Snake #3

I had another crawling thing at mi casa. Same size as the last time. I guess I should be grateful we get to eliminate them when they are little, and didn't have another giant like the first one.

But this is getting old.

I was running late for church when I saw it, so no pictures this time. I had my brother take care of it. This one also had its head stuck in the glue mouse trap box (I am glad I got few extra ones to keep replacing them), and it was moving its body together with the box. We couldn't drop a live snake at the park trash can, so my brother took a shovel and banged on top of the box a few times really well. It was dead for sure. We left it in a plastic bag out in the sun and heat for the afternoon and then threw it into our trash can.

Maybe I really should start looking for that snake-a-way thing the pest control guy recommended.

A Sweet Song

A red cardinal bird came today on Ciro's grave. If you look closely on this image, you can see his beak is opened, as if he is singing. 

These birds make a particular chirp sound, that Ciro learned to imitate, so it was particularly moving that he was chirping right there. 

Why Is My Garage So Special?

Um, I really don't want that kind of special. The kind that attracts snakes!
Or is it the mouse traps, the glue smell, or what have you?!
I found this thing in my garage today!

Is this what hatched from that thing three weeks ago and now is following the parent's trail? Come on! Get away from my house already you snakes!

'Naf is Enough!

I've had my share of animals in and around the house. There were abandoned eggs, ducklings, opossum, dead birds, very active birds, rodents, bunnies, mockingbirds, all sorts of birds around and inside the house. I even attracted critters in my office. And I can live with all of those.

But this is one that I don't want to ever come back! St. Francis, please don't send it back, thankyouverymuch.

As I was leaving the house yesterday afternoon, when I clicked the remote to close the garage, it wouldn't close and the opener light just flickered. Annoyed at first that the new opener might be broken, I tried it again, and the same thing happened. Then I realized a small bucket was blocking the sensors. But how did it move one foot? I got out of the car and saw that two carton mouse traps were also in the way...

Backtrack to this morning, I remembered that when I was in the laundry room, which leads to garage, I heard a sound like a mouse running, in the attic or wall. It stopped after a few seconds, and since I couldn't hear it when I opened the garage, I concluded it was probably coming from the roof, and I could hear it from the dryer vents.

Back to the story... The mouse traps, that were placed there 10 days ago by pest control company in two corners, were now next to each other. And between them was this:

A snake with its head stuck on the glue inside the box!

Now, I've seen snakes before in the yard and tree, but not big like this one. And not this colorful. I was not going to touch it!

Was there a mouse in the trap and the snake went after it and then crawled to the other side of the garage, or did the mouse move the trap first - I don't know. It probably got into the garage through small drain holes near the corners of the garage door.

I first called the pest control guys, but they are closed on Saturdays. My neighbor across the street was in the yard, but since he seemed busy with digging I didn't want to bother him. Then I called 311, but the call could not go through (later I find out it's only in the city limits, which Wells Branch apparently is not). Next I called 411, hoping to talk to someone who would connect me with someone who deals with this kind of wild life. But I realized I had to first give some meaningful answers to the automated system, and I didn't know what to ask for.

Finally, I called 911. Dispatcher: "Do you need police, ambulance, or fire department for your emergency?" Me: "Well, it's not really an emergency, but I couldn't get through 311, and I have this snake in my garage and I don't know what to do with it." She then asked me what kind of a snake it was, which I didn't know, asked for my name and address and said they'll send someone from Travis sheriff's department shortly.

I stood there for 5-10 minutes, not wanting to leave the scene as the suspect might get away. When the deputy came, he first touched it with his foot, and the snake seemed to be stiff. He concluded that it's dead, and asked for something to put it into and then into the trash can. But when he then poked it with a stick, it moved! He walky-talkied his dispatcher: "we have a live one!"

