As mentioned in another thread, I thought we could all collectively keep track of the totems we see as we walk through life each day. I would also include dream visitors or any animals that just stick out (tv, magazines, conversations, etc).

Just some pointers, if you live in a neighborhood with a lot of dogs, or if you live near a dairy farm or horse ranch, I wouldn't post about those. Unless something out of the ordinary happened, like they got out or there was an oddly colored or new one in the pasture.

Who knows? once this thread gets going, what someone sees may click for you, as creator will reach you through whatever means possible.


I will start:

Yesterday I saw a red tail hawk and the day before a pair of bald eagles.

I saw some desert hawks the other day, a Black-Backed Woodpecker yesterday and another hawk just a few minutes ago. Hawks seem to come in clusters for me, as do Eagles.

A beautiful white heron on my way to work. I also had a yellowjacket in the car this morning. A bit unusual for December. He got safely out the window.

One horse in my dream the night before yesterday; three horses in my dream the night before that night. And a lizard in one of the dreams (I don't remember which one.)

Horses usually denote the understanding of the spiritual things and also relates to intellect/intelligence.

In Native American mythology, the lizard is the dreamer. Dreaming of a lizard, therefore, is a sign that your dream was an important one and reveals a lot about where you're coming from, where you're going, and how best to get there. (Could this relate to your foster family, maybe?) In order to get this information, look to the other symbols in your dream.
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What did I see this morning on my walk? A huge gaggle of geese, loudly announcing their presence.

this morning I saw a pair of purple finches right outside the bathroom window, which is very early seeing as they don't come around til February to nest. They are also the NH state bird...wonder if my mom was thinking of me?

Yesterday, one of a "baby" Hawks flew by and called out. It absolutely amazed me that I recognized it's call. But then we heard that particular one squawking most of the summer. As I was bringing in the trash can from the street, there were two of my lizards friends chasing each other under the carport. I adore my lizards.

The past few days have been unseasonably warm here, but the cold is coming at the end of the week.

Already this morning I have seen that Blackbacked Woodpecker on top of the pine tree out back calling for his mate. I have watched the two of them all summer and fall and I think they have two little ones. I thought by now they would have gone south, but maybe they stay here year round. I love their calls to each other and enjoy watching them in the trees, looking for insects in the bark.

I miss seeing the lizards that we use to see further out in the desert. Since we moved in to town I have not seen one.

I think the lizard is related to my own heritage (somewhere I mentioned I am going to paint one, forming a circle with its own body), and has something to do with my foster family.

I saw a rather large hawk today. I do not believe I have seen this one before - he seemed much larger than the usual ones I see often.

We went on a bus tour of Christmas lights last night and we saw a coyote out in a snow covered field. The poor little guy looked soooo cold!

I had a dream about a ferret last night. He had the cutest face and was white with light and dark grey patches. My sister has 4 ferrets.

Did you know a female ferret is referred to as a Jill and a male is a Hob. A group of ferrets is called a "Business".

Have you looked up what these animals mean as totems - and what you were being told, or shown?

I have not done that yet, Robin. The ferret was so focused on getting right up to my face and lookin directly into my eyes. He seemed very calm and friendly. I will see if I can find anything on the spiritual/totem power/meaning.

This is what I found on the ferret's spiritual meaning:

Those with this totem need to remember to use all of their senses equally. If this medicine is underdeveloped the tendency towards tunnel vision is common. Rigid consciousness creates unnecessary worry and anxiety so caution is advised. Playful activities and a lighthearted attitude is helpful.

When frightened or excited the ferrets tail bushes up and a musty scent is excreted. Although this scent does repel some predators the ferret does not feel completely safe until it has burrowed deep inside its tunnel. In man this symbolizes the need of a secure home life. A place for reflection and nourishment is mandatory for those with this totem.

Ferrets are incredibly fast and agile and show us how to move with lightning speed to avoid danger. Do you need to move more quickly in some aspect of your life? Are you stuck in rigid thought patterns that limit your view of the bigger picture? Have you created a safe haven for yourself? Is your power of observation a hindrance or a help?

Always remember that the ferret is a powerful ally and can help you discover a hidden part of yourself. Buried deep beneath the surface are the answers to life's mysteries. If you are having trouble understanding some part of your life invite the ferret into your meditation, listen to what it has to tell you and then act accordingly.

Very interesting, huh? Guess I had better ponder and meditate on this. The thing is - I have never dreamed about ferrets before and never have they been prominent in my life. Maybe I just have a need right now to find that hidden part of myself for some reason, whatever it may be.

Spoon billed ibises on christmas day, at least a dozen of them as well as brown and white Pelicans, Cormorants, Crows, and I could hear Cardinals and Eagles, I just couldn't see them.

The sparrows and finches are in full force and singing their little hearts out, hopefully our pair will nest on the fronch porch again.

Killdeer (another bird) have come back too and will most likely nest in their tree across the street.

Had to do a double take yesterday, but it was a decoy of a female mallard in the pond.

There was a rider on a great big white horse with a light bay medicine cap and some spots on its hindquarters. But not many spots, so it wouldn't be desirable as a war horse. Phyllis, do you know the mythology behind medicine hats?

Also, ferrets are essentially weasels, you may want to look into info on them as well.

Medicine hats are made of three circles that form a conical shape - is that right? I do not know about the mythology though. If you do, I would love to hear about it. You can start another post on medicine hats. Meanwhile, I will do some research on the mythology a little later today.

I knew that ferrets are in the weasel family, but I did not look up the spiritual/dream symbol for weasels. I will do that later. Thanks, Wendy!

that was something my mentor told me to do, always look up the partner totem. If you received a dog message, also look at wolf as dogs are domesticated wolves. OR if you received an owl, look at raven, who is their opposite or rival.

Also when dealing with animals look them up in a wildlife book like a Field guide, that will give you info about their day to day life, this might hit on something for you. Totems do not always have to be symbols, a bear could just be telling you that you are acting like a big beasty.

The best meaning I can come up with is "searching for a deeper meaning" to some issue I have been pondering on. I have a few issues that I have been coming back to quite often and have not yet sorted them out. Looks like I should do that rather than just letting them float around in my head.

I saw two squirrels this morning chasing each other between two trees. One of them was quite upset with the other and was chattering away in an angry tone! My dog had great fun sitting and watching them.

Fox have been coming up a lot lately. Unfortunately many of them have been as roadkill, but perhaps to remind me that my friend Martha keeps retelling me the story about the family of foxes that played with her dogs last year have come back.

Perhaps a phoenix theme?

Oh and in the gardening forum Lisa has posted a Q of if Lady bugs are good or not...you win a book for the correct answer and they are good.

I love foxes! They are so cute. I have not been out much today so have not seen anything but the woodpeckers again.

Yes - ladybugs are good. I once bought a whole bag of them to put in my rose garden (in San Jose many years ago) and they ate all the aphids.

I saw a very big black, and partially shimmering fly in my dream last night (I like flies). It was as big as about ten "normal" flies. Someone told me long ago that flies are "the eyes of the goddess".

Dreaming of a fly could also mean that you are recognizing someone's wisdom or intelligence.

I saw another squirrel early this morning. He was scampering across the large lawn area to get to some trees in someone's backyard. My dog wanted to follow him.

Just got home from attending a funeral in NC. While traveling I had hawks with me all along the highway. I must have seen 10 or 12, and one swooped down in front of my car into the median. He came up empty clawed though. The funeral was on Friday and Saturday we cleaned my friend's patio and replenished her bird feeders with seed. The next morning we had an assortment of guests, including a pair of cardinals.

My friend's Mother always loved flowers and to watch the birds around her feeders. I know my friend will enjoy them as well. It was a fitting tribute for my friend's Mother, who brought corn bread to my wedding reception.

I probably need to explain that. Whenever she knew I was coming to the house, my friend's Mother made cornbread and had it warm in the oven. She would frequently say "If you EVER get married, I'm bringing corn bread for the reception." I didn't marry until age 32 (kinda late for a Southern girl). Her cornbread was one of the things I actually remembered eating at our reception.

We probably crossed each other if you were driving Sunday on 95, dh and I went to Columbia via 26 to see the DaVinci exhibit.

Which reminds me, the last time we went Columbia way (Dec 31st) I saw a doe on the roadside that had its rear facing us. And she wasn't roadkill!

We drove down to Roseville, Calif. yesterday and saw so many eagles and hawks along the way. They were Golden Eagles and Red-Tailed Hawks. So beautiful in flight!

Up in the Sierras there was still a lot of snow and we saw so many cougar and deer tracks but not the elusive cougar or any of the deer.

My daughter and I drove to her house in Columbia on Sunday and I spent the night there to break up the driving.

I'm so glad you got up to the Museum for the exhibit. I've been to the Museum there a few times and have always enjoyed it. There's always so much to do in SC, and the Edisto Pow-Wow is coming up in March at the Ladson Fair grounds.

While we lived in Charleston, I worked in accounting and income taxes. The Edisto Pow-Wow was my most treasured break during tax season. Those two days always recharged me and helped me make it to April 15th. If you haven't attended yet, try to this year.

Every time it came up there was no getting out of work for me.

I went by the ladson fairgrounds today...we should meet up if you're up to it.

Today the wind is volatile, trashcans are being strewn everywhere as is trash itself =[

Donovan (dh) got some address labels from the arbor day foundation..and even though they are magnolia leaves, and I know they are magnolia leaves, every time I look at it real quick it looks just like a fox face.

Wendy, if you find out the dates, could you please post them for me? We didn't get to Charleston over the Holidays and I'm itching to get back home, at least for a visit.

I saw a Golden Eagle early this morning. He was just drifting in circles for the longest time. Every time he tipped away from the rising sun I could see the gold in his wings. So beautiful!

Lately I have been dreaming a lot about cougars. I miss the place where I lived a few years ago. My bedroom window faced a small mountain that is part of quite a long range and has a rugged hiking trail. I used to keep my window open a crack at night (locked in place) so I could hear the cougar up in the mountain. The call of a cougar is so haunting yet beautiful, kind of melancholy. I really miss hearing that sound.

hehe maybe you ARE a cougar phyll.

Maybe - I sure seem to have them in my life often enough. In my dreams, they follow me around or I am just sitting and watching them as they prowl around.

This past summer while driving I-80 from Pennsylvania to Ohio ( a beautiful drive, btw) I had a big black bear run across the highway right in front of me. I thank God that I wasn't just ten seconds earlier in my travel or I would have nailed him.

He came running down the hill, leaped over the guard rail and bounded across the highway. He never stopped and ran across both east and west sides of I-80 without even being touched by a vehicle.

This bear was truly a sight to behold and was very exciting because I had never seen one in the wild like that before and I probably never will again.

What an awesome surprise to behold, Vance! My sister had a black bear show up in her front yard one morning. And the little mountain I mentioned in my last post with the cougar often has black bears up there. One summer a little one came down to the apartment complex and some dogs treed him. He was only about 2 years old, but weighed over 300 pounds. The animal rescue team who captured him took him over to be released in Washoe Valley mountains.

This morning on my early walk I saw about 20 quail. They are so cute!

Maybe I should explain what a Cougar is in case you don't know. hehe

A Cougar is an older woman who likes younger men.

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Nothing new here, I remember seeing a dragonfly somewhere, I think it was in a dream and it was cast in metal. And that was one crazy dream.

Naw...guess I am not that kind of Cougar! Younger men are not my forte'. I like old, mellow men who are over their "wild-side" days. I do seem to have a bond with the Cougar/Mountain Lion/Puma, though. I dreamed about one again last night.

To see a cougar in your dream, symbolizes wild beauty, power, grace, and raw emotion. It often refers to feminine power and aggression. Alternatively, it also indicates lurking danger and death. Although I get no sense of danger or death from these dreams.

I saw a group of quail yesterday morning, about 20 of them! They were so intent on making sure they kept together and were checking out the grounds under a bird feeder next door.

I saw another Golden Eagle last night as he flew past the "Wolf Moon". It was such a pretty sight!

I heard eagles calling to each other when we took our pack of dogs to the lake, but I did not see them.

We have a pair of Baldies that nest in the area, hopefully it is them back for another season.

The pipers are also back and saw a giant Great Blue Heron as well as cormorants at the lake today too.

This is that address label sticker I mentioned that even though it is a pic of leaves kind of looks like a fox face if you glance fast enough.

I can see the fox face on the card if I kind of look to the side of it - how cute!

I was sitting on my patio this morning watching the woodpeckers again. There are now seven that come to the same tree every morning to gather.

It warmed up a bit today. I was outside getting some fresh air and saw my woodpeckers in "Grandma" the live oak in our backyard that's about 200 years old.

Yesterday one of the hawks swooped by and squawked a bit. I'm so pleased they are staying in the area. Maybe we'll have another clutch of babies this spring. We certainly enjoyed them last year.

My woodpecker friends still come every morning to the pine tree, four of them now. I also see two other woodpeckers that are a little bigger than the black-backed - maybe they are Flickers (?). Sometimes 8 or 9 Black-backed woodpeckers gather for a chat in the tree before taking off on their own daily tasks.

The hawks come over every day and I love watching them. They are very curious around here - I think there may be a lot of cats roaming around, besides the squirrels.

Aren't flickers more brown with some reddish and spots?

I have red-bellied and downy woodpeckers here. I haven't seen pileated in a couple of years but they could be around. We have red-shouldered hawks around my neighborhood.

I could sit and watch the birds all day long.

I do not know for sure, Angie. These woodpeckers are a light speckled gray with a black crescent under their neck and it almost looks like the under side of the tail is a reddish color.

I just searched and found an image of a Flicker.
You can see it at the following link. This is what the woodpecker I see out back looks like.

Flicker

woodpecker id

And flickers are gorgeous!

The Downy Woodpeckers are so cute. My Mother usually has one in her backyard.

I am going to make a suet for the birds and see if they like it.

I usually just mix bird seed with peanut butter and spread that on my patio railing.

I saw a flock of Seagulls heading out towards Pyramid Lake a little earlier.

A few minutes ago I saw seven Black-Backed Woodpeckers in the tree and right in amongst them was a little Sparrow who seemed quite proud to be part of the group.

It reminded me of a family reunion we once had to welcome my great nephew home from college. His father is Cherokee and the whole Cherokee side of the family were there. We were taking pictures of different groups of the family and when it was time to take the picutre of the Cherokee clan we raised our cameras then looked again - right up front in the middle was my blonde-haired, blue-eyed, light-skinned five year old grandson! When we tried to call him away, the Grandfather put his hands on my grandson's shoulders and said, "He stays! If he wants to be part of my family, I adopt him!" So there we have this beautiful picture of the tall, black-haired, dark-eyed Cherokee clan with a little blonde boy right up front.

We laughed so hard and wondered what the relatives in generations from now will think and try to guess who that little boy is and where he came from. My grandson said, "They are my family, too!"

My father usually takes a white pine (Pinus strobus) cone, fill it with pb and roll it in seed then hang it from a tree.

On the way up to SC this weekend we saw two huge Osprey in the Altamaha Waterfowl Reserve area. Friday was definitely a good day to be a buzzard. There were hundreds soaring up high in the warm sunshine, all the way to Columbia. We returned home today amid the gloom of a cloudy day, but saw several hawks waiting in the trees for the weather to improve.

Tuesday we went for a long drive through Red Rock, NV, saw a white buffalo (almost white, he was very pale) and he was so majestic and powerful looking. He was on a farm in Red Rock. Then we drove on over to Susanville, CA and on another farm saw an emu! We also saw a little gray fox in Susanville. On the trip we saw many hawks, quail and rabbits.

We were in the backyard this afternoon when one of our hawks swooped down and then landed in a tree behind the house. It was then we noticed the nest nearby. The foliage had it hidden during the spring and summer. I'm hoping they are getting ready for another nesting season.

I love hawks! I saw a large one yesterday sitting at the tip of the pine tree out back, just watching over his neighborhood.

Do clouds count as "seeing animals"? Yesterday afternoon I was watching the fluffy white clouds moving along and one of them looked like the head of a darling puppy. Then it changed and looked like a lamb, then a pony then a bear. Strange - but, interesting.

the past few nights driving home from work there has always been 2 does on the side of the road in the same spot.

Are they alive? I think deer are some of the most lovely animals.

I have been seeing more and more hawks and they are coming closer to the house.

The woodpecker groups have really grown. They are out there every morning still to greet me.

I put out more bread crumbs and more little birds, like finces are coming around.

oh yes definitely live.

Driving home from Jacksonville FL, we saw DOZENS of deer grazing on the road side. While I was happy to see them I mentally was telling all of them to stay put.

We saw several mule deer in Genoa a few days ago. They wander into the tiny town and gather at the park or in yards. The people do not seem to mind these beautiful creatures grazing in their yards. Even a German Shepherd seemed to enjoy just lying on his front porch watching the deer.

Whenever I see an animal along the highway, I always immediately pray "Grandfather, please protect him." Road kill always depresses me, so I offer an apology for the waste. I don't know that it helps any, but it makes me feel better in a way.

On the other hand, I dreamed of baby woodpeckers last night. I haven't seen our woodpeckers lately, so I'm hoping this is a sign they will be returning to the nest nearby soon.

The woodpeckers in our area started out with just two every morning. Now we have about nine in the original group (blackbacked) and seven in a new group (flickers). In time, they will come.

I dreamed about cougars again last night. One lay at the foot of my bed and watched out the window.

what does your window look out upon?

these cougars could be protecting you from or looking forward to something for you.

