Category: Animal Sightings

Information about the different species of animals identified and photographed.

Categories
Mammals

Spotted Species #9: Red Fox – they are everywhere

There’s no doubt that red fox are cute. They remind us of our dogs and aren’t as ominous as coyotes or wolves. They also are helpful as they love to eat rodents and rabbits, helping to keep those populations down.

They live everywhere – literally, they are one of the most widely distributed animals on earth, living on multiple continents across multiple biomes, including tundra, dessert, forest, you name it.

But they aren’t as widely seen because they tend to hunt at night or dusk/dawn. I’ve seen glimpses of foxes here and there in suburban and even urban areas, but the only chance I’ve gotten to really get a good photo was in Denali National Park on a bus tour where the driver clearly knew where they could be found.

There they seem to be a bit less scared. We also were near a den. It was early July, and kits – baby foxes – likely were still young. Anyway, this fox was just hanging out in a field before eventually running off.

I took the photos from the bus. It was my first close encounter with a fox, and I was struck by its lush red coat and curious look. I was able to even get some video of it running around. 

Categories
Amphibians Animal Sightings

Spotted species #3 – Canyon Tree Frog – Look down, not up, to find them 

I almost walked right past them.

We were walking along Soldier’s Pass Trail in Sedona, Arizona. It was an 80 degree day, and I was focused on what was ahead, not what was to the right or to the left.

Fortunately, a friend of mine noticed the tiny pools off the trail and led us there. These were known as the seven sacred pools. 

I had to climb up onto a rock to see the first canyon tree frog – it, along with the others we saw, was just lying on the rock taking in the hot afternoon sun.

Photographing them was fairly easy – they didn’t seem to budge and weren’t frightened of us in the least. One looked straight at me the whole time I was photographing him or her. 

It’s odd that they are called tree frogs, given that they are typically found in spots similar to the one where I found them, ie basking on rocks.  

Categories
Animal Sightings Mammals

Spotted Species #2 – Koala: A Dream Fulfilled

I’ll never forget the first time I saw a koala. We had left Melbourne, Australia, that morning back in 2004 and hopped onto the Great Ocean Road, a spectacular coastal drive along the southernmost part of Victoria, headed for Warrnambool, home to the Southern Right Whales (which I’ll discuss in a later post). I’d wanted to see a koala in the wild for years, and this was my chance. I knew that they often could be seen along the Great Ocean Road. 

As we drove along, I kept looking up in the trees. There were eucalyptus trees scattered on both sides of the Great Ocean Road. The two-lane highway meandered through a heavily wooded area, occasionally sweeping out by the water, where there were majestic views of the Southern Ocean. For a long time, I didn’t see anything in those white trees with just a tuft of leaves near the top. 

And, then suddenly, I did see something. I was traveling with my parents at the time, and I had to tell my dad to turn around. He did and we headed back to the tree. Lo and behold there he (or she) was. A koala bear chilling out in a tree. 

It was a glorious moment; a long-time goal had been fulfilled. Here was a koala in the wild, and I had found it all by myself. There were not other people around, not many cars were passing by. It was just me and the koala. I got out of the car and walked up by the tree he was in. I took some pictures of him chilling there. He didn’t seem too concerned about me – in fact, I have a feeling I wasn’t the only person to stop by and photograph him that day. My first koala bear in the wild – I was giddy with excitement. 

We got back in the car and headed on our way. About a mile down the road, we came across a crowd of stopped cars and stopped ourselves. There were two more koala bears up in a tree, just chilling out. These were a bit smaller and a bit further up. 

For more about koalas, view my page on koalas, as well as find some games and other activities on the kid’s page about koalas.

Categories
Animal Sightings Bird

Spotted Species #1: Mute Swan – Pest or Royalty

It’s a tale of two continents. 

Every July, with the exception of a pandemic-related pause, an annual census is taken of the mute swans along the River Thames. They are rounded up, tagged and sent back into the wild. Why? Because the King of England can technically claim ownership of all unmarked mute swans in the United Kingdom, although really he only does so along a short portion of the Thames River. It’s a tradition that dates all the way back to the 12th century and is called swan upping. 

However, across the Atlantic, they aren’t nearly as revered. In fact, they are viewed as a nuisance by many U.S. states. 

Part of the problem is they aren’t native to North America. They were introduced in the late 19th century and have slowly taken over some waterways, driving out native fauna and flora. They also are aggressive. 

So, is the graceful and beautiful mute swan an aggressive nuisance or a tame, regal creature? The answer depends on where you are located. 

I’ve spotted the Mute Swan in both countries: The first time, one was gliding slowly along the River Avon just outside of Warwick Castle in England. The second time, there was a pond full of swans located next to a winery near Seneca Lake in upstate New York. Both times, the swans were beautiful and didn’t bother me. But I will admit I saw many more of them in New York than in England. 

Warwick Castle was a great castle to visit, one of the biggest and most interactive I’ve been too. In addition to the ability to climb atop towers and walk through eloquent rooms, there’s also bird flight shows. In addition, a hotel is opening up at the castle for those who might want to stay there. 

I visited the Finger Lakes region right before and as it was hit by the remnants of a hurricane, but we spent one day at Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery learning about how wine was made and getting to walk around part of the vineyards. I remember because the hurricane was arriving, there weren’t a lot of people there, so it made for a nice day. It’s a magnificent setting with Seneca Lake in the background too (plus beautiful swans as well!).