The thing started contorting its body with its head still glued inside the box and started rattling its tail. It was a rattle-snake! The deputy got a bigger paper bag from his car, and, as some poorly trained snake handler, maneuvered the beast and the box into the bag. It was making a lot of noise inside! Hm, ok, that thing is not going into by garbage can! He asked me if there was a field nearby (?!), which there was behind the houses on the other side of the street, but I said I don't think he should dumped it there.

Off he went, with the snake in double-bags, and I don't really want to know what happened to it. I just don't want it, or any of its cousins, near my house again. Ever!

Leap Year Oddity

Since this is the first leap year/day since I started writing this blog in 2008, I thought I should record something special that happened today. Or something really odd.

Well, what waited for me at the office was certainly out of the ordinary.

This little critter was caught alive on this glue trap in the corner right next to my cubicle. 3 feet away. And I sit on the 8th, last floor! I actually didn't see it in the morning, but when someone stopped by my desk couple of hours later, he pointed it out to me. It was still moving. Gross!

I sent a quick (since I needed to continue conversation with this colleague) email to our admin about the finding, but haven't heard from hear till late afternoon. All-the-while, this creature has been squirming on the glue. It turned out, since my email title was "mouse", she thought I was just needing a new computer mouse, and didn't bother to open the email right away. Sigh.

A security guy came right before I left in the evening and picked up the "present".

Eww!

An Old Fashioned Parrot

Thanks to my friend Lauren for this tip, this is video of a really rare, funny looking parrot, the Kakapo. What makes his face funny to me is that his eyes are closer together, more to the front, instead of the sides of the face, so he doesn't look like most other birds. Kinda looks like an owl.

The Kakapo is a flightless, nocturnal parrot (its name means night parrot), endemic to New Zealand, that is on the list of most endangered species.

They call him old fashioned in this video because of his physique. They breed every 2-5 years, and from this video it seems it's that season again! The parrot mistakes photographer for female bird and leaves big scars on his neck. This is why I would only have small birds for pets!

Birdy

It seems Ciro is gaining popularity in the wild world outside, because this is the second feathery visitor we've had in the last month.



This little birdy flew into my house through an open door. Trying to get out, she slammed into windows couple of times and then tumbled behind blinds. She was so shocked that she let me handle her in my hands. But after I took her out and patted her for a few moments, she realized she was free again and flew away.

No idea what kind of bird this is, but it kinda looks like miniature mockingbird.

Mockingbirds

This little family has built a home in the crape myrtle tree next to my house. I see the mom mockingbird always somewhere near around. She gets a bit nervous if I spend too much time around the tree. I saw her even chaise a squirrel that got a bit too close!

I am always amazed how well they build the nests. They have some clear plastic bag/wrapping paper there, and I have no idea what that black mash-like pieces are.

Last time I looked, couple of weeks ago, three bluish, speckled eggs were there. I checked on the nest today, and these little ones were asleep. It was so funny when with just one little movement of the branches I made, they transform into these orange pits. :) Their little bellies, visible through the transparent skin, don't seem to be very full. Momma, better get back to the feeding!

I love their songs. It's as if they are always trying to invent beautiful new melodies. Now, there will be three more in that choir!

Gone Wild

The bunnies have started their lives in the wild.









When I took them out of the burrow on Sunday morning, at 15 days old according to my calculations, the middle one decided to hop out. He made two jumps and then I caught him. He felt really strong with his legs pushing against my hand to get away. I laid them all back in the hole and covered it. The last couple of times I checked on them there was a hole in the cover through which bunnies were visible. I guess they were peeking out.

The night before I tried feed them some lettuce leaves, but they were not interested.

On Sunday evening my friend David came over to see the bunnies. As we walked out in the back yard, one bunny was sitting next to the burrow! It was that middle one. I took him, and handed the other two to David and his girlfriend. When I placed this middle one back in the hole, he jumped out again and continued hopping toward the fence. I went after him but he continued along the fence and into the bushed. Finally I was able to catch him under the bushes and tucked him back in the hole under the other two bunnies.

That was the last I saw them.

At 8 am Monday morning the hole was empty and there were no bunnies to be seen around. That middle one probably led them all into exploration.

