Let's Get One Thing Clear, OK?
(Critters • )
Curious George is not a monkey. I know they constantly refer to him as such, but look at him. He has no tail. His features are ape-like. That’s because Curious George is not a monkey, he’s a chimpanzee.
I’m glad we got that straightened out.
→ B.Dunn, Aug 18, 2010, 08 25 AM
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Vampire Bugs
(Critters • Nature)
Our July had become something of a monsoon, so when we vacated north for a few days, one of our hopes was to return to a somewhat dried out semblance of midsummers past.
In addition to squelching most of our fig harvest, the rains had produced so many damned mosquitoes that they covered one’s legs from where one’s shorts ended until one’s socks began, as one circled the big fig trees slapping frantically and looking for fruit that hadn’t opened at the end and fermented yet.
Alas, upon return, it was clear the rains had continued, along with the blood-sucking insects. I called the kind folks at the city of Richmond’s public works office and asked if they could spare a truckload of mosquito spray, as we were being pretty well eaten alive down here.
Turns out the truck had been around spraying the night before we got home. Crikey!
The city’s allegedly coming back Saturday, but it’s pretty clear they aren’t armed with enough chemical power to knock out the bad bugs. Only a typical summer dry spell can do that, and unfortunately, instead we’re going to have one of these by early next week.
So stay alert, o my brothers, don your netted underwear and watch for the West Nile Virus Express, coming soon to a backed-up sewer drain or pile of old tires near you.
→ B.Dunn, Jul 22, 2010, 12 58 PM
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Clean-up In Aisle 3
(Critters • )
Look, I hate to be gross, but every once in awhile a perfect picture story just presents itself, so you take what you can get.
While I obviously happened along the driveway a little bit after the action scene, it would seem that what the hawk could get was the squirrel. Or at least, most of it. (You can click on the little photo to see more clearly that a tail and hindquarters portion was left behind, but don’t click if a little raw flesh makes you squirm.) The hawk had to sacrifice a feather in exchange for a warm meal.
If I don’t seem sympathetic enough to the squirrel, it’s because the damn things have been multiplying like crazy the last couple of years, conditions being optimum for the little day rats. They jump onto my banana plants just for a couple of bites at the base of any hapless new leaf, the remainder of which falls to the ground. They shred hanging plants at their whim, dig up the flower boxes to bury rotten pecans, and have gnawed their way into the house. None of this would be a problem for long if we lived 50 yards down the road outside city limits so that I could discharge my shotgun without raising the ire of the city police.
In other words, no, I’m not too sympathetic over the squirrel’s plight.
In fact, I encourage more hawks to swoop down on my driveway in broad daylight and eat these long-tailed marauders.
That’ s what I call fast food.
→ B.Dunn, Jun 13, 2010, 11 48 AM
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Whistlers In The Trees
(Critters • )
The tree ducks are back, flying around in big, noisy circles overhead in groups of six or eight, bouncing around about 50 feet up in the treetops, annoying the squirrels with their early morning racket.
People here refer to them as Mexican Whistling Ducks, but they’re more properly Dendrocygna autumnalis, the Black-bellied Whistling Duck. They have reddish-orange bills and long, pink legs. They’re like clowns in the trees, hopping up and down and hooting at each other, playing teeter-totter on broken but unfallen branches. I haven’t had a lot of luck photographing them, but my wife got some good ones yesterday.
A few of the tree ducks hang around here most of the year, but many more join them in the spring. I don’t know where they arrive from; they range down to Argentina.
Sometimes they lay their eggs in the middle of wide pecan branches high up in the air. I never see any evidence of nests. I’ve also never noticed any chicks, but I have found broken white eggs on the ground on occasion.
They don’t seem to mourn the loss; they’re too busy having a good time. Also, they rarely poop on the cars, which is a big plus in my book.
→ B.Dunn, Mar 31, 2010, 07 39 AM
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