I usually tell the (roadkill) animals that I am sorry.

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Our purple finches are back to nest on our front porch for the 3rd year. Great fun as they are the state bird for NH where I am from.

Also saw a big flock of starlings take off, they too signify spring to me like the finches. Even though they feel terribly early for this New England girl.

Had a scarlet cardinal last week matched with a raptor. Not sure what kind, but he was massive (least a 6' wingspan) with a blonde belly. I was just happy to see something other than a turkey vulture.

Funny thing is that a friend (Red Coyote) called me and said to look for both of these birds when I had already seen them. He and I have kind of a mental totem game of telephone. I call him and he calls me then we see if the other got the message.

Finally, I wish that my bird ID was better. Yes, I have taken several wildlife courses including bird ID and have several bird books, including an Audubon from the 30's. But I just cannot seem to remember them all.

That is really a good question and makes me feel better. My bedroom window looks out towards a building with eight apartments in it that seem to have all the party people of the whole complex living there. These people are often quite loud late at night and disturb our sleep.

I love finches. We get several when I put out bread crumbs on the patio.

I would love to take some Audobon courses. That must be fun!

I am soooo thrilled! Due to two book reviews I wrote, plus helping to get the word out to promote them, I won a limited edition sculpture from the author of the books. This sculpture is a Cougar! My totem, my power animal!

The books are Wild Inferno and Wild Sorrow, both by Sandi Ault. They are fantastic reads!

Congrats to you, Phyllis...congrats! Don't you just love validation when it takes you completely by surprise?

My husband has been pretty sick - he's better now. Long story short....has muscular dystrophy, polycythemia and recently diagnosed with emphasema. Took a really bad fall and obliterated his right hamstring and groin muscles. We went to hospital, listened to drs....worried....denied....then he realized what we needed was right here in this house. He went to Uncle (Lakota Elder) with tobacco and asked him to pray for him and asked for a healing. We spent several days away at the hospital, but David felt Uncle's helpers around him. That week the Eagles were present alot around our house. Perched in trees....flying...circling over the house. Everyday the Eagles came and prayed with Cecil and took his prayers up. When you need the help and the help is asked for sincerely and humbly, it comes. The animals wait for us to ask for their help. I believe that.

I'm like you, Wendy. I always tell the ones dead on the road how sorry I am. Sometimes I bring them home and put them under a big fur tree clear at the end of our property. I always do a little bit of a ceremony and let their spirits know that it's okay to stay with us here.

So many animal stories to share.....soooooo little time....

Eagles are the messengers to Great Spirit and take our prayers skyward. I truly believe that.

We see a lot of Golden Eagles around our area. Some are quite large. The Bald Eagles we see around Washo Lake are huge! - and so majestic.

Too often, we forget that our Elders are a good source of help. I am so happy for you, Connidee that you have your Uncle near. I send my prayers and blessings for you and your husband.

Connidee's healing story is so great, and I have another to share. The former Vice Chief of the Cherokee of Georgia was in a horrible car wreck many years ago. The doctors' told him he would never walk.

He lives near the Okeefenokee Swamp and the eagles circled above once he returned home from the hospital. Needless to say many prayers were lifted on his behalf and his recouperation completely confounded the medical "experts."

Thank you, both of you, for sharing such spiritual and heartfelt stories. It is knowledge like this that makes my heart soar.

I saw a whole family of quail early this morning. The woodpeckers are out back, really busy today.

I't sunny this morning...cold, but sunny....Spring has got to be just around the corner. Our house is not AC so when the temps get higher we need to sleep with our windows open....would rather do that anyway. But I can't wait b/c many nights we can hear the coyotes calling. One night at least one was just outside our bedroom window and called out. Brought me STRAIGHT up in bed. I love to hear them. The raccoons come by with there little ones to eat the cat food and they trill and chatter. Always smell the skunkies that come around. I don't find that smell offensive. I love skunks. Does anybody ever have the sense that there is an animal close, but you can't see it or hear it?

I am attracted to birds of prey (or maybe they are to me). I can spot them in trees along the highway, or in town, even while I'm driving. They just seem to "jump" out to me, or grab my attention in some other way.

Absolutely Connidee, I completely understand what you mean by close but not seen.

I saw 4 massive ravens in the field across the street yesterday morning. Funny thing is that I thought the one on the ground was a turkey as I saw him through the tree first and with his head tucked. Then he started calling. I shared this with a friend from another forum who has an affinity for Odin, who has 4 ravens. I also told him that creator will get a message to you however he can, even if it means giving it to someone else to deliver.

The crows around here this year have been huge. It was the crows that brought our Cecil to us. I won't go into detail - I'm happy to share, but it's kinda long and I feel like I talk too much already.

Wendy, I looked at your pictures. You really, really remind me of my good friend Happy Heart. The two of you look alot like each other. I haven't seen her in a while and whenI saw your pictures I felt really homesick to see her.

I went on a drive with my Mother and brother the other day and we saw some wild horses. They roam the hills mainly around Virginia City. They are so beautiful!

Conniedee, I often sense when animals in Nature are near even though I cannot see them. My Mother and I were walking in a park where the mule deer like to visit over in Genoa and we both sensed that a bear was either close or had recently been in the area. Not long after we felt that, we saw some bear scat on the trail - so, we had to scat back to the car, because that looked pretty fresh!

I get told often that I look like someone else. I guess I just have those classic features?

Or perhaps an (shape-shifting maybe?) old soul.

There is a vacant wooded lot next to where I work, yesterday I was watching the sparrows dance in the air, surely doing a mating ritual, vying for females or nesting space, but I have never seen so many together like that. It seemed surreal.

That is how I felt when we saw all those Golden Eagles, about 40-50, all at once. It was unbelievable!

Shapeshifter, huh!!?? Well...you probably are a very old soul, Wendy.

Oh yes, I see them all the time. much like that drawing of magnolia leaves that I thought looked like a fox face.

I have definitely done research on lucid dreaming, selkies, astral dreaming, you name it. As for deliberately shapeshifting, not so much. But I just seem to know they are around.

Ever heard of "Shadow Men"?

I saw swallows yesterday. They make me think of the fidelity and my sailor husband.

In case you don't know: Selkies

And yes I know Wiki is not the preferred source, but this works.

And again, yes, I am of Scotch-Irish decent.

So am I, Wendy. On my Dad's side. My grandmother told me that when they arrived in america there was so much predjudice against the Scotch-Irish that they (my dad's great, greats) changed their name from McCarthy to Carter. I don't know how accurate that story is, but it reminds me of how Native Peoples took other names and claimed any other heritage but their own to survive.

I, too have Irish on my Father's side. That side of the family came to the Maine area and settled around Kennibuck in the early 1800's or late 1700's - I want to research more into that.

And yes, I have heard about Selkies, though have never met one.

Yesterday I saw ravens, finches, woodpeckers, hawks and quail. The quail are becoming more active around here with spring and warmer weather on the way.

The robins are back! Have been watching them pull worms out of my vegetable garden area. It's recently been tilled so their having a hay day.

Saw a bald eagle carrying building materials to it's nest. There's a nesting pair on the land that belongs to our neighbor. The nest is in a great big sycamour tree.

The woodpeckers are working over the dead trees and hopefully building a nest in the sycamour behind our house.

I miss seeing the robins come back in the spring. When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, that was a joyous sign of Spring - seeing the robins come back. Here in Nevada, we live in the migratory zone that stretches from way up north, Alaska I think, to the way down south, so robins and many other birds are here year-round. Not that I do not still enjoy seeing them - I just miss that first cheerful promise they brought us up north.

Hello All, Hummingbirds come to me. One hovered over the aloe plant in front of our home for about half-an-hour, and one came to the window and hovered there for a few minutes. He came to say hello. I also see animal spirits in visions and dreams. One day, I was walking at twilight. My eyes are quite sensitive so it just came upon me to ask Hawk Spirit to protect my eyes. I would have had to cover my eyes had it not been for Hawk Spirit who has helped many times. That day was the first time. I am not of Lakota descent, but someone told me she saw a White Buffalo Calf at my side. If this is so, I feel very blessed. I also see wolves, and one is white. The first spirit non-human animal I saw was a Puma. We are no more and no less than all the creations of The Great Creator Spirit. We are all connected. We are part of the Creation, and It is part of us. Walk In Balance, Deer

Hummingbirds are so beautiful and precious! My Mother has several feeders out for them and hanging baskets with flowers that they like - then she loves to sit with her cup of tea and watch them.

I saw two huge Ravens this morning. They were so shiny black and such beautiful birds.

Dear Wendy, My beloved late husband was quite a bit younger than I, but people didn't notice as I look much younger than I am as he looked older than he was. My beloved husband passed to the Other Side just over a year ago. I now have a wonderful boyfriend whom I met in bereavement group. His wife passed away almost two years ago. Anyway, what you said about Pumas is very interesting as I used to see them all the time in my dreams. Walk In Balance, Theresa

Dear Phyllis, I saw the Puma in my dreams as protecting me. Your Puma certainly has a message for you. Walk In Balance, Theresa

Dear Phyllis, Congratulations! I know I am late, but I am a newbie here. Connidee and Wendy, I always ask the Great Creator Spirit to please bless the ones I see on the road. Walk In Balance, Theresa

Yes, it does, Theresa. Pumas are very protective and mine is with me all the time. My statue/totem sits on a shelf above me when I am writing.

Dear Connidee, We have skunks, raccoons, and possums in our neighborhood. There were deer and even a red fox here. Some years ago, there was a mating pair of hawks. A skunk lives underneath my home, and I love her. Like you, I have never found the scent of skunk offensive. My late beloved husband named her Matilda, because she lives down under. Walk In Balance, Deer

Thank you, Theresa.

Dear Phyllis, My beloved late husband did not see hummingbirds in the wild until he came here from Singapore. I only saw them in the bird park while I was living there. I read in a few resources that hummingbirds are a symbol of joy. Walk In Balance, Deer

Dear Phyllis, You are quite protected! :-) Walk In Balance, Deer

Yes, joy. They are also a symbol of The Spreader of Life. Hummingbirds are truly a joy. It is nice that your husband got to see them.

I would take a picture of this except I would rather not get cited for trespassing...

On my way to work there is a trailer with covers over its tires. However the covered has shredded in such a way that it looks like a white buffalo and her white calf. It immediately made me think of Phyl's avatar.

Did I ever tell you, Wendy, that I saw a buffalo in Redrock a few weeks ago and he was almost white? His fur was so light in color that I bet if he had a good washing it would be almost white. He was huge and so beautiful and majestic looking. I did not have my camera with me. Maybe soon we can drive back out there to see if we can find the buffalo again and I will get a picture.

I have heard the native americans here in Arizona talking about the birth of a white buffalo and that it signifies something big. What? sheryl

A white female was born in Janesville, Wisconsin quite a few years back (early or mid 90's). A friend forwarded me some pictures a few years later documenting how she had changed color.

The return of the white buffalo is very significant in Native prophecy. Some see it as a sign of major changes, others as a return to Native ways. I'm certain there are many more interpretations.

Miracle, the white buffalo did change color as she got older. Here is a link, with pictures, to the site:

Miracle

If you scroll down on the page, you will see red tabs for many pictures.

Wow! A lot has gone on since I was here last. Wendy, its good to see you again. I've missed you.
Theresa, your late-husband sounds like he was a wonderful person. To name a skunk living under the house instead of trying to chase it off speaks volumes!!!
It's been very busy here - lots of birds building nests...cardinals, blue jays, finches....the eagles and hawks, too. We went fishing a few days ago and I watched the black vultures more than the fish. I LOVE those birds. They have such grace. I watched king-fishers trying to chase them away. Do vultures scavange other birds' nests? A blue heron landed in a big sycamour branch across the river from me. There were trillium, dutchmans' breeches and virginia bells blooming along the path. There is a huge, HUGE big sycamore that has been nearly hollowed out, but is still standing and growing. It's full of little chambers and hallways....I wonder who plays in there at night. I love that tree. I've often thought I'd like to do a vision quest under that tree. It is sacred.

I love Sycamores, Conni. I have been told that I am like a Sycamore - white on the outside and red inside. Guess the person who told me that sees what is in my heart.

Birds fascinate me. The Heron is so fun to watch. We used to stand out by the inlets of the Northwest Pacific Ocean in Anacortes and watch the Herons fly in and out of the little woodlands area. They are so pretty. I have not seen any Herons since I have lived in Nevada.

Nice to have you back. How is David?

Welcome to this forum, Sheryl. I hope you return often.

The promise of the Sacred White Buffalo is a story passed down from more than 2000 years ago. It stresses Peace, Harmony and Balance for all Creation on Mother Earth. The return of the White Buffalo fulfills a promise made by White Buffalo Calf Woman.

Here is a link that gives more information:

Sacred White Buffalo

David is doing well - thank you for asking. Thank you. He's gaining strength each day.

Well....there's more about sycamores....their branches reach out and offer comfort and shelter to all that come close; they have an incredible ability to flourish and grow even in the company of adversity; they are simply beautiful trees. They also can provide relief for the thirsty. The sap that flows through their trunks can be tapped and drunk like water if there is no water available. It is a nurturing tree......the person who said you are like the sycamore must know you well.

Dear Connidee, Thank you so much. He still is a wonderful spirit. We love skunks! The first time I saw a skunk walk across the backyard, I spoke with it. The beautiful skunk stayed there and listened for awhile. I love Matilda. She's big and beautiful. Walk In Balance, Deer

Thank you, Conni. You bring joy and inspiration into my life. Sending prayers for David.

Matilda must be one very happy skunk, Theresa. What a delightful story and what a wonderful thing your late husband did for her.

Dear Phyllis, Thank you so much! There is more to the story of Matilda. She would make lots of noise very early in the morning during various times of the year. When I say she was loud, I mean she was loud! It sounded as though she were coming right through the walls of the house. Whenever this would happen, we would just laugh and say she's renovating her condo. :-) Walk In Balance, Deer

How funny! Did Matilda have a family, too?

Maybe at certain times she was preparing a place for her babies.

What do you call baby skunks - kittens?

Well...I was close. Here is a link about baby skunks:

Baby Skunks

Dear Phyllis and Conni, Thank you both very much. Yes, we were certain she was preparing to have more cute babies. Phyllis, thank you for the link. Conni, although I don't know who David is, I am sending him and you lots of healing blessings. Oh yes, we only saw Matilda and her babies. They were all so adoreable. Walk In Balance, Deer

Theresa, maybe you should write down Matilda's story and have it published, even if as a children's book.

Would do your husband proud I bet.

That is a great idea! It would make a very touching story.

This morning, on my walk with my dog, I heard a very raucous disturbance from five huge Ravens in a tree above us. My dog became very skittish and I thought the Ravens were yelling at us. Then I saw two small Hawks circling the area and two Ravens took off after them to chase them away. The Hawks split to different directions and the Ravens gave up the chase and flew back to their buddies. I felt sorry for the Hawks, but, they got away without any harm.

Dear Phyllis and Wendy, I love your idea, Wendy. My husband always wanted me to write, especially for children. Phyllis, you are so blessed to live around hawks. We had a mating pair of hawks in the park across the street from our home. It is interesting you should mention a writing a story. Just this morning I was thinking about starting a thread for creating a story with Native American themes. We will all take a turn writing it. Walk In Balance, Deer

I had a story going quite some time ago and it just kink of fizzled out. I will see if I can find it.

I just saw another Hawk out back - or it could have been a Golden Eagle. It was quite large and up pretty high - I did not have my binoculars with me. I love Eagles and Hawks. They are a constant reminder to us that Great Spirit receives our prayers.

We live on a high forested point overlooking the ocean, and there is a family of redtail hawks that spends the days soaring over the house. There sure are some wild bird fights up there in the clouds. Between the hawks, the turkey vultures, and the crows, I don't know who to root for! I love how the crows line up on the fence when I put out meat for them. Each one waits its turn in line. We have quite a relationship. Mary

We have had a pair of bald eagles nesting in the nearby lake ever since we moved here. I hear them every so often.

The pair of purple finches, which my husband insists are not purple but red, are raising their brood on our front porch again, their 4th brood in 3 years with us (they had 2 the first year).

Lately all the unfortunate road kill has been possums.

We had a very special treat this morning. A Magnificient Frigatebird (man-o-war bird) circled above our house for several minutes.

I saw it as we approached in the car, thinking it was a bald eagle, its head was shining white as it circled to the east. But its underbody was also white and the tail was long and deeply forked.

These birds nest on mangrove islands in Southern Florida, but are said to range the coasts from California to North Carolina. It's the first time I've seen one in Southeast GA. I'm so thankful for my Audubon Field Guide!!!!!!

Our house is about 15 miles inland, so this was indeed a special visit. It's been a very stressful week, so I think I know the message. "Get thee to the Beach, from which cometh your Peace"

Hello All,

This post is rather about do you hear what I hear. First, though, I am jealous of all of you who live in such close proximity to Eagles and Hawks. What a beautiful blessing from the Creator. Well, yesterday, I heard a lot of squawking. I kept thinking I was hearing a lot of parrots. It turns out I was. My bf told me there were feral parrots who came to a tree in his backyard and one in his neighbor's yard. He said it's very hard to see them.

Walk In Balance,
Theresa

Theresa13, I was talking with an older man here about the increase of hawks, eagles, and osprey in our area. They even have hawks in New York City. Keep looking, you might be pleasantly surprised.