Late Monday night I went back out to check again and as I turned on the porch lights and stepped out I saw the mom rabbit hop away from the burrow toward the bushes. I guess she was looking for them.

I hope they figure out this big world on their own.

After this experience, I actually wouldn't mind if the mama rabbit decides to use my yard for her next litter of bunnies. :)

And just when I thought all wildlife has left, I notice that there is a new birds' nest in the crape myrtle. It's small, maybe cardinals', and not used yet it seems. More babies to come! :)

Bunnies Update

These little bunnies are growing and changing really fast!

They are 12 days old now and all three have their eyes opened, and their ears are now perked up. Their little noses are constantly sniffing around and they are ready to hop out of the hand. Now that I "showed them the world" I hope they don't rush to get out of the burrow before they are ready. Or before I am ready! :)

They just are so cuddly and cute!

The Latest Backyard Wildlife

Last year I had baby ducks in the rosemary bush. This year there is a bird's nest high up in the oak tree, and the newest addition: baby rabbits in the backyard!

I saw some fur on one spot of the lawn about 1-2 months ago. I carefully dug it up, fearing there might be a rat or some other animal inside. But the hole was empty. So, I just left it there, not making a connection at that moment where it was from, and was going to fill it up with dirt. But I never got around to it.

I remember seeing the same empty hole during the memorial day weekend, two weekends ago. I did see a rabbit laying down near the fence, and I thought it was strange how he relaxed it looked, his back legs stretched out behind it, instead of in its usual ready-to-jump pose. Then on Thursday the following week, while watering the lawn, I realized I didn't notice the hole any more. I searched for it, and discovered that it is covered with grass and leaves. Again I started removing the leaves and fur carefully, and then something moved inside! There were some babies in there!

Truthfully, I weren't sure if they were rats, my first instinct, or rabbits, because their ears were more round and flat on their head. But when I didn't see a long tail, I knew they were rabbits. There were 3 of them, all the same size, and when I poked them with the stick they squirmed around. They were completely covered with fur, but their eyes were closed. The hole was the size of a melon, and the lower part was completely lined with fur. I did my best to cover it back up and put some leaves on top.

The next day when I checked out the burrow it was hard to find again, because the mother had fixed my lousy job of hiding the hole, and had put more grass twigs on it so that no fur was visible. Nice job! I dug it up again, and was even brave to take the babies out in my hand (day after left photo). They were so soft and wiggly. :) I held them just for few seconds and then put them back in. This time I placed couple of sticks in X shape on top so that I would know if the mother comes back again. And she did! I think today (right photo) they are about 7 days old.

I found some helpful information on these sites,
HopperHome
Help..I Found a Baby Bunny!
including about the myth that mother would reject the babies if she senses human sent on them, and about monitoring her activity by placing the sticks on top. She apparently feeds them just for 5 minutes during the night by laying on top of the burrow while the babies nurse. The milk is so strong that so little keeps the babies going for 24 hours. They should open their eyes at about 10 day old, be inside the hole for 3-4 weeks, another week be hopping around and return inside to sleep, and then they'll leave, each their own way.

I plan to just let them be for now, and then fill the hole once they are gone.

Cat on the Roof

Last night I was awaken by a loud noise. It was coming from somewhere above, the attic, or the roof maybe.

I thought it must be another rodent that got into the attic and was now caught in the mouse trap. I wasn't happy with it. I instantly started thinking of the unpleasant task of having to remove it in the morning. I was upset thinking how it was able to get into the attic in the first place. The banging and scratching sound continued, so I pictured it now desperately moving around, with the trap still attached to it. And the noise continued.

After few minutes I was fully awake, still trying to figure out where the noise is coming from. It now sounded it was coming from a different corner of the ceiling, not where the mouse trap was set up. It seemed it was near the window.

I finally got up. It was 3.55 am.

