Feeling a Little Nutty

My Katydid

When I was young, we used to listen for the sounds of the katydid at night. The insect made a noise that sounded exactly like it's name, as well as noise that sounded like "katy didn't."

The insect below is fork-tailed bush katydid (according to my National Audubon book, anyway). I am not an entomologist, but that's my best guess based on the book photos.

These are my photos of my katydid, another creature living in my flower garden.

Katydid



Katy didn't

Those are long antennae, aren't they? Almost four times as long as the bug's body. They'd give me a headache!

My Garden Lizard

 

This is the lizard that I keep seeing in my rose garden. He runs very fast, almost mostly on his hind legs. But he was sunning the other day on my seashell and I was able to grab a photo. Apparently he is an Eastern fence lizard.

After I scared him, he slipped under the heat pump and I was surprised to see the bright blue on the underbelly. Apparently that is indicative of its sex (male), based on my quick research.

I don't mind him too much, although he has startled me a time or two. Lizards aren't poisonous so he can't hurt me, but reptiles tend to creep me out regardless.

A Racoon in a Tree

This picture was taken circa 1986 with black and white film and probably my Nikon film camera.

The Baby Giraffe

Saturday brought a delivery of sorts in the form of a baby giraffe.

April the giraffe had her little one, a boy, on April 15, 2017. The baby weighed in at 129 pounds, 5'9" a day after his birth, according to reports I saw.

I just happened to tune in to the youtube live stream just in time to see little hooves stick out of mama April. I squealed.

Yes, I admit it. I squealed. That was around 7:40 a.m.

I watched for most of the entire time, along with 1.25 million other people. I did a few other things - answered email, ate my breakfast at my keyboard - but mostly I kept an eye on the progress of this birth.

How often does one have the opportunity to watch a giraffe begin born, after all? Even if it is via a satellite stream.

The labor took a few hours, with feet and legs dangling for an hour. Had this been a cow, we might have gone ahead and pulled it, to be sure of a live birth, but the vet kept sticking his thumb in front of the camera in a thumb's up sign, assuring us breathless viewers that all was well.

I sat in front of my computer shouting, "Come on April! Push! You can do it!" It was rather like the way my husband yells at sports teams.

The baby's head came out of April, and then the little giraffe's birth occurred rather quickly. Just before 10 a.m., he slid what seemed a very long way to the floor, landing in a motionless heap. I held my breath, watching, and then I saw it move. Whew.

Momma giraffe immediately commenced her ministrations, licking at the little body to clean it, warm it, and nurture it.

At about 10:35 a.m., little baby giraffe stood up. He wobbled unsteadily on those very long skinny legs. I gave another cheer.

Here are a few stills from the live stream that I have taken creative license with:



April helping the little one to its feet for the first time. Oliver, the baby's dad, is in the other cage.

Mom and baby after a couple of hours.



A little maternal kiss.

The feed is still up if you want to watch the little one grow. You can access it here. (If he has wandered into the corner where the cameras are, you won't see him. Back up the feed and you can see him if that happens.)

April Means Giraffe

I confess.

April the giraffe has caught my attention. I tune in once a day (sometimes more) to see her wander around her cage.

April lives at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY. She is 15 years old and this will be her 4th calf. She has never lost a baby.

She has been pregnant for 15 months! Yikes.

Even though she was supposed to give birth about six weeks ago, she is still carrying around her baby. This baby supposedly will be six feet tall and weigh about 150 pounds when born.

Having seen many dogs and cows give birth, and even a deer once, I have not seen signs that indicate this giraffe is going to drop her calf anytime soon. But I am not her veterinarian, who continues to assure the 150,000 people who are always watching that birth is imminent.

You can see April live at this link.

Meanwhile, I did a few still captures of her as she was trying to eat the camera (or something close to it) and then messed with them creatively (mostly because it is my understanding that once I turn them into something else I'm not violating any copyright).  I also grabbed one of her standing far away because, well, long neck and legs and all.

Giraffes are kind of cute. She has really long eyelashes, but you can't tell that in these touched up pieces.

Wascally Wabbit

Thursday Thirteen

What Happens at the Trash Can

A squirrel.

Raccoon.

Three raccoons!

