Images from:
1) Mrs. P (Squirrel) Ain’t life Grand?
2) Rick (Lia and Luke) are always ready to ride.
3) Not at all confused (Kilo and Logan)
4) Capt. Pat (Bunny) Pardon me if I don’t get up.
5) Supernightshade (silly Goose) making a one-legged stand in his pond in a Big Lots parking lot.
6) Ghost (hawk) back yard hawk profile.
7) Truckbuddy (Sammy) Camping. Relaxing in his ‘Beary Nice Chair’.
8) Marco (JAMIE) HIDING FROM BIDEN
To submit your critter pictures for a future Sunday Critters, please email them to:
INCLUDE:
- A picture you (or family/friend) took and agree to publish here. NO images found on the internet.
- ‘Critters’ in the subject line.
- Your screen name.
- Your critter’s name (or species, if not your pet).
- Comments about the critter you want to share.
NEEDED: If your picture is for any of the following themes, please name the theme.
- Memorial Day Critters – Please have your pictures in to me by FRIDAY at NOON.
- Critters with their humans – Ok, I had this brilliant idea. Take pictures with your critters and I’ll pixelate your faces (ala Mr. Pinko). How ’bout it?
- Who’s The Most Adorable? – Do you have the most adorable critter? Remember, beauty is in the eye of … their human!
- Father’s Day – Daddy critters with their kids (real, adopted or toys).
- Independence Day – How does your critter “celebrate”?
- Before and After, critters as babies/adult photos, before and after photos ‘trip to the groomer’, clean critter/after mud puddle ….
Thanks to all our readers who sent me these great photos!
Nice collection!
Great way to start the week.
Thanks, Claudia!
mmm … I like biscuits …
I say you can tell much about a person by how they care for animals.
It’s obvious to me that a quiet Christian love for God’s creatures is a feature of IOTW world.
Do all you can to propagate your love of God’s creation to the young ones, they are going to need it.
There’s a squirrel in my neighborhood that loved to visit with my cat Willow. The squirrel would sit outside the window staring at her and Willow sat inside the window staring back. For months after Willow died, that squirrel would come to the window and wait. Then after months of no Willow to visit with, one morning the squirrel banged on the storm window. I went to see what the fuss was about and the damn squirrel had a giant energy bar in its little hands. It wedged onto the window sill and left. I don’t know if it was a gift for the absent kitty or just booty he placed there for safe keeping.
That goose is definitely one of those non-migrating “resident” geese. Too lazy to find a real pond.
Never knew rabbits and pot belly pigs could have offspring 😉
Great pics as always! Good morning everyone.
Great photos everyone. Thank you Claudia.
My son and daughter in law just bought a house on the outskirts of NW Spokane that is up against a wooded hillside and has a huge backyard. He was telling me that they have wild turkeys, quail, lots of humming birds and other critters there in his new backyard and the surrounding woods. My 5 year old granddaughter had to be told not to chase the turkeys because that was the first thing she wanted to do when she saw the huge backyard and some turkeys. And it has a tire swing in a tree, my son and his family are gonna love their newer house. It’s going to be a great place for my grandkids, they’re gonna love growing up there. And he inherited my dads riding mower which he’s going to need to mow that huge backyard.
Dianny
MAY 23, 2021 AT 8:47 AM
“There’s a squirrel in my neighborhood that loved to visit with my cat Willow. ”
…at least you have a reason for that behavior.
In my old house I had a beautiful male cardinal that would CONSTANTLY attack one, and ONLY one, of the narrow front windows flanking the chimney. I sent our Lady Claudia a short video at the time so she knows, but there’s really no cool way to post it here.
I tried doing different things to make him stop before he broke his little red neck, like covering the windows, removing some hangings we had in the windows, moving some inside bird cages we had behind them, but he never quit.
The very last time I was in that house, it was just a big, empty, quiet box, since we had moved everything and everyone out.
And then we saw the cardinal start furiously attacking the window that no one was anywhere NEAR anyway.
