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Pagosa wildlife...
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 isan 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![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
omoo), I am thinking this is a Western meadowlark, based mostly on habitat descriptions (geographical range, preferred nesting areas).
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
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).
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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...