The "Other" things you see when Birding

[Quiscalus quiscula]

50 minutes ago, RobinHood said:

The Snapper hatchlings are finally on the move today (it was a late Spring). Snapping Turtles are "of concern in Ontario" and I read 1,400 eggs are required to replace one adult.

I remember there were more than a dozen Snapping Turtles along the edge of the bike path one day laying their eggs.

[Seanbirds]

31 minutes ago, Quiscalus quiscula said:

I remember there were more than a dozen Snapping Turtles along the edge of the bike path one day laying their eggs.

WOW!

[Quiscalus quiscula]

1 hour ago, Seanbirds said:

WOW!

Yeah, it was really cool.

[Quiscalus quiscula]

Saw a Snapping Turtle today in the middle of the river! Wonder what it was doing, the river level rose quite a bit since the last rain.

[Chris Clem]

Black Tailed Jackrabbit from late afternoon today, Mojave Desert.

 

[Seanbirds]

22 hours ago, Chris Clem said:

Black Tailed Jackrabbit from late afternoon today, Mojave Desert.

 

Nice first profile picture!

[Jerry Friedman]

On 9/7/2021 at 4:48 AM, Clip said:

I'm a little jealous here. I live in Florida and I don't think I have seen a single snake all summer. 🥴 This one is very cool looking. Much different than the ones I have seen here and in Colorado.

It looks more normal at full length, but certainly the head is cool-looking.

 

[Avery]

While waiting for my lifer Stilt Sandpiper to show up the other day, I got distracted by another one of the odd grasshoppers I had been seeing jumping in front of me. I went in for a closer look, went ankle deep in mud in sneakers (sigh) and saw one of these! Then, I looked around, and they were everywhere! I did a little photo shoot I put on my Instagram, but here is my best photo of one!

Green Tree Frog (I think)

 

[chipperatl]

L-39 Russian Trainer Jet...

[The Bird Nuts]

14 hours ago, Avery said:

While waiting for my lifer Stilt Sandpiper to show up the other day, I got distracted by another one of the odd grasshoppers I had been seeing jumping in front of me. I went in for a closer look, went ankle deep in mud in sneakers (sigh) and saw one of these! Then, I looked around, and they were everywhere! I did a little photo shoot I put on my Instagram, but here is my best photo of one!

Green Tree Frog (I think)

 

Great photo!

[Avery]

1 hour ago, The Bird Nuts said:

Great photo!

Thanks! It's one of my all time favorites!

Edited September 13, 2021 by Avery

[Liam]

Alligator Snapping Turtles actually have a pretty widespread range in eastern drainages in Texas. A buddy of mine does research on these populations and we trapped these in the Angelina River basin this weekend. After a few measurements, we sent them on their merry way.

Lil guy

One still had a Yellow Bullhead caught in the throat, still attached to the lure.

[meghann]

14 minutes ago, Liam said:

Alligator Snapping Turtles actually have a pretty widespread range in eastern drainages in Texas. A buddy of mine does research on these populations and we trapped these in the Angelina River basin this weekend. After a few measurements, we sent them on their merry way

 

One still had a Yellow Bullhead caught in the throat, still attached to the lure.

 

I've always been fascinated by them. Living dinosaurs, man. Were you able to get the lure out? Surely someone would be willing to risk a few fingers. . . .

p.s.-when did you grow a beard, dude?

[Clip]

6 hours ago, Liam said:

One still had a Yellow Bullhead caught in the throat, still attached to the lure.

??? Did it snag a fisherman's catch? Is this how you all captured it? I'm guessing you pulled it out and remove the lure? Did you give it's fish back?

[Clip]

My husband and I went into a new county for us to do some birding. While in route we noticed a few parks we wanted to check out on our way home. On the way we noticed a place where you could rent canoes, kayaks and TUBES. So here is the thing, as newbies to Florida we decided right off the bat that all fresh water had the potential to have gators lurking about. Go back a couple months we went canoeing for the first time ever and in over 6 miles we did not see a single gator. People were renting tubes and using them. This river was mostly spring fed and probably a bit chilly for gators but... This river seemed to be spring fed also but oh wait down river from the rental place in the same river what do we find...and just when we thought renting a tube might be fun. 😬 Mind you most of the rivers in Florida are brown (stained by Cypress trees) and you cannot see anything in the water most of the time. This gator was showing it's head and the lighting was just so that you could make a bit more of the gator but this is not typical. Any way so why would anyone in their right mind rent a TUBE??? Inexpensive alternative to liposuctioning ye ole buttocks??? My husband and I are going back to the original thinking of all fresh water is likely to contain gators.

Edited September 15, 2021 by Clip

[floraphile]

4 hours ago, Clip said:

My husband and I went into a new county for us to do some birding. While in route we noticed a few parks we wanted to check out on our way home. On the way we noticed a place where you could rent canoes, kayaks and TUBES. So here is the thing, as newbies to Florida we decided right off the bat that all fresh water had the potential to have gators lurking about. Go back a couple months we went canoeing for the first time ever and in over 6 miles we did not see a single gator. People were renting tubes and using them. This river was mostly spring fed and probably a bit chilly for gators but... This river seemed to be spring fed also but oh wait down river from the rental place in the same river what do we find...and just when we thought renting a tube might be fun. 😬 Mind you most of the rivers in Florida are brown (stained by Cypress trees) and you cannot see anything in the water most of the time. This gator was showing it's head and the lighting was just so that you could make a bit more of the gator but this is not typical. Any way so why would anyone in their right mind rent a TUBE??? Inexpensive alternative to liposuctioning ye ole buttocks??? My husband and I are going back to the original thinking of all fresh water is likely to contain gators.

