And then there's the Southern ReinGator
Showing posts with label deer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deer. Show all posts
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Friday, July 20, 2018
What Lives On Assateague Island? - The Mammals
Lots and lots of creatures live on Assateague Island, and/or in and on the surrounding waters. Despite the often harsh conditions that occur in a coastal environment, a wide variety of animal species have managed to find a niche on, or around, Assateague, which stretches from southern Maryland to northern Virginia in the Atlantic Ocean. Each of the island's different ecological zones provide habitat for a multitude of animals; these include birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Today, I'll write about the mammals - those air-breathing, warm-blooded creatures like us, who walk upon the ground or swim in the ocean.
More than twenty-five types of mammals live in or around the island of Assateague; the most well-known are the wild ponies. They are descendants of feral horses and ponies; the first-known being the blinded Spanish pit ponies that were ship-wrecked on the island from the galleon La Galga, and were noted in a report to Spain by the Spanish ambassador. The people of coastal Maryland and Virginia were taxed upon ownership of livestock, and they allowed their stock to run free on Assateague to avoid payment of said taxes, and, so, the "wild ponies" of Assateague came about. The 80-plus ponies living on the Maryland end of Virginia receive only contraceptive darts for care; the ponies in Virginia belong to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, and are kept on Assateague via a contract with the US government. The ponies feed primarily on salt-marsh cord grass, but also consume beach grass, greenbriar, bayberry, poison ivy, and many other types of vegetation that are not in the usual horse's diet.
Other large mammals also roam the parks (the Assateague National Seashore and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge) grazing and browsing on low-lying vegetation. They are the indigenous Virginia White-tailed deer, and the non-native Sika deer, a miniature type of Asian elk, who were introduced to Assateague in the 1920s. On-going research is evaluating the ecological effects of Sika deer on both native vegetation communities and their effect upon other wildlife, including the native white-tailed deer.
The other other mammals range in size from small rodents, to bats, to furry critters, to large marine mammals - including the bottlenose dolphin and several species of whale that feed in the island's offshore waters. Besides the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, the Atlantic white-sided dolphin, and the common dolphin are frequently seen around the island - in the ocean and in the channels and bays.
Whale sightings include the fin whale, humpback whale, pilot whale, sperm whale and right whale. Seals are occasionally seen resting on Assateague Island, also; usually sighted are the harp seal, harbor seal, and, rarely, the hooded seal.
Red foxes build dens in sand dunes and roam the island hunting for mice, birds, insects, and berries. Opossums and raccoons provide the important environmental service of waste removal, feeding on the island's carrion, as well as insects, larvae, berries and small rodents. The only marsupial in North America, the opossum give birth to premature young which complete their development in a pouch on the outside of the mother's body.
Rodents such as the meadow jumping mouse and meadow vole live in grasses bordering both salt- and freshwater wetlands. They feed on seeds, wetland plants, and in the case of the jumping mouse, insects. Though seldom seen, both river otters and muskrat make their home in the island's marshes and adjacent waterways.
A listing of mammals on and around Assateague Island:
Chincoteague/Assateague ponies
Red fox
Whales - fin, humpback, pilot, right, and sperm
White-tailed deer
Bats - little brown, red, and silver-haired
Delmarva fox squirrel
Raccoon
Eastern cottontail rabbit
Dolphins - Atlantic bottlenose, Atlantic white-sided, and common
Sika deer (miniature Asian elk)
Mice - house, meadow jumping, and white-footed
River otter
Rats - Norway and rice
Least shrew
Muskrat
Virginia opossum
Meadow jumping vole
Seals - harbor, harp, and hooded
More than twenty-five types of mammals live in or around the island of Assateague; the most well-known are the wild ponies. They are descendants of feral horses and ponies; the first-known being the blinded Spanish pit ponies that were ship-wrecked on the island from the galleon La Galga, and were noted in a report to Spain by the Spanish ambassador. The people of coastal Maryland and Virginia were taxed upon ownership of livestock, and they allowed their stock to run free on Assateague to avoid payment of said taxes, and, so, the "wild ponies" of Assateague came about. The 80-plus ponies living on the Maryland end of Virginia receive only contraceptive darts for care; the ponies in Virginia belong to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, and are kept on Assateague via a contract with the US government. The ponies feed primarily on salt-marsh cord grass, but also consume beach grass, greenbriar, bayberry, poison ivy, and many other types of vegetation that are not in the usual horse's diet.
