Observations from Pearl's pool

[Pearl]

It can be a real wildlife extravaganza out here on the edge of the woods somedays! The pool float is truly therapy for me. Lately I have been watching a mom turkey and her five little ones. Everyday they make the rounds from the woods to shade trees in the back pasture. There are five little deer fawns around too! One or two of the moms will babysit while the others go off for a while. The Scissor Tails have been busy lately, and there is a pair of Painted Buntings hanging around. Buddy has a pair of cowbirds that follow him as he grazes. They go after an insects he stirs up. It is very interesting watching all the different critters!

 

[winds-of-change]

It can be a real wildlife extravaganza out here on the edge of the woods somedays! The pool float is truly therapy for me. Lately I have been watching a mom turkey and her five little ones. Everyday they make the rounds from the woods to shade trees in the back pasture. There are five little deer fawns around too! One or two of the moms will babysit while the others go off for a while. The Scissor Tails have been busy lately, and there is a pair of Painted Buntings hanging around. Buddy has a pair of cowbirds that follow him as he grazes. They go after an insects he stirs up. It is very interesting watching all the different critters!

Sounds like paradise. I have a pair of painted buntings, too. They are so beautiful! I’ve also seen two Pileated woodpeckers in my yard. I almost screamed. I’m awaiting a large suet feeder with a tail prop to see if I can attract them more in my front yard. I have blue birds in my nest box caring for their second clutch of chicks. I haven’t seen my deer lately. We had a herd of 5. I saw two rave across our yard but that’s about it. I haven’t seen any fawns.

 

[Wingnut]

That's one thing nice about my yard, I keep it natural and encourage wildlife to hang out here (feeders, birdbaths, etc), so I see many different species of wild birds. Yard time (i.e. watering and occasional weeding or clearing of undesired brush) is actually quality time, some of the best moments of my day. On any given day, I will literally see hundreds of birds on my property... including many doves from our huge local population. Quail too, I love seeing those goofy birds cruising around the yard and making funny noises. Lately I've seen many colorful songbirds, the birdbaths are quite popular with all kinds of birds in this triple-digit heat. Cracked corn, cereal, bread, feeder cakes or logs, etc, are provided for snacks! Every now and then, a bird gets whacked by one of the cats, but I reckon that's the cost of doing business... Darwinism in action. However, the majority of wild birds are happy to have this oasis & sanctuary in the high desert.

P.S. Not as many pesky wasps around today, thank goodness... I've been whittling their numbers down, lol.

 

[Pearl]

I have two bird baths in the shade. Tons of bluebirds use them every afternoon!!

 

[Bacpacker]

We have a large number of birds around robins, cardinals, bluebirds, reb belly and downy woodpeckers, brown thrashers, mocking birds, barn swallow, hummingbirds, doves. And are haunted by starlings this year. We also have red tail hawks, and of course crows. Several little rabbits and a couple of big ones. Just yesterday I spooked a huge doe when I started mowing the field. Haven't saw any turkeys in a couple years now. One year we had 30+

 

[Weedygarden]

I hope you will share some photos of the wildlife. Being out in the country, I'd bet there can be nature's concerts from time to time.

 

[Pearl]

I hope you will share some photos of the wildlife. Being out in the country, I'd bet there can be nature's concerts from time to time.

I won't bring my phone or camera out to the pool, trashed a flip phone in there once! But I do need to take more pictures!!

 

[Pearl]

Today the turkey mom and kids were in some brush by the edge of the woods. A hawk was eyeballing the pasture. It went away and mom turkey ran the little ones to a big Bois D'Arc tree. She then went out in the pasture and raised a fit! The little ones as actually stayed put. The hawk was gone, but she taught the kids a lesson today!!

 

[Weedygarden]

Bois D'Arc

Never heard of that before. I searched, and it is an Osage orange tree.

 

[Peanut]

I see wild critters almost daily. It never occurs to me to take pictures. I do every once in a while if it's and odd situation or something I rarely see. On the other hand, many times it's over too quickly for a photo. Wild critters are camera shy.

 

[Patchouli]

This thread was hiding like the shy wildlife!
Sounds like a great time. Love reading your stories.
@Pearl i thought the scissor tailed flycatchers migrated north. They are one of the funniest birds with a distinctive song, for those of you who haven’t seen them before.

 

[Pearl]

This thread was hiding like the shy wildlife!
Sounds like a great time. Love reading your stories.
@Pearl i thought the scissor tailed flycatchers migrated north. They are one of the funniest birds with a distinctive song, for those of you who haven’t seen them before.

I usually see them all summer! I wonder why they need that long of a tail?

 

[Patchouli]

From all about birds:
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers perch conspicuously on utility lines, treetops, and fence lines to watch for insect prey and defend their territories from interlopers. They are agile in the air, spreading their long tails wide to make abrupt turns and stalls. They are highly territorial, and will chase other birds out of their territories accompanied by loud, squeaky, bubbling calls.