Raccoon.

A Bear! A Bear!

Bear make big mess.

A groundhog.

Big fat groundhog.

A bear! Too bad the camera apparently slipped.

Bear Butt.

Now we know why there is a mess in the morning.

Having a feast.

Winding it up and going away.

 

Now to figure out how to keep the animals out of the trash!

_____________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 449th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. 

Chipmunk

Chipmunks are very hard to photograph. For one thing, they are hard to see, and for another, they are speedy little things. We've had one gathering nuts not far from the house for a while. I photographed it through the window.

 

The Beast That Ate My Garden

Here he is, all fat for the winter. El Groundhog.

Caught in the Act

We have a had an awful time with squirrels eating on our house and deck this year. First a squirrel about gnawed its way into the house via the back door. This one has eaten the deck.

As we are planning to replace the deck soon, I don't particularly care about that, but the door was another issue. We ended up having to put siding over the wood to keep the squirrels from gnawing on it more.

Masked Face Fox Squirrel

This odd little critter, which apparently is a masked face fox squirrel, showed up at the house again this weekend.

I noticed it Sunday morning when it tried to take a bite out of the house at the back door. This is the second time I've seen it (or its sibling).

Apparently these aren't seen often around here. I can find little mention of this type of squirrel in Virginia online, although it is native to the Carolinas. How this one found its way to my back yard is indeed a mystery.

Note as you scroll through the photos that in one you can see that the squirrel's tail is about twice as long as its body.

Look at the length of that tail!

Wasps

Wasps began building this colony on the front porch. It looks like a lot of work to make such a thing. I like how geometry shows itself in nature.

Of course we had to eliminate the wasp nest so the insects would move along. My husband is allergic to stings so we can't have them around the house.

Whistle Pig

This groundhog is one of many that hangs out at the house. Nothing seems to scare them off. I know where the hole is and I've put mothballs down it and other smelly things but nothing deters the groundhog.

This one looks quite indignant in the last picture because I opened the door and scared him. As you can see, he did not run far - only to the trash cans. One of his hidey holes is near there.

They live under our small outbuilding and I feel sure one day the thing is going to fall in because the ground beneath has all been dug out by these creatures.

I know animals have a place in the ecosystem, but I would like it if this one would find a home somewhere else.

The Leaf and the Butterfly

Black Squirrel

This little fellow popped up in the back yard Monday. I was surprised, as I don't recall ever seeing a squirrel this color before.

 

 

 

My Mother's Day Visitor

Mother's Day can be difficult for those who have lost their mothers, or those who wanted to be mothers but never were. I have a double whammy with that, so tend to hide like a turtle on that particular Hallmark Holiday.

Mother Nature, though, knew I needed some company. So she sent along this lovely creature to bring a highlight to my day.

Okay, who is interrupting my romp?

I see you, you big lumbering camera-welding human!

I've got my eye on you!

What, you think moving around for a side view will help?

Yes, I have a tail!

Look at the claws on that critter!

Apparently even turtles get flies.

I think this is what we commonly call a box turtle (terrapene carolina). There is a small pond down over the hill and the turtle was sprinting up toward my red flowers from that direction.

As turtles go, it moved quite quickly across the driveway. It stopped in its tracks the moment I opened the back door, though. That piercing red eye never moved from me as I walked around it, taking pictures.

Finally, after I gently placed a hoe beneath the turtle and turned it around in the direction from whence it came (for I did not want it to eat my flowers), it ducked its head into its shell. When I next looked out, the turtle was gone (and the flowers were safe).

For a day, I think, this turtle was my animal totem. The turtle totem symbolizes a person's peaceful walk on this earth. It represents the path one takes as she embarks on her journey through life. 

In contrast to emotional or spiritual development occurring in bursts, the way of the turtle anchors one's personal unfolding in a slow, more grounded series of steps and longer cycles of transformation.

The turtle is associated with one's physical and embodied evolution on the earthly plane. People call on this spirit animal for help to be more grounded. One can also get help with slowing down and pacing, so the next step may be taken with more confidence.
My overall animal totem is a doe, but I think other animals sometimes pop up to guide you. I've been visited by a black bear, a black swan, and by turkeys. I think they all have something to say.