Other large mammals also roam the parks (the Assateague National Seashore and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge) grazing and browsing on low-lying vegetation. They are the indigenous Virginia White-tailed deer, and the non-native Sika deer, a miniature type of Asian elk, who were introduced to Assateague in the 1920s. On-going research is evaluating the ecological effects of Sika deer on both native vegetation communities and their effect upon other wildlife, including the native white-tailed deer.
The other other mammals range in size from small rodents, to bats, to furry critters, to large marine mammals - including the bottlenose dolphin and several species of whale that feed in the island's offshore waters. Besides the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, the Atlantic white-sided dolphin, and the common dolphin are frequently seen around the island - in the ocean and in the channels and bays.
Whale sightings include the fin whale, humpback whale, pilot whale, sperm whale and right whale. Seals are occasionally seen resting on Assateague Island, also; usually sighted are the harp seal, harbor seal, and, rarely, the hooded seal.
Red foxes build dens in sand dunes and roam the island hunting for mice, birds, insects, and berries. Opossums and raccoons provide the important environmental service of waste removal, feeding on the island's carrion, as well as insects, larvae, berries and small rodents. The only marsupial in North America, the opossum give birth to premature young which complete their development in a pouch on the outside of the mother's body.
Rodents such as the meadow jumping mouse and meadow vole live in grasses bordering both salt- and freshwater wetlands. They feed on seeds, wetland plants, and in the case of the jumping mouse, insects. Though seldom seen, both river otters and muskrat make their home in the island's marshes and adjacent waterways.
A listing of mammals on and around Assateague Island:
Chincoteague/Assateague ponies
Red fox
Whales - fin, humpback, pilot, right, and sperm
White-tailed deer
Bats - little brown, red, and silver-haired
Delmarva fox squirrel
Raccoon
Eastern cottontail rabbit
Dolphins - Atlantic bottlenose, Atlantic white-sided, and common
Sika deer (miniature Asian elk)
Mice - house, meadow jumping, and white-footed
River otter
Rats - Norway and rice
Least shrew
Muskrat
Virginia opossum
Meadow jumping vole
Seals - harbor, harp, and hooded
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Assateague Island Photos
Sunrise on the beach
Bald Eagle on a duck blind
Twilight drink
Assateague Lighthouse
Poco Dot - filly by Riptide, out of Poco's Starry Night
Suede, who lost her foal in early March
Tuleta Star nursing her filly by Hoppy (aka Little Dolphin)
Black-chinned Hummingbirds
We had a late-May snow storm, here in Boulder, that began Wednesday night and lasted until late Thursday night. It began with rain and pea-sized hail, then turned to rain. At 6 in the morning, the precipitation turned into large fluffy snowflakes, but within an hour it was sleet. Our temperature throughout the day never rose above 31 degrees (F), and the clouds dropped a continuous fall of snow, sleet and rain. We ended up with a little over five inches of snow; Ward had 38 inches, and Nederland had 28 inches.
With the three bird feeders filled in the tree below us, and the small free-standing feeder we have on the balcony (besides the water bowl), we watched our feathered friends, along with the squirrels happily munch away all day. The usual visitors to our balcony are sparrows and finches - and we have pieces of sunflower seeds in their feeder. (The thistle feeder, and the nuts, berries and seed mixtures are used in the tree hanging feeders.) Also on the outer corners of the balcony are two solar-powered glass sculptures. A blue, green and clear glass owl (Wendell) is on the north side, and, in front of my desk window is Penny the penguin. Her body is blue,head black, face white - and she wears a red winter scarf and Santa hat.
At 5 p.m. in the midst of the snowstorm, with a temperature of 31 degrees, I was astounded to see a single hummingbird trying to feed from Penny's scarf and hat. I have always known there are hummingbirds in Colorado - as a matter of fact, there are 11 types that are usually found here in the summer. I have seen them in the suburbs, in neighborhoods where I house sit, and through open spaces and up in the mountains. In the two years I have lived in this apartment, I have not seen a hummingbird here. The hummer returned Friday morning, seeking nectar, again.
After taking clients to the Denver International Airport yesterday, I stopped and purchased a hummingbird feeder on the way home. I mixed up the sugar water, and hung the feeder, almost next to my window. By the time I had walked from the balcony to my bedroom, and sat down at my desk, a hummingbird had appeared and was eating. I was thrilled! I kept seeing a single hummingbird all afternoon, and up until 7:30 yesterday evening.
I was awakened at 5:25 this morning by Nedi, who was in the windowsill and chittering. The hummingbird spent almost five minutes sipping nectar. It has made multiple visits since then. Less than ten minutes ago, a male and female appeared and ate together... I looked them up in my birder's guide, and found that they are black-chinned hummingbirds.
