What wildlife do you see on your rides?

[happinesshill]

How neat! We see lots of critters too. Of course, we are passing lots of fields with horses, goats and cows in them. We have seen lots of Whitetail deer. A ground hog. 'Possum. Snakes. Lots of turkey vultures and hawks. Birds of every variety. Do the dogs that chase us count? LOL

[crazycanuck]

I'm not sure what was up with the green bird-either a ringneck or a rainbow lorikeet- I saw on the path this morning but it was just a wee bit odd...I was heading to a pedestrian overpass where normally there are heaps of these guys squacking & wandering around. One of them was sitting on the path very still but looked as if it was breathing. I stood by it for a few minutes wondering what exactly to do. I spoke to it & then thought perhaps i should touch it but decided against it as I'd no idea what it would do...

I moved on but am now wondering if this is normal for birdies..

[PamNY]

I don't know what's normal, but it sounds odd. Those lorikeets are beautiful birds. Australia has the neatest birds.

Have you ever seen lyrebirds or bower birds?

[crazycanuck]

Pam, I thought that you might respond as i know you're a bird person. It was a bit odd but it was even funnier that i actually said "helloooo birdie..yooo hooo, hello.."

Lyrebirds/Bower Birds are mainly found in Tassie & South Eastern Australia http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/...ovaehollandiae

http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/...chus-violaceus

I've never seen them...

Thanks!

[Trekhawk]

I was not riding when I saw this little guy/girl but it was so cute I had to post it.
The snap was taken on a recent trip to Tasmania.

[salsabike]

My God, that IS cute, Trekhawk.

[salsabike]

[QUOTE=crazycanuck;556965] I'm not sure what was up with the green bird-either a ringneck or a rainbow lorikeet- I saw on the path this morning but it was just a wee bit odd...I was heading to a pedestrian overpass where normally there are heaps of these guys squacking & wandering around. One of them was sitting on the path very still but looked as if it was breathing. I stood by it for a few minutes wondering what exactly to do. I spoke to it & then thought perhaps i should touch it but decided against it as I'd no idea what it would do...

I moved on but am now wondering if this is normal for birdies..[/QUOT

He might have flown into something and was stunned for a bit. Very occasionally just this kind of thing will happen when a bird flies into a window here. They'll bounce off and just sort of sit for a while regatheriing their senses, and often end up recovering and flying away.

[PamNY]

Pam, I thought that you might respond as i know you're a bird person. It was a bit odd but it was even funnier that i actually said "helloooo birdie..yooo hooo, hello.."

I talk to the birds, too. It's fun. Some of them seem to pay attention -- especially monk parakeets. I would think a lorikeet might be similarly inclined. Thanks for the links!

[PamNY]

I was not riding when I saw this little guy/girl but it was so cute I had to post it.
The snap was taken on a recent trip to Tasmania.

Cute for sure! What is it?

[emily_in_nc]

I was not riding when I saw this little guy/girl but it was so cute I had to post it.
The snap was taken on a recent trip to Tasmania.

Porcupine? Darling!

[crazycanuck]

That little creature looks like an echidna..

Salsabike, I agree & think it may have just been stunned as it was still breathing. Just a bit funny/odd for a friday morning.

All I could think of for the rest of the day was the dead parrot sketch...

[Trekhawk]

Cute for sure! What is it?

Yep CC is right it is an Echidna.
http://www.australianfauna.com/echidna.php

[azfiddle]

This afternoon we stopped at a park that is a desert oasis. There is a natural spring that feeds a large man-made pond. it's always good for wildlife, and there were quite a few ducks (Wigeon, Mallards and Ring-necked Ducks). Today we were watching a Cooper's Hawk chase a Gila Woodpecker overhead in mid-air. I have done a lot of birding over the years, and I have never witnesses such a spectacular chase scene. The hawk caught the woodpecker after a series of mid-air changes of direction.

[PamNY]

The Cooper's hawk chase must have been wonderful. I've watched them chase but never seen a catch.

[PamNY]

I got very lucky with hawks today -- the juvenile (brown tail) was perched in an unusually low spot, so easy to photograph. The adult is a female who should lay eggs soon. I think she looks very thoughtful about the whole situation.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8867349...th/5475300394/