Nature

[Thumper]

I've been working on my little fish pond a little bit, cleaning it up and getting the little fountain pump set up right. I noticed in addition to the plethora of frogs that live there, a small snapping turtle has taken up residence. I've seen him in there 3 times now.

Also, as I was walking to the garage in the pre-dawn this morning, I saw a bat fly by. I see them all the time at dusk. I don't ever remember seeing them at dawn.

Also, also: It's officially summer:
It was Memorial Day Weekend,
Mrs. T saw the firs flashing firefly (followed by several others)
I got bit and lit up by my first deer-fly.

[Swift]

No fireflies here yet, nor bats, but I did get some mosquito bites this weekend, and one deer fly landed on me.

Congrats on the snapper.

[pumpkinpi]

This is such a cool, weird phenomenon. I experienced the 2004-ish 13 year cycle in Maryland. From what I call, it didn't live up to the hype, but it was still the largest infestation of insects I'd ever seen!

[Thumper]

Deer flies out in full force. No cicadas as of yet.

[Thumper]

We missed that cicadas completely as far as I can tell. But the Fireflies! It's a natural light show. Mrs. T and I took a walk around the property Saturday night well after dark. There was no moon that early so it was really dark. The sparkles and flashes from the the grass, though the bushes to high up in the trees was utterly amazing. It was magic. I don't think any type of video, if you could even get the sparkles to show up, would do it any kind of justice.

[vendic]

We don't get many fireflies here at all. It's more wait...wait...oh, there's one! did you see it? Nah. Ooh, there's one!

[Swift]

I saw my first fireflies for the season around here about a week or two ago. They've been spotty since then, but I suspect they'll be lots now that the weather is warm.

I've tried to video or photograph them several times, with very little success.

[Thumper]

Saw a nice sized owl this morning flying in front of my as I headed up the drive. Too dark to identify, I don't think it was big enough to be a great horned. But maybe I'll see it again soon or at least hear it in the next few nights. I like my owls.

[Thumper]

Saw my first Kestral in a long time. I know they're out there, just haven't seen one in a while. I usually see them when I'm out on the road, hovering over the median strip. This guy was taking a break sitting on a wire. Since my owl sighting, we've heard two different ones in the evenings and early mornings. Heard the Great Horned this morning. Heard at least two Barred Owls last week. Oh and multiple snapping turtle sightings in the fish pond over the last couple weeks.

[Swift]

I love kestrals.

We were walking around the neighborhood the other evening and saw a couple of bats flying around, probably Little Brown Bats. Nice to see some are still alive.

[Swift]

By the way, the title of this thread reminded me about this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf5TgVRGND4

[geonuc]

By the way, the title of this thread reminded me about this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf5TgVRGND4

It's helped me control my murderous rage, for sure.

[Thumper]

I love that video. I see bats around, not as often as I would hope to.

[Swift]

By the way, the title of this thread reminded me about this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf5TgVRGND4

It's helped me control my murderous rage, for sure.

Golf is not nature

[geonuc]

By the way, the title of this thread reminded me about this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf5TgVRGND4

It's helped me control my murderous rage, for sure.

Golf is not nature

Funny. Shall I repost all my hiking photos?

[Swift]

By the way, the title of this thread reminded me about this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf5TgVRGND4

It's helped me control my murderous rage, for sure.

Golf is not nature

Funny. Shall I repost all my hiking photos?

There is no denying that you hike, and that you like Nature (Rx). I didn't know you golfed and meant no respect if you do. I just thought that line was funny.

And no, I don't think golf is nature.

[geonuc]

I have occasionally posted FB photos of what I like to call 'playing golf', although no one familiar with the sport would agree with that characterization. It was that which I believed to be the subject of your cruel mocking.

[Thumper]

I saw about the biggest bat I've ever seen a couple nights ago right as it was getting dark. Most of the bats that fly around the property seem to be about the size of mice with wings. This was like a guinea pig or small cat.

[Swift]

I saw about the biggest bat I've ever seen a couple nights ago right as it was getting dark. Most of the bats that fly around the property seem to be about the size of mice with wings. This was like a guinea pig or small cat.

Maybe a Hoary bat, they are the largest in Ohio.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoary_bat

The hoary bat averages 13 to 14.5 cm (5.1 to 5.7 in) long with a 40 cm (15.5 in) wingspan and a weight of 26 g (0.92 oz). It is the largest bat normally found in Canada. Its coat is dense and dark brown, with white tips to the hairs that give the species its 'hoary' appearance for which it is named.[2] The body is covered in fur except for the undersides of the wings. The bats can cover an impressive 39 kilometers while foraging.[2]

[Thumper]

That could be. It was dark enough that I couldn't see color at all. He flew overhead so I saw him silhouetted against the sky that still had a little light. At first I suspected it could be an owl, but it was certainly a bat by his flight pattern.

[Thumper]

The spring peepers have had to start and stop so many times this spring as it warms up then chills down and snows. I figured they'd be gone for good. But we heard them the other evening. Last night it rained so hard I figured everything (including us) would be washed down to Kentucky. But this morning there was one loud, proud Spring Peeper just outside the back door somewhere. Also, saw my first Flicker yesterday. And Rufus (Eastern or Rufus Sided Tohwee) was seen yesterday morning vigorously scratching up mulch and leaves in the flowerbeds.

[Swift]

Yeah, been a weird year for signs of spring. Saw my first skunk cabbage in January. Saw some turtles in February, but then they went back to sleep. This past weekend saw lots of painted turtles, but no snappers yet (did see a beaver swimming around in the middle of the day).

Our daffodils have also had a bunch of starts and stops, but now are about to bloom; the snow drops are almost done. Saw the first (other than skunk cabbage) spring wild flowers this past weekend - colt's foot. With it warm and rainy on and off this week, I suspect next weekend will be the big start for wildflowers.

[Thumper]

Our daffodils are done. Some made it to bloom, I cut as many as I could and put them in a vase before a big freeze so they'd at least be around for a few days. But they're done. Forsythias bloomed meekly and left. Haven't seen the magnolias yet. They usually bud out then get murdered by a hard frost.

[Thumper]

Seen the Flicker a couple more times so it wasn't a fluke. Also, can't remember if I mentioned it but we saw at least one Bluebird on a couple of occasions. I can rarely lure them onto my property, but they seem to reside just down the road across from a cattle pasture. I try to keep a sharp eye out for them when we occasionally walk the dog to the end of the road and back.

[Thumper]

Don't know if I mentioned this before, I've seen Glow Worms on the property. I didn't even really know they were real until I found one and looked it up. When I see them, they look to be the same size, shape, and color of a firefly. They just happen to be on the ground and steady instead of flickering or flashing. Saw one outside the bedroom window this morning.