Nature Photography (Formally Spring is in the Air)

[Doug Watson]

Count yourself lucky Doug, here we get whitetails wandering the streets broad daylight even in downtown Halifax!

We do have a healthy population just blocks away but usually don't venture in to the housing during the day. I did find a tuft of deer fur while shovelling snow one winter morning however.

Maybe cars drive faster where Doug lives...

The wolves keep them at bay

[stargatedalek]

If only coywolves kept them at bay, we have plenty of those. Its worth putting up with a few overpopulated species though to live in the salt and fresh water fishing capital of the Maritimes!

I've never had the displeasure of a skunk, but at one point a feral mastiff took up residence in my backyard, a terrifying creature it was to say the least. We also get crows and racoons that border on being feral they are so tame, most of the crows even have names.

[Doug Watson]

If only coywolves kept them at bay, we have plenty of those. Its worth putting up with a few overpopulated species though to live in the salt and fresh water fishing capital of the Maritimes!

I've never had the displeasure of a skunk, but at one point a feral mastiff took up residence in my backyard, a terrifying creature it was to say the least. We also get crows and racoons that border on being feral they are so tame, most of the crows even have names.

In that same greenbelt a few blocks away we also have coyotes and I have seen them often. Coydogs were a big problem a while ago but there was a concerted effort to get rid of them.  The biggest problem with deer here is deer/car collisions.
Wow sounds like you had the Hound of the Baskervilles in your back yard (Hammer version the best). Having had a Bullmastiff for 12 years I would have tried to tame it.
When I was young we had crows all over but the Ravens didn't venture past the Gatineau Hills to the north but since I have moved back to the city in the mid 80s the Ravens are now here in suburbia and they really make a mess of garbage bags that are left out over night. So in our neighbourhood you get chipmunks, squirrels, wabbits, raccoons, skunks, crows and ravens plus all varieties of small birds that do no harm. In fact these days the animal that has given me the most grief is a black and white cat that has been hunting our chipmunks and birds. I miss our dogs.

[stargatedalek]

Hopefully someone took it in, it wasn't a particularly aggressive dog by any means but still at that size not the sort of animal you want feral in an area with young children.

Our neighborhood birds are weird, the eagles tear open the trash bags and the crows and herons are the top predators
We don't get ravens here, but in Annapolis for the eagle festival I see them by the dozens, so they must be coming from somewhere (then again some of the eagles come from as far as Georgia).

Aah Gatineau, its been years but I've visited, a lovely place.

[Doug Watson]

Our neighborhood birds are weird, the eagles tear open the trash bags and the crows and herons are the top predators
We don't get ravens here, but in Annapolis for the eagle festival I see them by the dozens, so they must be coming from somewhere (then again some of the eagles come from as far as Georgia).

I envy your eagles even if they are into your garbage.
In all my years I have only seen one Bald Eagle in this area. It was stealing a fish from an Osprey over the Ottawa river. I have seen them in Florida and in Algonquin Park but always single sightings. I have never seen a Golden Eagle.
If you can ever get some shots of some of yours please post them here.

[stargatedalek]

I'll be sure to! I've never seen a wild golden eagle, but bald eagles are relatively common around here. They scavenge a lot but it doesn't take away from the impression a bird like that leaves. Not far out to sea they follow the whale watching boats and a small flock of bald eagles is a sight to behold, with or without seeing any whales they make the tours worth it.

[Gwangi]

You have kangaroos in your back garden!? Only in Australia...

Aren't there non-native wallaby in the UK?

Honestly I think the deer are worse in the suburbs than in the country anyway. In the country they're more cautious, because of hunting pressure and a greater abundance of natural pressure. In the suburbs you can't hunt them, there are fewer predators and a lot of tasty ornamental plants. It's not uncommon to see herds of deer sitting outside under your shade tree or in the case of my mother's yard, watch them breeding!

[Takama]

We don't get many interesting Animals in our back yard. Just Rabbits, and Squirrels. However with did have two Groundhogs that wanted to crash in my neighbors yard, and come to raid our garden.       We Eventually got rid of them, by calling someone to catch them, and take them away.

In the Evenings, we Get Bats in the Trees that love to fly around.   Occasionally they get into our basement, but we normally Just catch them with a towel, and set them free.

[Doug Watson]

Its stinking hot up here in the Great White North 35 celsius and 100% humidity, typical hot Ottawa summer weather.
It was nicer on the lake on Sunday, at least I got to cool off in the lake.

Can you spot the Eastern Garter Snake?



Here it is. It looked so comfortable I resisted the urge to grab it. It also looked like it may have been digesting something, another reason to let it be. Pretty snake though, very tempting.



An even closer look.



The Northern Water Snakes finally made a come back, I saw 4 that day. This is a fairly large one around 3 + feet long, basking. Nice banding.



Peek a Boo, another Water snake.



This was a BIG Water Snake judging just by its tail it looked to be at least 1.5 inches in diameter so I figure close to four feet long.



This smaller Water Snake, probably a male was basking close by to the big one which was probably a female.



Dolomedes Fishing Spider, these guys just freak me out especially since they are so fast, faster than any other spider that I have seen and a lot of other animals for that matter. Big and fast what a combination for a spider.



This Swallowtail Butterfly was getting its nectar on the wing so I am surprised I got this mid flap.



Ringbilled Gull and Caspian Tern.



For the second week in a row we saw a Whitetail Deer at the lake. I spotted this doe lying down on a hill above the shore. On the way out a doe and a fawn crossed the road in front of our car.

[Gwangi]

Those are some hefty looking water snakes. I saw a nice sized one swim past me while fishing the other day. I made a grab for it but it look off into the depths before I could catch it. It was my own fault, I know they can be a bit defensive so I hesitated.

