Animal Log of your native fauna

[bmathison1972]

I did a short run this morning and at one point I startled a bird on the ground, just in my peripheral vision. I stopped to look when it looked like a raptor and then the bird flew into a small leafless tree nearby. It was immediately joined by a fox squirrel. It's funny, I startled both of these animals into a tree and here they were, sitting less than a foot from one another on separate branches, more worried about me than each other!

I didn't have my phone to take a pic, but I think the bird was a Cooper's hawk. It was too big for, and lacked facial markings, of the peregrine and prairie falcons (which are also in the area). The tail looked too long for most of the Buteo species, and it was a bit smaller than red-tails. It had a reddish chest and reddish face/head (I don't remember if the top of the head was darker). The tail had only a few, thick dark bands. I know I don't have a pic, but what say you, @Gwangi ?

I wonder if the hawk had just nabbed the squirrel and I interrupted the hunt? After I resumed running, the hawk flew away and the fox squirrel hit the ground running.

[Gwangi]

I think a cooper's hawk is a good bet based on that description. Sharp-shinned hawks look similar but are smaller. Both normally feed on smaller birds but take mammalian prey too with mammals making up a larger portion of their diet out west.

Life at my bird-feeder has been much the same as I last reported with the additional sighting of purple finches, Northern mockingbirds, Carolina wrens, and eastern gray squirrels.

[Lanthanotus]

Birds are less and less common here unfortunately, but I repeatedly spotted a kingfisher in a conservation area nearby and today I had a Common Heron at my pond in the garden what is quite unfortunate. I love those birds, but it could feed through the whole frog and newt population within a day once its spring, so I need to find ways to get rid of it.

[sirenia]

Here is largely small birds (great and blue tits, sparrows, blackbirds, starlings, goldfinches,robins), but we also see sparrowhawks and the occasional heron. Lot's of seagulls and pigeons, plus the occasional magpie.

Mammal wise, we get hedgehogs, some squirrels and a lot of rabbits. Occasionally see foxes.

Used to have newts and toads too. Hopefully still surviving in the local pond.

[Advicot]

Today on my farm I have currently seen:

Plenty of Swaledale sheep, Simmental cows, Silkie chickens, Wyandotte chickens, Border collie, domestic cat, Welsh cobs (horses), budgerigars, weimeranner dog, domestic pigeons
(These are my animals)

Now wildlife:

Long tailed tits, Great tits, Blue tits, Coal tits, Willow tits: Chaffinches, Goldfinches, starlings, Jackdaws, Carrion crows, Magpies, Buzzards, Rose ringed parakeets, blackbirds, mistle thrushes, song thrushes

[bmathison1972]

Yesterday running errands I saw a flock of Canada geese. Not a new bird for me (they were ubiquitous in Atlanta), but first time for Utah. Maybe winter migration?

[bmathison1972]

Today on my long run, in addition to the usual suspects, saw a Eurasian collared dove and common flicker. The dove I have seen in Arizona, but first time in Utah. The common flicker is a 'new' species for me (keeping in mind I have only recently started a life list; I am sure I have unknowingly encountered them before).

[Gwangi]

I went fishing aboard my kayak today, here are my sightings...

Largemouth Bass
Chain Pickerel
Bald Eagle
Turkey Vulture
Red-Tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Bufflehead Duck
Wood Duck
Mallard Duck
Canada Geese
Great Blue Heron
Northern Cardinal
American Robin
Eastern Gray Squirrel

[Gwangi]

A new visitor at the bird feeder, but this one wasn't interested in seeds! Cooper's hawk.

[bmathison1972]

nice pic!

[Gwangi]

nice pic!

Thanks! It sat there for about 40 minutes and I was able to take pictures through the window. They turned out alright considering it was through glass.

[stargatedalek]

Haven't been checking this thread, but that's incredible it stayed for so long!

You've reminded me we had something similarly strange at our feeder a few days ago but I've had no luck identifying it, large enough to be but decidedly wasn't a red tailed hawk (I'd say it was twice crow size, going by memory of crows landing in the same tree). If it wasn't so big I'd have to say a juvenile peregrine, very similar patterns.

[Advicot]

Ooh a cooper's hawk, what a fantastic individual too!  It'd be nice to get birds of prey in the garden, the best we get is a pint sized sparrowhawk

[Gwangi]

Ooh a cooper's hawk, what a fantastic individual too!  It'd be nice to get birds of prey in the garden, the best we get is a pint sized sparrowhawk

I'm always excited to see them in the yard, but the birds I put the seeds out for certainly aren't!

[Advicot]

I'm sure they aren't 

[Avian]

I haven't posted much at all lately, but today I went to a local wildlife refuge and saw:

American Alligator
Red-Eared Pond Slider
Trachemys Sliders
American Bullfrog
Anhinga
Purple Gallinule
American Coot
Great Blue Heron
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Cattle Egret (Invasive)
Black Vulture
Mockingbird
Black-Capped Chickadee
7-Banded Armadillo

[bmathison1972]

I decided to walk home today in a light snow flurry. Glad I did, there is this stretch on campus that had a 'flurry' of bird activity in the light snow:
-black-capped chickadee
-cedar waxwing (a 'new' species for my official life list)
-dark-eyed juncos
-mourning dove
-American robins

Another birder was there, and he directed me to a building nearby where a visiting white-throated sparrow has been hanging out, but I did not see it. I'll check again on Friday!!!!

[bmathison1972]

On my run today, a red fox darted across the street in front of me! Nice! I have seen red foxes twice before, both in Arizona.

Earlier in the run I heard a woodpecker, but there were a couple rows of neighborhoods, so no idea where it was coming from.

Other than that, a couple fox squirrels. Various passerines, but I couldn't get enough of a look to see what they were.

[Advicot]

I bet seeing a red fox on your run was a pleasant surprise. 
And fox squirrels, a species I've loved for a long time.

Today I checked on my trail camera which I put up for the birds as I try not to disturb the ones in my woods but I happily in person observe the ones that come in the garden. Sadly the trail camera's battery had gone as of 11.17pm and it didn't capture anything, but I saw plenty of species in my garden.

I took part in the RSPB's bird garden birdwatch which encourages you to note down how many birds you see in one hour that visit your garden, and these were my observations:

9 Long tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus)
2 Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula)
1 European robin (Erithacus rubecula)
2 Dunnocks (Prunella modularis)
3 Woodpigeons (Columba palumbus)
14 Eurasian magpies (Pica pica)

[Gwangi]

Snowing here today so the bird feeders are especially active. Might upload some pictures at some point. It's the usual cast of characters.