Friday, August 14, 2009

Friday Five:The Wild Animal Edition!

Mompriest reports on a family of bobcats in her desert neighborhood, and invites us to "share a wild animal story from your life." In April 2008 (pre-Ike), the Scientist, his mom, and I went for a hike in the San Bernard Wildlife Refuge, down in Brazoria County. The prairies and wetlands of coastal Texas are a birder's paradise in the spring, and water birds like this heron are abundant.
Not only birds thrive in these marshes. We spied this guy waiting patiently for dinner!
When we returned to the parking area, we happened to see two Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists who were weighing, measuring, and banding a young hawk they had trapped.
The hawk was not too happy about its situation...
but remained calm despite the handful of folks who had gathered (at a respectful distance) to watch.
If birds can feel relief, I'm sure it was relieved when the biologists let it go and we watched it soar out of sight.
Here's a bonus. We've had several fairly close encounters with deer: that's not difficult in the Texas hill country, where they have lost much of their fear of people and will ravage your flower beds!

Farther west, though, one seldom has a chance to get as close as we were during this 2006 hike in Big Bend.
Edited to add: The Italian island of Capri is named for the wild goats that still roam its rocky hills. We took a boat trip around the island one day on our 2007 Italian grand tour, and there they were! You may have to enlarge this picture to get a good view of them.

9 comments:

Terri said...

wonderful photos and story!

Jody Harrington said...

Really enjoyed these photos and your post.

El Jefe and a neighbor spotted a Mexican Hawk on a rooftop in our neighborhood this week while El Jefe was walking Beatrice. The neighbor thought the hawk was eyeing her so he quickly took her home!

Stratoz said...

we have the herons, lack the patient diners, and have toooooo many deer in our gardens and the ticks they carry ;') I am feeling better.

DogBlogger said...

Cool! Wish I'd had time to play Friday... I would've dug through some Alaska and Colorado pics.

Anonymous said...

Great photos...makes me realize that I really should get out more :)

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

I love the hawks, the goats, and the deer. I can do without the alligator!

Rev Kim said...

Great pictures. I love watching hawks & eagles from afar, but up close they give me the willys!

Jack said...
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LutheranChik said...

Why did I not know that there are alligators in Texas?