Animals in your garden

[marlingardener]

Rosy, coyotes aren't a real problem here--we have a balance between native animals, so no one population takes over (except grasshoppers, which is a whole different discussion!). There is a native fox, but we don't have it, or at least haven't seen it.

 

[grouie]

This cow was crying for its calf or so it seemed

 

[Beth_B]

I have more photos but they're taken with my phone so not the best quality. I can provide more if needed. Does anyone know what this is?
This huge amazing moth was on my head this morning, a friend and I took several photos in my yard. It was between 2-3 inches long and had a bird-like head with a sort of furry beak? Absolutely gorgeous bug and I have been searching images to no avail. Any ideas what this is? It hung around for about 20 minutes - quite docile, I also have photos of it on my hand - then took off.

 

[Beth_B]

Aha! I think I answered my own question, at least in part. It's a variety of sphinx or hawk moth.
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/hawk_moths.shtml

I mentioned a "furry beak" and "Hawk moths have the world’s longest tongues of any other moth or butterfly (some up to 14 inches long)." Yikes.
Here it is on my hand.

 

[Corzhens]

It's been sometime when I last went to this thread, not to post but only to read. Now I have something to share because this morning I went to our extended garden located in the nearby vacant lot. Our crop of cassava is not looking good with the stagnant water caused by the rains. They look dying so we raised the beds by putting more soil.

And look what I found...

 

[gata montes]

Oh my you're so lucky Beth_B - as although Hawk Moths are a very common sight where I live and particularly the Elephant Hawk Moth - which I often catch a fleeting glimpse of - I've never yet managed to photograph one let alone have one sit in my hand - as they're never stay still long enough for me to capture them on camera - which is a real shame as they are a seriously stunning sight.

However its a totally different story when they're in caterpillar stage - as then they almost seem happy to pose for the camera - just like this cute little guy who I found by the barn door the other morning

who ( although not my photograph ) turns into this beautifully colored Elephant Hawk Moth.

 

[Beth_B]

@gata montes, how utterly adorable is that? Beautiful moth, too, wow. I love moths and often go out onto my back deck at night just to see what's landed around the porch light. I've seen luna moths and other fairly large ones but not a hawk moth.
That hawk moth was sitting on my head yesterday morning and my friend asked, is that a brooch or hair clip? Then looked closer and informed me I had a very large bug on my head!

@Corzhens, cute! Do you know what type of frog it's going to turn into?

 

[gata montes]

That hawk moth was sitting on my head yesterday morning and my friend asked, is that a brooch or hair clip? Then looked closer and informed me I had a very large bug on my head!

Now that you mention it - I can see how easily a hawk moth could be mistaken for a brooch or a hair clip - particularly as they generally have beautiful markings and are often very colorful too - you have me curious though - as I would love to know what your initial reaction was at being told you had a large bug on your head I know if it had been me and I didn't know what it was - I would have been seriously freaking out - especially as I still haven't forgotten the time a monster sized carpenter bee got entangled in my hair

 

[Beth_B]

Now that you mention it - I can see how easily a hawk moth could be mistaken for a brooch or a hair clip - particularly as they generally have beautiful markings and are often very colorful too - you have me curious though - as I would love to know what your initial reaction was at being told you had a large bug on your head I know if it had been me and I didn't know what it was - I would have been seriously freaking out - especially as I still haven't forgotten the time a monster sized carpenter bee got entangled in my hair

I must have looked immediately alarmed because my friend said right away, "it's a butterfly or a moth, nothing scary!" I'm OK with bugs and insects, except for yellow jackets and such. So I walked outside and shook my hair and it fluttered down onto the ground.

Last summer I was stung THREE times by yellow jackets (I work outside a lot), one of which somehow managed to get into my underpants - I will never know how - and sting me repeatedly on the butt. Funny in retrospect but it felt like someone grinding out a lit cigarette on my skin, it hurt!

 

[DeborahJane]

Ha, Charlie doesn't look too happy about the rain. What does your dog think of the monkeys, or are they common enough that she doesn't pay much attention?

