does about a year old running from one yard, across the street just in front of me.

First time I've seen deer in this general area since I bought my previous house in 1998, a mile away from where I am now.

Edited Friday at 09:57 PM by Ace-Garageguy

[Calb56]

Not my backyard... my sister looked up while mowing her front yard to see...

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Calb56 said:

Not my backyard... my sister looked up while mowing her front yard to see...

Mooooooooo...  

Edited Saturday at 01:38 AM by Ace-Garageguy

[JollySipper]

On 5/6/2025 at 6:28 PM, JollySipper said:

Saw the first of probably many snakes that I'll see this year today.......... A King Snake, about four feet long. I just left it alone, as they eat the lesser snakes and rats that live in the swamp/creek behind me here......... First snake for Emmett, he was curious, but not afraid!

I've seen the snake on three different occasions now, if it's the same one....... There is a small tree with a Mocking Bird nest in it right in front of my apartment. I'm pretty sure he's trying to get to that. Those tenacious little birds won't let it get close at all, though! It may also smell my little hammy friend, where I throw out his extra food for the birds to have.....

[bobss396]

13 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Couple years back, as I entered the driveway in the early evening a hawk was perched on the top of my mailbox ripping the tasty bits out of a squirrel.

'Bout the same time, one night I heard one of the feral kittens screaming, went outside and couldn't find it, saw it under one of the vehicles a couple days later, pretty much nothing left but half a rib cage and a tail (which is how I knew which kitten it was). Raccoons probably got it, possibly coyotes. We have both.

Yup, it's a jungle out there.

 

We have an abundance of raccoons, possums and fox colonies. I back up to state land that goes down to the Great South Bay.

I used to have rabbits 🐇. The fox makes short work of those. A few weeks ago I heard the Bluejays flipping out. So I look and see them harassing some sort of a hawk. I'm seeing more and more hawks around.

[johnyrotten]

These two have been buzzing around all day. Sorry for the bad second picture,  that one doesn't like any movement. 

Edited Sunday at 05:39 PM by johnyrotten

[TarheelRick]

On 5/15/2025 at 6:36 AM, bobss396 said:

She comes to a stop sign and sees a hawk dismembering a LIVE bluejay. It really shook her.

My bird feeders are inundated with blackbirds (not sure of correct terminology) in the spring and into the early summer. They chase the regular songbirds away and can clean out my four quart-size feeders in a couple of hours. I have been taking potshots at them with my BB rifle. They usually fly as soon as I round the corner of the house since they keep a lookout in my Pecan tree. Few weeks ago, I took a shot at a group of about 30 on the ground. As they took off I noticed one was having difficulty gaining altitude. It slowly crash-landed in my neighbor's yard. As I was recycling another BB into my rifle, a hawk swooped down and grabbed the blackbird. So, I got rid of one blackbird and didn't even have to dispose of the dead body, win-win.

I have installed a doorbell under the squirrel cone on my birdfeeder. When they begin congregating, I will push the remote button and the bell will send. The first couple of times in the day it works pretty well, but then they will just jump to one side and resume eating.

[espo]

21 minutes ago, TarheelRick said:

My bird feeders are inundated with blackbirds (not sure of correct terminology) in the spring and into the early summer. They chase the regular songbirds away and can clean out my four quart-size feeders in a couple of hours. I have been taking potshots at them with my BB rifle. They usually fly as soon as I round the corner of the house since they keep a lookout in my Pecan tree. Few weeks ago, I took a shot at a group of about 30 on the ground. As they took off I noticed one was having difficulty gaining altitude. It slowly crash-landed in my neighbor's yard. As I was recycling another BB into my rifle, a hawk swooped down and grabbed the blackbird. So, I got rid of one blackbird and didn't even have to dispose of the dead body, win-win.

I have installed a doorbell under the squirrel cone on my birdfeeder. When they begin congregating, I will push the remote button and the bell will send. The first couple of times in the day it works pretty well, but then they will just jump to one side and resume eating.

Had the same problem here this spring. Just leave the feeder's empty for a week and then only put just a very little seed in to see if they return. Had to do this twice and the undesirable birds have seemed to move on. 

[TonyK]

I only throw out a couple of handfuls at a time for the squirrels so there's nothing lying around for other critters. This creates a different problem. A designated squirrel comes to the back sliding door and looks in and/or scratches on the door to get my attention. When I go out small birds show up to feed also which I'm fine with. Sometimes a couple of other big type birds show up too. I try to toss some bread for them so they don't gobble up all the seeds. And I still have the small rat running around too because the useless bait/trap I bought doesn't do a thing.

I don't have hummingbird feeders anymore because the bees and yellowjackets would swarm around it all the time.

[bobss396]

I have 2 crows that show up when I feed the birds. Just now and then. Yesterday the bluejays were dive bombing them, which didn't stop them.

[A modeler named mike]

I have a pair of wrens that built a nest in a plastic basket that hangs on the wall directly over top where I sit to feed the squirrels and my buddy Chip the chipmunk. The wrens are territorial as heck. They dive bomb the squirrels and have attacked Chip while he's on my lap. First I put a rubber snake at the nest. The wrens weren't bothered one bit. They acted as if it wasn't even there. Next step was to move the basket containing the nest to a nearby shrub. Apparently it's not far enough away. Today I'll be moving them even farther away. I just couldn't bring myself to destroy the nest and killing the babies because of the parents actions. It is nature and I respect that. 

[Zen]

Looks like it's time to move the feeding chair.