…animals just do what they do, I suppose.
Why, God only knows…
Great pics as always, Claudia. I always love that one eye under the blanket look!!
God Bless us all!
Jamie is always very proud to be included with all the other pets and critters on Sundays. He is everyone’s favorite Irish Terrier when we go walking, because most people have never seen one. Jameson is NOT an Airedale or a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier! He’s a true son of Erin and a Red Devil Dog.
He was dealing with the nearest competitor – his reflection. It doesn’t matter what is on the other side of the glass.
I have customers that need to address the from time to time. There are various things that can be done. Some are just making it impossible for him to rest in front of the window.
Like netting the nearby tree he sits in in-between attacks. A common bird control technique in public places.
I’ve put “hot foot” on the outside window ledges. A gooey, clear-ish, caulk-like substance you draw lines with on that surface. Frequently used to keep pigeons from hanging out on certain surfaces they like to rest on, including light poles and statues. But it does wear out after a time.
There are also products that are spike strips that can be glued or screwed into place where they rest to make that impossible. Some are plastic some are metal. Those last longer.
Then there’s the pellet rifle – if you are of that mindset.
Afternoon everyone…
I’m torn between the ‘one legged’ goose just chillin’…and that very hungry squirrel that scored himself a whole biscuit… :>)
Thanks C!
Have a great safe and strong week ahead…
Thumbs and heads…up
Dadof4
MAY 23, 2021 AT 1:20 PM
“@ ǝpɐɥsʇɥɓᴉuɹǝdnS May 23, 2021 at 10:47 am
And then we saw the cardinal start furiously attacking the window that no one was anywhere NEAR anyway.
He was dealing with the nearest competitor – his reflection. It doesn’t matter what is on the other side of the glass.
I have customers that need to address the from time to time.”
…thanks for that, it makes sense. I’ll pass it on to the new owner, that place officially stopped being my problem about a week ago.
We have cardinals in the new place too, but weirdly we have TWO nesting pairs that seem to live in the same tree, and the males even use the feeder together. I always heard those birds are more territorial than that, so apparently I have freak cardinals here too.
As for this;
“Then there’s the pellet rifle – if you are of that mindset.”
…well, it IS an option, but I LIKE cardinals, they don’t attack me like robins or blue jays, plus my wife calls them her ‘worry birds’ because for reasons too long for even ME to go into, she says God sends them when she’s worried to show everything will be OK.
Besides, they are the State Bird in OH, so bad things happen if they find out you capped one…
“It is illegal to take, kill, or possess northern cardinals, and violation of the law is punishable by a fine of up to US$15,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.”
…Federal law, too.
Of course. What pie DONT they dip their wick in…
“BIRD PROBLEMS
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife has published many pamphlets on backyard birding. Four of these pamphlets were originally edited for the internet by Terry Ross, of the Baltimore Bird Club*. These pamphlets are available on-line only. Most of the content in the above pamphlets were combined into a colorful all-encompassing pamphlet. ” For the Birds.”
Are you a backyard birder or interested in backyard birding? If so, link to the Baltimore Bird Club’s Backyard Birding Page, which contains lots of additional information on attracting and feeding wild birds.
Migratory Songbird Conservation pamphlet cover Migratory Songbird Conservation pamphlet cover Migratory Songbird Conservation pamphlet cover Migratory Songbird Conservation pamphlet cover Migratory Songbird Conservation pamphlet cover
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
PROBLEM BIRDS
Woodpeckers
Fruit-eating Birds
Fish-eating Birds
Roosting Birds
Nesting Birds
Hawks and Owls
Nuisance Waterfowl
PROBLEMS FOR BIRDS
Birds and Window Collisions
Insecticides and Lawn Chemicals
Baby Bird “Orphans”
Injured Birds
Cats
Problems at the Bird Nest Box
Feeding Station Problems
Birds Trapped in Feeders
Squirrels
Rodents
Storing Seed
Problems at the Bird Bath
ADDITIONAL READING
CONTACTS
Link to the MIGRATORY SONGBIRD CONSERVATION PAMPHLET and select Sources of Information About Migratory Birds under Table of Contents.