I saw a bird today, and I have no idea what it was. My field guide may have failed me. It was a very small bird perched on a street sign. It's brilliant blue head caught my attention. The rest of its body was brown. The blue of its head was a deep as that of a painted bunting, so it may have been a juvenile male.

I've only seen them once in this area. This make the 2nd unique sighting this week.

Dear ICP,

Thank you so much! We did have a pair of mating hawks in the park across the street, but they haven't been there in some years. My bf and I are going on holiday for three days so I will see you all when we get back. Blessing to You All!

Walk In Balance,
Deer

We saw several hawks in California, some seals in Santa Cruz, Pelicans and Sea Gulls. I was watching for the Porpoise, we saw three last time we were there, but none this time.

ICP, I got goose bumbs reading about your frigatebird. From the top of my head down my body to my feet, waves of goose bumps. It must have been an honor and an absolute thrill to see such a wonderful bird!

It was truly awesome. It circled over our house while we drove slowly down the street. I made my husband slow down so I could look at it.

As I stated, it definitely brought a message, I have yet to heed. As soon as I identified it, I knew immediately. I need to get to the beach for a little peace. I'm going this weekend, whatever the weather.

Icp - I have never seen a Frigatebird (man-o-war bird). That truly must have been an awesome and unexpected delight! I wonder, if it is significant that it was circling to the East. Well, "get thee to the beach" and enjoy your peace. What a wonderful thing to have seen.

Had to work at the office today. Our office is close to the river and the old site of a paper mill. The wood storks have taken over and apparently aren't planning on leaving.

Quite a few were circling in the warm breeze this morning. With our temperatures already hitting the low 80's I would have thought they would be heading north.

Dear Phyllis,

While I was waiting to post on the new story forum, our hybrid wild cat kept putting his paw on your icon. I thought he wanted to post something. Pharoah is a pure bred hybrid wild cat whose ancestors come from the Savannahs of Africa. He's third generation. He gives lots and lots of kisses.

Walk In Balance,
Deer

Pharoah must like the Buffalo and the story of White Buffalo Calf Woman. Smart cat! He seems very affectionate, too. I wonder what he would post if he could.

Thanks for sharing this cute little story, Theresa.

Raven visited me this morning. He was out on the patio railing when I went out and just sat there and looked at me for a minute or so, then flew up to the top of the pine tree.

Dear Phyllis,

He is very smart and affectionate. He would ask you to scritchle behind his ears and for kisses.

Walk In Balance,
Deer

Raven was back this morning. I sat out some bread crumbs and sunflower seeds for him.

The Quail have been very busy trying to keep their little family groups together. Apparently the young ones are too curious this year.

Nawah! [Pawnee word for - Hello my friends] What I saw this morning was the Native American forum. I'm a 'newbie' to this stuff but an ole' NDN who is a writer. Reading through the various postings from 'you all' - I was most joyous. Will be checking in to read what is occurring with all.

Welcome to the Native American forum, NDNRiter76.

I do hope you come back often to share stories with us. Please visit our Campfire also to share stories, prayers, poems or whatever.

What do you write about?

We have been seeing quite a lot of Golden Eagles and Hawks this last week, more so than usual. The Ravens seem to hate the Hawks and are always squaking and chasing them.

Hello All,

Yesterday in the late afternoon, I was watching the flight of birds into this wonderful tree. I was told a lot of feral parrots visit this tree. I tried to make out what kind of birds I saw. The shape of them looked like parrots, but I could not see the colors.

Walk In Balance,
Deer

Our woodpeckers have returned and appear to be setting up house near by. The male was out yesterday pecking at a dead, hollow branch in our camphor tree. The echo was startling, a bit like automatic weapon fire. I ran to the back yard in time to see him fly over to the live oak.

A very small bird has made a nest in a cardboard box on our carport. I just found it while trying to load the recycles, this evening, but it was too dark to identify. I've been dive-bombed a few times walking under the carport. At least now I know why. I guess that box won't get recycled for a while.

Our resident Canadian Geese just flew over the house making a racket. But the neatest thing today was all the little lizards. I put our cafe table and chairs out this afternoon. When I walked back over to place some potted plants, one was sunning in a chair. They are just too cute. I'm so glad they like our yard, as we enjoy them so much.

I have not seen any of our woodpeckers lately and I miss them. I guess they have found new trees in other areas. I saw another turkey buzzard earlier, he was huge. The quail have taken possession of the brick wall out behind us in the mornings and early evenings and sit there and call to each other to gather together.

I love lizards. I do not see any around where we live now, but, out in the desert they are abundant. They are so precious.

There is a pair of Canadian geese that fly over the house in the morning and in the evening......honking all the way. I love those birds. I've begun to listen for them around the same time each day.

Since we live on a creek, we're very fortunate to see a lot of birds....kingfishers, ducks, geese, blue herons, eagles....it's a paradise.

Saturday, while rebuilding our sweat lodge, a pair of eagles soared overhead. It's like a validation of sorts....it makes me think that they remember and are glad that we're keeping the old ceremonies alive. Sound goofy? Then just before we went in, David was singing a song and drumming for another person while he filled his pipe and another eagle went CRUISING up the creek....east to west. We were all simply awestruck. I know I don't need to try to explain; I know you all understand.

That is so cool! It has always been with me, the animals know when they're needed. I give thanks for each and every visit. Well, except for the crows, who have built a nest across the street.

I've been working in the yard for the past two weeks, with them squawking constantly. Late one afternoon, I finally lost it and yelled back at the crow, "Would you PLEASE knock it off! I can't take that racket any more." Of course, my neighbor picked that precise moment to walk outside. There I am in the front yard yelling loudly at his house. His suspicions I'm crazy were solidly confirmed!

Crows are a bit like coyote, they can spread mischief. I really don't need any crow mischief right now.

Icp, that is so funny. People have caught me talking with animals and, of course, think I'm nuts. No...not nuts, quirkey and excentric. That's okay. I told everyone that when I turned 50 my dorkiness magically transformed into excentricity and I embrased it!

There are a lot of crows here, too and they seem so much larger than usual. Wonder why.

It's been reported for several years that crows are taking over. They are running off the songbirds, eating from birdfeeders and taking their nesting areas.

Crows have appartently figured out how to live well and prosper in city and suburban areas, much to the detriment of the songbirds. I agree, they are as healthy as horses, and almost as big.

The past 5 or so springs, we've had flocks of them descend upon our little city. They will generally listen, when I start yelling and fly off. However, my uninformed neighbor is quite excited about the nest in his yard. I'll be OK as long as it stays in his yard.

Our nest in the cardboard box on the carport appears to be a Carolina Wren. Being from SC, that's sweet!

Hello All,

I have a beautiful story to tell about Canadian Geese. Years ago, there was an article in the papers about a Canadian goose who had flown far off its flight pattern. The goose was found in Encino, CA. I was living there at the time. One evening, my then husband and I looked up in the sky to see flock after flock of these beautiful geese forming their V pattern and flying overhead. We saw this every year for a few years.

My beloved late husband and I had psycho squirrel living in the huge palm tree we had in our backyard. He never tried to attack us, but he would attack cats, other squirrels, and any other creature he/she felt was invading his/her territory. Psycho squirrel was there for several years.

Walk In Balance,
Deer

I miss the Canadian Geese. We saw them daily up in the Pacific Northwest. I also miss the Trumpeter Swans that would fly over every day. They sound just like a chorus of trumpets - it is an awesome sight and sound. The first time I ever heard it, it startled me so much and I had no clue what it was.

This morning I saw two horses.

huh...I know I posted about the white bufflao while ago but it isn't here...so here we go again...

On my way to work there is a motor home trailer with covers over the tires...the covers have shredded in such a way that they look like a white buffalo and her white calf.

-----------------------------------

Yesterday on the drive to work a pure white, yes WHITE, squirrel ran across the road, both the truck in the oncoming lane and I stopped, stared at the squirrel, each other, the spot where the squirrel went and then each other again...though I know that albino's exist, it still felt a little like magic.

I'm sitting under my bedroom window as I post listening to the most beautiful song bird. I can't see it and have no idea what it is, but it's song is exquistite! Hope there is a nest around here...I hope I get a glimpse of who is making such beautiful music!

Every morning for the last week, a chubby Robin has been sitting on the fence out back greeting me with his beautiful songs. I love to listen to songbirds.

Wendy, I remember seeing your post on the white Buffalo and her white calf on the tire. I thought that was very symbolic. A tire is a symbol of supporting (holding up) and moving (taking us to where we need to be). The white Buffalo is symbolic of hope and promise.

Hello All,

Well, I saw one of the parrots fly into the tree I have mentioned. What a magnificent tree it is! I wish I knew what kind of tree it is. I only know it is a decidous one. I used to be able to key plants and fish and tell by doing so what they were. Keying can be a very tedious process. Has anyone here done it?

Walk In Balance,
Deer

I saw the cutest little bunny this morning, hopping quickly to get back home before the neighborhood woke up. He was a little cotton-tail.

haha @ keying...

I was a forestry major, for a year a dichotomous key for all botanicals was my best friend and weighed 5#'s.

Do you have a photo of the tree? Close up...I want to see the leaves and bark...I do not know your location but I am proficient with anything of the North East and not bad with the South East.

Phyll..thanks for the comment bout the buffalo...I went back in the thread to before my bday, I didn't realize I posted about them so long ago. I thought it was fitting for the promise of spring.

I still think my squirrel was neat.

Nothing too miraculous today, cept a black cat crossing in front of my car tonight turning into my neighborhood. hmm...

Hmmmm....well, in Ancient Rome the cat was sacred to Diana, the moon goddess. At that time, the cat was also considered a guardian of homes and a symbol of domestic goodness. I am not sure if the black cat would be considered as such.

My Robin was back this morning, just after the bunny hopped away.

In Germany they have a saying: a black cat crossing your path from the left to the right side brings bad luck - a black cat crossing from the right to the left brings good luck. I think it's rubbish.

There is an ancient Egypt cat-goddess called Bastet - who I like very much.

I have a black cat, a black and white cat and a grey long hair tabby (talk about fur balls.....yuck!)...she looks like a little bitty maine coon...and I believe they're all guardians of my home and symbols of domestic goodness. I love them so much!

Many evenings we sit in the garage with the garage door up and enjoy the evening sounds. It faces the East, so we don't get to enjoy the sunsets, but we've seen some incredible sunrises. Anyway, yesterday probably around 4 or 5p the hummers were entertaining us with quite an arial show. There is are hummingbird feeders on either side of the door. Suddenly 2 of them came together and fell to the ground. The grass is about 3 or 4 inches long so I could only see grass moving and an occasional wing. I assumed a pair was mating, although I'd been told that they mate in the air. We watched, but didn't go near....and before long the 2 flew away. It wasn't long after that when I noticed something moving in the same place....I couldn't stand it any longer....I went into stealth mode and sneaked over there...it was 2 male ruby throats duking it out like a couple of little boys on the school yard!!! Jeez....they are territorial and it's mating season to boot. I'm surprised they didn't skewer each other! One of them definately got the worst of it; when they flew apart again the smaller one went to a teeny branch and was a little shaken, but soon flew to the feeder and was fine. Those little things think they are huge. They're so precious and bring such joy. My mother found one in her garage years ago. It was lying on its side but she could see it was still alive. She mixed sugar water and saturated a q-tip with it and then she held the hummingbird in her hand to help warm it up. She placed the sugar water saturated q-tip near it's beak and pretty soon it began to eat. It regained body temperature and strength and flew off. She was thrilled to have such an experience!

We have a Carolina Wren nesting in a box on the carport, a Sparrow (I think) with a huge nest in the gardenia "tree" (it's over 8 ft tall). The woodpeckers are back with the cardinals. We have a rookery of sorts in our YARD!

The only ones we're missing are the hawks. We did see them a few times, near last year's nest. But haven't seen them in at least 2 weeks. They must have chosen another nesting area.

This morning I posted we hadn't seen the hawks in a while. Working in the yard about 1:30 this afternoon. Here comes one of our hawks swooping across the front yard, black snake in talons.

The neighbors crow started chasing the hawk. I'm going to have a word with that crow.

Dear Wendy,

So you know what keying is all about. :-) I live in Studio City, but the magnificent tree is located in North Hollywood. Both these places are suburbs of Los Angeles. I don't have any of my keying materials anymore. You gave me a great idea. I should take a photo. I just don't know how to upload them. My beloved late husband was so good at that. What I can do is take a photo and give you a detailed description of the bark and the leaves. I'll bring a fallen leaf home with me so I can look at it in detail.

Walk In Balance,
Deer

Dear Connidee,

I love the story about your mother nursing a hummingbird back to health. How joyous is that! The hummingbirds are coming back and enjoying my aloe. They much prefer the one with yellow blooms. I had an aloe with red blooms, but they didn't care for that. Hummingbirds have stayed for up to twenty or more minutes on that plant even when I am on the porch. The aloe is just beneath the front porch. A few years ago, a hummingbird came to the window to say hello to me. There are no flowers right there.

I am in love with our cats! I know I have talked about them somewhere here. Pharoah, the Savannah hybrid cat, loves to drink water out of a glass. He especially loves it when there is ice in it. He's very affectionate and loves kisses. He bumps your head for them. Puma, the Northern Indian Jungle hybrid cat, loves to fetch. She'll bring her toy to you so you will throw it for her. She'll play this game forever. It's just about impossible to resist her. Those eyes and they way she communicates is really something.

Walk In Balance,
Deer

Theresa,
are your cats large cats? They sound wonderful.

Mom still talks about 'HER hummingbird'. It was joyous for her and she'll never forget it.

I didn't know aloe bloomed. The only aloe I've ever seen are the small plants we have in the house. You must live in the south.

Until this past Christmas, I had never seen an aloe plant bloom either. I have several in pots and two of them are getting quite large. But I don't think mine are the type that bloom.

A stalk shoots up from the middle of the plant, several feet high, similar to a yucca. The top branches out like a little tree, with a bell shaped flower on the end of each "limb." They're perfect for hummingbirds. All the ones I've seen had red blooms. The plant has distinct stripes on the "leaves."

Dear Connidee,

I live in Studio City, which is located in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles. Puma, the girl cat is rather small. She has the tiniest paws I have ever seen. Pharoah has become taller within the last couple of months. They are both two-years old. Most cats of Pharoah's breed are quite large and tall. He seems to be an exception. I wish you all could see them.

Yes, Aloe Vera does bloom beautifully. The ones in the backyard did not do well s I don't have the original ones. The ones my beloved late husband planted are rather scrubby and have not bloomed. The one underneath the front porch blooms a lot and has many stalks of blooms on it when it does. Aloe blooms come on large tall stalks.

Hummingbirds are a totem of joy. I am so happy your mother keeps her hummingbird in her heart. It must bring her a lot of happiness.

Walk In Balance,
Deer

Dear Connidee,

I love reading about your cats! I would love to hear more stories about them. Cats are wonderful! Don't let anybody tell you different. :-)

Walk In Balance,
Deer

Dear ICP,

My aloe plants are in the ground. The one that blooms yellow has had many babies. There generations and generations which came from the first one. There is a lot of aloe underneath the front porch. Aloe is so good for cuts and lacerations. Just take a leaf and squeeze the juice on your wound. I love the aloe mostly, because the hummingbirds love it.

Walk In Balance,
Deer

There are a lot of crows around here.

They are not completely black but have got black AND grey feathers.

Crows are ancient birds of prophecy and usually have a message.

We have a lot of crows and ravens around here. They do not like the Hawks and chase them away.

We drove up through Spirit Canyon and around Frenchman's Lake yesterday. We saw Mule Deer and a lot of chipmunks, a few Eagles and two Hawks.

A great big (and old by the looks of this well worn ears) raccoon was helping herself to the outdoors cats' food last evening. I knew she was coming around again, but didn't see her till last night. She usually brings her babies when they're ready. Last year she and three of her babies would come to eat. The cats just sit around patiently waiting for them to leave.

Dear Connidee,

I love raccoons, but you have to be careful around them. We have racoons, skunks, and possums in our neighborhood. The park across the street was a swamp while I was growing up. Busloads of University biology students would come to study it. We saw deer, lots of tadpoles and frogs, and even a red fox. People are amazed at the history of the place since it is so close to the city. It's a world of its own.

I am so excited today as the birds are using an old nesting place located on the front porch railing eaves. There is a small platform there. They nested there for years and changed to nesting on the back porch light. There are now two nests. One on the old nesting place and another on the newer nesting place. I heard the babies peeping today. I just love baby birds! I almost forgot to tell you. Some years ago, I was playing my five -octave non-pedal harp while listening to the birds singing. I recorded my practice session and it caught the birds as well as the harp.

Walk In Balance,
Deer

In one place where my sister and her husband lived several years ago, the raccoons would come up on the patio at night and sit by the glass doors, watching the family inside as if it were a sitcom they were enjoying. My sister said they were so cute and curious.

Like a big screen TV for raccoons! COOL!

I almost forgot - I am fortunate enough to work from my home. The hospital I work for set my work station up at home and I do everything on line. It has saved my sanity. Anyway, today I had to go into the clinic to attend staff meeting and as I approached the hospital on a 4 lane highway I noticed movement off to the right. There is an access road (fenced from the highway) and when I glanced over there was a coyote loping along; she looked a bit nervous; I'm assuming it was because she was so close to so much activity. It always gives me pause to see a coyote in the broad daylight where it is so congested with people and traffic. She was WAY out of place, I think.

