Nothing says "Good morning" better than...

Andy said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet away.

🙂))

That's great Andy. Isn't it so kewl living in the "country"?
Saw a sparrow feeding a cuckoo chick this morning - the cuckoos lay
their eggs in other birds' nests and the other birds bring them up as
their own.... the chick was bigger than the adopted "Momma" 🙂

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Chatty Cathy <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet
away.

🙂))

That's great Andy. Isn't it so kewl living in the "country"?
Saw a sparrow feeding a cuckoo chick this morning - the cuckoos lay
their eggs in other birds' nests and the other birds bring them up as
their own.... the chick was bigger than the adopted "Momma" 🙂

Chatty Cathy,

Country living is wonderful. No gun-fire, sirens, helicopters with search
lights, gangs, kids drag racing, etc.

I have a 3rd generation night vision monocular with infrared flashlight
accessory and can walk through my woods in the dark of night with 1000
yard visibility. I'm very familiar with what goes "bump" in the night! OR
I can look up and the universe lights up!

The cuckoo sounds like our cowbird who eat other bird eggs from nests and
leave theirs in their place. A most intrusive way to proliferate their
species at the demise of the others. That's NOT a good thing, imho.

Andy

Chatty Cathy said:

Andy said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet away.

🙂))

That's great Andy. Isn't it so kewl living in the "country"?
Saw a sparrow feeding a cuckoo chick this morning - the cuckoos lay
their eggs in other birds' nests and the other birds bring them up as
their own.... the chick was bigger than the adopted "Momma" 🙂

I guess Andy doesn't have any free range poultry. Around here foxes are usually
shot on sight., though even the murderous adults are cute as a button.

This is prime time for bird watchers. Most of the birds that will be coming back
are back and those going further north are passing through. The leaves are just
starting to come out so they more easily seen. In a pond down the road from our
house there are are side by side nests, one for a pair of geese and one for a
pair of ducks and when I walk by there is a goose on one and two feet away there
is a duck on the other. There seem to be more and more Canada geese every year
and pretty soon we will be seeing the goslings following their parents around.
Last year we had a Cardinal nest in the privacy fence beside our patio. On Easter
morning I found a Robin's egg sitting beside our sidewalk. Something must have
stolen it from the nest and dropped it.

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Country living is wonderful. No gun-fire, sirens, helicopters with search
lights, gangs, kids drag racing, etc.

Damn! Where did you live before your current place? Bogotá?

Andy said:

Country living is wonderful. No gun-fire, sirens, helicopters with search
lights, gangs, kids drag racing, etc.

I hear ya...

Quoted message said:

I have a 3rd generation night vision monocular with infrared flashlight
accessory and can walk through my woods in the dark of night with 1000
yard visibility. I'm very familiar with what goes "bump" in the night! OR
I can look up and the universe lights up!

The cuckoo sounds like our cowbird who eat other bird eggs from nests and
leave theirs in their place. A most intrusive way to proliferate their
species at the demise of the others. That's NOT a good thing, imho.

Yep.. I think the cuckoos throw the other eggs out of the nest or
something. But it nature and that's how they survive - sad, but true. We
have a lot of bird life around here, of course different ones in summer
and winter... but the cheekiest ones are the crowned plovers - there is
a "group" that seems to live here all year round. They are very
protective of their young - as our two cats have found out! Heard some
real squawking going on one evening - rushed outside to see what the
rumpus was about - and there were my two big, brave cats running
hell-for-leather away from a very angry plover... the cats bolted up the
nearest tree and sat there looking rather pathetic. The plover was
squawking and "dive bombing" the cats - and it wasn't giving up! I had
to chase the plover away before they would come down. I laughed till I
cried. Justice was done IMO... and the plover chicks grew up just fine.
The cats don't go near them any more 🙂

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Doug Kanter said:

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Country living is wonderful. No gun-fire, sirens, helicopters with search
lights, gangs, kids drag racing, etc.

Damn! Where did you live before your current place? Bogotá?