INTRODUCTION
Any bird, a cardinal, chickadee or dove, can become a “problem” when it does something unpleasant. What’s unpleasant depends on what the bird is doing, and how you react.
A mockingbird’s midnight song may be a musical marvel to some, but an annoyance to others. The flicker may be welcome at your feeder, but not if his hammering damages the cedar siding on your neighbor’s house. The Canada geese at your pond tempt you to offer them corn, until their droppings foul your lawn.
Birds come to your yard to eat and bathe, to roost and nest. Birds can cause trouble when they eat your cherries, drill holes in your birch trees and fish for koi in your pond.
They can be hazardous to your health when they roost by the hundreds in the trees at the edge of your patio.
They can be a nuisance when they nest in your hanging baskets, on the ledge over your front door or in your clothes drier vents.
Back to Table of Contents
PROBLEM BIRDS
What’s the quickest, easiest way to eliminate problem birds? The “quick fix” solutions that first come to mind are: Shoot them. Trap them. Poison them.
Wrong.
All wild birds (except pigeons, English sparrows and starlings) are protected by federal and state laws. You may not trap, kill or possess protected species without federal and state permits.”
https://www.fws.gov/birds/bird-enthusiasts/backyard/bird-problems.php
…of course, if you Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up, who’s to say where the birdie went…
@ ǝpɐɥsʇɥɓᴉuɹǝdnS
Same protection rules apply in Texas – yet there are exceptions.
Those rules are made to keep you from just killing them for fun or sport.
Pest control won’t get you in trouble. We can’t shoot squirrels for fun or dinner in the city, but you can shoot them if they are damaging your house. It helps that I have a pest license, but a homeowner has the same freedom.
P.R. is the biggest threat. That’s also why, if we use poisoned feed for pigeon control, we only put in one piece of poisoned grain per one hundred. A flock of dying birds will get a lot of people riled up even though you’re legal. Finding a few dead at a time isn’t so alarming. I also don’t whip out my pellet rifle in broad view of the neighborhood for that very reason. Go ahead. Call the cops. You’re really going to lose it when he shakes my hand and walks away.
Same applies to firearms. If I needed to shoot off a round in the city limits to take out an animal with rabies or distemper, and I have, it is legal. It is a public health thing. Overrules any state laws stopping you from shooting them for sport or dinner. Still responsible for where it goes, so it’s rarely a wise choice. Better down-power that shot. That’s why a pellet rifle is most often used in the city.
My comment about the mindset of shooting it was about feeling bad for shooting it at all.
In all likely-hood, your state is the same. It’s a practical thing. I can’t imagine it’s so rigid there that there aren’t pest exceptions. Not like they’re going extinct are they?
P.S. Your bird feeder example is a self-inflicted problem. That’s not a shoot-able pest problem. Remove the feeder or tolerate whatever it attracts. You started that problem.
So many times I have new customers that have to make that choice. I’m not going to do a darn thing about it except put rat bait boxes near it if rats are eating at it.
Supernightshade and Dadof4,
When I lived in an apartment with a balcony, I used to feed the birds. Had one Cardinal that stood just inches from my sliding glass door and lunged at the window to ‘fight’ the other Cardinal he saw in the window. He would then fluff up and look at himself sideways and attack again. After about 5 minutes, I felt so sorry for the dummy that I went over to the door and shooed him away. He came back several times that winter, so I just let him entertain my cat with his attacks. Asher never tired of watching him.
I saw a bluebird last summer attacking his reflection but he learned to do it feet first so he wouldn’t break his head. Caught him (we called him Crazy Ralph) on video and posted it to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3Gmz0k7Lhg
Here is Crazy Ralph taunting Pistol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJL1I_di4Ec