What have you seen lately?

[Brucewillis4316]

Orange salamanders. - 10 or 12 today along a ridge line hike at Sholan Farm

 

[Brucewillis4316]

also these small purple flowers, they look like an iris of sorts...

 

[smokey-seven]

Saw bats last evening for the first time this year, they could have been here a while but the light was right when I looked out. Sandpipers on the beach this am. Mmma Mallard with 5 chicks swam by at 0500 this morning. That's an early hatch considering the weather.

 

[Blackmore]

I've been in this house nearly 25 years and all of a sudden I seem to have a pair of porcupines living nearby and digging for grubs in my yard.

 

[smokey-seven]

Listening to the Bull Frog croaking for the first time this year.

I seem to have a pair of porcupines living nearby

If you ever had a dog with a face full or quills, you would take care of those real quick.

 

[not new guy]

It's been a weird day for birds.

Sitting in traffic coming up the expressway I watched a bald eagle fly over the highway wish a fish in its claws. I've seen them around, but never in Dorchester.

Then just now I watched a turkey run diagonally across the intersection of Boylston and Clarendon Streets.

 

[smokey-seven]

It's been a weird day for birds.

Sort of like living in the 1700's eh?

 

[Rat187]

I saw about 1000 Turkey chicks (poults) last night....forgot my scatter gun

 

[ccm75]

Out turkey hunting and a big ass snapping turtle came striding through my decoys.
I think she was out laying or tending eggs...Looked like a damn dinosaur.
Ps. No turkeys.

 

[smokey-seven]

I think she was out laying or tending eggs

Yea, definitely a female out to lay eggs. I'm on a lake and there are 2 females that started eyeing the shoreline about 2 weeks ago. They keep a close eye on the sun and the angles it hits the shore. They will lay anytime from around now to June 21. The hatch is in early Sept/late Aug and the sex of the hatch lings is dictated by the temperature during the time in the nest.

 

[MEB]

Saw a piebald deer out on chappaquiddick a few weeks ago. With no foxes or coyotes on the island, there were deer everywhere.

 

[Dennis in MA]

I saw about 1000 Turkey chicks (poults) last night....forgot my scatter gun

View attachment 285699

Seems a month or two early for turkey chicks, isn't it??? Unless you are looking for a 30lb Thanksgiving turkey. LOL

Out turkey hunting and a big ass snapping turtle came striding through my decoys.
I think she was out laying or tending eggs...Looked like a damn dinosaur.
Ps. No turkeys.

They are prehistoric, aren't they?? I find several on the lake every year. HUGE! We're talking shell width (side to side) of 16-24" at least.

There is one that nests in my neighbor's garden annually. They're f'ing snapping turtles, but we allow it. They don't really bother us, so we don't bother them. You hear people talk about "Oooooh, there are some big snapping turtles out there in the lake" and you think they are man-eaters. Far from it.

At Clear Pond in Lakeville, there is a resident one that hangs out by the swimming float. ROFL!!!! The lifeguards all know. The kids are pretty clueless about it. BIG!

 

[ccm75]

Ya, on my way out I stopped by to check him out down by the creek.
I poked my folded up three-legged stool at him and he slammed it; almost pulled it out my hand....Some real PSI and force!
Take your damn finger right off...

 

[Dennis in MA]

Saw a bunch of heron today. My wife says she think there is a rookery behind the house. One was huge. Like almost half again bigger as the others. Lighter in color. Squawked like a dinosaur as it flew away.

 

[babygorilla]

I actually saw a bald eagle the other day at Bare Cove Park in Hingham while walking the mutt. It was being harrassed by a Red Tail. I didn't believe my eyes until I looked it up.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dex8Zwetu-I

 

[smokey-seven]

Osprey over the lake the past few days. Must be nesting nearby.

 

[not new guy]

I actually saw a bald eagle the other day at Bare Cove Park in Hingham while walking the mutt. It was being harrassed by a Red Tail. I didn't believe my eyes until I looked it up.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dex8Zwetu-I

I think it/they nest over in the marshes on the far south end of the park. There’s lots of wildlife hiding in Bare Cove - pretty cool.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Was fishing yesterday about 7am. Heard this strange call. Turn around? Nothing. Heard it again. Turn. Nothing. Third time, I turn to see the 2 loons popping up out of the water.

They worked the baitfish about 100yds from me from west to east over the next 15 min. They aren't normally on this side of hte lake so it was a nice treat.

 

[smokey-seven]

This White Heron walked past me yesterday.

 

[Dennis in MA]

What's the difference between a white heron and a crane? Honest question. I'd have said "crane." Maybe I've seen white herons and never knew.

 

[smokey-seven]

Actually the true name of that bird is, "Great Egret" which is also called a Great White Heron. Note the leg color is black and not orange/yellowish.

There is a Whooping Crane, but it has black marks in the facial area. That bird ranges more in the South US.

The easiest way to differentiate herons from cranes for identification purposes is to look at their necks. Cranes’ necks are a shorter than those of herons, and they typically hold them straight. This is particularly obvious when the birds are flying. Herons curve their necks into an “S” shape and when they are flying they pull them totally back, while cranes necks’ stick straight out. Cranes also have shorter beaks than herons.

Is This a Heron, Egret or Crane?

 

[Hetzer]

Not the best of sightings but I’m seeing more dead deer by the side of the highways. I’m guessing the rut started recently?

 

[Dennis in MA]

Rut roh! LOL

I see a reasonable amount of deer. I can count on one hand how many were antler'd in the last decade. (Yes, I know it's only a certiain time of the year.)

 

[babygorilla]

I think it/they nest over in the marshes on the far south end of the park. There’s lots of wildlife hiding in Bare Cove - pretty cool.

Yep, it's literally my backyard.

 

[smokey-seven]

Not the best of sightings but I’m seeing more dead deer by the side of the highways. I’m guessing the rut started recently?

The rut is in the late fall/early winter and coincides with the white tail hunting season.

This is spring and deer are being pushed around by pushing out the one year olds and herding instincts.

 

[Dennis in MA]

I think he was being funny. LOL

Was sitting on the porch having a cigar yesterday afternoon and a sharpshin hawk flew past me and settled into a tree at the opening of the woods. He paused about a minute and then set off into that Endor Speeder race that he'll fly with all them trees. Those suckers can turn like a mofo.

 

[Chris M.]

So im driving out of BJ's in Leominster on Sunday, past that office building on the left with the airport down on my right. BIG doe comes zipping across from the left 20' in front of me. Hooves clicking on the pavement. Jumps the railing and goes down the bank toward the airport. Mid-day.

 

[pupchow]

 

[whalerman69]

Went out fishing yesterday. On the way over to an eagles nest saw a deer out on a small island. Got to nest and one adult eagle and two juvies in nest. While fishing a cove on the island we could hear loons. They came into said cove and were fishing within 10 ft of boat. Never seen them get that close. After that saw osprey's, blue herring, and egret's. Quite a day. Oh ya and we caught some fish....Couple small bass but six BIG pick's and some good size white perch.

 

[MFSP101]

Saw this Monday in the marsh near where I work up near the blue hills. Saw another one if not the same one this morning in the same area.