#30
Robert Jordan of Shope Creek Estates Dr. sent in this wonderful photo. It was taken July 8, 2010 in their backyard on Bartlett Mountain.
#29
Ron Levitan sends us this information:
Lots of black bears on the upper portion of Jewell Acres. Daily sightings (morning, noon, night) of docile adult male, female, and two cubs. The only important note is that they have come right up onto the deck, walking around the house basically "looking" into the doors and windows and moseying off. I would recommend not putting out any bird or pet food in any close quarter to your home until they move off to forage elsewhere.
Ron & Linda Levitan
Jewell Acres
#28
Donald Outen sent us this photo. Wow!
#27
Joyce Sousa had to take a lot of photos to get this one good one. The Swallowtails are all over the flowers at this time of year.
#26
Brett Hopkins and Julie McMillan of Riceville Forest have had the pleasure of relaxing on the deck with a family of flying squirrels since early this spring. “We started with a pair which have been joined by 3 young over the past couple months. We leave the feeder up for a couple hours then take it down so the youngsters will learn to forage for their native food sources.”
#25
Ron Sousa saw this mid-day on July 15, 2009. He was taking an outdoor shower and heard a funny noise. He peeked around the edge of the house and this is what he saw. The Sousa have only seen one other deer and that was in about the same place several years ago.
#24
On the morning of July 4th a bobcat walked across our deck, down the driveway and back into the woods. It was very beautiful with its spotted coat, bobbed tail and wisps on the ears. The last time I saw one was about 2 years ago when it was trying to get around a mother turkey to eat her poults. Attached is a photo of a bobcat from the Internet.
Jeanie Martin (Summer 2009)
#23
This beautiful adolescent has us on his route. He comes by every few days. He seems very calm and is certainly healthy looking.
Joyce and Ron Sousa (Spring 2009)
#22
Morning visitor. He or she had no idea how two indoor cats were being driven crazy.
Joyce and Ron Sousa (Spring 2009)
#21
Aaaaah; catching the last rays of the afternoon sun.
Joyce and Ron Sousa (Spring 2009)
#20
The Swallowtails are out enjoying the phlox in our backyard. It is so nice to see them and know spring is here.
Joyce and Ron Sousa (Spring 2009)
#19
John Weakly sent this to us April 21, 2009. “I just saw my first Ruby-throated hummingbird of the season at my house today. Though I'd send his picture along to you.”
John Weakly (Spring 2009)
#18
Sarah Thomas sent these beautiful bear photos. The photos above show mom cooling off in the creek and then heading out with her two cubs. The photo below is of another female bear who seems to have not had cubs this year. (2008)
#17
These three cubs are giving mom a swing in our hammock. They have spent several afternoons around the house, in the hammock, tossing the watering can around, and bathing in the pond. Quite a nice playground. They also seem to enjoy the metal rocking chairs.
Joyce and Ron (2008)
#16
Our visitor bears seem to like to come at our dinner hour. Maybe we have more visitors but this dinner time is when we are paying attention. This big male bear was pretty scarred up. He also looked hot and tired. He took a dip in our pond, turned around and took a good look at us, and then wandered up into the woods.
Joyce and Ron (2008)
#15
These four visitors provided us with a surprise at breakfast. They came up from the direction of the creek. Those little cubs are awfully cute, but they look like trouble. They were into everything. Mom was very calm and took her time. She did not seem the least bit nervous. Two of the babies went for a dip in our pond.
Joyce and Ron (2008)
#14
Eileen was grading papers a couple of years ago when this guy came to visit and enjoy our bied feeders. She went into the house and was able to find a camera and shoot this picture.
Bert and Eileen (2008)
#13
Our camera captured this nearly five foot long "Black Rat" Snake making a loop around our front yard through the Ivy on May 25th of this year. The Black Rat Snake, as the name implies, is completely black except for a white chin. Their main diet in the wild is mice and rats. Now and then they have been known to feast on chipmunks, moles and small frogs. They are good snakes that help control the rodent population. The second photo is a head shot. A little more up close and personal.
John and Sigrid (2008)
#12
This raccoon was caught in the act of stealing suet from our 2nd floor back deck. The picture was taken in September of 2007 about 10pm. Since we discovered the thief, we now bring the suet in every night at dusk. We haven't seen him since.
John and Sigrid (2008)
#11
Here is a picture I took of a black bear, behind our house, about Sep of 2005. It reminds me of a "Bear in the headlights" look as he stares back at me while I took his picture. We once had a bear that made its way to our second floor deck. Mind you there are no stairs to the deck. We generally have at least one bear sighting a year in our neighborhood in Riceville Forest.
John and Sigrid (2008)
#10
Here is the picture of a Pileated Woodpecker taken by my wife, Sigrid, in Jan of 2003 off our back deck. This bird is about the size of a crow and is the largest woodpecker in our area. Even though the picture is a bit dated, these birds still live in our area.
John and Sigrid (2008)
#9
We did see 1 hawk, 2 bears, 17 wild turkeys, and 1 coyote all in our yard on Tuesday, July 8.
Amy (2008)
#8
Ron and I were eating breakfast and
a mom and two baby bears showed up. I ran for the
video camera, but, by the time I got back, mom and
one baby had taken off down the creek path. But
one of the babies climbed up a tree just outsdie
our sliding doors. I shot this of him coming back
down to rejoin his family. Cute and very fast.
Joyce and Ron Sousa (2008)
#7
Guess it's true deer must be starting to inhabit the cove. Spotted a female (I assume - no antlers) on the trail across from our barn on Sun 6/29. She was by herself and did not seem the least fazed to have encountered people. She looked us and our company over for a couple of minutes and then ambled up the hill towards the ridge. Between deer and turkeys and bears and coyotes - the dogs always have something to bark about.
Starr (2008)
#6
It might be mundane...but, on Saturday working in the yard last week Nikki and I saw an 8 point buck and a doe walking through the woods next to the house. I understand deer are an ordinary sight in the valley, but we are on the side of a hill and deer have not been seen up this far in quite a while. whats most fascinating is that the deer were eating the cicadas and the deer were fat.
John Preston (2008)
#5
Here is a gorgeous shot of a butterfly enjoying a cardinal flower.
Kathy (2008)
#4
OH MY GOSH! They're at my house too! Invading red-eyed creatures from
another era!
Kathy (2008)
#3
"Here is a picture of one of those millions of insects taken on our railing where we live in Riceville Forest. Photo was taken by my wife Sigrid Bender."
John Weakly (2008)
#2
This was a dinner time visitor at Joyce and Ron Sousa's house. He was big. Unlike the mamas, adolescents, and babies, he didn't go around stuff or use the trails. He just went in a straight line right through the rhododendrons and anything else. He was beautiful.
Joyce and Ron (2008)
#1
Gentleman caller @ 2:00 AM
I am fast asleep when the doorbell rings at 2:00 am!!! I live at the top of the hill, isolated, and at the end of the road. Who in the world could be ringing my doorbell????? peeking outside, I see a BIG BEAR!!!!!! ringing my bell????? did you ever hear of that??? He/she played with the logs, doormat, flowerpots and hummingbird feeder at my front door and back door. Fortunately for the bear, my dogs slept through the visit.
Two days later, a Momma bear and two adorable cubs visited. All they did was play in my yard. Was the nighttime guest a search party???
Renee (rhee-knee) Molko (2008)