Animal and Bird Watch - Post Your Observations and Anomalies Here

[Alpha]

Animal and Bird Watch - Post Your Observations and Anomalies Here

I thought we had a thread like this going, however I can't find if...if anyone else can, please put up a link.

I know we have reported the anomalies, strange and unusual behavior all through the forum, however I thought it might be a good idea to journal it all in one thread.

What made me start this thread today, is my observation of absolutely no birds anywhere to be seen around here except for Canada geese, that seem to be flying aimlessly and very vocally in every direction all day long.

No sight of any Sparrows, Chickadees, Starlings or any other over wintering birds here.

I have feeders out that usually had pretty good traffic and consumption until almost a week ago. Now they stand full and no birds.

I'm also not seeing any squirrel activity anywhere either.

Chi and I walk everyday and we usually see rabbit tracks, poop, bird tracks in the light dusting of snow and there is nothing.

It's not overly cold, windy or story here...it's hovering around the freezing mark most days.

It's more than very strange and eery.

What are you noticing where you are?

Let's keep a log of this.....

[VOguy]

Moderate amount of squirrels, one racoon that keeps raiding the feeder. Lots of Cardinals this year, but NO Bluejays. I have not seen a Jay in about 4 years.

And we have two wild cats that come around, and they presently get a dish of Science Diet for dinner, and they live in the stray bails that I put out back.

[Divinorumus]

I get all kinds of birds here, many I've never taken the time to even identify. I've seen at least a dozen different birds at my feeders, some I've never seen around here before until this winter. I have pictures of most of them, not great pictures, most were taken through the window, but I took them intending to identify them later. The birds are a pretty good indicator as to what is happening in nature. If you want to get serious about this, start tracking and making notes about their behaviors. Make recordings of their sounds in the morning (the idea here is to compare the recordings LATER after something happened to see if you can detect any differences in their earlier behavior). I myself have noticed a difference in their morning chatter which could indicate what kind of day is ahead of us. I notice their eating habits change a lot. Sometimes they are all over the feeders on and off all day long. Other times a whole day can pass and I won't notice a single one. Anyhow, I'm the cat expert .. a bird expert lives across the hall from me. I'll check with him tomorrow.

[Alpha]

Chi and I were out on our walk again today.

We specifically took our time and walked around for almost 1 hour....partly sunny day, temps hovering around the freezing mark....not too windy etc.

I paid specific attention to what I could see all around me. For the entire time we were out, I saw one chickadee, one crow and that's it.....no other birds, no squirrels....not even one Canada goose in the sky in that entire time. I looked in the trees, on fences, on the ground, in the sky...nothing, nada zip.

It was creepy....something is not right.

[DorieTesla'sMom]

Alpha, I like this thread!
I started paying more attention to the birds and bugs the last few years.
We get odd visitors when the weather is bad. Once during a big snow in the 90s, I had a whole little group of red-winged blackbirds taking refuge under the picnic table on the deck!

Two weeks ago I had a mockingbird come to the feeder, but they don't usually show up here until May!

Lots of snow on the ground and windy here today I need to refill the feeders and see who shows up today.

I have ants- big aggressive, kamikazi ants in my kitchen right now. Never heard of ants in Winter! I wish they'd leave too.

[Judee]

Great thread idea Alpha! We can learn a lot from the animals on the planet. Can we give it a sticky?

[Alpha]

Great thread idea Alpha! We can learn a lot from the animals on the planet. Can we give it a sticky?

Sure can .....done!!

I have ants- big aggressive, kamikazi ants in my kitchen right now. Never heard of ants in Winter! I wish they'd leave too.

I've heard of ants in the winter Dorie. One year my brother was sitting in the basement, where his computer is and all of a sudden there were flying ants everywhere, almost swarming him. He got totally freaked out and said it was like a bad horror movie. They lasted for about 24 hours and disappeared

Ant hills go very deep, beyond the front line. They must be finding some way into your house Good luck in getting them out!!!

[DorieTesla'sMom]

Sure can .....done!!


Ant hills go very deep, beyond the front line. They must be finding some way into your house Good luck in getting them out!!!

I wonder if anteaters make good pets- they sure are cute!

[Judee]

2010 The Year the Earth Shook
2010 March, 16th

Phil Butler

For people in the small town of Concepcion, Chile, the sirens must seem to be never ending. Early this morning, another powerful aftershock awakened already gun shy citizens there according to the USGS. Am magnitude 6.7 quake off Chile’s coast rattled an already terrified public promoting ever more frenzied evacuations of key buildings and danger areas.

Other significant quakes shocked many parts of the rest of the world over the last few days too. All this activity has to make observers wonder; “Is the world shaking itself to pieces?”