[triceratops83]

Garter Snakes really are the cutest snake. Great shot of the deer, too.

[Mamasaurus]

Garter snakes have such a cute dorky smile 

These pictures are beautiful, and that is a lovely doe. Down here in the Texas hillcountry our whitetail are scrawny and anemic looking. They look like a good gust of wind could blow them over, and it doesn't help to have the axis deer right alongside to compare. The axis are an invasive species from India that do very well in the hillcountry, and they are very robust and beautifully proportioned animals. They make the local whitetail look like skin and bones. 

Unfortunately I don't have very many pictures of the local wildlife, since my camera isn't so great, and I usually have a baby or two in arm anyway. 😊 we actually have a rather interesting array of animals...squirrels, cottontails, huge jackrabbits, porcupines (occasional road kill is only evidence), armadillos, raccoons, foxes (gray fox I think), whitetail, wild hogs, the invasive axis deer, and wild turkey, to give a general overview.

When I have time to sit at the desktop I'll have to post what pictures I do have 😊

[Halichoeres]

All great shots, but I especially like the spider. Right now my apartment windows are teeming with orb weavers. They like tall buildings--must be a lot of midges or something at this height.

[Doug Watson]

Those are some hefty looking water snakes. I saw a nice sized one swim past me while fishing the other day. I made a grab for it but it look off into the depths before I could catch it. It was my own fault, I know they can be a bit defensive so I hesitated.

Yes the big ones can give a nasty lacerating bite plus they can cover you with a particularly offensive musk. That is why I have stopped grabbing them on land, I grabbed a four footer and it musked both my legs. I stank for the rest of the day. If you grab them in water the musk is taken away by the water, at least it has worked so far.

[Doug Watson]

Garter Snakes really are the cutest snake. Great shot of the deer, too.

Yes it took all I had to keep from grabbing it (the snake that is).

[Doug Watson]

Garter snakes have such a cute dorky smile 

These pictures are beautiful, and that is a lovely doe. Down here in the Texas hillcountry our whitetail are scrawny and anemic looking. They look like a good gust of wind could blow them over, and it doesn't help to have the axis deer right alongside to compare. The axis are an invasive species from India that do very well in the hillcountry, and they are very robust and beautifully proportioned animals. They make the local whitetail look like skin and bones. 

Unfortunately I don't have very many pictures of the local wildlife, since my camera isn't so great, and I usually have a baby or two in arm anyway. 😊 we actually have a rather interesting array of animals...squirrels, cottontails, huge jackrabbits, porcupines (occasional road kill is only evidence), armadillos, raccoons, foxes (gray fox I think), whitetail, wild hogs, the invasive axis deer, and wild turkey, to give a general overview.

When I have time to sit at the desktop I'll have to post what pictures I do have 😊

It is really a shame what invasives can do to the ecosystem. I am sure the Whitetails are doing worse because of the Axis Deer. I was surprised to read ranchers are still actively stocking axis deer, you would think there would be controls. Most of our invasives are birds and fish released by humans. One of our worst invasives is the zebra muscles that were released into our freshwater systems by overseas ships that dumped their ballast in the St Lawrence system instead of out in the ocean where the salt water would have killed them. They greatly affect our fresh water clams and crayfish. They have totally infiltrated the Rideau system which Murphy's Point is part of.
I got a real kick out of the Jackrabbits when I was in Alberta, like a cottontail on steroids.

[Doug Watson]

All great shots, but I especially like the spider. Right now my apartment windows are teeming with orb weavers. They like tall buildings--must be a lot of midges or something at this height.

I have always been fascinated by spiders but I don't have the desire to handle them like I do with snakes. I did keep a Golden Garden Spider as a pet when I was a kid one summer. But these dolomedes are just so dang fast it is unnerving I swear you can be staring at them but if your kayak bumps the log they are on "poof" they are gone and you don't know where!!!

[Newt]

Great shots, Doug! Man, I haven't had a chance to get in or on the water all year...

Here are some recent photos from around my house. First some big flies:


Hanging thief robber fly (Diogmites sp.)


Another robber fly (Triorla interrupta)


Midas fly (Mydas clavatus)

These guys are all whoppers (for flies) - about the size of a hornet.

Speaking of hymenopterans...


Thread-waisted wasp (Eremnophila aureonotata)


Red paper wasp (Polistes sp.)


Red-tailed spider hunter (Tachypompilus ferrugineus). Sorry for the blurry photo- this girl wouldn't hold still for a second. She may look like the paper wasp above, but she doesn't move like one; it's all darting, dashing, briefly standing stock still, flying a short distance away, and flicking her wings constantly, like some sort of combo of tiger beetle and dirt dauber. She was after this rabid wolf spider (Rabidosa rabida) (below) but didn't catch it while I was watching.



Another spider:


Orchard spider (Leucage venusta)

[Newt]

Some lepidopterans:


Clearwing sphinx moth (Hemaris sp.)


Pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor)


Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)


Hackberry emperor (Asterocampa celtis)

More bugs!

Polished lady beetle (Cyloneda munda)


Common whitetail skimmer (Plathemis lydia)


White-winged antlion (Glenurus gratus). I was super-excited to see this big guy! I've seen fewer than a dozen in my life. They're huge for antlions- wingspan about 4 inches, comparable to the dragonfly above, though the body is much smaller.


Meadow katydid (Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae)


Round-headed katydid (Amblycorypha sp.). I never would have spotted this girl if I hadn't seen her land.

[Newt]

And your reward for looking through all my bug pics: tetrapods!


Juvenile five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)


A very dirty red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)


Wood duck hen (Aix sponsa)


And finally, a pygmy panther, stalking a figment of her imagination.