It’s been awhile since I provided a wildlife update. But, first, here’s a squirrel (turn up the sound to get the full effect): Your browser does not support HTML5 video. That’s the noise a squirrel makes when its annoyed or angry. I couldn’t discern what caused this one’s panties to get in a wad, but… Continue reading Wildlife Update
Category: Wildlife – Mammals
Rock Squirrels on Spring Break?
Last weekend, we discovered we were hosting unanticipated visitors in the form of a herd of juvenile rock squirrels. At one point, I counted six (6!) of them cavorting on and around our back yard deck. When they detected our presence, they would quickly dive under the deck, but just as quickly reappear. We had… Continue reading Rock Squirrels on Spring Break?
Beaver Believer (or “See…canadensis!”)
It’s probably common knowledge that beavers slap the water with their tails as a warning about – or an attempt to startle – potential predators. They also tend to swim with their heads slightly above water but with their bodies slightly submerged. So, you may be ask, why are you – a native Texan living… Continue reading Beaver Believer (or “See…canadensis!”)
Guardian of the Galaxy? Nope, just a Destroyer of the Lawn.
Raccoons are enjoying new celebrity, thanks to Rocket Raccoon and the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Rocket even has his own Wikipedia page (and there you’ll learn that he’s actually more than forty years old). But raccoons are really better in theory (and movies) than in reality. Many of you already know this. We thought… Continue reading Guardian of the Galaxy? Nope, just a Destroyer of the Lawn.
It’s a zoo around here…
Update (2022): I’m not particularly proud of the first part of the following post. As I’ve become better educated about the snakes in this area — and in particular, cottonmouths — I’ve come to realize that there’s almost no reason to kill one of these creatures. You, of course, are entitled to your own opinion… Continue reading It’s a zoo around here…
A “Relaxing” Weekend – Pt. 2: Close Encounters of the Putrid Kind
[Part 1] Now, where were we? Oh, yes…I had completed a successful repair of a shredded coax cable that restored our satellite TV access, and life was good. Except…something was slightly amiss in the air. There was a lingering odor, a smell that seemed to grow stronger depending on which way the breeze was blowing,… Continue reading A “Relaxing” Weekend – Pt. 2: Close Encounters of the Putrid Kind
A Week in the Texas Hill Country
MLB and I spent last week at Horseshoe Bay, and it turned into quite a busy time. (Important Note: The following is the equivalent of showing blurry vacation slides from that trip with your parents to Knott’s Berry Farm to captive friends who reciprocate by never coming back to your house, even when tempted by… Continue reading A Week in the Texas Hill Country
Elk in West Texas? Yep…and we can prove it!
The 50-mile stretch of US Highway 385 between Fort Stockton and Marathon, Texas, has always been one of my favorite drives. If you encounter five other vehicles during the trip, it’s a heavy traffic day. It’s a perfect showcase for the desolate grandeur of the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas, winding through some of the… Continue reading Elk in West Texas? Yep…and we can prove it!
Rockin’ Rabbit
I think this speaks for itself.
When Species Collide
Update (6/21/15) – A lot of people have asked if we’re feeding this fox, and that’s why he’s in our yard so often. The answer is an emphatic “no.” I have no doubt that there are some people who are providing food, perhaps inadvertently, in the form of cat or dog food, but I would… Continue reading When Species Collide