Dear Connidee,

You just reminded me about the coyotes I see around my husband's resting place. These coyotes come right out in the early afternoon which surprises me as they are usually nocturnal. I always speak with them, and I even howl. The coyote looks back at me for awhile probably telling me two-legged you just don't have the vocal chords for it. :-)

Walk In Balance,
Deer

I'm so glad our woodpeckers returned to nest nearby. However, the Daddy found carpenter bees in our fence. I walked out Sunday morning to prepare for the cookout for my husband's party and saw him pecking away at a post. I walked over to look and he had almost SEVERED the top of it.

All day Sunday, he kept swooping down, trying to get back to that fence post. But the yard was full of people, and my Mother-in-Law got buzzed. My field guide states the Pileated Woodpecker to be about 17". NOT! This male has to be 20" plus with a wing span of at least 30". You can get a fairly good estimate when they swoop down right over your head!

Yesterday afternoon, the male and female were at the fence post in the rain. I guess he was showing her where the bees are. I tried to get a picture, but the screen and window were wet from all the wind blown rain.

Hello All,

I was so excited this morning to see a female hummingbird come to the window to say hello. She did not come to feed as there are no plants at this window. After I exchanged greetings with her, three squirrels came to play. What a happy morning they all made!

Walk In Balance,
Deer

I love hummingbirds. They are so cheerful and such fun to watch. What a delightful morning you had.

I saw several Quail this morning and they are heading back home now before the thunder storm hits too hard.

Dear Phyllis,

Yes, it was a very delightful morning. Hummingbirds can be quite territorial. For the most part, though, only one hummingbird comes to greet. Whenever there have been two hummingbirds, one goes away. I know that is quite unusual behavior for hummingbirds.

Quails are so cute. We used to see mother quails with their babies trailing behind them. They are so cute!

Walk In Balance,
Deer

I was at my sister's earlier today, just sitting with her and sharing memories of her beloved husband. We were watching a Robin flying back and forth, building a nest just under the eaves of the patio. It was very peaceful.

A few minutes ago I was outside and saw 14 Golden Eagles circling above the little mountain range where I used to hike. It was an amazing site!

The last time I saw more than 2 or 3 Eagles together was about a year ago at the mountain lake where we often go for relaxation. My brother and I were watching two Golden Eagles when another joined them, then another....we stopped counting when we reached 50 or so. They were so beautiful!

I saw a large coyote run across a road on my way out to Pyramid Lake this morning. She was very cautious of traffic, looking both ways and headed off up into the hills.

Returning home from dinner yesterday, we passed a wood stork in a ditch. The ditches are all full from the rain and the stork's head was completely under the water.

That just looked weird! I had thought the wood storks to be migratory. But they are staying put this year and can be seen all over the county. Soaring high in the sky, they are majestic, and easy to confuse with a crane. Up close, they are certainly not the fairest of birds.

One of the hawks swooped down for a quick bite of something in the back yard. Thankfully, our dog Dixie was inside. She bounded out the open back door, just as the hawk was flying off.

Is Dixie a small dog?

Can storks breathe underwater? Is that the way they get their food?

Phyllis I can't imagine seeing so many eagles flying in one place. I'd just burst!

Was watching the grackles sneak catfood out of the food dishes this morning....

Dixie is a bizarre dog, part yellow lab and part wired haired terrier. A strip of hair on her head sticks up like a mohawk and the hair on her neck sticks out and curls slightly, almost like those lizards in Australia with skin flaps they spread when threatened. She has the yellow lab color, and is a bit smaller than a lab, but her hair is corse and wiry like a terrier.

I don't think wood storks can breathe underwater, but that one was certainly giving it a try. It may have been after a frog or maybe a crawfish. They nest in large groups along the tidal creeks in our area, but I'm not certain of their diet.

I just checked my field guide and was incorrect in my assumption they migrated. This is strange, as in previous years I only saw them in the late winter and spring. Now they are everywhere. These are large birds, almost 4 ft tall, with a wingspan of over 5 ft. You definitely notice them on the side of the road, or soaring overhead. I've heard "Florida is Full," maybe they moved north. The armadillas certainly have. They are all over SC now.

I saw a dove with a white ring (in its feathers) around its neck walking on the grass behind our block

I saw a Hawk this morning flying over quite low. I thought he was going to land on my patio wall, but he kept going.

Eagle yesterday, soaring, circling over the field across the road and then above the house.

I just saw nine Golden Eagles circling our little mountain.

Wednesday morning my sister and I were out in the desert and saw many chipmunks by our picnic table. We had also seen a tiny lizard when we were hiking a trail.

Cecil heard the coyotes during the night. I love it when they come calling!

The calls of the Coyote are so hauntingly beautiful. I miss hearing them at night. When I lived over by the little mountain a few years ago, I left my window open at night to hear the Coyote and the Cougar. Very peaceful sounds to me.

I was surprised to not see any hawks on my way to SC on Wednesday, but did see a wood stork soaring above. I was almost to SC and it was farther North than I expected.

I have never seen a Wood Stork, so looked up a picture of it. This is from Wikipedia and states:

Licensing
I, the copyright holder of this work, has published or hereby publishes it under the following license:
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
Subject to disclaimers.

This stork is from Hontoon Dead River, in Florida:




What an impressive fellow he is!

Beautiful!

I saw a magpie today. I think magpies look nice.

Was having my coffee this morning in my usual spot - outside, rocking chair facing East with my Cremudgeon Kitty on my lap. I heard a ruckus and when I went to look 2 great big pilated (or piliated?) woodpeckers flew from the tree right next to the garage to another very close tree. They were squawking and pecking....what a site. Those are BIG birds, now! I'm wondering if they were young ones just not brave enough to separate, yet. Where ever one went the other one followed. Gosh they're beautiful!
Racoon as been coming by most evenings before dark to finish up the cat food outside. There are a pair of grackles that are really eating it up. I don't care. They can all come and eat.

I just love the animals of Nature. My sister has some wonderful and funny stories about racoons. I told you that one where they watched the family at night thru the patio door. They would line up and sit there all evening watching the family inside.

Yesterday I saw only a few seagulls. Usually I see so many flying out to Pyramid Lake in the mornings. I see Eagles almost every day now and Hawk visited me this morning. He sat on top of the pine tree observing me. I talked to him for quite awhile.

Our pair of purple finches that nest on the front porch are currently busy with their FOURTH (!!!) set of chicks and it isn't even summer yet.

There also appears to be a pair of ducks...a green mallard and a large black coot that always hang out together and walk around the grounds of the development. Today they were disrupting traffic and playing with our across the street neighbors puppy.

That is funny about the ducks and the puppy, Wendy. I bet they had fun!

This morning there was a crow out back just throwing a fit about something! When he saw me come out on the patio, he took off.

Ok so I am a little excited...we have a pair of bluebirds nesting in the bird house we put up on the garage in jest. Who would have thought they'd use it with us having 5 dogs?

Usually I hear birds singing in the morning - this morning, however, I have seen some people moving out (good idea, by the way...).

Those bluebirds must be very grateful to you, Wendy.

I just got back from walking my dog. Saw two Hawks and some quail. I love the way the Quails watch out for each other and call back and forth.

The people I saw the other day were moving in - not out (so it was not a good but a bad idea).

I saw, and met a lot of animals last sunday - on an outing with my neighbour - different kinds of water birds, fishes, ants and other insects, dogs, and horses.

I saw two Eagles this morning. I am sure they were Golden Eagles. They were a little too far away to be sure.

I saw several birds at bird feeders around the neighborhood. A lot of finches and Mourning Doves.

I took a spider out of my kitchen this morning and threw it out of the window (not very nice, no, but there are bushes, and flower beds.

I take spiders outside, too. I do not like to kill them because they eat bugs on my plants.

I saw my first ladybug of the season today.

Ten minutes ago I saw another spider in my appartment - on the ceiling. I left it there. At least for today.

I just saw some more ladybugs on my patio. I wonder if a neighbor has bought some for their garden. They seem to like my geraniums.

They actually like the aphids that will eat your geraniums. Ladybugs are pretty helpful in gardens - they eat the pests that will eat your plants.

They get to be a problem when they lay their eggs in your insulation in the winter - because they leave their pheromones behind, which just attracts more ladybugs - and then you have tons of these little guys. They don't actually hurt anything, but it is kind of annoying when you have a whole bunch of them hatch at one time inside your house!

I have a few little honey bees buzzing around my geraniums already this morning. As soon as the sun hit the flowers, the bees came.

I can hear the Quail calling to each other, but, have not seen them yet.

Ladybugs have always been considered lucky by my family. We've had two incidences of swarms at family gatherings. One was during visitation at a funeral. They were all over the flowers and us. The second was at a Mother's Day celebration in a hall at a State park. It was OK until they started falling off the ceiling and onto the food table.

Mosquitos, and fishes (the fishes we did not see - we heard them, and we saw the rippled surface of the pond).

I found the following video on the Nevada State Bird, the Mountain Bluebird. This is a video of some babies:

Mountain Bluebird

I saw a Mountain Bluebird yesterday. He was sitting on the brick wall out back. So pretty!

The purple finches that have been nesting on our front porch for the past 3 summers is on batch #4 of eggs for this season. Food must be plentiful.

DH found an eggshell under the swallows box, so that means there are more babies in our midst. =]

And it isn't a 'sighting' but a very pregnant Australian Cattle Dog that the rescue organization we foster for did a transport for a very very very pregnant cattle dog, she made it from NC to NY this past Tuesday, and had her NINE healthy puppies last Thursday. It gives me "warm fuzzies" so to speak.

Ahhhh! I love puppies. Nine! I hope little mama is doing ok.

I saw the seagulls heading over on their way out to the lake. They go over early, before 8:00 and head back about 6PM.

What should one do with an empty nest? Our complex maintenance crew had to cut down a tree that was leaning too far into the drive. They found an empty nest and set it aside by the building. Do you think any birds would use it if I could get my grandson to put in up in another tree?

Don't know..it is quite possible, there are many bird species, as well as mammals that will use a 'prefab' nest.

Our finches have been using the same 2 nests (they alternate batches) for 3 years.

And if you wanted to see them, this is Momma (Shelby) and pups. She was huge during transport, now they can see how skinny and underfed she really is. She is definitely getting all the groceries, love, and care she can handle now.

What a sweety - lovely dog. Prayers are coming her way.

Congratulations on the Puppies! That's a BIG bunch! I hope Momma and babies are doing well.

It's been real noisy around here with the hawks. I thought Momma Hawk was trying to coax her little ones from the nest. However, I was finishing up sweeping this morning and opened the back door just in time to see her fly over. I stood and watched for a second and not one, but two males flew to the trees nearby. The female has been making all the noise, so I'm not certain what's going on.

Yesterday afternoon, I took a break and picked up my knitting. The female swooped in and perched on the fence. I took three pictures through the window and the flash didn't seem to bother her. The window screen made the picture a little blurry.

How lovely Momma Hawk is!

So far this morning I have heard a lot of birds and Ravens. But, all I have seen is a bunch of ants on my patio.

We've got the circle of life in full swing. Monday I was helping a friend with some paperwork. She went to leave and there were two lizards on the front porch column in the middle of procreation. Our columns are square and they were on the side more than a foot above the floor.

Both of them actually looked up as we went out the door! What a hoot! If a lizard can have a facial expression, their's definitely implied "A little Privacy Please."

They stayed right there, clinging to the side of the column, as I walked my friend to her car, checked the mail, and went back into the house. Grabbing the camera just didn't seem appropriate.

My brother and I were down at the Truckee River in Sparks, NV, yesterday and saw a large dark bird sitting in the top of a tree. It looked very much like a Great Commorant, but we were not sure. I just looked up in wikipedia and found the following picture:



This is definitely what we saw. It is rare to see one in this area. Wikipedia notes:

The type subspecies, P. c. carbo, is found mainly in Atlantic waters and nearby inland areas: on western European coasts and south to North Africa, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland; and on the eastern seaboard of North America, though in America it breeds only in the north of its range, in the Canadian maritime provinces.

So - this is rare indeed for us to see one.

Just had to share our dog splashing in his little pan of water yesterday. It was soooo hot and he loves to dig in the water, stick his face in and blow bubbles and splash all over the patio. We are going to get him a small child's plastic pool to put in the corner of the patio so he can immerse himself in the cool water. See how happy he is - he is smiling!

Congrats on the commorant siting! They are one of my favorite water birds. When they hold their wings out and wave them back and forth to dry in the sun, it is truly commical. They seem to be doing a funky dance.

It doesn't show up well in the picture, but they have the most beautiful eyes, electric teal in color.

I am completely perplexed with the hawks. All three of them (2 males and 1 female) are still hanging out in and around our yard. This morning the female was in the front yard and one of the males was in the back yard. Both were squawking at top volume. Our coming and going doesn't seem to bother them in the least and that worries me a bit. Saturday, my husband went out to finishing mowing the back yard. Our girl was up in the live oak, squawking as usual. My husband looked up at her and said, "I'm going to cut the grass now, is that OK with you?" She hushed, sat, and watched him.

I've been taught hawks bring the message to "Pay Attention." However, I don't know if these guys are hanging out to bring us a message, or to enjoy our over population of squirrels and lizards. We had a 5ft black snake in the yard this weekend. In Georgia, it's illegal to kill a nonpoisonous snake. I told my husband not to worry, the hawks will see it.

That's been my teaching, too ICP. When I lived in the town of Athens, Ohio a hawk stayed right near the house peering in the windows. Didn't matter which side of the house I was in, that hawk was on a limb or telephone pole peering into the room I was in. That lasted about a month. Right after that I met my David. That's been about 11 years ago.

The people next door with the Devil Dog were shooting snakes a couple of weekends ago. It took all my will power to keep from going over there.

I haven't actually seen them, but I believe there is a family of ducks and ducklings down by the creek. I can hear them a lot. They make such a ruckus when disturbed. It's funny.

I also have learned that Hawk brings messages to us. When I lived further out in the desert, a little Desert Hawk greeted me every morning as I sat outside on the patio with my tea or coffee.

I just saw a big Robin sitting on the top of the Pine tree. He kept up a shrill, long whistle. I have never heard a Robin call like this before. It sounded as if he were distressed.

That robin was probably sounding the alarm for a hawk!

We were out in the front yard this evening. The hawks were loud as usual and my husband commented, "You know I haven't seen any squirrels lately." Haven't seen that snake again either.

I did not think of that. There are a lot of Hawks around here. As you mentioned earlier, the Hawk brings messages. I found this bit of info this morning:

Hawk
"To the Zunis, Hawk is the younger brother of Eagle. More earthbound than Eagle, Hawk carries messages among people and animals while Eagle�s connection is with Spirit world. Hawk medicine is used when hunting ground animals, such as rabbits and squirrels. The shrill cry of the hawk is always startling to hear. It is a sharp reminder to pay attention to the signs around us. It can signal an omen or simply be telling us to be mindful of the obvious. With its acute vision, Hawk constantly scans the horizon for information, thus the expression �hawk-eye.� Hawk behavior teaches us to do the same."

I saw a large Raven early this morning on the back garden wall. He was really upset about something. Maybe the Hawk is near by.

I have been to a playground today - and saw some gulls there up in the sky.

Had to accompany a friend to traffic court today. One the way we saw two hawks. I told her, "You need to pay attention in court today, to what the judge is saying in other cases and to his general mood." Her case was one of the last, and I think she took my advice, as everything worked out much better than anticipated.

Yea! for the Hawks!

I finally saw the Hawk that is in the area. In fact two of them. I also have been seeing at least two Eagles every day for over a week now. I love how the Zuni think - that Hawk is Eagles little brother.

I just saw two large Eagles soaring up, up, into the bright blue sky, with huge, fluffy white clouds drifting across the sky. It inspired me to write a song. You can read it in the Campfire Circle thread.

We saw several dogs running loose last night all over the neighborhood. They looked frightened because someone was setting off fireworks near us. I felt sorry for the poor dogs - how they got loose from their homes is a concern.

This morning I saw the Quail family again. They are soooo cute!

We always go down to the river well before the fireworks begin. I walked over to look westward to the marsh and the lovely sunset. A large egret was patiently waiting for a little bite and/or posing for a few cameras.

It was a brilliant white against the dark green marsh grass and the red and purple of a beautiful sunset.

Last Friday I went to the cemetary where my beloved son is for the first time since his funeral(6/24/09).It is a beautiful place high on a hill reached only by a winding road lined by Lebanon Pines. It's like driving thru a tunnel,then you emerge into the bright sunshine at the entrance to the main gardens. Upon leaving, there were 3 lovely deer standing on the hill.One was a young buck with his antlers just beginning to bud.They just stood there watching us for the longest time.Oh, and a wild turkey was nearby as well.These are not uncommon sites here in the beautiful mountains of north central West Virginia, but I thought it may have some meaning as it hasn't even been a month since my son crossed, and the way in which they were not frightened and watched us so intently for so long.

That's so special! Maybe the deer had gathered to support you. I have always felt them to be such peaceful and loving creatures. I know that was a very emotional trip to make, but it sounds like such a beautiful place.

I had to run back up to the courthouse today and could hardly believe my eyes. Another frigate bird was circling over me, and this time much lower. I need to locate a local bird watching group and get some info. This is my second sighting in just a few months.

