Pagosa wildlife...

[alexpgp]

Coyotes woke us up a couple of nights ago. A group of them apparently caught a cat of some kind (based on the feline battle cry heard among the barks of the canines). Coyote cries at any time are disconcerting enough; at night, they penetrate directly to that ancient spot in the human brain, the one that still believes that fire is alive.

More locally, I found the following critter in among some cardboard that had been stored in our garage. I couldn't confirm until I had the image up on my screen that it was, almost certainly, a black widow (the red hourglass-shaped patch on the lower abdomen is not as clearly defined as on specimens I've seen back East in Florida and North Carolina).


While walking Shiloh two days ago, I was serenaded by a bird sitting on a wire, and was impressed how such a small package could generate such a loud song. While walking Shiloh again today, what I presume to be the same bird perched at about the same spot on the wire, and sang at us again. Based on some digging done online, I believe this is an Eastern a Western* Meadowlark.


It's a shame there's no easy way to embed a short audio clip, as I managed to capture the critter's song on my BlackBerry. (The truly dedicated can listen to the 3-second clip by clicking here.)

* * *
We and the kids ate dinner at Ramon's yesterday, where I had to explain to Huntür that her grandad (moi) had her birthday present shipped to the wrong address (I could've sworn I had edited the address in my Amazon account, but I guess I must not've), and that therefore, her present would only arrive during this coming week. (However, it was not I who spilled the beans as to what the present was... that honor fell to my son!)

I need to get some more of the translation done (and perhaps a nap, too) before we go over to the kids' house later today for more birthday festivities.

Cheers...

*After taking a look at some of the other birding sites out there (and a nudge from omoo), I am thinking this is a Western meadowlark, based mostly on habitat descriptions (geographical range, preferred nesting areas).

Comments

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

Meadowlarks' are my all-time favorite bird song!

We have collected a series of black widows. Since we have had bees here over the last 12 years, we have a steady supply of black widow chow. Keep the spider in a jar with a small stick for it to spin its web upon, and insert a bee once or twice a week. At least once we have had the spider spin an egg case and had the eggs hatch. When our Swedish exchange student wanted to take them home to Sweden I was able to dissuade him only after I appealed to his sense of Swedish patriotism, ie, you wouldn't want to do THAT to your country would you?

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, I've never stopped to consider how often bees become spider food. I suppose it must be quite often.

I let my critter go, figuring one black widow more or less in the world isn't going to make all that much of difference and may improve the quality of my karma.

Cheers...

[daphnis.livejournal.com]

The black widow is an elegant lady from any direction, particularly when approached with reverence and caution. I remember sitting in Spanish class at Verde Valley School in 1953, fascinated by the gyrations of a red-marked Lady creating a niche to hold her egg-sac safely below the window jamb. Got growled at for not paying attention to the lesson, but students were just as interested in my topic of study when she was pointed out to them.

She rather struts her stuff, whereas the brown recluse wears drab brown and fawn stripes with a marking on its abdomen, and is most often encountered in the dark corners under a bureau or the interior of a closet. Atavistic 'stomp reflex' arises when I see dark scuttling critters, I fear.

[omoo.livejournal.com]

The meadowlark picture is really nice. What makes you think it is an eastern meadowlark instead of western?

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Well, perhaps "insufficient research" might crop up as a reason. :)

I forget what site I went to, but the image there was almost an exact copy of my photo, with the possible exception of the black "collar" on the breast having more of a "vee" shape, whereupon the image shown for the Western meadowlark seemed like some sort of completely different bird.

After taking a look at some of the other birding sites out there, I am thinking this is, indeed, a Western meadowlark, based mostly on habitat descriptions, and will edit the post accordingly.

Cheers...

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

Yes, you are correct. That IS a western meadowlark. I'd not thought we had meadowlarks out here at all, but I recently identified one by its song. The western varieties are more prolific and sing more sweetly though.