Alligators are shy and don't usually go after big humans.  Problems arise when idiots feed them (illegal by our various states' and federal laws) so they begin to associate us with food and lose their fear of us.  With that said, some safety reminders in gator country:  don't squat down (like to take a photo) or otherwise make yourself small at waters' edge & be careful with dogs & small children.

A fun activity:  Go paddling on a dark, moonless night to an area with low light pollution, and shine a flashlight around.  You will see countless pairs of gator eyes shining back at you.  

[Clip]

47 minutes ago, floraphile said:

Alligators are shy and don't usually go after big humans.  Problems arise when idiots feed them (illegal by our various states' and federal laws) so they begin to associate us with food and lose their fear of us.  With that said, some safety reminders in gator country:  don't squat down (like to take a photo) or otherwise make yourself small at waters' edge & be careful with dogs & small children.

A fun activity:  Go paddling on a dark, moonless night to an area with low light pollution, and shine a flashlight around.  You will see countless pairs of gator eyes shining back at you.  

Cool suggestion. And yes knew about not squatting near the waters edge... As for them being shy it would be just my luck that I accidentally  kick one in the noose and make it mad.

No laugh for Liposuction comment though? Thought for sure that would get a laugh.

Edited September 15, 2021 by Clip

[floraphile]

2 hours ago, Clip said:

Cool suggestion. And yes knew about not squatting near the waters edge... As for them being shy it would be just my luck that I accidentally  kick one in the noose and make it mad.

No laugh for Liposuction comment though? Thought for sure that would get a laugh.

I did appreciate your humor in that remark!

[Clip]

40 minutes ago, floraphile said:

I did appreciate your humor in that remark!

I like making people laugh now and again.

 

[Clip]

@Kevin are these Alpacas or llamas? I'm leaning Alpaca. Old photo I ran across today. Whatever they are they are cute.

[Liam]

15 hours ago, meghann said:

I've always been fascinated by them. Living dinosaurs, man. Were you able to get the lure out? Surely someone would be willing to risk a few fingers. . . .

p.s.-when did you grow a beard, dude?

Hah! You call that a beard?

9 hours ago, Clip said:

??? Did it snag a fisherman's catch? Is this how you all captured it? I'm guessing you pulled it out and remove the lure? Did you give it's fish back?

I think I confused y'all about the "lure." Snapping Turtles have a lure on the tongue that resembles and wiggles like a worm to attract prey. There was no angler equipment swallowed by any of our turtles (at least that we saw). We attracted the turtles using bait in a canister set inside a hoop trap. The turtles are attracted to the smell of the bait, enter the trap through a cone-shaped entrance, and can't figure out how to get back out, similar to a soda bottle wasp trap. 

 

[Kevin]

48 minutes ago, Clip said:

@Kevin are these Alpacas or llamas? I'm leaning Alpaca. Old photo I ran across today. Whatever they are they are cute.

Those are Alpacas. Llamas have shorter ears and a larger head, though the young Llamas do look more like an Alpaca, but as much hair as those girls have they aren't that young.

 https://photos.google.com/u/3/share/AF1QipOIA2yTerZReM3QxSb-zDm_mRY0hQs2OIcRCPq4DVm7dhcMyXDm4FywnrdYYm3oHw?key=ZVltQ1lmZFAyZldzVHhUUDZQV1pVdWUxUXVBZ0Nn

[Clip]

2 hours ago, Kevin said:

Those are Alpacas. Llamas have shorter ears and a larger head, though the young Llamas do look more like an Alpaca, but as much hair as those girls have they aren't that young.

 https://photos.google.com/u/3/share/AF1QipOIA2yTerZReM3QxSb-zDm_mRY0hQs2OIcRCPq4DVm7dhcMyXDm4FywnrdYYm3oHw?key=ZVltQ1lmZFAyZldzVHhUUDZQV1pVdWUxUXVBZ0Nn

Cool thanks! I thought that was probably what they were.

[meghann]

3 hours ago, Liam said:

Hah! You call that a beard?

 

Considering you're perpetually about 18 years old in my head. . . .yes.

I'd forgotten that about the turtles.

[meghann]

3 hours ago, Liam said:

Turtles have a lure on the tongue that resembles and wiggles like a worm to attract prey. There was no angler equipment swallowed by any of our turtles (at least that we saw). We attracted the turtles using bait in a canister set inside a hoop trap. The turtles are attracted to the smell of the bait, enter the trap through a cone-shaped entrance, and can't figure out how to get back out, similar to a soda bottle wasp trap. 

 

Hypothetically, if one DID have a manmade lure on a fish in its mouth, would you stick your hand in there?