Then, too this morning, Beatrice, my room mate, called me into her bedroom, where we could see three deer feeding on the hill behind the apartments. I took photos, but two had left by the time I returned. I am now sitting at my desk, awaiting the return of the hummers, so I can "capture" them with my camera....
And, don't forget - The Preakness Stakes will be run this afternoon at Pimlico Racetrack, outside of Baltimore, Maryland. Always Dreaming will be following his quest to become a Triple Crown Champion. There was a heavy rain early this morning on the track, so we will have to see what the footing is like this afternoon/evening...
With the three bird feeders filled in the tree below us, and the small free-standing feeder we have on the balcony (besides the water bowl), we watched our feathered friends, along with the squirrels happily munch away all day. The usual visitors to our balcony are sparrows and finches - and we have pieces of sunflower seeds in their feeder. (The thistle feeder, and the nuts, berries and seed mixtures are used in the tree hanging feeders.) Also on the outer corners of the balcony are two solar-powered glass sculptures. A blue, green and clear glass owl (Wendell) is on the north side, and, in front of my desk window is Penny the penguin. Her body is blue,head black, face white - and she wears a red winter scarf and Santa hat.
At 5 p.m. in the midst of the snowstorm, with a temperature of 31 degrees, I was astounded to see a single hummingbird trying to feed from Penny's scarf and hat. I have always known there are hummingbirds in Colorado - as a matter of fact, there are 11 types that are usually found here in the summer. I have seen them in the suburbs, in neighborhoods where I house sit, and through open spaces and up in the mountains. In the two years I have lived in this apartment, I have not seen a hummingbird here. The hummer returned Friday morning, seeking nectar, again.
After taking clients to the Denver International Airport yesterday, I stopped and purchased a hummingbird feeder on the way home. I mixed up the sugar water, and hung the feeder, almost next to my window. By the time I had walked from the balcony to my bedroom, and sat down at my desk, a hummingbird had appeared and was eating. I was thrilled! I kept seeing a single hummingbird all afternoon, and up until 7:30 yesterday evening.
I was awakened at 5:25 this morning by Nedi, who was in the windowsill and chittering. The hummingbird spent almost five minutes sipping nectar. It has made multiple visits since then. Less than ten minutes ago, a male and female appeared and ate together... I looked them up in my birder's guide, and found that they are black-chinned hummingbirds.
Then, too this morning, Beatrice, my room mate, called me into her bedroom, where we could see three deer feeding on the hill behind the apartments. I took photos, but two had left by the time I returned. I am now sitting at my desk, awaiting the return of the hummers, so I can "capture" them with my camera....
And, don't forget - The Preakness Stakes will be run this afternoon at Pimlico Racetrack, outside of Baltimore, Maryland. Always Dreaming will be following his quest to become a Triple Crown Champion. There was a heavy rain early this morning on the track, so we will have to see what the footing is like this afternoon/evening...
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Today's Snow (with Photos)
It started to fall a little after midnight - I was reading, and noticed the raindrops mixed with snow. It was still a mixture after 1 a.m. About 2:30 I could see snow accumulation on vehicles in the parking lot. When Lovey and Nedi awoke me at 6:45, there was about 5 inches of snow on the balcony. It continued snowing until 1 this afternoon, then the sun tried to come out; and almost everything melted away. Since 5 p.m., we've had brief periods of heavy snow, and snow mixed with rain... There's an icy glaze on the balcony floor now, but that's about it. I'll have to see what the local NWS says about snowfall amounts.... The National Weather Service says 8.2 inches of snow fell on 4 April.
Deer in Evergreen
Looking west in Boulder
Hiking in the snow at Chautauqua
Crab apple blossoms this afternoon
Train near Niwot
Farm in the Foothills
Bison in Evergreen
Monday, January 23, 2017
Local Wildlife in Snow - Photos
Mountain lion, puma, catamount
Horned owl
Beaver
Deer
Owl
Fox
Rabbit
Chickadee
Bobcat, lynx
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Local Wildlife
Since I've been out early and late for the past week, I've been surprised at the amount of early morning wildlife I've encountered. It's been in the teens and single digits for temperatures overnight, so I really didn't expect to see a lot of critters out and about before sunrise. The number of birds, squirrels, rabbits and mule deer out and about was mind-boggling.
