Gary N wrote:
I need to visit again some time for some snake hunting and Panda.
Those are the words Ive been longing to hear
Ok, hawk thing: I agree, in the case with the plowed field, that he must have been stomping something to death IMO because there are no burrow holes and all the dirt was freshly ground up that day by the plowing tractor. It could have been a mouse hiding within of dirt crevice... however, this Hawk was jumping up off the ground and using two feet to stomp down on something. so whatever it was it required some heavy-duty butt-kicking. I also agree with the possibility of bringing a rodent out into the open with some scary vibrations. Makes sense to me.
As for the bike, I do gotta hold on to my standpoint of possibility until someone posts some amphibian kills (which I have had no luck googling for). I'm looking at the angle, width between, and shallowness of those suggested claw scratches and I'm just not seeing in this case. Me not giving in can only provoke someone to post pics like that in the future which can only be educational to us all, whether it proves me wrong or not
Here's an anecdote, because it happened recently and still fresh in my mind. I went out to photograph pond turtles and got within 20ft of them after about an hours of coaxing and non-predatory animal behavior portraying. Not too dificult, but not too simple, considering they were in a small brooke that has not yet been inhabited by the destroyers of nature. One of the last secret places I know to go. So as I sitting/laying across the creek opposite bank, a hard gust of wind stirs up on an already high windy day. Hardest shift in force I felt in my 2 hours of hanging out with these friends. Right at that moment, a brown napkin swirled over the crick and danced in between the turtle and myself. In a sleepy daze, I was reminded of the movie American Beauty. The floating bag caught in the wing scene. I following the paper towel in my view leading across to tje left. Right at that moment, the 3 turtle jump into the water terrified! I thought the wind had must had scared them, but that seemed odd. I figured it was a good time to leave, packed up my camera, and started out...only to noticed, that a bulk of weeds was now laying where 2 of the turtles were basking.
Thought process and reasoning in search of the truth kicked in... How did the weeds get pulled from the earth and land on top of the turtle at the exact moment of a gust of wind and having my attention distracted casually on the paper towel? There was a small tree that hung over the basking spot, but how could weeds have been up in a tree... could they be growing on it?
All my DSL shots were taken below the tree so I couldn't reference them. However, I had sent a phone pic text to a girl "friend" of mine who is currently a zoology/animal biology major. Sure enough, I found the clue.
The weeds had been growing in a small nub, just barely big enough to cup up and hold soil-ish debris on the side of the tree. With all the rain and wind we've had, it's amazing it didn't get forced out by now until this day. Such a strange combination of factors coming together to create a very unique and unbelievable event. First strong gust of wind, an already loosened bushel of weeds ready to give that had seeded remarkably by natures hand, the paper towel striking up a memory of a deep thought metaphor and causing me to miss seeing the weeds fall, and literally falling right on top of the turtles I had befriended for the day... pretty unbelievable however a 100% true
Sometimes the seemigly impossible happens. Could that salamander be the cause of death inflicted unintentionally by a human? Well, I've seen far more amazing things to consider it an impossibility.
If I can just last this final year, I will be out of everyone's hair... that should make a good number of people happy. Then this hawk is gonna leave the field to the swarming crows. So please try to tough it out with me...cause I'm gonna have some good photog to share and positive changes are going to come to this forum.
Goodnight