1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

Backyard Wild Kingdom (Warning: large image content)

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Ottomaton, Dec 29, 2005.

Tags:
Page 1 of 2
  1. Ottomaton

    Ottomaton Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2000
    Messages:
    19,218
    Likes Received:
    15,420
    Ok, I've owned a house for about a year now. When we moved in, there was a big loquat tree which always was always covered with Inca doves, white wing doves, and mourning doves. As a test we began feeding them and as a result we've attracted some exceptional guests. Just in the last couple of days, we have had our most impressive visitors, a pair of beautiful hawks whose exact species we are still debating. I got some great pictures which I wanted to show to somebody, and was going to post but after thought decided to post the whole panoply. In any case, the hawk is the main attraction. Just for reference, I live no more than two or three miles downtown which makes this type of wildlife particularly amazing to me.

    First, the hawks. I could only photograph them one at a time, but this shot is of a tree not five feet from where I'm sitting.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    Here he is doing his best ROXRAN impersionation (i.e. he's about to kill and eat a poor little squirrel)
    [​IMG]
     
    #1 Ottomaton, Dec 29, 2005
  2. Kam

    Kam Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2002
    Messages:
    30,476
    Likes Received:
    1,322
    Holy ****.

    That is awesome stuff.
     
    #2 Kam, Dec 30, 2005
  3. Ottomaton

    Ottomaton Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2000
    Messages:
    19,218
    Likes Received:
    15,420
    We get the normal backyard occupants:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    as well as some we don't want:
    [​IMG]

    This is a house finch:
    [​IMG]

    Sometimes the doves can get a little raucous:
    [​IMG]


    These Inca doves are getting a snack after the rain:
    [​IMG]

    Woodpecker:
    [​IMG]
     
    #3 Ottomaton, Dec 30, 2005
  4. Blatz

    Blatz Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2002
    Messages:
    7,228
    Likes Received:
    3,484
    That is so cool. :cool:
     
    #4 Blatz, Dec 30, 2005
  5. Ottomaton

    Ottomaton Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2000
    Messages:
    19,218
    Likes Received:
    15,420
    Male Cardinal
    [​IMG]

    Female Cardinal
    [​IMG]

    This is apparently some species of thrasher that doesn't normally come to houston:
    [​IMG]

    That's it!
     
    #5 Ottomaton, Dec 30, 2005
  6. OmegaSupreme

    OmegaSupreme Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2003
    Messages:
    6,394
    Likes Received:
    1,504
    nice pics, otto. i've seen several in the sw part of town and coincidentally i've seen them after squirrels or other birds. i just always thought they were falcons though.
     
    #6 OmegaSupreme, Dec 30, 2005
  7. Blatz

    Blatz Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2002
    Messages:
    7,228
    Likes Received:
    3,484
    I have a bunch of Cardinals, Blue Jays, all kinds of Finches and the occasional Woodpecker but I have never had a hawk or a Thrasher. Every now and then a whole bunch of Crows come by and make a mess out my bird feeders. They're freaking pigs!
     
    #7 Blatz, Dec 30, 2005
  8. TMac640

    TMac640 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2005
    Messages:
    5,484
    Likes Received:
    2
    Dear God, it's like a jungle.

    Welcome to the jungle!
     
    #8 TMac640, Dec 30, 2005
  9. vwiggin

    vwiggin Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2002
    Messages:
    1,951
    Likes Received:
    2
    Delicious!

    Um, I mean Delightful!
     
    #9 vwiggin, Dec 30, 2005
  10. Ottomaton

    Ottomaton Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2000
    Messages:
    19,218
    Likes Received:
    15,420
    You know, I think you're right. I have a book called "Birds of North America". I went back and looked at the falcon families, and I now think it's what's known as a Merlin (Falco columbarius).
     
    #10 Ottomaton, Dec 30, 2005
  11. Svpernaut

    Svpernaut Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2003
    Messages:
    8,446
    Likes Received:
    1,029
    Wow, impressive! Do you think this is a year long or long term thing or is there so much activity because it is winter?
     
    #11 Svpernaut, Dec 30, 2005
  12. Mr. Brightside

    Mr. Brightside Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2005
    Messages:
    18,965
    Likes Received:
    2,148
    Are you some sort of backyard voyeur?

    :)
     
    #12 Mr. Brightside, Dec 30, 2005
  13. Uprising

    Uprising Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2000
    Messages:
    43,089
    Likes Received:
    6,640
    Wow that is awesome! Great pictures. I haven't seen a blue jay in a while. :(

    Dangit, why is this box still on my screen when I go to reply?! Some scroll box still herei nthe middle of my screen.
     
    #13 Uprising, Dec 30, 2005
  14. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2002
    Messages:
    59,079
    Likes Received:
    52,748
    [​IMG]
     
    #14 KingCheetah, Dec 30, 2005
  15. Davidoff

    Davidoff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2004
    Messages:
    5,643
    Likes Received:
    9
    HAHA.. Nice.. :D
     
    #15 Davidoff, Dec 30, 2005
  16. micah1j

    micah1j Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2002
    Messages:
    2,635
    Likes Received:
    61
    Nice pics - what camera and lens used please.
     
    #16 micah1j, Dec 30, 2005
  17. rhadamanthus

    rhadamanthus Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2002
    Messages:
    14,304
    Likes Received:
    596
    God I hate squirrels. If only I could get a hawk to come kill the lil' bastards in my trees...
     
    #17 rhadamanthus, Dec 30, 2005
  18. thadeus

    thadeus Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2003
    Messages:
    8,313
    Likes Received:
    726
    Cool pictures! I was thinking of putting a bird feeder on my balcony.
     
    #18 thadeus, Dec 30, 2005
  19. Master Baiter

    Master Baiter Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2001
    Messages:
    9,608
    Likes Received:
    1,376
    I bet you have a lot of bird **** in your backyard.
     
    #19 Master Baiter, Dec 30, 2005
  20. Jeff

    Jeff Clutch Crew

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 1999
    Messages:
    22,412
    Likes Received:
    362
    Your hawk is a Red Tailed Hawk, pretty common to Houston, but not so common to back yards. I see them often down near the bayous and in open fields hunting for field mice.

    You've got a good healthy backyard there. The threshers are pretty rare. Don't be too upset at the opossums. They are pretty much harmless and will kill other smaller rodents like rats and field mice. I've had numerous in my backyard, some that would almost come right up to me.

    I had a raccoon in my backyard for a year that would eat right out of my hand and even sit on my lap while eating.

    Good pics by the way.
     
    #20 Jeff, Dec 30, 2005
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page

Style
ClutchFans Dark

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Rockets Content

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now