This morning, I was driving down a residential street - two driving lanes, and parking lanes on both sides - when I met a herd of mule deer does (no buck) who were strolling, shoulder to shoulder, lined up almost evenly, from curb to curb. I had to stop and wait for them to part and walk around the car before I could drive on.
The other morning, just as the first rays of light were spreading in the east, I stepped out of the car, closed the door, and heard the hoot of an owl. Looking around, I saw the pair of great horned owls that are usually in the neighborhood during the winter. Then I heard the "neeep, neeep" of several nut hatches, followed by the calls of chickadees. Then a flock of more than 20 magpies flew over, making comments. At the next house, I encountered several rufous-sided towhees, and a huge flock of sparrows.
The cottontail rabbits are still greatly in evidence. My brother-in-law was amazed to see the local bobcat stalk, attack, kill, and eat a rabbit in his back yard garden. The few times I've seen the foxes this fall and winter, they, too, have been chowing down on the surplus rabbits. The mink is spotted about once a week around the neighborhood, too.
One of our previous neighbors, who moved away, contacted me yesterday and told me that a friend of hers had purchased a home on Tamarack recently, and was very surprised to see the bobcat cross her yard two nights ago. Risa told Tracey about my Wildlife Watch newsletter, and Tracey wanted to be signed up. I contacted her last night, and added her to the e-mail group this morning. I hope she appreciates the area's natural wildlife as much as I do!
This morning, I was driving down a residential street - two driving lanes, and parking lanes on both sides - when I met a herd of mule deer does (no buck) who were strolling, shoulder to shoulder, lined up almost evenly, from curb to curb. I had to stop and wait for them to part and walk around the car before I could drive on.
The other morning, just as the first rays of light were spreading in the east, I stepped out of the car, closed the door, and heard the hoot of an owl. Looking around, I saw the pair of great horned owls that are usually in the neighborhood during the winter. Then I heard the "neeep, neeep" of several nut hatches, followed by the calls of chickadees. Then a flock of more than 20 magpies flew over, making comments. At the next house, I encountered several rufous-sided towhees, and a huge flock of sparrows.
The cottontail rabbits are still greatly in evidence. My brother-in-law was amazed to see the local bobcat stalk, attack, kill, and eat a rabbit in his back yard garden. The few times I've seen the foxes this fall and winter, they, too, have been chowing down on the surplus rabbits. The mink is spotted about once a week around the neighborhood, too.
One of our previous neighbors, who moved away, contacted me yesterday and told me that a friend of hers had purchased a home on Tamarack recently, and was very surprised to see the bobcat cross her yard two nights ago. Risa told Tracey about my Wildlife Watch newsletter, and Tracey wanted to be signed up. I contacted her last night, and added her to the e-mail group this morning. I hope she appreciates the area's natural wildlife as much as I do!
Monday, December 12, 2016
Nature With Rosie
Rosie and I had a "nature day" this past Friday. Just a quick reminder that Rosie is an elderly Irish Setter, who, at 14 + years, has out-lived her brother, her parents, and, as of last week, all four of her puppies. Rosie has problems walking these days - her hind legs have no feeling, thanks to a compressed spinal cord, but once she gets her feet under her, she can keep walking for miles. But - her left hind paw turns over as she walks, and she scrapes her toes raw, so we avoid walking her on asphalt and concrete surfaces these days.
Friday, it had gotten a little warmer after snowing, and the roads and sidewalks were snow-packed, so we walked to my sister's instead of driving. Her toes just slipped on the snow-pack, and didn't abrade, so we footed it. The amount of small wildlife we saw was amazing. Several bunnies were along the Garnet spur, and they all went dashing into burrows under a huge juniper bush. Rosie had to spend a lot of time investigating each and every path. When we turned onto Topaz, several squirrels chittered at us from one of Bernie's cottonwoods. As we approached the next home, we were greeted by an eight-point buck and six does. Rosie whined, but sat quietly and we watched them cross the street in front of us. We passed lots of small birds singing in the trees, and saw tracks of squirrels, a raccoon, and other dogs in the snow.
When we reached my sister's home, we went in by the Creek gate, and I took the leash off Rosie's harness. Her first item of business was following the trail of a single deer that had jumped the gate, and then gone diagonally across the back yard. The only areas clear of snow were right up against the line of firs trees along the irrigation ditch, so I set my chair up there. Rosie began playing "safari" - looking for lions and tigers and bears (oh, my!) under the drooping boughs, She spent about ten minutes doing her reconnaissance mission, and then felt it was safe enough to go wallow in a deep snow drift. After several back-scratching rolls and wiggles, she heaved a deep sigh, and came back beside me. She chose a sunny spot on the grass, and stretched out to absorb the sun's rays.