Last night after dark the JRTx went running outside and was barking her fool head off at the chain link fence. She has a particular "alarm" bark so I went out with my big flashlight. Right on the other side of the fence was a mama skunk with two adorable babies (baby skunks really are adorable.) What wasn't so adorable was mama had her tail up and was backing towards the fence getting ready to spray. Luckily I was able to grab Fiona before she got sprayed. Skunk odor is difficult to get rid off, speaking from repeated experience! The spray is very oily and pungent.

@Smartmom, I'm rural but adjacent to woods and countryside but haven't seen any deer here although some of my neighbors have. Critters I've seen in my yard: raccoons, skunks, possums, squirrels (duh), groundhogs, garter snakes, toads and leopard frogs, wild turkeys sometimes wander in from the fields, and a few years ago a humungous snapping turtle was marching across my front yard. I coaxed her onto a tarp and pulled her into the woods - they can bite your finger clean off - to get her out of harms way.

The baby skunks would be very cute BethB. The only experience I have with skunks is Peppi La Pew so without the smell-o-vision, obviously lucky for me. Glad you scared momma off in time.

 

[gata montes]

I must have looked immediately alarmed because my friend said right away, "it's a butterfly or a moth, nothing scary!" I'm OK with bugs and insects, except for yellow jackets and such. So I walked outside and shook my hair and it fluttered down onto the ground.

Last summer I was stung THREE times by yellow jackets (I work outside a lot), one of which somehow managed to get into my underpants - I will never know how - and sting me repeatedly on the butt. Funny in retrospect but it felt like someone grinding out a lit cigarette on my skin, it hurt!

sounds nasty - that - unlike the hawk moth - I don't envy - especially as its sounds to be have been exceptionally painful too

 

[DeborahJane]

So cute none the less. There was a cayote hanging out in the woods right behind my house yesterday, but he would not emerge so that I could take a picture. The only reason I knew he was back there is because he started howling when a fire engine went by. My son got scared and had me close the sliding glass door.

I guess cayotes must sing along to sirens like domestic dogs.
We have foxes but I've never heard their calls. We tried to have chickens about a year ago but the foxes got them. Really distressing. I don't want to try again unless the pen is roofed as well as wired into the ground really securely.
A dear little wallaby was hit and killed by a car right outside our driveway last week . My son moved it over the road onto the embankment so it wasn't run over again. It was a really sad thing to see every time you drove out. I rang the council on the Thursday morning when it happened so they would collect it. On the Saturday evening I came home here was fox at it and the next morning it was gone. I know it's nature but I can't help but feel sad. I complained to the council about the fact that cars speed in our road, especially once it was sealed a few years ago. I've had a call back and they are going to put a counter on the road to check amount of traffic and speed so that's a good thing. I asked if there had been any other complaints about the speeding as we alL comment on it and apparently not so that's not bad is it?....one call and Action. I should have called earlier instead of just complaining

 

[DeborahJane]

I must have looked immediately alarmed because my friend said right away, "it's a butterfly or a moth, nothing scary!" I'm OK with bugs and insects, except for yellow jackets and such. So I walked outside and shook my hair and it fluttered down onto the ground.

Last summer I was stung THREE times by yellow jackets (I work outside a lot), one of which somehow managed to get into my underpants - I will never know how - and sting me repeatedly on the butt. Funny in retrospect but it felt like someone grinding out a lit cigarette on my skin, it hurt!

That sounds a bit nightmarish BethB not to mention very painful.

 

[DeborahJane]

This cow was crying for its calf or so it seemed

View attachment 7857

Like the peacock/cow serenade Grouie along with the soothing rain.

 

[grouie]

Oh my you're so lucky Beth_B - as although Hawk Moths are a very common sight where I live and particularly the Elephant Hawk Moth - which I often catch a fleeting glimpse of - I've never yet managed to photograph one let alone have one sit in my hand - as they're never stay still long enough for me to capture them on camera - which is a real shame as they are a seriously stunning sight.

However its a totally different story when they're in caterpillar stage - as then they almost seem happy to pose for the camera - just like this cute little guy who I found by the barn door the other morning


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who ( although not my photograph ) turns into this beautifully colored Elephant Hawk Moth.

View attachment 7869

What a beautiful moth!!!