Animal Sightings

I saw SO MANY unusual birds going to the pharmacy yesterday. Something bright blue (mountain bluebird??), something bright red/orange and black (vermilion flycatcher, maybe?), many a small unidentified wren/vireo....

 

We don’t get many mountain birds usually, but in neighborhoods with tall trees there are blue jays!

And if the orange/red and black bird was in a somewhat similar type of area, if might also be an Oriole?

 

yesterday i was walking my dog
there's a complex that usually has a rabbit in the yard
yesterday there were three baby rabbits, all of whom thought the wisest course of action to escape the predator pair was to run in our direction before getting out of reach
(no bun was harmed, my dog is quite old and could not catch the whippersnappers)

 

It looked too much on the red side to me to be an oriole, but too orange and black to be a cardinal, so that was my guess, but I didn't get a great look at it (shy birds please I just want to see you better don't hide from me) so it's definitely a possibility.

The blue bird did not have a crest and was a very intense blue, more so than the blue jays I've seen, so I'm thinking not a jay.

 

Depending on where you live, could also be an indigo bunting. They're extremely blue.

 

It could have been! Looks like they're confirmed in the area and "fairly common" in spring.

 

There's a very big, very very friendly tomcat hanging about my porch the last couple of days. He headbutts my leg hard enough that I have to correct my center of gravity whenever I go outside. I want to pet this good kitty but he's got all these scabs around his face and ears?

Google says it's probably an allergy but I'm worried about mange. I'd whisk him to my vet, bet I don't know even if I could formulate a treatment plan if he'd stick around long enough to get it, and I don't want to steal someone's kitty.... :(

 

Could you take a picture of him and show that to your vet, get some sort of first impression?

 

Skin problems usually need for the vet to take a skin scraping of the affected area. Only way to see the mites that cause mange is to look for them under a microscope. And a common allergen component, flea dirt, would also be found with such an exam.

I don't think they have the same allergen tests as they do for humans though. Most vets I know process-of-elimination it. Which is where it would get tricky.

 

A friendly dog out for a walk noofed my leg yesterday and surprised me. The walker apologized profusely but it was fine, just a wet nose on the back of my knee that was unexpected.

 

Feral kittens and their apparently tame mom! Trapped them over the last couple days

Spoiler: image

 

time to socialize them kittens! Do you plan on keeping them or will they go foster care?

 

A lady from the a local pet store gave me advice on how to catch them, and she works with a rescue and I'm talking with her now about getting them into that. We might foster the kittens ourselves, might not. We were expected only 2 kittens so 4 is more than we prepared for. We also borrowed a cat trap from the local shelter and they do free TNR and would probably take the kittens so that's an option, we're still working things out haha. It's been a little chaotic

 

that one peeking out over the litterbox edge!!!!

 

So when I went out to water the garden the other day, I had two (2) Encounters!

Encounter 1 - managed to snap a decent pic of the extremely red damselflies we get at our planter-pond! Like, the picture isn't even properly conveying just how Red these guys are. They're like carved ruby brooches.



Encounter 2 - got to witness the first evening song of one of the fledgling song thrushes who seem to have a nest in our taller hedge. Snapped blurry cryptid photo of head fluff and screm


(why he screm)

I like our critters a lot :)

 

New cat alert new cat alert!

 

A frandly stranger... or a new friendo?

 

I hope a new friend........ pls come back to the apt parking lot soon, Affectionate and Energetic Tabby Friend

 

Marmot.

 

TINY BOSTON TERRIER PUPPY WHO KEPT SNEEZING