I sat in the chair and watched the sky, listened to birds, and thought about how nice my life is. (I was also hoping that it would stay this nice...) Looking at the sky, I noticed that the lowers clouds were racing from the west to the east, and I watched a jet's contrail get twisted into a double helix before it was totally blown away and apart. The higher, larger clouds were slowing moving to the northeast, and formed a darker backdrop for the lower, faster clouds.
I then noticed there were very few birds singing in the back yard, so I started scanning the boles of the firs. The fifth one I gazed at had a pair of great horned owls, a male and a larger female, near the top branches. On the other side of the yard, there was the usual gaggle of chickadees, sparrows, juncos, robins, and one rufous-sided towhee. Then a murder of crows flew over, followed by a few magpies... All in all, the normal sightings in the Githens Acres neighborhood.
Rosie and I walked back quietly - she was a little tired, and (I think) starting to get chilly. I kept on thinking about all of the creatures that I had been allowed to view. Got Rosie home, and she immediately curled up in her bed, so I threw her coverlet over her. Then I stepped back out the front door and had a squirrel greet me. Creatures in life are nice.
Friday, it had gotten a little warmer after snowing, and the roads and sidewalks were snow-packed, so we walked to my sister's instead of driving. Her toes just slipped on the snow-pack, and didn't abrade, so we footed it. The amount of small wildlife we saw was amazing. Several bunnies were along the Garnet spur, and they all went dashing into burrows under a huge juniper bush. Rosie had to spend a lot of time investigating each and every path. When we turned onto Topaz, several squirrels chittered at us from one of Bernie's cottonwoods. As we approached the next home, we were greeted by an eight-point buck and six does. Rosie whined, but sat quietly and we watched them cross the street in front of us. We passed lots of small birds singing in the trees, and saw tracks of squirrels, a raccoon, and other dogs in the snow.
When we reached my sister's home, we went in by the Creek gate, and I took the leash off Rosie's harness. Her first item of business was following the trail of a single deer that had jumped the gate, and then gone diagonally across the back yard. The only areas clear of snow were right up against the line of firs trees along the irrigation ditch, so I set my chair up there. Rosie began playing "safari" - looking for lions and tigers and bears (oh, my!) under the drooping boughs, She spent about ten minutes doing her reconnaissance mission, and then felt it was safe enough to go wallow in a deep snow drift. After several back-scratching rolls and wiggles, she heaved a deep sigh, and came back beside me. She chose a sunny spot on the grass, and stretched out to absorb the sun's rays.
I sat in the chair and watched the sky, listened to birds, and thought about how nice my life is. (I was also hoping that it would stay this nice...) Looking at the sky, I noticed that the lowers clouds were racing from the west to the east, and I watched a jet's contrail get twisted into a double helix before it was totally blown away and apart. The higher, larger clouds were slowing moving to the northeast, and formed a darker backdrop for the lower, faster clouds.
I then noticed there were very few birds singing in the back yard, so I started scanning the boles of the firs. The fifth one I gazed at had a pair of great horned owls, a male and a larger female, near the top branches. On the other side of the yard, there was the usual gaggle of chickadees, sparrows, juncos, robins, and one rufous-sided towhee. Then a murder of crows flew over, followed by a few magpies... All in all, the normal sightings in the Githens Acres neighborhood.
Rosie and I walked back quietly - she was a little tired, and (I think) starting to get chilly. I kept on thinking about all of the creatures that I had been allowed to view. Got Rosie home, and she immediately curled up in her bed, so I threw her coverlet over her. Then I stepped back out the front door and had a squirrel greet me. Creatures in life are nice.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Assateague and Chincoteague Photos
The snow geese began arriving 13 October
White tail doe on Assateague
Delmarva fox squirrel
Cormorant
Froggie lunch for an egret
Fall Round-Up - Blue Moon, Surfer Princess, Beach Bunny
Moonrise on Assateague
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Miscellaneous Photos
Yellowstone food fight
Squirrel
Buddies
Osprey's lunch
Drum are running!
Oriole
Japanese elk (Sika deer)
Airborne!
Monday, May 2, 2016
Eastern Shore of Virginia Spring Photos
All of the following photographs were taken by Jay Diem on rainy days.
Cardinals in Accomac
Geese and goslings in Accomac
Deer near Jamesville
An apple blossom in Belle Haven
Wild turkey flock at Exmore
Muskrat in drainage ditch
Fox kit in Northampton County
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