Our hawks were hanging around this afternoon. I let the dog out and one of the "boys" landed on the lowest branch of the tree right next to the back fence. My concerns about their comfort level around us AND the dog are increasing. However, there is not a thing I can do about it. At least the woodpeckers haven't attacked anything lately!

brokenheartedmom, this is very special that you saw the deer and turkey. One of the symbolisms of Deer is Grace. The Deer is gentle and quiet. The symbolism for Turkey is the "spirit of giving", "sacrifice", and "common good". I imagine these symbolic messages will be important to you. May your son Walk his Journey with Peace and Harmony.

I saw some Mule Deer a few days ago when driving around Galena, Nevada. They are so beautiful and peaceful.

Icp, our forum on Birding in the Hobbies and Crafts section is very helpful for getting info and identifications.

Late yesterday, I saw two Osprey circling our little mountain range. They were huge. It is rare to see them this far in from the lakes, for they are fish-eating birds. It was truly an awesome sight.

It's strange you mentioned Osprey. My husband and I saw three adults circling over the road the other day. I just remembered. Thought they were buzzards at first glance, as I've never seen a group of them circling like that. However, we were next to a park with a large pond. With a few tall trees, that would be a perfect nesting place, even though it's in the center of town.

My husband works on the waterfront. They have one crane at the far end they couldn't use all spring. Osprey apparently think those cranes are put up especially for them to nest on.

He has so many funny stories about osprey on the waterfront. One day he saw one with a sizable fish in its mouth. There were several birds fluttering around trying to get the osprey to drop the fish. A few moments later he saw an osprey flying in the same direction with a Big Stick! It was probably a different osprey, but the timing was just too comical.

I apologize for using this thread as my hawk diary, but I just have to share this.

I had already commented on one of the "boys" remaining on a very near tree branch as my dog and I went out yesterday. Later that afternoon I was pulling weeds in the backyard. I was bent down and working my way over to the 6 ft fence. I was within 5 ft of the fence when I heard something on it. I looked up just in time to see one of the hawks fly off from its perch, about 5 feet away from where I was working.

I have no idea how long it was sitting there, but amazed it tolerated me getting that close. This is getting more strange by the day. It really feels like they are watching over us, both my husband and me. I'm trying my best to keep my mind open for their message, but nothing has come through yet.

Have you meditated on this, Icp? The message, however, may come to you in the most simple and unexpected way.

This morning, when out walking my dog, I saw the crows trying to scare away two hawks again. They can get so nasty at times. It reminded me of the story of when Creator was passing out gifts to the birds and He eventually came to the last gift. It was beautiful feathers with red on the under side. Crow spoke up and said that he should have them because he was so beautiful and all that he flew over was his. Creator looked over at Hawk, who was politely sitting very quietly and gave the feathers to Hawk because he was humble. Since that time, Crow has been angry with Hawk and jealous and tries to shoo Hawk away.

Apparently mine have called a truce. The crows pretty much stay on their side of the street now. I have seen them flying over the house, in haste. The crows haven't perched in any of our trees in a while. I guess they got the hawks' message. Sure wish I could!

Hawks are just as noisy, if not more so. But I'll take a hawk's screech over a crow's squawk any day.

I agree with you on that. Hawk's screech is much less annoying.

I saw two large white rabbits with black and brown markings this morning. They belong to my neighbor. She is on vacation and I have been going over every day to clean their area and make sure they have fresh food and water. This morning is the first time I saw them, for they always hide when I go in. This time, I guess they did not hear me coming and they were both out in the open. They sure are cute, but boy! the smell from their potty area is atrocious!!!

I just had to share this special encounter with everyone. My son has a new totem - a skunk! This skunk visits him every day and seems quite tame. Here is a picture he took of his new little friend:

It seems as if I've become so much more aware of everything since my son died. On a recent trip to my Dr.(4 hr. drive oneway), I saw some sort of large water bird, like a crane or large pelican. It flew right at my car, then veered to my right and landed on the hill rising from the shoulder of the road. This is quite strange as I was in West Virginia, nowhere near any large bodies of water. Though Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay are fairly close, I've never seen birds like that this far west. Then just a few days later, I saw a man walking down the street with a small green parrot on his shoulder. The bird didn't seem restrained in any way. Why am I suddenly being aware of so many birds, do they have some sort of special meaning that I'm not picking up on. Is my son or Spirit trying to reach me and/or send a special message? Any ideas? Victoria

Hi Victoria, it is good to hear from you again. I pray all is well with you and your healing is taking place. You wrote:
"Why am I suddenly being aware of so many birds, do they have some sort of special meaning that I'm not picking up on. Is my son or Spirit trying to reach me and/or send a special message? Any ideas?"

This would be a very good question to ask Elleise in the Clairvoyance forum. Since this thread is simply for the creatures of Nature we see each day, we cannot devote the time your question deserves, since it would be off-topic. I would love to give you some thoughts on this question, as I know others would. Please start a topic in the Calairvoyance forum and I will jump over there and comment on it. It is a very interesting subject you have brought up.

Another good forum to pose this question would be in the dreams forum. Aisling is very good at interpreting dreams. She has an article on bird symbolism in dreams that you might get some enlightment from, at the following link:

Birds Dream Symbols

We have been having thunder storms and rain almost every afternoon for several days. After each storm, I see a lot of dragonflys zipping around. They are so pretty when the sun shines on their irredescent wings.

My friends recently moved and blessed me with almost all of their potted plants. Yesterday we definitely needed a break and headed out for the beach. As we were backing out of the drive, I noticed a HUGE electric blue dragonfly perched on the tip of the snake plant.

The mosquitoes have come with all the rain, and the dragonflys are very large and happy!

I don't know if dragonflys actually eat mosquitoes. But, last October at the Pow-wow, I commented on how large and numerous they were. Momma Martin responded they were getting big on all the mosquitoes.

...perhaps it is a totem trying to reach her...I usually look up the birds I see and figure out what they are and go from there.

Creator will reach you however they feel they need to.


moving on:

Saw a Red Shouldered Hawk sitting on the fence post at the opening of our development last week.


Dragonflies are of the water and mosquitoes emerge from the water the same as dragons. They most certainly do eat them up.

They have been massive around here as of late. And we have been getting the ones with the spotted ones more often than the giant darners and meadow hawks.

In California we went to the shooting range this past Sunday. The Darners there were HUGE, so large that if I were practiced enough I could have used them for targets, (I definitely wouldn't they are my totem) big and black. Absolutely gorgeous.

Hmmmm....can one buy Drangonflys - a whole bag full? I saw a few more today, but I hope we get more to keep the mosquitos away.

I just saw about 12 brown ducks flying over - on their way to the lake by the Truckee River, I bet. There is a huge park downtown with a small lake with a fountain in the middle. The ducks like to gather there with the geese and other water fowl. I know a group of geese is a 'gaggle', and a group of crows is a 'murder', but, what is a group of ducks? A flock?

My grandson and daughter found a Mourning Dove that the neighbor's cat got a hold of. It is alive (the Dove), but in shock. I wrapped a cloth napkin around it and put it in a box. My daughter and grandson took it to a friend of theirs who is working for the Animal Shelter. Hopefully she can help to heal it. It's little eyes kept watching us like it had trust in us to save him.

A friend called me this morning, ecstatic. She had seen a large bird in her back yard. Wingspan at least 4 feet, black with solid white head. There is a nest in the neighbor's yard and with binoculars she can make out two young ones. The female on the nest is mottled brown.

She assumed them to be eagles and was concerned as the neighbor has been removing trees and burning regularly. The DNR "bird" guy told her they were red tailed hawks. I'm going over tomorrow to have a look for myself.

In the meantime, thought I would ask here and on the birding forum, "Has anyone ever hear of a red tailed hawk with a solid white head?" I haven't.

It could be a Pale Male Red Tail Hawk, Icp. This is exciting! the female would not be so brightly colored.



See "All About Birds" at the following link:

Red Tail Hawks

I wasn't able to get over there today. But I forwarded her the picture. Thanks so much for it and the link. From her description, this might our guy.

Pale Males are beautiful. Of course, I am partial to Hawks.

We have been seeing a lot of bats lately. Just after the sun goes down they start coming out to gobble up the mosquitos.

I saw a Jackalope last night! Actually, it was at a new resturaunt we went to for my youngest brother's birthday. There are old western and Native American pictures all over the place and one statue was a Jackalope.

today while playing fetch with the dogs at the lake I saw a gorgeous brown shouldered bird of prey fishing, with her wide white tail spread. It is always a treat to see the baldies at play here.

How exciting to see such beauties! I saw two Golden Eagles a little while ago. One was dive-bombing, must have spotted something to catch.

Saw her again today...but my husband always misses her, makes me wonder.

Maybe she has a message just for you, Wendy.

I have not seen our Quail for several days. With the cold weather, maybe their daily routine has changed some. I did see a Hawk early today.

I saw a Crow sitting in the pine tree out back. He sounded rather perturbed because it is snowing! A very wet snow that started out as heavy rain.

Heard my eagle today but did not see her...plenty of American Coots and Canada Geese on the lake though.

Saw a white breasted Hawk sitting in the trees while we were riding by on the motorcycle...my guess would be a Shinned Hawk as it had dark shoulders and some barring lower on his belly.

Saw a bald eagle again....however, this time at work, swooped over my car as I pulled in then perched on the roof across the parking lot.

Way too many eagles now to not take notice. A mentor said it can signify a death...and probably in my case it is my moving from SC back to NH with the Navy in a few short weeks. Course I do hope that it is a "death" and not a literal one.

This morning I saw the largest Black Hawk I have ever seen. Usually it is the smaller Desert Hawks I see. This guy was huge!

Just got back from SC. My daughter also had a hawk's nest nearby this past summer, and one perched in a pine tree while I was outside this weekend. Saw several osprey while traveling along I-95. The number of nests visisble from the interstate in the Altamaha waterfowl refuge area has significantly increased over the years.

That is good to know about the increase of nests. That is a good sign!

A huge owl just flew low over my patio. Have you ever noticed how silent they are when they fly?

Owls are amazing birds! Their flight feathers have softly fringed edges so they won't make a sound when they are swooping down on a rodent. How lucky you were to have one fly by so close.

I always wondered how such a large, heavy bird could be so silent. Thanks, Claybird.

I see this owl about twice a month, just after dusk.

Tuesday morning I was riding with my employers to the courthouse for some paperwork. A mile or two from my house, in a clearing near the railroad tressle there was a large bird perched on top of a dead tree. It happened AGAIN! As we were driving past, the bird turned and seemed to look right at me in the back seat.

It was a Bald Eagle! I haven't seen one in over a year. It made me feel so good.

It's so awesome to hear of raptor sightings. Some may know that I bought a new constructed house about 18 months ago. I've been graced with having a wooded meadow as a backyard & have frequently watched a red-tail hawk perched in a tree before swooping in on unsuspecting field mice in the tall grasses.

A mere 6 months ago, son & I saw an unfortunate hawk alongside the road. It wasn't there during our return trip, hoping that it was properly dealt with & not ended up in illegal uses of raptor feathers, claws, etc.

As the ground clears from the drifted snows, the developers are working their way into the lots behind & the hawk perch out my back door will soon give way to a 2-story bricked front teepee. I regret seeing that day come too soon.

We are fortunate the double lot behind us is so tied up with liens it may never be built on. Maybe one day we'll be able to purchase it. It includes some wetland and the nests of our hawks and woodpeckers.

Yesterday as I was checking the mail, one the hawks flew nearby, just a squawking. It sounded like the girl. Week before last I caught a glimpse of both little red headed woodpeckers in our live oak. We've had two years of successful clutches. I'm so glad the "kids" have stayed in the area so we can watch them grow. Daddy woodpecker is quite large.

It is so wonderful to be so close to Nature, isn't it? I was just out back watching the squirrels scamper around and chase each other. They ran and hid when a large hawk came gliding over. I miss the woodpeckers I saw every day at my daughters. There are no trees close by so I only see little birds that stay in the sagebrush all day and only come out when I toss out bread crumbs. The quail make their runs every morning just after sunrise and back again at dusk. Some of the hawks are huge.

I Have crows and Seagulls

Rosie, one of my favorite things to do when I visit my son in Santa Cruz is to walk on the beach and watch the Seagulls. When we fish off the peir, the Seagulls land right by us on the railing and we give them french fries (not too many- dont' want fat Seagulls).

When I was a little girl, my Dad had a pet crow, Jimmy. Jimmy would join us every night for supper and hop from one person to the next, (nine of us) sitting on our shoulder or head waiting for a tasty morsel of something. He loved corn and green beans.

You always cheer me up, Rosie!

I am sitting at my table looking out the patio door, watching a redtail hawk sitting up the hill on a rock. He is watching for small critters to come out. He is so beautiful.

I was shoveling the drive yesterday, and while I know that I have barn cats, squirrels, assorted song birds, crows, and had a skunk til last week I was VERY surprised to see a deer print in the snow....that or one of my neighbors has invisible goats or mini-cows I don't know about.

Oh how I love my hawks! Stopped by a new resale store on my way to the office today. I was on the porch, heading to the car, and a medium size and beautiful one swooped down to eye level, looked right at me and squawked. It flew between the buildings towards the wooded area in the rear.

I had just found a candlestick needed for my daughter's wedding. With my frame of mind at the moment, I probably did need that reminder to say thanks.

I love hawks, too. I watch them out on the little mountain every day. There is one very large one that usually comes quite close to my patio to greet me.

I just saw two jack rabbits chasing each other up the hill.

Nearly hit a coyote on my way home last night. he doubled back and looked me in the eye before going back the way he came.

I often see a small animal that acts and moves like a squirrel. It is too far up the mountain for me to get a good look at it. It is much darker than the other squirrels here, almost black, and it looks like the tail is shorter and thinner. I wonder what it could be? The redtail hawk is wondering, too, for he keeps a close eye on it.

could be a squirrel Phyl. Or a weasel.

Had 3 blue jays fly in and land on my ash tree simultaneously despite being out for a dog potty break and there's 5 of them.

Weasel! It could be a weasel - I never thought of that. I have never in my life seen a weasel in person - well..My sister has three ferrets. They are of the weasel family aren't they?

I will have to get some binoculars so I can see those little critters out there. I saw a blue jay this morning - the first one this year that I have seen. He came and sat on the corner of the roof next to my patio and watched me for quite some time. Guess he waited to see if I had anything to toss out for him. I should get some peanuts in the shell and some sunflower seeds.

I'm glad to have come across this thread, to find others as enthused by totems that greet them each day. I would like to share my joy at seeing Bald Eagles so close to my home lately. One, in particular, has been perched in a specific tree directly across the road from where my grandfather was born, about a mile from where I live. I am usually driving home from work when I see it, and I cannot help but to pull over and gaze at it, sending it my heartfelt gratitude for its presence in my life.

Thank you for sharing that with us Phoebe. Bald Eagles are so majestic and take our messages and prayers to Creator. It is very special to see an Eagle up close.

Last night I was sitting out on my patio. It was quite late. I was gazing at the moon which looked so pretty. I have a curtain I pull close at night around my patio lattice work so no one can see me sitting there but I can see the sky over the railing. Suddenly, quite close to me, Brother Coyote voiced his opinion of the moon also. I jumped off my chair when Brother Coyote howled because I was so startled. The noise my chair made when it scraped on the cement floor startled Brother Coyote and he ran up the hill to cover. I just saw a blur of him for an instant when I stood up and looked out there. I came inside laughing to myself, but a little shaky.

OH yes, Ferrets ARE weasels...and do not assume that your weasel is a "weasel". They often "ferret" out facts and information for us. Incidentally, my madien initials were WSL (weasel) and are now WSH (wish). =]

After 2 weeks of skunk freeness I came home to the familiar aroma.

I also had 2 tom cats yowling it out on my neighbors lawn Weds night. I do not look forward to kitten season, and will definitely start live catching these kitties to have them neutered.

I love your initials - how unique!

So another skunk foud its way to your neighborhood. My son has a skunk that comes around often for kitty food, but so far has not left its "calling card".

Kitten season is maddening, especially when they yowl at night when you're trying to sleep!

Today is so overcast and I have not seen any critters yet, except for quail. They are sitting on a big rock up the hill. That is usually where one of the hawks sit.

driving home from pow wow today there were 2 red tails circling each other as I got onto the on ramp to head home.

Just got back from SC. On the way up I saw a Golden Eagle. I saw a bald eagle a few weeks ago, but haven't seen a Golden in many years. Three hawks swooped down to remind me to pay attention and I also saw 3 osprey. But the most unusual was the llama in a pen on the edge of the highway, sitting in the warm sun. My return trip was later in the day and uneventful, but I was still in awe of the eagle circling above my car.

We went out for a drive today. It was very cold, but bright and sunny. We saw two marmots running around in a plowed field. They were so fat! At Frenchman's Lake we saw two ravens chasing a hawk.

what did he look like Phyl? We had shinned hawks that hung out at the front entrance to the development I lived in in SC

The hawk was slightly smaller than the ravens - it looked like a young red-tail due to the coloring and feather patterns on the under side. It did not look like a shinned hawk or cooper's (it was not as small as a Cooper's). The ravens were quite large.

Did you ever hear that story of when Creator was giving all the animals special symbolic meanings and tasks? Creator came to the last two birds, Hawk and Raven, and said I will now choose the most beautiful bird , one that flies almost as high as Eagle and can carry messages between me and the people. Raven squawked and kept jumping up and down saying, "Me! Me, me, me, choose me for I am the most beautiful and fly swift and high." This angered Creator and He said, "Raven, you will be the most annoying and boiterous of all birds. Hawk, because you are humble and polite and beautiful, you will be my messenger." To this day, Raven is jealous of Hawk and chases him everytime they meet.

