Furry and feathered friends-- a few fotos

[arocknoid]

Wildlife viewing is one of my favorite activities in our local mountains. Even when trails are busy with bipeds there are ways and byways by which one can observe the larger herbivores.

I am surprised and disappointed to hear the common refrain that most hikers rarely --if ever at all-- see the bighorns and deer which inhabit our favorite hiking haunts. A Cliff's notes of tips for viewing might be in order. (maybe later...)

Meanwhile, a few fotos which tickle my whatsit, including a "whatsit?" photo or two. (No, not like the failed NYC mayoral candidate!)

Just don't ask me where, or other such details; also, I'll tend to avoid posting any big buck or bighorn ram photos. By way of avoiding inducement to other folks perusing this board...

This doe and fawn did not know what da heck i was, but remained undisturbed with close in viewing for fifteen minutes or so:



head scratch:



nyah nyah, na nyah nah:



corona radiata:



fuzzy little fellow:



Movie tie-in for Ellen: channeling Gloria Swanson in "....."




Riparian meanderer:



I think this is the only photo I have of a deer's sole in mid-stride:




Keep your eyes peeled for *parts*; zoomed in, here:



Get their attention by making a sound like James Arness in his earliest film role (hint: cue Kurt Russell remake...)




"Say Cheese!!" in der deer lingo, but don't spook 'em:





Apophenia's cousin-- llama:



Whoa. Fresh since morning hiker. grande:



Traffic alert; readily apparent with low-lying sun:



Nothing to see here; move along


Very sharp in this powdery soil, very fresh. BOLO:



Relents to show a buck pic; from the DFW stats record, one like this is taken from this zone about once every 3 to 4 years. This is my buddy, so KYFHO:






Here's a whatsit for ya:



Deer and sheep share the road:



F-22 overhead:



Eagles overhead. Fast movers scare the bejeesus out of me, with low passes, you never hear a sound til they are right overhead, or already past you. Then, BY THUNDER!!!.
Lucky I even got the camera powered up before they were gone in a blur:



Backyard eater of birds:



Obviously a fan of Vincent D'Onofrio as Goren (where da Wolf?):



Whaddya mean, who's on lookout? I'm looking out to get my share of good eats:



"A little lower. Left a little. Left. Ahhh" :



kind regards,
arocknoid

the sheep got short shrift in this thread

[Hikin_Jim]

"KYFHO"

Nice stuff, 'Noid.

HJ

[zippetydude]

Great post 'noid. I don't want to sound absoid but I haven't hoid of that boid you have pictoid after the twenty-thoid photo that was bloid.

(That entire foolishness is based upon the assumption that "arocknoid" is a play on words combining "arachnid" with "a rock nerd". With a little Jersey accent thrown in. If I am incorrect, please ignore all but the first 3 words. If I am correct, please excuse the horrible rhymes.)

But seriously, I'm guessing that is some form of falcon? Great shots either way. I enjoyed your creative use of composition to bring the llama to life!

z

[arocknoid]

Thanks Jim and zip.

Mister zipster, dat boid is an accipiter, a sharp shinned hawk. 'Tis a speed demon pursuit predator of other birds. It can be a challenge to distinguish from a Cooper's hawk, and these two pics might even be a bit misleading. Here's a link to Cornell's ID tips for these birds-- a superb overall reference site BTW.
This particular bird and its mate and offspring are well-known to me, as well as its clan mates over the past couple decades heah.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutB ... Dtable.htm

(Therefore, perhaps more than any other similar-looking birds, no single field mark is likely to distinguish one species from the other. Instead, the careful observer must use a combination of field marks and draw from the overall "gestalt" of the hawk for proper identification.)

and yes, good job de-psyphering 40-50% of the etymology of mi moniker here--provocative of either a yawn-fest or a yikes!fest.

kind regards,
arocknoid

[HikeUp]

... a sharp shinned hawk. 'Tis a speed demon pursuit predator of other birds. It can be a challenge to distinguish from a Cooper's hawk, ...

My best guess was that it was a Cooper's based on the size (Cooper's being larger than Sharp Shinned), but then again it is hard to tell size from 1 or 2 pics. Agree with Cornell site as a great reference!!! :thumbs up:

The bird in flight has me a bit miffed though...an eagle?

[arocknoid]

Howdy Hikeup,

The two pics are deceptive as to size and perspective. I was shooting up from my doorway into a palm about twenty feet high, thirty feet away. Makes it hard to distinguish the narrow hips and head features (and skinny legs).

The bird overhead is a redtailed hawk.

my photo:


reference photo of RTH overhead:

(from http://ridgefieldbirds.com/TheRefuge/Tr ... 07-11.html )

[HikeUp]

Got it.

[Ellen]

[
Movie tie-in for Ellen: channeling Gloria Swanson in "....."

A deer walking in Sunset Boulevard....

"Why you're Norma Desmond, you used to be big!"

"I am big, it's the pictures that got small!"

[Ellen]

Get their attention by making a sound like James Arness in his earliest film role (hint: cue Kurt Russell remake...)

Wow, if I squint my eyes, that almost looks like The Thing from Outer Space in the brush....

Now I getting worried that I'm spending too much time watching Turner Classic Movies

[Ellen]

Relents to show a buck pic; from the DFW stats record, one like this is taken from this zone about once every 3 to 4 years. This is my buddy, so KYFHO:

Absolutely beautiful and completely agree with KYFHO