Nah. Probably Jo'burg on a Saturday night 😉

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

"Doug Kanter" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Andy" <q> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Country living is wonderful. No gun-fire, sirens, helicopters with
search lights, gangs, kids drag racing, etc.

Damn! Where did you live before your current place? Bogotá?

Not quite. Just Los Angeles, Kalifornia.

Andy

Dave Smith said:

I guess Andy doesn't have any free range poultry. Around here foxes are usually
shot on sight., though even the murderous adults are cute as a button.

Haven't seen any foxes around here, but we do have a free range
"chicken" (singular) - wondered in here a few weeks ago after a storm
and seems to have moved in... probably came from one of the other
"plots" around here - there are some real farms in our vicinity.

Quoted message said:

This is prime time for bird watchers. Most of the birds that will be coming back
are back and those going further north are passing through. The leaves are just
starting to come out so they more easily seen. In a pond down the road from our
house there are are side by side nests, one for a pair of geese and one for a
pair of ducks and when I walk by there is a goose on one and two feet away there
is a duck on the other. There seem to be more and more Canada geese every year
and pretty soon we will be seeing the goslings following their parents around.
Last year we had a Cardinal nest in the privacy fence beside our patio. On Easter
morning I found a Robin's egg sitting beside our sidewalk. Something must have
stolen it from the nest and dropped it.

We love the bird life here. We get (in summer) Red Bishops, lesser
masked weavers, hoepoes, guinea fowl aplenty, crowned plovers, seen a
few blacksmith plovers and all sorts of sparrows. Mouse birds sometimes,
red headed finches, doves, pigeons. And swallows too. We feed them - we
buy 25kg bags of wild bird seed about once a month and the seed-eaters
love it! Our "orchard" doesn't stand much of a chance either - the fruit
eaters get most of it before we do. We have closed in our "veggie
garden" to keep the birds out.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Andy said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet away.

🙂))

Andy

What? No jpeg?????? :-(

Sounds delightful!

Om

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet
away.

🙂))

Andy

What? No jpeg?????? :-(

Sounds delightful!

Om

Actually, yes, I took five pictures, but the autofocus was more
interested in focusing on the window screen. Here's one of Mom and one of
the kits.

http://i2.tinypic.com/x6enoj.jpg

Time for some yardwork! The jockey's name is Scott. 🙂

Andy

Andy said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet
away.

🙂))

Andy

What? No jpeg?????? :-(

Sounds delightful!

Om

Actually, yes, I took five pictures, but the autofocus was more
interested in focusing on the window screen.

That can get tricky, I feel your pain.
Too bad you could not pop the screen, or carefully sneak outside to get
a direct shot eh?

Quoted message said:

Here's one of Mom and one of
the kits.

http://i2.tinypic.com/x6enoj.jpg

Worth a shot anyway. <G>

Quoted message said:

Time for some yardwork! The jockey's name is Scott. 🙂

Andy

Pretty yard!
I've kept up with the weeds somewhat, but have not planted any veggies
this year.
My utility bills have been too high and it's cheaper to _buy_ veggies
anymore than to grow them due to the cost of water. <sigh>

I've landscaped as much as possible with xeriscape and low water
needing plants such as honeysuckle and canna lilly, Lantana, Agave,
English Ivy, Wild grapevines etc. My one indulgence is a small bulb
garden that I hand water, and the greenhouse with my succulents and a
few house plants but with the higher humidity in there I don't have to
water often, especially if I crowd it.

Om

"Andy" <q> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet
away.

🙂))

Andy

What? No jpeg?????? :-(

Sounds delightful!

Om

Actually, yes, I took five pictures, but the autofocus was more
interested in focusing on the window screen. Here's one of Mom and one of
the kits.

Does your camera allow you to prefocus? In other words, you point at where
you want the focus (and exposure) to be measured, hold the button down part
of the way so the camera can set itself up, then, still holding the button
down, move and compose the picture, then shoot.

Andy <q> news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet
away.

🙂))

Andy

Ya' wanna come over and take the raccoon baby that has taken residence in
my garage? It got ahold of Missy last night and scratched her up really
good.

Michael

--
"The first zucchini I ever saw I killed it with a hoe."
John Gould, Monstrous Depravity, 1963

"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Andy <q> news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet
away.