It is so windy out this afternoon. It amazes me that the red-tail hawk can hover in one spot for so long. But, to see him do it in this wind is so awesome to watch. I am sitting here looking out and up above the hill is the big red-tail, just hovering there with seemingly little effort.

Yesterday I tossed out a lot of peanuts (in the shell) for the squirrels. I have not seen any squirrels after them yet, but this morning there are several Western Scrub Jays out there fighting over the peanuts. They are noisy birds! I love to watch them. They come and take a peanut then fly off to bury it. Such busy little birds!

I tossed more peanuts out early this morning and the squirrels finally found them. It is so fun to watch them. They each stuff one or two in their mouths, run back to the hill and bury the peanuts. They dig a hole quickly, drop the peanut in, then cover it up and stomp the dirt down. They are so clever.

The quail also came down this morning to see what was going on and I saw the jackrabbits running around chasing each other ( I think we may have some little JR's soon.
I also saw a cottontail a few minutes ago. The first one I have seen this year.

Last week, my Mother fell at work. I went up to SC for her surgery on Friday and apparently my hawks contacted their kinfolk. Saw several on my drive up, and one visited each day to screech at me while I was helping my Mother. With 8 screws and a metal plate in her wrist, she was on some heavy duty pain killers. She kept asking "Is that a hawk making all that noise?"

We got her settled in at my sister's house for the week and I had to run by JoAnn's before leaving this afternoon. I'm on a major road and to my surprise so is a young emu!

I've seen some exotic animals while traveling lately.

lcp - I hope your Mother is ok and I pray for healing for her. The pain must be very difficult for her - I hope the pills work.

I have only seen one emu in my entire life. It is on a little farm not far from here.

Still watching for baby rabbits to appear. Saw a coyote out by Pyramid Lake today while on a drive.

When out driving around yesterday, my Mom, brother and I saw about 100 marmots running across a field. We were stunned to see so many! Usually we only see 2 or 3.

I smelling a fertility ritual with that one Phyl. lol

That was one mighty ritual!

Today I am seeing several Jack Rabbits running around the little mountain. What is this - spring or something?

We saw some wild horses on our day trip to Virginia City a few days ago. They were so pretty.

I love goats! I just watched a video about "fainting goats" ...do videos count for this thread?

Here is the video: Fainting Goats

Every time a Red Tail Hawk comes soaring by I grab my camera (cell phone) to run out and get a picture. When they are hovering above I can see the beautiful design of their feathers on the underside of the wings. I have been trying to get a pic of this, but by the time I get out there, the Hawk has flown further away and my cell phone camera does not zoom in for close ups!

Some day, I will get a good camera with zoom capabilities.

Do you hear what I hear?

I love to sit on my secluded patio at night and listen to the sounds of Nature. Right now the crickets are sounding out with a very loud chorus! Little tree frogs are competing for attention out there.

I can tell if another night creature approaches from the mountain because there is sudden silence and the crickets and frogs stop their joyful sounds.

Sometimes Brother Coytote makes his prescence known by speaking to Grandmother Moon. Sometimes Sister Puma will let the community know she is on top of things by screeching out her hauntingly beautiful message that she is near.

Once in awhile I will hear an Owl ask his eternal question. When the creek fills up with snow melt I will hear the bull frogs come out and claim their place in Nature.

I love Nature and all the critters that live amongst her beauty. I can smell the desert sage when the soft rains or snow (yes, we are still getting occasional light snows here) has moistened the leaves. It is such a wonderful, sweet, fresh fragrance.

I am happy living by the little mountain and say prayers of gratitude every day to Great Spirit for giving me such peace and beauty.

Lizzy stopped by today to pay me a visit. I opened my front door and there she was on my doorstep. Here is a pic of her:



Does anyone know what kind of lizard she is? She is about 4 inches long. The dark color on her is almost black, but does not show that dark in the pic.

I found this website with quite a few pictures of lizards from your area. (not a link) www.southwesternherp.com
Lizzy may be an Elegant Earless Lizard. They have a picture and the color pattern on the back is very similar. Hope this helps

granted I work in a garden center, but it has been years since I saw one and I have never seen a brown one...picked up and released into the lawn a 3" brown mantis the other day. Asked the cashier if she liked bugs, Jenn had no problem, but her male customer did the 'lean away' from it. haha

Had a wonderful visit in my dreams last night. The largest, most beautiful Eagle I have ever seen. He was perched on a high limb, yet I could clearly seen him. He didn't look at me, but sat regally as if posing for a portrait. Shoulders back, chest puffed out, head level and forward. The pose was exagerated, almost cartoonish, not comical, but displaying power and strength. He was intently watching over something, guarding it perhaps. His body feathers were a golden brown, but the head and neck were pristine white and he was HUGE!

My response was complete joy. I could feel his strength and was thankful he was watching from above.

I'm in the midst of a rough spot, and this was truly a blessing with so much positive symbolism I just had to share it.

That is a good sign for Eagle to visit you, lcp.

I have been seeing so many dragonfly s lately. Some are quite large. I also have been seeing a lot of bats just at dusk and later.

We went to a surprise birthday party for my husband's coworker on the island this evening. We were less than a mile from the beach and I talked him into leaving a bit early so I could get some sand on my feet. I REALLY needed it.

We arrived at dead low tide, no breeze and the water was like glass. As soon as we stepped onto the boardwalk over the dunes I saw them. Hundreds of big, fat dragonflies! They were flying everywhere, even down to the edge of the waves. The sand gnats were out as well. It was a feast for the sand gnats on us, and the dragonflies on them.

I have lived near the coast all my life and have spent untold days on the beach. I have never seen dragonflies like this before! It was so hot and humid with no ocean breeze, even the water birds were still and quiet, but it was absolutely magical.

Was out alone on the boardwalk at the Tribal Grounds yesterday. Had my shoes off and was walking as quietly as I could. Suddenly there was the crash of a tree trunk followed by a few heavy thuds on the ground and quite a bit of snorting. Through the trees I caught a glimpse of white on light brown. I don't know if I spooked the deer and it knocked the tree down as it bolted, or if the tree fell first and spooked both of us.

There are many damaged trees in that area from the tornado in January, so either is possible. The deer didn't run far and I called out "I'm sorry I spooked you." A few more snorts of contempt were my reply. I walked on to a bench and sat to get my heart rate lowered a bit. The afternoon thunder had begun and I asked for a little more time. The thunder stopped abruptly and resumed further north after a while. It was perhaps a half hour before the breeze picked up and with it the smell of rain. I begrudgingly walked back to the library. A few Tribal members remained after Saturday's memorial services for the Tribe's Firekeeper.

I recounted how both the deer and I got spooked and Momma Martin asked, "Are you sure it wasn't the bear? she had a cub this year." It wasn't the bear as I had caught a glimpse of the chest and neck. But that would have been a fine piece of information to have before I went out there by myself!

Oh - my - gosh! If that had been a bear....you are fortunate.

I have seen a lot more dragonflies this year, too. They are big, fat, and beautiful.

I saw a Hawk with a rattlesnake clutched in it's claws the other day. It was really quite long and I wondered how the Hawk could have carried it. I watched the Hawk land on a rock to chop the head off the snake then it took off again with the snake dangling.

Even worse a Momma Bear with a cub! I'd have been supper! But Momma Martin would not have let me go on the boardwalk if she had any safety concerns. She knew I was alone, as my husband was with her listening to stories.

Your hawk getting supper brought back a memory for me. Growing up, we went camping often. We were driving to Santee State Park. The entrance is quite long and cleared on each side. My Dad slowly pulled off onto the grass so we could watch a hawk get a snake on the other side of the road. It was the first time I had seen anything like that. I did the same with my daughter. Any opportunity to observe nature, we took the time to watch and learn.

I haven't seen or heard any of my hawks calling for quite a few weeks. It was so wonderful when one came by and was calling to us this evening. This one was smaller and may have been one of the babies from last summer. I was standing in the yard as it flew off towards the north and got to see it's lovely feathers illuminated by the setting sun.

lots and lots of Praying Mantis'. 4 in the last 2 weeks. 2 green 1 brown and 1 half and half. and a friend posted a pic of a green one on facebook.

We've always had many lizard friends in our yard, green geckos, and blue tailed skinks. The last two weeks, their little ones have been all over the place. I've had to be careful with each step and activity, and I really need to cut the grass. Only 1.5 to 2 inches long, they are so cute, but hard to see! Let the dog out and saw 3 in the back yard. Went to check the mail, one on the mailbox and one on the front porch. I can only imagine how many I'm not seeing.

I love lizards! That little one I had on my doorstep awhile ago has come back a few times.

I saw a Hawk take off from the top of the little mountain this morning with a rattlesnake dangling from its talons.

Cats and Bats!

I just came back inside. I was sitting on my patio when I heard two cats fighting and running through all the sage brush up the hill. Apparently they disturbed all the little bugs, moths, mosquitoes, whatever because within minutes there were about a dozen bats fluttering around up there -- after all the bugs, I guess.

At dusk we have at least two bats that come fly by our yard. Love it.

I love watching bats fly around street lights at night. We have a light in front of our house, but it's right next to "Grandpa" a red heart cedar tree. With the tree so close, there's no room for their acrobatic flight. But we get to enjoy them in the parking lot at the Tribal Grounds. The dragonflies go to bed and then the bats come out to feed and play. Always something interesting to watch there.

When we were kids we were terrified of both bats and dragonflies due to all the folklore tales our parents, aunts and uncles told us. "Dragonflies will sew your mouth shut." "Bats will get tangled in your hair."

I saw one jackrabbit this morning. That is the first one I have seen for about two weeks now. For awhile in spring and early summer they were out every day.

Dragon fly, i seen one in my back yard two days ago. It was huge green in color, it just slowly flew by me as if too say hello here i am, look at me. Nice.

We were looking for Antelope on our way to Black Rock Desert yesterday. We did not see any. We did see a Bobcat (Lynx) though. Someone had hit and killed the poor thing and it was lying along side the road. My brother called the local sheriff and sheriff said he would send someone out to pick it up. So sad...

yesterday was turkey day.

Took my husband for his first time apple picking, as we were pulling up the driveway of the orchard there was a pair of hens, one on each side.

Later when we went to pick up our veggies from the CSA, there was a pair of turkey feathers about 15 feet apart. The first was a perfect primary feather from the underside of the wing. The second was a little more banged up and will need some loving. Another primary from farther out n the wing as one side was thicker than the other. The spine is perfect, the fletch is a bit ruffled.

Course, now I am wondering what with my husband will be perfect in the first and superficially ruffled in the second.

I have been concerned that the new road over on the other side of the little mountain behind me had cut off some of the wildlife that used to roam this area. Last night I heard for the first time in several months the Cougar screech about something. It is a hauntingly beautiful sound.

This morning I saw the Quail family again. The babies are as big as the mama and papa now.

I was out in the yard for a little while today and my 3 hawks stopped by. They seemed to be playing, squawking and chasing each other.

Poppa woodpecker was chipping the bark off my neighbor's pine tree. He's been eating well! He's the biggest woodpecker I've seen in years.

Once inside, a friend who lives nearby called. He was in the backyard and I could clearly hear the hawks over the phone. I guess they went to visit him after me.

My mom, brother and I drove out after supper last night to the area where we always see the deer and wild horses, llama and sheep. There are usually a lot of hawks out there. Last night we saw our first owl in that area.

We were about an hour later than usual in the area so the owl was out doing his night thing. He was quite large, but it was a little too dark to see his colors. He must have been a barn owl. He came swooping down across the road in front of us and over to the field.

We had another successful year for the woodpecker family! I got to see one of the babies in my camphor tree this morning, and 2 of the hawks flew over, chasing a crow.

Thunderbeings have been rumbling all day and are very close now. We're finally getting some much needed rain.

I love the Thunder beings! I always feel so humble when I hear them.

I miss watching the woodpeckers. There are no trees out back where I watch the critters at work and play.

I just saw a Cottontail a few minutes ago. The lady next door had tossed out some bokchoy or something like that. It always draws the rabbits down.

Had the dogs out super early one morning last week, it was still super dark, and the moon was just past full. out of no where I hear a very loud "who". I have heard barred owls, they sound like who cooks for you all instead of just a who, hundreds of times. This is the first time I've ever heard a different kind of owl.

Just when I thought I was imagining it the owl called again. The hairs were already up on the back of my neck and it kind of spooked the dogs too. I even looked in the back seat of my car before drinking to work. Silly I know, but this owl didn't give me a warm fuzzy like the barred ones do.

Great Horned owls say "who!" in a deep voice, definitely spooky! They are fairly common all over the USA, so it is likely that is what you heard.
Now, Screech owls sound REALLY spooky! Like a tormented soul moaning and sobbing.

Screech Owls sound like a Banshee! You are right, Claybird -- they sound like they are moaning and sobbing.

We saw a huge Great Horned owl last night out at the farm. We saw a coyote, too.

The night before that we saw about 40 wild horses. They were right down by the road in the dried grasses and brush eating like crazy. They paid very little attention to us. I took some pics and will put one here if it turns out right.

Here are the wild horses we saw:





This one turned towards the car and walked very near my window. I was able to reach out and touch him:



Sorry the pics are not too clear.

We saw 2 hawks on the way to the Stomp yesterday. That was about it, other than it was a most excellent day to be a buzzard! Returning home we took the back roads and saw a blue herin, a white one and were greeted upon arriving at the Tribal Grounds in St. George by a big hawk. On the final part of our return we passed 2 groups of wild turkeys feeding next to the road. We've only seen wild turkeys on that stretch of road once or twice. Seeing 2 groups today was very exciting.

Visiting after Christmas, we saw a horned owl in the tree in front my friends' house in Glendora CA - a suburban setting. They - and we - were quite excited.

They are beautiful!

We saw more wild horses a few days ago. When I got out of the car to take pictures, they came right over and posed for me. One of them, a young colt, came right up to the car and my mother reached out the window to pet him. He seemed very happy to get the attention. When he left, he stopped at the front of the car to scratch his rump against the hood of the car. I will see if I can get some pictures posted here. Hope they come out ok -- I took them with my cell phone which does not always give clear pics.

It was just this past Saturday, I watched a Bald Eagle, resident at the local Boy Scout Camp, dance upon the gusty winds before a cold rain came. A couple hawks were seen hanging out on the powerlines surveying a wide open expanse for a possible scurry.

Survival & a meal force them to brave the elements.

I love to watch Eagles and Hawks. They are amazing!

Here are my pics of the horses:

And a few more:

What a sweet encounter!
Our hawks have been hovering for the past few days. Even with the house closed up, I can hear them calling. It's been a little warmer here, so maybe they are getting ready for Spring.

Mom sure enjoyed it.

I hope you get pictures of your hawks this year. I so enjoyed the ones you shared with us last year.

I saw a huge Jack Rabbit today. He came down the hill to get the apricots my neighbor tossed out this morning.

Last Spring the hawks moved their nest farther from our house, but continued to circle frequently. I'm hoping the nest will be closer this year. Baby hawks are noisy, but it's a beautiful noise. Haven't heard or seen the woodpeckers lately. I do hope they return to their nest and we have another successful clutch. Baby woodpeckers are too cute.

We've had so much cold and rain the past 2 months. Not complaining about either. We desperately needed the rain, and a few freezes means fewer skeeters. But I know Spring is on the way. There was a mosquito hovering over my desk yesterday as I was working on our tax returns.

I have JOYFUL news, and just had to share. My girl hawk was making an awful fuss as I finished up sweeping a few minutes ago. It sounded like she was at the front door so I went to check. She is busy building a new nest in our choke cherry tree in the front yard, and a male hawk was nearby.

I'm not too sure about that nest placement. We have a bunch of crows and it feels a little exposed to me. Might have to talk with the local DNR guy and get a pellet gun. If those pesky crows start harassing my "kids" it will bring out the Momma Bear in me. If the nest is successful, we'll have some awesome photo opportunities from our front porch! I'm pretty sure this is one of the babies from 2 summers ago. She's not that big, but has beautiful markings on her feathers, like her Mother in the photo I posted. Her call has a higher pitch and is very familiar.

Heard one of the woodpeckers late yesterday afternoon. My camphor tree has had several dozen robins visiting for 3 days straight and they have been loud. I'm hoping for a beautifully noisy Spring and Summer with lots of babies!

you must live in a lovely area icp to see all of this wildlife? the crows will try and eat the baby birds as they are scavengers, it must be nice to see more than one robin, i love them birds, are they kestrel hawks or sparrow haws or do you have other hawk species in georgia. spring isnt far off in england either but weve had reports of snow where i live, the drifts can be 30 to 40ft high and its turned freezing cold, do you feed wild birds or do you think it causes vermin to come.

Here she is flying over our red heart cedar tree with a branch in her beak for the nest. While I would love to have the nest close to our house, despite the noise, I would prefer a safer location for the babies. She's not out there right now. Hopefully she's hunting a better spot. I did caution her about the crows. These hawks act so uncharacteristically around us, sometimes I would swear they are listening and understand us.

Here's the picture I posted a few years back. This was the first hawk to move in and I think it might be the younger one's mother. Her cry sounded very close to an eagle's with a deep undernote that reasonated amazingly. She and her mate stayed near us for 2 years. I can still hear her distinctive call in my mind. If I am ever blessed with her visiting again, I know I will recognize her call.

This photo was taken from inside with the window and screen closed. I forgot to turn off the flash. She saw the flash and then "posed" for the next few shots. It was unbelievable.