I walked over to the window, and the sound now seemed to be coming from the roof under-eave. The smashing and scratching was really loud. I decided to walk outside. As I approached the other window, I saw a cat on the roof. In the middle of the night. It was just sitting there at the very top. She ran away when she saw me. Now I understood she was probably chasing something.

Once on the porch, the thing was obviously scratching against some metal. I first thought it might have been a raccoon or opossum stuck in the grill, so I approached with caution. But, it wasn't the grill, it was the gutter downspout! Something got stuck inside! The cat must have chased it, and then it, a bird, rat, or a squirrel, tumbled down to the gutter and straight down the downspout.

The animal was somewhere in the middle. I started tapping, and it hissed at me. I was hoping it will eventually slide down if I continue tapping. Instead, it started climbing up. After few moments, it made it almost to the lower of the two elbows on the downspout, from what I could tell by touching the metal. And then it was moving less and less, until it completely stopped.

There is a screw in that area that attaches the downspout to the strap and to the wall. I thought that maybe the screw goes all the way through the cylinder, and that the thing is either stuck in that narrowing, or is now tired and is just resting on top of that screw in the middle of the opening. I decided to try to get the screw out and 'help' the animal slide all the way down.

I got the drill, and started unscrewing. It was a short screw, and once the strap was separated, the screw flew away into the grass. I turned the porch lights on (yes, all of this I was doing just under the moonlight). Searching through the grass for the screw at 4.30 in the morning.

That is when I realized how ridiculous I was.

I went back into the house and tried to go back to sleep and ignore the still occasional noise coming from just the other side of my bedroom wall. I was thinking of how I'd have to call the animal control in the morning because I don't want a dead animal sitting in the gutter for days.

I don't know what happened next.

In the morning, I poked with a stick on the lower end of the downspout and from the top, and only got few hairs (now I am pretty sure it wasn't a bird). If there was anything inside, it was still in the vertical part where I couldn't reach in. I figured, if the squirrel is still there, there is nothing inside to hold it when it dies, and it will just fall down.

But I think the thing got out.

I really hope so.

Lost Battle

There was another massacre in the backyard.

This time, it was obvious that the bird didn’t win the battle. :(

The Birds And the Berries

These little bandits (they kinda look like ones with those black masks around their eyes) were gorging on the red berries on one of the trees in my backyard this morning.

I woke up at dawn (way too early!), and, with my eyes still barely open, noticed there was an unusually high number of birds flying around. And it went on and on. After about 15 minutes I finally got up to see some 50 little birds going from one tree, to the grass, to another tree. I stared at them for a while trying to figure out with my scratchy eyes what's going on. Then I realized they were grabbing the berries, running to a safe spot to eat it, and then coming back for more.

They were amusing to watch. I don't know what kind this is. They are about the size of cardinals, even have a little "hat", but are gray like finches, with a bit yellowish tummy and a hint of red above their tail. What a beautiful way to wake up!



After the feast, there were no more berries left on that side.

Backyard Massacre

There was a massacre of some sorts in my back yard. There was a pile of feathers, and a bird lost at least one toe. Yesterday we saw a bird chase a squirrel, but didn't see how it ended.

What a violent world! :)

The Mallard Is Back

Our little feather tenant came back last week. On Tuesday we noticed that there were 12 eggs tucked neatly under a layer of down feathers in the rosemary bush, but the mama was not there. She started with the incubation the next morning, so around Aug. 18th there should be another dozen little ducklings.

I thought it was soon for the duck to lay the eggs again, but, hey, it's the duck business. :)

A Dead Opossum

How to dispose of a dead opossum?

My brother just told me we had one in our backyard couple of days before I came back. He's not sure for how long it has been there, because by the time he saw it, it was already hard as a stone. But, in this Texas heat, it could have lost all moisture in a day.

He picked it up with a shovel, stuck it in two plastic bags, and then threw the bags in our garbage can. This was on Saturday. The smell was still horrible when I arrived Monday evening and we had to close the garage doors as soon as we park in so that the smell doesn't get into the house. Finally the trash was collected yesterday.

Is there some agency that deals with dead wild animals we could call if something like this happens again?