🙂))

Andy

Ya' wanna come over and take the raccoon baby that has taken residence in
my garage? It got ahold of Missy last night and scratched her up really
good.

Michael

Who's Missy?

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy wrote:
> Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15

feet

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> away.
>
> 🙂))
>
> Andy

What? No jpeg?????? :-(

Sounds delightful!

Om

Actually, yes, I took five pictures, but the autofocus was more
interested in focusing on the window screen.

That can get tricky, I feel your pain.
Too bad you could not pop the screen, or carefully sneak outside to get
a direct shot eh?

Quoted message said:

Here's one of Mom and one of
the kits.

http://i2.tinypic.com/x6enoj.jpg

Worth a shot anyway. <G>

Quoted message said:

Time for some yardwork! The jockey's name is Scott. 🙂

Andy

Pretty yard!
I've kept up with the weeds somewhat, but have not planted any veggies
this year.
My utility bills have been too high and it's cheaper to _buy_ veggies
anymore than to grow them due to the cost of water. <sigh>

I've landscaped as much as possible with xeriscape and low water
needing plants such as honeysuckle and canna lilly, Lantana, Agave,
English Ivy, Wild grapevines etc. My one indulgence is a small bulb
garden that I hand water, and the greenhouse with my succulents and a
few house plants but with the higher humidity in there I don't have to
water often, especially if I crowd it.

Om

I'm afraid of my property. The deer are so plentiful and the yard is full
of ticks. Dammit!

Andy

"Doug Kanter" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Andy" <q> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy wrote:
> Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15
> feet away.
>
> 🙂))
>
> Andy

What? No jpeg?????? :-(

Sounds delightful!

Om

Actually, yes, I took five pictures, but the autofocus was more
interested in focusing on the window screen. Here's one of Mom and
one of the kits.

Does your camera allow you to prefocus? In other words, you point at
where you want the focus (and exposure) to be measured, hold the
button down part of the way so the camera can set itself up, then,
still holding the button down, move and compose the picture, then
shoot.

Yes it can, but foxes don't like to pose and say "cheese" for the camera.
*sigh*

Andy

"Michael \"Dog3\" Lonergan" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Andy <q> news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15 feet
away.

🙂))

Andy

Ya' wanna come over and take the raccoon baby that has taken residence
in my garage? It got ahold of Missy last night and scratched her up
really good.

Michael

Michael,

My only suggestion is to call animal control and have them put a humane
trap down and have it removed that way. But is it defending any young?

A neighbor had an agressive fox near the dog's fenced yard. Animal
control humane trapped it and took it to the park for release but two
days later hungry kits were crying of hunger. Sad situation.

Racoons are one rung down on the intelligence ladder from humans so it's
kinda/sorta hard to outsmart 'em. Good luck!

Andy

"Doug Kanter" <[email hidden]>
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Andy <q> news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15
feet away.

🙂))

Andy

Ya' wanna come over and take the raccoon baby that has taken
residence in my garage? It got ahold of Missy last night and
scratched her up really good.

Michael

Who's Missy?

My dog. Missy chased it up the brick wall and then it got [censored] and
jumped on her. It was ugly.

Michael

--
"The first zucchini I ever saw I killed it with a hoe."
John Gould, Monstrous Depravity, 1963

"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Doug Kanter" <[email hidden]>
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Andy <q> news:[email hidden]:

> Two red fox kits play fighting outside my kitchen window, not 15
> feet away.
>
>🙂))
>
> Andy

Ya' wanna come over and take the raccoon baby that has taken
residence in my garage? It got ahold of Missy last night and
scratched her up really good.

Michael

Who's Missy?

My dog. Missy chased it up the brick wall and then it got [censored] and
jumped on her. It was ugly.

Michael

They're tough little [censored], those coons. While fishing in a stream a
couple of years ago, I heard some "yelling" from a nearby tree limb about 75
feet up. It was a raccoon that had lost its grip. It fell to the ground,
shook its head, made some noise that sounding like cussing, got up and
walked away. Amazing.