SKYELAW, I just realized that in 3 years I've never looked in my Audubon Field Guide to see what my hawks are. In all the excitement I finally did today. These appear to be Red-shouldered Hawks and are much larger than our Kestrel's, with heights from 16-24 inches (41-61 cm) and wing spans of a meter.

The fence post finial in the photo is 7 inches tall. This hawk would be at least 16 inches tall. I can vouch for the wing span. She flew not 12 feet over my head with a black snake dangling from her talons one afternoon.

According to the Field Guide their preferred habitat perfectly matches the large undeveloped lot behind our house, swampy, wooded bog. It also states they are normally shy. But if not bothered, they can become tame. Perhaps their behavior isn't as uncharacteristic as I had thought.

we dont have them red shouldered types over here i dont think. i once found a kestrel that hit electricity wires it only took a week to put it back in good health then i let it go again it was a magnificent bird to look at. some people train them to hunt like falcons.

Beautiful hawks, lcp. Thank you.

Lawrence, besides the kestrel, do you have other hawks in County Durham?

I feed the wild birds sunflower seeds and peanuts (unsalted). The scrub jays here love them, but so do the squirrels. That's ok. I do not mind the squirrels, but the jays do.

just sparrow hawks thats all phyllis

We did our grocery shopping today. As we pulled into one of the shopping centers there was a small brown marsh rabbit. That was certainly an unusual spot. We've occasionally seen them in the neighborhood, but I wasn't expecting one to be so close to businesses and a major thoroughfare.

Kaycee, welcome to the Native American site. It is good to have you here. We have great fun posting and reading about all the wildlife we see.

lcp, I hope the rabbit finds its way home to safety. I have been watching the rabbits this morning out on the snow covered mountain behind me. I have not seen a cottontail for several weeks, but the jackrabbits are very active around here.

Thanks Kaycee! Yes, I do love animals, all of them. From the Native American perspective, they aren't just our neighbors, but our brothers and sisters. We were all created and share life on Mother Earth.

Late last night there was a show on PBS about Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks as viewed by American Indians. A few of the Elders shared animal stories. These are such a large part of our mythology, culture and way to teach our children. Two of the Elders commented that everything has a story, each of the animals, the wind, moutains, lakes and rivers, every hill and valley.

As for the hawks, I have had a unique bond with these magnificent birds for many years, and I don't really know why. It will be very warm here today and our house is open. I can hear at least one calling as I type now. I was taught Hawks bring messages, like their brother the Eagle. This message is usually a reminder to pay attention to what's going on around us.

Growing up, my daughter shared in my love of birds and now the Hawks are with her too. There is at least one nesting pair near her home and she called this week while on her lunch break to tell me two were circling over her. She had them near her old house and I heard them at her new place last summer. I went out on her little balcony and asked them to watch over her. I guess they heard me.

Well....my ego has been deflated a little!

The Case of the Horse that was not there:

My sister, brother, mother and I went for a nice day trip on Tuesday. We each took our own sack lunch and parked somewhere way out in the boon docks to watch for wild life as we ate our lunch and chatted.

On the way home we stopped at a little store that must be at least 100 years old for sodas and candy bars. I did not want any snacks, my water was fine for me. So I walked around then stood over by a fence looking out towards a mountain.

When the others came out of the store, they stood near the car eating and talking. My dear mother, bless her heart, has very poor eyesight and refuses to get glasses. She asked, "Is that a horse out there?"

Brother said, "That's Phyllis!"

Brother thought he was quite funny (which he was). My sister laughed so hard she choked on her candy bar.

Mother was embarrassed and said she meant farther out on the mountain she thought she saw a horse (which was only a large boulder).

As for me, I had my ears back and was pawing the ground, ready to charge at Brother who ran for the car.

Oh Phyllis, THANK YOU so much for that! Laughing with you I hope!

My young hawk finally heeded my caution about the nest in the front yard, and has apparently selected a safer tree behind the house. Won't be getting pictures from the front porch, but I'd much rather have a safe and successful nest.

I saw the weirdest little lizard yesterday on top of the garden hose reel. It had a curved thing, like a dinosaur, on top of it's head and neck. There was a younger one farther down, and there was much head bobbing. Must have been two males staking out territories.

LOL thanks phyllis... sorry for laughing, God bless brothers x

Aren't brothers awesome? It is OK, Ladies -- I am laughing also. Thanks for the comments.

lcp, you could use that picture of your Hawk, the one on the post, for your Avatar. That would be so lovely.

I wonder what kind of lizard your little visitors are?

We have several different types of lizards, skinks, and chameleons in our yard, and sometimes the house. The most numerous are the green ones who can alter their skin tone. The males have a red crest on their neck which is displayed during mating. I don't know if these are geckos and their body length without tail is about 4 inches. We have blue tailed skinks and these get much bigger. They love our carport. It's a bit junky with lots of "hidey-holes." One of my favorites are the chameleons. They have pinkish skin, with black/white stripes on their tails, and make the cutest little chirping sounds at night when they come out to feed.

Maybe I can get a good photo of one of my lizard neighbors for an avatar. That seems a better fit. I don't mind sharing the hawk pictures, but for some reason I don't want to use them.

Yesterday I let our dog outside as one of the hawks was swooping down into the small clearing behind our house. It was about lunch time and it appeared to have something. I think it was the male, a little larger than the girl. Both of them have been calling to each other this morning.

Apparently I know nothing of hawk nest placement. There was a frenzy of activity this week in the choke cherry tree and our little hawk girl is in the nest. All morning the boy hawk has been circling from tree to tree nearby calling out. I'm not certain if he's being protective, or urging her to "push," but fairly certain we will have baby hawks within 50 feet or so of our front porch.

With our morning coffee, my husband and I were discussing the safety of the nest. He thinks it's a good spot. The tree only has limbs well above the crook where the nest is. There are trees nearby providing full view for monitoring. We're a little saddened as we won't have any other birds visit, but much more excited about baby hawks and a much needed reduction in our over-abundant squirrel population.

My regular camera has a much stronger zoom than my digital. It's loaded, ready and by the front door!

I can hardly wait to see the new additions! How exciting this must be for you and your husband.

I just saw the Easter Bunny....well....it was a Jack Rabbit, but, it is fun to imagine.

You sure the rabbit's name was Jack, and not Peter?

I thought it was Jack...but, there was that basket thingy...

If he was balancing the basket on his head, folk might take him for a Jack-a-loupe. Maybe, it wasn't a basket & he was a Jack-a-loupe

Ne'er though o' that!

Now here's something to see. It's beautiful and elegant, but I can't see nor afford paying the price of this Swarovski limited edition Bald Eagle at this time...

Swarovski's 2011 Limited Edition Bald Eagle

But I have gone back & looked at the site frequently... C'mon Publishers' Clearing House.

Very lovely! That would be so nice sitting on my desk.

I saw several large hawks hovering around most of today and the squirrels have not been down the hill to visit yet. Wonder why?

We drove out after supper to the area we always see wild horses. We saw several different bands and so many young ones following their mamas around. The horses are so beautiful.

I remember the wonderful pictures you posted of the wild horses. I just LOVE springtime babies of all kinds.

Mentioned the Georgia Eagle survey in another topic and was fortunate to see one on my way up to SC yesterday. It was circling over a marsh area and banked towards me, just in time to see its white head and bright beak.

A few miles up the road the largest Osprey I have ever seen flew over. It's wing span was as wide as the car, but then I drive a smaller car

Lizards were everywhere this afternoon, scampering up the fence, on the house, across my foot! Came across a wolf spider cleaning around my planters. These might be the largest spiders in our area. With legs stretched, it would have filled my palm.

I love lizards! I saw one at my sister's home today. It was sitting on the rock wall out in the garden in the sunshine.

Wolf spiders I can do without. I dread them coming back this summer. Last year one kept vigil in the hallway by my bathroom. Every time I went in there, it would chase me!

My Mother is scared to death of spiders and I shared this fear until I became a mother. At that point I became determined not to pass it to another generation.

As my daughter grew, we admired webs, made dreamcatchers, and I read stories of Iktome to her. She watched as I fearlessly coaxed them into cups to take outside, or nonchalantly brushed them off. I managed to learn respect for these spooky little critters. They DO eat bugs and some have lovely colors. Despite my best efforts she remains afraid.

I've often wondered if fears can somehow be genetic, perhaps something to do with genetic memory. My Father is afraid of heigths and that phobia I have not challenged. Most babies love to be tossed up in the air. Not Mine! However, my daughter may be taking this one on. Last summer she moved into a 3rd floor apartment. I overcame the open stairway while helping her move, but can barely stand on the balcony without vertigo.

I was visiting last week and noticed a little spider in the hallway. I didn't mention it. My daughter is newly married and "hubby" can take on Iktome for her now.

OMGosh, Jane -- the same thing happened with me. My daughter has always had a fear of spiders in spite of my trying to show her I had no fears of them. I took them outside to put in the gardens and told her they would eat all the bad bugs that killed our flowers. Still, she never outgrew her fear. Now that she is fortunate to have a good fiance', he can deal with Iktome.

I saw a really big black spider on my patio today and am not too thrilled to see the spiders starting to come back.

I think the ones in our area are generally much smaller than those in the Southwest. The brown recluse is quite small and the most dangerous. The black widow a bit larger and a little less lethal.

I scrolled down and there are 7 spiders in the Who's Online box. Should our daughters be scared of those too?

I had no idea we have them here as well. Who are these Spiders?

I am not sure who the Spiders are. My guess is there are people just browsing/viewing and not signed in - or spirits?

< YEAH! You stayed a Chipmunk, I see, & didn't lose your posting tally. >

I'm more led to believe that the 'Spiders' are 'Search Engine Spiders'; aka crawler or Googlebot. These are out collecting bits of information on webpages to categorize for displaying when a search is initiated by a user of the search site.

Does that make sense?

Thanks Beetlemess! That's what they are, but then we are on the World-wide Web, so I guess we should expect the spiders!

Just got another photo of my Hawk. The storms we've had rolling through since early April have damaged the nest several times. She's out there, as I type, adding some Spanish Moss plucked from the Live Oak in the back yard. I can't figure these "kids" out. Apparently they work on the nest when they get around to it. Both of them are away from it for what seems to me to be extended periods. I don't know if we're going to have a family, of if they are just "playing house."

I have been watching a young Jack Rabbit for several days now. She seems very timid and is never far from her mother. She was probably born last year sometime. Every day she seems a little braver and this morning strayed quite far from her mother. When she looked up from eating and did not see her mother, she began to panic, then went back to eating and eventually scampered off on her own. Growing up is so hard.

I laughed so hard over this video that I thought I would never be able to laugh again -- yet I can watch it over and over and still laugh my head off. Animal Voiceovers

That is just TOO Funny! I was laughing so hard, my husband came in to see what about. Ended up hitting the replay for him to enjoy the whole thing.

Friday afternoon it started snowing ash - Yes, the Okeefenokee Swamp is on fire AGAIN! And it's in a remote, unaccessible spot. All the fire crews can do is build firebreaks and try to prepare for where it will pop up next. The fire smolders and spreads undergound within the peat layers. It can come to the surface and flare up 20 miles away. I'm wondering if this is a pop-up from last year's fires. Peat can smolder and burn for years.

This afternoon it is very smoky outside and has filled the house. The fire is on the north-west side of the Swamp and quite far away. However, there is an orangish-green tinge of color all around. I'm used to the green tinge before a storm, but this is a little spooky looking.

Anyone up for a Rain Dance? We could make good use of a good soaking.

Count me in on the Rain Dance. Also prayers heading your way. I am burning a sage wand for you.

I should send you some Rain Rocks! When I was living in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1980's, my son was living in California. There were wild fires and a drought throughout the state of California. My son and I both strongly believe in spiritual helper tools.

I went out to the forests and gathered some rocks, all approx. the same size and shape. When I got them home, I wrote on them with a permanent marker. On one rock I wrote: Gentle Spring Rain; another: Summer drizzle; another: Downpour; etc. On one I wrote: Torrential Rains. I put all these rocks (they were all about the size of ping pong balls) in a basket with a lid. I instructed my son to choose any rock from the basket, put the lid back on the basket, then set the chosen rock on the lid for one day.

It was so hot and so dry, Son chose: Torrential Rains. The next day there was a storm with so much torrential rain the Santa Cruz mountains were in danger of mud slides. Son put the rock back in the basket!

You might try finding some rocks and a basket with a lid....


I tied some Prayer Ties on a bush out on my little mountain the other day. As soon as I came back home and sat on my patio to gaze out towards the Prayer Ties, a Red Tailed Hawk swooped low over the Prayer Ties and sailed up high and off in the distance. He took my prayers with him to their destination.

The evening news radar showed the smoke plume extending far out above the Atlantic Ocean. The fire is in the South-West portion of the swamp, not the north-west as I previously posted. As the temperature drops this evening, so will the smoke. Instead of the usual morning fog advisories, we'll have smoke ones.

Makes you wonder how our Ancestors communicated during and after fires. Smoke Signals would be useless!

I have a lidded basket and plenty of rocks, some are smooth rounded ones from an Arkansas river near the diamond mine. Those will work nicely, but I might leave out the torrential one. Don't want to seemingly welcome any hurricanes. It's almost that time of year. A weak tropical system, now that would be welcomed.

I love the photo of your little mountain! You can almost see your animal friends and neighbors.

I just read 16,200 acres have burned in the swamp area.

Swamp Fire Arial Map

Overnight 10,000 acres were lost. They thought it might have been due to lightening? Plus high winds aren't helping anything. Can we put a fan in a bucket? Not sure if it works that way. I like the rain rocks though.

Phyllis, I absolutely loved this video. I've had a huge bout of anxiety this past week 1/2 and it was so perfect getting me over the hump today. I loved it!!!

Thank you!

As of the 5pm news we're at almost 45,000 acres burned. That's a large area, but small when compared to the scorched land following previous fires. That was well over 200,000 acres. The Okefenokee is approximately 700 square miles and it joins the border of the Osceola National Forest. This is the smallest of 3 national forests in FL, but it's quite large.

There have been rumors the ivory billed woodpecker, thought to be extinct, may have a small population within the swamp and forest. With all the fires over the past 13 years, I wonder if that still might be possible. One can hope.

The river rocks should work very well, Jane. It is a good idea to not have a "torrential" rock. I did that thinking one day of heavy rains would put out the fires -- I was not thinking of mud slides though.

I watched that video again and nearly fell off my chair laughing. It is really good to have some good laughs to increase endorphins and lift our spirits.

I have read before on studies of the ivory billed woodpecker in the swamps along rivers in the Florida panhandle. I do hope the species is safe and coming back from near extinction. There are several articles about them on the internet.

"I love the photo of your little mountain! You can almost see your animal friends and neighbors."

Jane, I so love my little mountain. Of course it is not mine, it belongs to Nature. I call it mine because I pray towards it every morning -- it is east of my patio. I have many pictures of the mountain in different weather, lightness, and darkness. It is a haven for all Creator's little animals, full of burrows and homes under the big rocks.

The good news - I saw a lovely hawk near a friend's house this evening and two quail. I heard a very loud woodpecker, but didn't get outside in time to see if it was Poppa Woodpecker. It did sound like him.

The bad news - the fire has jumped the FL/GA border. Last I heard, acreage consumed was approaching 100,000 acres. Back in 2007, over a half million acres burned. Please pray for rain to come to our area. The fire is still west of the Tribal Grounds and we hope to be able to get there on Saturday. Sometimes they have to close roads for the fire crews and due to smoke impaired visibility.

Prayers are being sent now and daily. Offerings to Creator have been made today for help and enough rain to quench the fires.

Thank You so much! I've posted before how the Swamp has a cycle of burn and regrowth. The burning is essential, as it clears overgrowth and keeps the waterways open. In the past, the cycle was about 50 years. With little to no means of containment, it eventually burned itself out.

In 1998 there was a huge burn in the midst of a drought. FL had fires all over the state too. Then again in 2007 and now only 4 years later. It's been reported the initial fire was from a lightning strike.

I can't imagine living here 500 years ago. With ash falling and smoke all around, not knowing the fire was 20 or 50 miles away, it must have been terrifying. Over the weekend, it was so smoky, it was like a neighbor was burning a truck load of leaves.

I pray the wildlife is not being harmed by these fires. I know it threatens them and pushes them out of the habitats, but I so hope they will survive all this.

The smoke will harm people also, especially those with lung problems. What precautions do you take to prevent smoke damage to the lungs?

Mostly we stay inside as much as possible. Particular care is taken with the elderly and children. The schools and daycares are sometimes closed, but most often eliminate outside playtime until the smoke dissipates. Back in 1998 and 2007, there were evacuations, not for fire threat, but due to the intense smoke. I hope it doesn't get that bad this time.

Thanks again for your prayers for rain. That will help with the fire and for the rest of us, clean the air.

I went out to the camper to retrieve a pan, still there from Pow-Wow. I heard an unfamiliar high pitched call from the hawk's nest. Momma Hawk was in the nest, leaning forward. In front of her beak I saw a quick flash of light brown. Do we already have babies?! I went pillaging for the binoculars and ran to the front yard. Once there, I couldn't see any movement in the nest.

This is SO frustrating! I'm the expectant "Grandparent" of baby hawks, and so worried about how smoke from the Swamp fires might affect them.