Photo Dave Gochfield/ Macaulay Library

 

[Pearl]

I figured it had to do with the aerobatics! And they are territorial, the other birds leave the immediate area when they are around.

 

[Patchouli]

The first time I saw one, early spring, my first spring in Texas. Heard a loud bird song that I didn’t recognize and then saw it out a big staircase window. It’d go up and down, up and down, with that loud song. I guess putting on a show for a female.
Come to think of it, I did see one recently.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Today the turkey mom and kids were in some brush by the edge of the woods. A hawk was eyeballing the pasture. It went away and mom turkey ran the little ones to aBois D'Arc tree She then went out in the pasture and raised a fit! The little ones as actually stayed put. The hawk was big Bois D'Arc tree. She then went out in the pasture and raised a fit! The little ones as actually stayed put. The hawk was gone, but she taught the kids a lesson today!!

Do you ever trim that tree? I would love to have a clean limb about 84 inches long and 3 inch diameter.

 

[Pearl]

Do you ever trim that tree? I would love to have a clean limb about 84 inches long and 3 inch diameter.

It's not on my property. When there was cattle back there they loved it! The deer and wild hogs use it a lot!!

 

[Patchouli]

@Pearl Is that where the “horse apples” come from, the Bois D’Arc tree?

 

[Pearl]

@Pearl Is that where the “horse apples” come from, the Bois D’Arc tree?

Yes!!

 

[Pearl]

Do you ever trim that tree? I would love to have a clean limb about 84 inches long and 3 inch diameter.

I have those trees on my property, they are horrible! Why would you want a limb from one of those?

 

[Bacpacker]

Makes great Bows with. Fwnce post as well.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Why would you want a limb from one of those

To make a long bow. I have made a couple, 2nd and third one down from top.

 

[winds-of-change]

That's one thing nice about my yard, I keep it natural and encourage wildlife to hang out here (feeders, birdbaths, etc), so I see many different species of wild birds. Yard time (i.e. watering and occasional weeding or clearing of undesired brush) is actually quality time, some of the best moments of my day. On any given day, I will literally see hundreds of birds on my property... including many doves from our huge local population. Quail too, I love seeing those goofy birds cruising around the yard and making funny noises. Lately I've seen many colorful songbirds, the birdbaths are quite popular with all kinds of birds in this triple-digit heat. Cracked corn, cereal, bread, feeder cakes or logs, etc, are provided for snacks! Every now and then, a bird gets whacked by one of the cats, but I reckon that's the cost of doing business... Darwinism in action. However, the majority of wild birds are happy to have this oasis & sanctuary in the high desert.

P.S. Not as many pesky wasps around today, thank goodness... I've been whittling their numbers down, lol.

The thing that ruins our paradise is ticks. They are in abundance. I bought a spray to treat my husbands clothes that’s supposed to work really good. I have difficulty walking so I don’t encounter the ticks as much as he does. I’m afraid he’s going to get Lyme or alpha-gal.

 

[Terri9630]

If you can stand the noise, guinea hens are great for ticks.

 

[Pearl]

To make a long bow. I have made a couple, 2nd and third one down from top.View attachment 110783

I'll see if any of the Bois D'darcs on my place have any reachable nice branches that size. They are gummy, sticky and helll on chainsaws. If I find anything decent I take some pics before cutting and we'll figure out how to get it to you!

 

[Peanut]

@Patchouli Here's osage orange fruit (Bois D'darcs). They are about the size of regulation a softball.

 

[Patchouli]

Here's an unpaid ad for Texas:
I haven't seen but ONE TICK since I moved to Texas.

Horse apples:
They are not edible. We had a couple of the trees growing on our property.

 

[Wingnut]

Fleas & ticks don't fare well in arid climates... and guinea fowl are great for killing bugs, my brother in the Ozarks has some of those birds, and they really help keep the bug population down. Chickens also help, but my bro said the guinea fowl are stone cold bug killers, lol.

 

[Amish Heart]

We call those hedge balls. Have tons of those trees lining our property up to the dirt road. And we use the wood (hedge wood) for our wood burning stove, it burns just right. So we call them hedge trees, but I know they're also called Osage orange. These trees are planted for windbreaks in the fields here, and grow very fast.

 

[Weedygarden]

We call those hedge balls. Have tons of those trees lining our property up to the dirt road. And we use the wood (hedge wood) for our wood burning stove, it burns just right. So we call them hedge trees, but I know they're also called Osage orange. These trees are planted for windbreaks in the fields here, and grow very fast.

In the thread about shelter belts, Osage orange was mentioned as one of the trees that was used in some of them, mostly in Kansas, I think. From what I've read, the wood is very hard.