Fauna and other natural things

[Parasaurolophus]

Found a tick on the toilet seat this morning.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Found a tick on the toilet seat this morning.

Not a place I'd like to get a tick...

[mamselle]

A 6.9 earthquake off the coast of Japan near Tokyo, today, did not, thankfully, result in a tsunami.

   https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/20/asia/japan-earthquake-intl/index.html

M.

Apparently an unconnected quake of similar magnitude happened near Ecuador as well:

   https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/japan-and-ecuador-earthquakes-why-does-it-feel-like-there-are-so-many-tremors-and-are-they-connected-a6990016.html

Reports of fatalities, injuries and individuals missing in Japan are appearing:

   https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-earthquake-latest-death-toll-missing-hokkaido-search-rescue-a8526711.html

A tsunami warning was also issued, but later cancelled.

M.

[cathwen]

A tick on the toilet seat?  Ugh!  And I thought that the very large cellar spider in the corner of my shower was a little creepy! 

Cellar spiders are the ones with the long gray bodies and very long legs.  They are not harmful, but this one has a disconcerting habit of lunging at me from its high corner when I get into the shower.  It does not lunge far, and it then stops.  Cellar spiders are actually beneficial, so I will not kill it.  I can't reach it, anyway. 

[downer]

Is it an outside toilet?

Rhode Island's Tick Encounter Resource Center (TERC) reports the results of a study where immature deer ticks that were exposed to indoor humidity levels of 75 percent died in about eight hours. https://www.bobvila.com/articles/ticks-in-the-house/

[Parasaurolophus]

Is it an outside toilet?

Nono, the indoor one.

I can only assume it hitched a ride in on a cat, evaded my tick check, and fell off when he went to lap tub water.

[clean]

I have not mowed my back yard. It needs it!  However, Ive been looking out the back window and seeing that there are some birds that are really enjoying the hip high weeds.
I have a picture of a painted bunting. Ididnt know it was a painted bunting, so I searched online and see that in addition, I have been seeing a female one too.  There are som blue birds of some sort there too. 

I suppose that I can mow the yard in June.  I will have to get the weed eater to knock down parts of it by then before I can mow it. 

My mom reports that my dad wont mow areas that have wild flowers in the yard either. 

[nebo113]

I have not mowed my back yard. It needs it!  However, Ive been looking out the back window and seeing that there are some birds that are really enjoying the hip high weeds.
I have a picture of a painted bunting. Ididnt know it was a painted bunting, so I searched online and see that in addition, I have been seeing a female one too.  There are som blue birds of some sort there too. 

I suppose that I can mow the yard in June.  I will have to get the weed eater to knock down parts of it by then before I can mow it. 

My mom reports that my dad wont mow areas that have wild flowers in the yard either.

Painted bunnies!!!!  Lucky you!

[apl68]

The recent heavy rains have led to a yard not far from work having quite the collection of crawdads.  The crawdad mounds are as big as any I've ever seen.  I wouldn't want to meet one of those mudbugs except on a plate.

[apl68]

Beneath a warm sky
Clover blooms shake in the breeze
A tiny jungle

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I just saw either a grey fox, or a coyote in my backyard! We are in a semi-rural area, so I won't be too surprised it it happens to be a coyote.

On another note, this isn't good for the birds, since it was by the bird feeder.

[clean]

since it was by the bird feeder.

Arent these REALLY Critter Feeders?  By volume, I wonder if we dont end up filling up the rats, mice and squirrels (likely coons & opossum as well) than birds!
Ive seen squirrels take off the top of my dad's bird feeder, and then sit in the seeds and dig out all of the sun flower seeds, throwing the rest on the ground!  They get so used to you yelling at them that they wait until you are yards away before they bother to jump out and scramble waddle up a tree!

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

since it was by the bird feeder.

Arent these REALLY Critter Feeders?  By volume, I wonder if we dont end up filling up the rats, mice and squirrels (likely coons & opossum as well) than birds!
Ive seen squirrels take off the top of my dad's bird feeder, and then sit in the seeds and dig out all of the sun flower seeds, throwing the rest on the ground!  They get so used to you yelling at them that they wait until you are yards away before they bother to jump out and scramble waddle up a tree!

I know. Squirrels drive me crazy because they are so destructive. I have to 'cage' all of my outside plants (or put mesh in the pots) so that the damn squirrels don't dig them up.

[Parasaurolophus]

I just saw either a grey fox, or a coyote in my backyard! We are in a semi-rural area, so I won't be too surprised it it happens to be a coyote.

On another note, this isn't good for the birds, since it was by the bird feeder.

Oh! That's so exciting! I hope it was a fox!

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I just saw either a grey fox, or a coyote in my backyard! We are in a semi-rural area, so I won't be too surprised it it happens to be a coyote.

On another note, this isn't good for the birds, since it was by the bird feeder.

Oh! That's so exciting! I hope it was a fox!

It was very exciting. As soon as we locked eyes- it took off!