But I did see something today, too cute not to share. We keep our house open as long as we can into the summer heat, and the flies have fled the smoke outside into our home. Mr. Lizard was on the outside of the window screen. About a dozen flies were on the inside of the screen. His little head was following their movements, back and forth, like at a tennis match. One landed near his snout and he about jumped out of his skin. It was so comical, I stood and watched for several minutes. I love my Lizards! They bring so much laughter and joy.

It's Official - We're Grandparents! There is a baby Hawk in the nest. My husband and I have been sharing in our "Nest Watch." He found a better vantage point to use the binoculars and a little head popped up. We could see it clearly and It's so cute!

Congratulations to the happy Grandparents! What a joy.

Your house sounds almost exactly like mine. Creatures of all kinds seem to just come out of everywhere and it is comical!

I was feeding a stray cat, leaving leftovers from the night's supper on the back porch. It was kind of a routine we'd gotten into. She used to just stare from the side of the street and I'd put some milk in a bowl. She learned to trust me and let me pet her head eventually.

Anyway, one night she was at the door waiting for supper, but it was dark out. Still I swear I thought I saw 2 heads instead of one.

I opened the door and she was leaning about as far as a cat could lean without falling off the staiway and to her left was a giant possum sitting right next to her with it's eyes closed.

I put a bowl down and the possum made piggy noises gobbling it up while she just looked at it like, good grief i hope I don't look like that when i eat. He waddled away, she looked in the bowl and then looked at me, like

...Really????

Congrats on the baby hawk (s) !! Any chance of some pictures?

Not without my husband getting up on the roof! Actually he's the one who mentioned it. I would not be surprised to see the ladder next to the house at some point tomorrow.

This is a pleasant thread! Elleise, you're lucky you can leave food outside--I cannot because it would attract bears. In my dream last night, my old rescue paint horse, Gem, was running with me on his back. I hugged his thick, strong neck and he galloped so fast that the wind made my eyes tear up. This morning, I saw a sparrow through my computer room window. She flew at the top left corner of my window and it startled me. Then I noticed she had a wasp in her tiny beak! She hopped down into the bush beneath my window, only to return empty mouthed. She quickly flew off again.

Thanks for joining us great_grandaughter. What a special dream! Animals I've shared life with have visited my dreams ocassionally and I cherish each time.

Please share about your other animal neighbors in the Northeast. We haven't heard from your area in a while. With summer almost here, I'm sure you'll have plenty.

I saw my very first Hummingbird this morning. It came for the sweet nectar and fragrance of the petunias Brother gave me for Mother's Day. He searched all over the county till he found some fragrant petunias. They are lovely and the Hummingbird loves them.

I hope he comes back.

Great Granddaughter, is that Gem in your avatar? Beautiful!

I was just about to ask the same question. Would Gem be considered a Paint, or is it Palomino? I know very little about horses, but honor and respect them.

Yes Phyllis, that's Gem the handsome boy! I would say thank you, but I can't take credit for how gorgeous Nature made him! He always played shut the door with me when I was mucking out the stalls. He'd stay by the door after I opened it, wait til I turned my back and then shove it closed with his nose!! Gem was tovero and tobiano marked. Jane, he was a registered Paint horse. To quote the APHA: &quot;the horse must also exhibit a minimum amount of white hair over unpigmented (pink) skin. Each Paint Horse has a particular combination of white and any color of the equine spectrum: black, bay, brown, roan, buckskin, dun, gray, grullo, perlino, smoky cream, chestnut, cremello, palomino, red dun, sorrel, or champagne. Markings can be any shape or size, and located virtually anywhere on the Paint's body. Although Paints come in a variety of colors with different markings, there are only three specific coat patterns: overo, tobiano and tovero. These colors, markings and patterns, combined with stock-type conformation, athletic ability and agreeable disposition, make the American Paint Horse an investment in quality.&quot;

You saw a hummingbird?! Oh they're so tiny and exquisitely beautiful! Such a lovely moment-thank you for sharing it!

I think everyone was out this foggy morning as we went to pick up our Angel Food order. Saw a huge Red Shoulder hawk perched on a power line. Thankfully, it was several blocks away from the small marsh hare near the hospital entrance. The Ibis were getting breakfast on the roadside. On the way home, my neighbor had a young red-bellied woodpecker at their feeder.

Last night a male Northern Mockingbird gave his strident call a few feet from my window. He's certainly eager to find a mate!

Early this morning I saw a doe and her 2 fawns!! It was only a glimpse and then 3 fluffy white tails disappeared into the brush!! The moment was beautiful but all too brief! Their eyes and ears and legs were so big on the teeny little bodies!

This morning I sat under my 'karma tree' per usual and got to feed a sweet little squirrel. One at a time, she would take the seeds I piled near my feet. She'd eat two, then stuff two in her mouth and run up the tree.

I feed the squirrels on the little mountain every day. This morning I was not able to get out there early enough -- so they all came down to my patio, calling me out. I fed them from my patio. They love peanuts. I buy them the unsalted peanuts in the shell. They crack them open and eat a few, stuff some in their mouths and run up the hill to bury them, then come back for more. I am surprised how many they can stuff in their cheeks!

There are several Scrub Jays out on the mountain today. They are focusing on one area in particular where there is a lot of exposed soil. (must be a lot of bugs and insects out there).

My daughter hikes and runs every day on the trail at the top of the little mountain. Yesterday she ran into a Bull Snake that had to have been at least six feet long. The trail is about five feet across and the snake was longer than that, with his head and tail both stretching beyond the trail on both sides. Daughter said the snake raised his head and gave her a sideways look then went on after a rabbit "without even saying excuse me while I cross your path as you wait".

Is your daughter superstitious? Australian superstition actually implies good fortune coming her way because the snake was about to get a good meal and didn't mind eating in front of her.

Many Native cultures believe that brown colored snakes (like bull snakes) passing the way of a daughter means that the snake has chosen the woman as a kindred Spirit of the Earth. Maybe she was formally recognized and acknowledged as a true daughter of Mother Earth!

Oh that is so sweet that the squirrels remember you with kindness and came right to you! I fed the pretty squirrel with sunflower seeds. After a long winter, I thought the poor tiny thing could use some meat on her bones, hehe.

Phyllis you have such a strong and joyful Nature Spirit within you!

I must share this quote of yours with my daughter. I believe she is a true daughter of Mother Earth. She takes her camera with her and often stops to take pictures of little critters. She was so frightened yet fascinated with the snake.

I told her she really should get a hiking buddy to go with her. The other day she took a picture of a very large beetle and said that was her hiking buddy. We have some pretty big beetles on our little mountain - some are tiger beetles.

Thank you, Great Granddaughter. My father blessed me with the awareness and appreciation of Nature. He knew so much about wildlife and shared his knowledge and love for Nature with me. So I have passed it on to my children.

*beams* I could chat with you all day!

I just saw a pair of bickering Cardinals!! They're so lovely!! Unfortunately, one of my cats hopped on the windowsill because she saw them too--they are now at the edge of the tree 'squawking' angrily at her! Too funny! She's chattering at them with wide golden eyes and they're chirping as loud as they can and fluffing up their feathers, refusing to leave the tree!!

I saw it snowing white petals so I ran out and took pictures!

and:


The clouds are gathering, so enjoy the brief moment of weeping trees!

How lovely! What tree it that?
Our little town has white crepe myrtles planted along the streets and they are in full bloom. It will be snowing petals here soon too.

The first one I (think) is a Philladelphius, and the 2nd one is a Dogwood tree on the bottom that's also in my avatar. They're both not just pretty--they smell divine too!!

oh I love your Natchez tree! So pretty and they grow so fast too!

Our dogwoods start blooming as early as late February and the blooms are all gone by April. It was nice to see one in bloom. Thanks for the photos.

Had to return to Jesup, GA yesterday to retrieve the last of the wedding items. Traveling up I-95 a hawk crossed in front of us with a long, and still wiggling black snake in its talons.

Flying into the strong coastal breeze with that snake gyrating beneath took some effort. I'm thinking there is a nest with hungry young ones there too.

Some little babies will have a good meal.

I saw my little hummingbird friend again today. He came late afternoon. I have one feeder hanging up, a pot of petunias which he loves, and a Gatorade bottle I turned into a feeder. He was a bit suspicious about that, but finally tried the nectar and stayed quite awhile. I painted red flowers on the bottle to attract him.

Such a lovely sight! Hummingbirds are beautiful and vividly colored! Such a special moment!

Today at 6:30 pm, I saw the sun glimmering across Crystal Lake. Most of the day's people had left and the sands were just beginning to cool. A small group of Broadwing Hawks soared above the tree line, pwee pweee-ing to each other. They drifted along the thermals in lazy circles, their black and white chests reflecting the setting sun.
Yes I brought my camera, left in my knapsack on the sand. But my memory took perfect pictures.

I'm a bit tardy in stating what I saw this past weekend... How about a Bald Eagle soaring over the tops of the trees, encircling a group of OA Scouts that were dressed in ceremonial costumes & undergoing a best team competion.

< Wonder if the eagle was eyeballing the fake feathers? >

Ayeah, could have been. Or maybe he was choosing the best team.

I saw a hawk swooping down to catch a squirrel a few minutes ago. Squirrel got away.

Pardon my belatedness. Our trip to Cumberland Island on Sunday provided quite a few sightings. At the start of our hike, there were two wild turkeys with beautiful feathers. On Nightengale Trail we spooked a doe. It bolted up the sand dune, paused for just a moment and took off down the other side. Couldn't get my camera up fast enough.

There were about 20 wild horses grazing on the grounds at the ruins of Dungeness. After just a few shot my camera died! I'm hoping I got a few of the 3 young ones in the herd. We walked right through the largest group. One of the little ones was so cute, pawing at the ground, but staying close to momma.

Our hike back to catch the ferry was interrupted by a dispute between stallions. I'm not sure what the Grey did to upset the Chestnut. But once it was over, the Grey remained on the road glaring at us like it was our fault. After a minute or so, I commented "Hey, we didn't have anything to do with that!" He sauntered off to the roadside, but continued to glare at us "pesky humans."

OOPS! Forgot about the dolphins. Two were swimming down river as we waited to get underway and I saw another on our return to the mainland. It was so nice to be on the river, if only for 45 minutes on a crowded ferry.

I saw a large Common Black Hawk today. He has been around for a few days now. His wing span is larger than the Red Tailed Hawk, but his body is much smaller. He soars quite low over the little mountain looking for prey.

With all the wildfires down south, I wonder if some birds are being displaced ... looking for new hunting grounds?

A several times in the last two weeks we saw baby foxes with their momma near the house - so adorable.

I saw a small hedgehog this morning! Does that count?

Not quite as impressive as horses, dolphins, eagles and fox cubs, but it was cute!

I have never seen a hedgehog in person. Of course that counts, Linda. I have heard they make good pets -- but one needs lots of education to own and care for a hedgehog.

I saw a flock of seagulls (what is a group of seagulls called?) earlier. It is so strange to see seagulls circling over the little mountain. Usually I see only hawks out there soaring or hovering.

Last night we rode out to see the wild horses. We saw only a few way up on the foothills outside their canyon.

Down in the meadows, we must have seen over a hundred Marmots. Lots of little new ones and mostly the older ones, some very fat and happy looking.

There was a large herd of mule deer in the alfalfa fields. They are looking very scruffy because they are shedding their dark reddish brown winter coats.

Phyllis, I wish that I could have been there. I love seeing marmots when we go to Colorado.

Hi Connie. I love to watch the marmots. You should have seen this one mama who was so fat before her babies were born that she could barely get into her burrow. She is one happy mama now with two little ones running around. Their home is in an old tree stump that has burrows down into the ground.

A few minutes ago I saw a lot of white birds (large ones) soaring high above the little mountain. They were too far away to tell what they are. Must be Seagulls. Seagulls always fly over here on their way out to Pyramid Lake farther out in the desert. It is unusual to see them circling this far inland.

I saw a yellow butterfly this morning. IT just reminded me of how much beauty there is during the summer.

Welcome Chelle! So glad you joined us.

Chelle, it is so good to hear from you again.

I was just out back tossing unsalted peanuts to the squirrels. They come running when they hear the plastic bag crinkling when I dig out their peanuts. Then they stand out there with their little hands folded like they are praying, waiting for their treats.

Thanks Phyllis, it is good to be back. Squirrels are of course my favorite little critter. It is fun to watch them playing in my backyard.

Chelle, have you read through Jane's 'Hawk Nest Watch' thread? It kept us all so excited and gave us so much joy over the several weeks of watching the Hawks and waiting for the babies to appear.

It is a clear, bright and hot day out today. The little critters on the little mountain are really enjoying the sun and the Hawks are gathering, soaring overhead. These are times when I do not feed the squirrels, for if I do, that brings them out in the open and the Hawks are watching. I do not want to interfere with Nature.

This morning was a birder's paradise in my back yard. Keetowah was squawking, so I went out to say hello. Poppa Woodpecker was in the live oak. Our little sapsuckers had a successful clutch this year too. One of their young was having a hard time maintaining a grasp on the camphor tree bark. The little one kept slipping down the trunk with wings awkwardly flapping.

It was one of those cute moments to enjoy without concern. Momma Sapsucker was nearby. We had two pair of cardinals and quite a few other song birds. Even my neighbor was out with her daughter. I'm not sure what they were looking at with the binoculars.

We finally got the grass cut in the backyard yesterday, so there was good bug pickings for our feathered friends.

I just love birds! Since we put in our backyard pond, we have a lot of birds all year round. In the middle of winter, I'll see some crazy little bird bathing in the stream. They enjoy it in the summer, too.

Yesterday, I was watering our front yard after the sun went down. A robin family, mama, papa, and two mainly grown robins came to enjoy the mist.

Jane, I sent you a PM about helping a bird rescue. I don't want to post appeals in forums without knowing that it is okay with the editor. Let me know.

I saw the most amazing thing right before I left for Charleston. In the backyard, I noticed two very large white birds flying towards the South. Being so close to the coast, that's not unusual. However, these birds were flying right beside each other. They banked to the East and maintained their wing tip to wing tip position.

They were so high and the moment was so brief, I didn't have time to grab the binoculars. I have never seen storks, egrets, or herons fly like this and they appeared to be pure white.

Does anyone have an idea as to which birds these could be?

They could be Great Egrets or more likely a Snowy Egret.

I bet Claybird would know. Claybird often posts in the Birding forum.

I have seen these only a few times in my life. They fly pretty high and are usually in or around water.

I saw a Jack Rabbit a short while ago. I was out back praying and asking for a sign and when I opened my eyes I saw Sister Rabbit watching me. What a good feeling that was.

We saw egrets in Oklahoma on our way back from Texas. I've never seen one before, but that's what they looked like.

Yesterday I got to watch two Blue Jays squawking at my dog. She's been rooting around in the ivy that has creeped up our chain link fence. I have no idea what she's looking at. But the jays love to squawk and swoop her. It seems a bit late for baby birds doesn't it?? It seems any Blue Jay babies would be mobile enough to avoid my dog LOL!

The fledgling robins are now hopping around the yard and I can hear the parents calling to them....very spotted and lacking full size tail feathers...quite comical to see them hopping about in the lawn....until my bird dog catches site of them (ugh)

The fledgling robins are now hopping around the yard and I can hear the parents calling to them....very spotted and lacking full size tail feathers...quite comical to see them hopping about in the lawn....until my bird dog catches site of them (ugh)

Welcome Back Wendy!!! We have missed you here in the forum. All of our babies are all grown, except for the lizards. I was working in the yard this afternoon and had to take care with each step. The little green lizards are only an inch or two long and there was a little blue tailed on the front porch.

One of the babies was sunning on a sago palm frond. When I got a little closer, he started bobbing his head up and down like a big boy. It was so cute!

that bobbing is an aggression thing, "see how big and bad I am" type of thing, it's also used in courting before mating.

I wish we had more lizards around here. I have only seen one in the last few years - a little Black Belly is what my grandson said she was.

I saw a Red Tailed Hawk land on my meditation rock this morning. I go out there once in a while to watch the little critters or meditate. It is in the back on the little mountain, so it is fairly private and very quiet.

You know you're doing the speed limit when your car gets "buzzed" by a flying wild turkey!!! One flew right out in front of us on the way to the Tribal Grounds yesterday morning.

Last night there was a nasty thunderstorm with 3 lightning strikes on the grounds. It was meeting weekend, and all the kids were huddled in the cook shack during the storm. Thankfully no fires were started.

When we returned this morning Chief Martin was cooking some breakfast and said "We need 2 or 3 more good rains like last night." Well that request was answered in part this afternoon, but afterwards the dragon flies were dancing all around the circle and 2 hummingbirds stopped by to sample the feeders.

Had an unusual visitor this afternoon, a praying mantis on a stool outside. It sat in the same spot for at least an hour and my husband got to see it too.

I haven't seen one in the yard in years, what a nice surprise.

We had to run down to the Tribal Grounds this afternoon and ended up staying longer than planned. The sun was setting behind us as we turned onto the main road.

Within yards we saw large black wings rising up from the right side of the road, and then the last rays of sun caught the brilliant white tail feathers.

I'm so glad we were delayed! Otherwise we would have missed that bald eagle catching a late evening snack.

Just returned from Daytona Beach, FL. What a lovely few days we had! Ponce Inlet Park is on the southern tip of the barrier island and we spent two afternoons walking along the river and beach. Got to see a large tortoise snacking on small purple flowers and many water birds. Driving home we passed a bald eagle perched high in a dead tree. Their numbers have been increasing, and I've seen more this year than ever.