Savage Earth
From the tip of South America, up the Pacific coastline to Nicaragua, and on around the Pacific basin to California, Alaska, Korea, Japan, Australia, and down to the Pacific Islands, the unstable seismic are known as the “rim of fire” seems alive with geological event after event this year. The devastating Earthquake of Haiti being the evident announcement, subsequent earth shaking events in Chile and elsewhere seem to be rattling the world as in no previously recorded time frame. Without sounding too alarming, it seems safe to conclude something unique is going on with the world’s crust.


USGS Seismic activity this week
We have been covering these events via the USGS website and the news for some weeks now, and from ah historical standpoint, no time period in recent history seems more turbulent with regard to these types of events. The map above from the USGS reveals activity over the last seven days. You can readily see the after effects of Haiti, those in Chile, as well as very significant activity in or around Alaska and elsewhere – in just 7 days. Here is a list of activity worldwide above magnitude 5.0.

Let me stress something here please. We are not experts here at Everything PR News, though we do have some expertise and experience in geology and engineering, we do not want to be the cause of undue alarm. But, from this author, in over half a Century of noting such events, I have never seen either the magnitude or proliferation of activity as we have seen. That being said, please take the time to look into Savage Earth, a superb PBS informative about volcanoes and earthquakes, as people need to “catch up” on these events as suggested by our many comments on the subject.

Full Story:
http://www.pamil-visions.net/2010-th...-shook/213103/

[Judee]

Swarm of frogs force Greek police to close major highway in northern Greece
BY Jeff Zalesin
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Thursday, May 27th 2010, 1:55 PM


Makridis/APTiny frogs swarm a highway in northern Greece on Wednesday.

May Day rallies explode into riots in GreeceThree killed as mobs rampage in Athens against Greek government, banks UK's top 2 parties locked in election standoffFirst came the debt. Then, the frogs.

In the latest plague for fiscal trainwreck Greece, a massive swarm of tiny frogs emerged Wednesday, forcing police to close a major highway in the country's northern region for two hours.

"There was a carpet of frogs," said Giorgos Thanoglou, the police chief in Thessaloniki, a city near the frog infestation.

Thanoglou told The Associated Press that there were "millions" of the slimy creatures hopping along the asphalt. He said the frogs had probably come from a local lake in search of food.

Before the highway closure, three cars skidded off the highway as the drivers swerved to avoid frogs, but no one was reported to be hurt.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/worl..._highways.html

[maryals]

I found this on FaceBook. It's giving me great concern. If anyone can find out any more news about this, please share:

2010 Millions of SeaShells appearing on Pakistani Beaches-1.avi
www.youtube.com
:::No Scientific Explanation::: Millions of Seashells apearing every day on Clifton beach, karachi, Pakistan. Just Last year in March 2009 " Dolphins Beaching " happened here on Pakistani Beaches. Wat is surprising is that not a single private TV channel has covered this huge Event, No discussion...

First whales and dolphins....now shell fish? WHAT is going on?

Mary and Bessie

[Judee]

What is going on? We are not being told the truth plain and simple. Mary, the earth is going through a catastrophic cycle, and it isn't going to be good. Nothing more... Nothing less... I have recently wondered if the gulf oil catastrophe isn't a cover-up. In other words, if we see the oceans dying, we just begin to blame something man did, and not worry that perhaps the natural cycle that is coming has far, far, worse catastrophic disasters coming for us? I don't know. I just know that nature is taking back the planet, and that isn't good the the inhabitants. I am just glad that I'm not really young. I think we're in for a bumpy 'ride'...

[Judee]

Millions of toadlets heading for Washington woods

by GARY CHITTIM / KING 5 News
August 16, 2010 at 2:29 PM




CHIMACUM, Wash. - Welcome to Anderson Lake and watch your step. That is the temporary greeting these days at the little park near Chimacum where millions of tiny toads are emerging from the lake where they were hatched and migrating into the safety of the trees and brush surrounding the lake.

"There had to be millions, several millions of them," said Area Manager Mike Zimmerman who went at last week to see the migration at its peak.

Zimmerman said he has never seen anything like it. Western Toad migrations are annual events but rarely do they occur in such a visible place with so many of them. There are still thousands visible as they move into the woods and marshes. Visitors to the park were amazed as they carefully walked along the shore.

Anderson Lake is most famous for its poisonous algae bloom that make it unsafe for human contact. Two dogs died after drinking water from the lake back in 2006. The algae is back this summer but it doesn't seem to bother the toads. The spectacle is believed to be in its final days and is also being reported in other areas where Western Toads live.

Photos & Video At link:
http://www.king5.com/news/environment/M ... 98024.html