Duckling Update

The ducks were still in the bush when I got home last night. I changed their water and was surprised how dirty it was. The mom was happy with the new fresh water to drink. Few minutes after I went inside the house, the babies were outside the nest and in the water bowl! I removed the deep dish because I was worried they might have trouble getting in it, and here they were, five squeezed in on a little puddle. They quickly rushed back into the nest when they saw me, but then the other two from the back came out and took a swim. Adorable!

They didn't come out any more for the evening, and since they were so active last night I knew their departure is very close. This morning at 8 am they were already gone and there was an empty nest. :( Mom picked probably the best time to take them to the water, because there are barely any cars and people around on an early Saturday morning. I am sad that I didn't get to walk with them, but they didn't need to wait for me. They are wild ducks, and it is best for them to have minimal dependence on humans. The pond is just five houses away, and they only had one small street to cross that is used only by the residents there.

Maybe I'll see them at the pond in a few days, acting all grown up. You can come back any time, mama duck, and use the safety on our rosemary bush again!

Post Update:
The ducklings made it all to the pond safe. I saw all 12 of them in the afternoon with duck that, I suppose, is their dad, playing and grooming on the shore, and even already trying to eat bread crumbs the locals were throwing at them. Their swimming instinct has also kicked in.
The mama duck, on the other hand, decided to come back to the place she called home for the last month - our rosemary bush. As I was getting ready to trim the overgrown branches, she landed on the driveway and was just starring at me. I gave her some water, and she drank at least 20 times. Then she took some bread pieces out of my hand, and was still just standing there. I continued with my other yard work and she eventually slowly approached the former nest, examined it for several minutes and then made her way inside. I guess she just missed her own bed. :)

Storm And the Ducklings

Last night Austin had an electrifying storm and has seen a tornado touch down within the city limits, something that I don't remember ever happening. Some areas had wind bursts of 80 mph and golf ball-sized hail at 1 3/4". Our neighbourhood was on the lower end of the storm, but we still had very large winds, few quarter sized hails and very heavy rain - which we didn't have any of in the last several weeks.

In all of that, our ducklings from the rosemary bush decided to make an appearance just yesterday. When we came back home from work, I noticed one egg half-shell next to the nest as I was starting to change the water and food for the duck. When I looked closer, the little yellow fuzz balls were peeping from underneath the proud mama. When I learned of the intensity of the storm we were expecting, I removed the bowls in front of the nest, so that the ducks don't get hurt if the bowls start flying. I was really afraid for the safety of the babies in all that rain and wind.

After the first blow of the storm, I went out with an umbrella to check up on them. Their nest was well protected by the sturdy bush branches, so much so that even the egg shells did not move. The mama had spread her wings and covered all the ducklings so I couldn't see any of them. She was completely wet.

This morning, as I was surveying any damage to the roof, another duck of the same kind, possibly a male, flew onto the front yard and was checking us out. After just few minutes, he flew back in the direction of the pond. When I looked at the nest, the babies were there by themselves, all huddled together and each trying to get in the center and away from the camera. There were 11 of them. I couldn't resist to pet those little cute feathery balls. After few minutes, while I was back in the house, the mom came back, and was guarding them again.

I read that the ducklings should leave the nest within a day or two after hatching and walk with the mama back to the water. I really hope they are still there this evening and I can escort them in safety to the water over the weekend.

Rosemary Babies

A black duck from our neighborhood pond has decided to make her nest in the rosemary bush in our front yard. I noticed her while trimming the bush, and had to stop so not to blow her cover. She hid herself deep inside and didn't make appearance even though we were mowing and edging around her. We didn't see her walking around the yard before, so I don't know when she gets out to eat. When my friend's dog Rio was sniffing the bush the other day I noticed many white fuzz balls, and thought it must have been from a rabit which we saw few times in the last couple of weeks.
I think she already has the eggs because she wouldn't move from the nest, so the babies should come out of the rosemary bush within the couple of weeks.