Wildlife & Related

[Irving]

I saw those birds in a Walmart parking lot in Texas.

I legit waved toward OK as I drove by too.

[Bailey Guns]

Damn... Those birds get around. Where were you in TX?

[Irving]

Damn... Those birds get around. Where were you in TX?

I was driving to Grand Saline, TX from Denver, so I'm pretty sure the Walmart parking lot I slept in was in Wichita Falls. It was 85 degrees at 1:30am when I pulled in. I don't recommend it. Sleep didn't happen.

[flogger]

Grackle trivia.

They were not native to North America but were introduced in the 1800's by a bunch of Shakespeare loving emigrants who wanted every kind of bird mentioned in one of his plays to be in the New World. The Starling was one of them. Thanks Bill!

[Bailey Guns]

I was driving to Grand Saline, TX from Denver, so I'm pretty sure the Walmart parking lot I slept in was in Wichita Falls. It was 85 degrees at 1:30am when I pulled in. I don't recommend it. Sleep didn't happen.

You coulda stayed here in a nice, cool bed if I'd known you were headed down 287. When you passed thru Vernon, TX I was only 20 miles north of you.

[Hummer]

Not sure but they appear to be juvenile Common Grackles. Also nest in CO in relatively small numbers, most frequently in lower elevation deciduous forests in urban/suburban areas. I had a group of males and later a few females visit during spring migration at 8500 ft., but they don't nest here.

[Bailey Guns]

Thanks, Hummer. I had no idea what they are.

[ChickNorris]

They are ornery birds. Not in the good way imo.

[Irving]

Jeeze that's close. It was around midnight though. I'm not sure which way I'm coming home, might stop in Houston.


As for animals, I've only seen a turtle crossing the road, in Grand Saline, TX, and a snake crossing the road in Louisiana. I assumed the snake was a nice big fat eastern diamond back, but only because it looked the right size and that's what I wanted it to be. I wanted to turn around, but didn't have time. I've yet to see any crocs, but no time to sight see really. I've been bitten by red ants in two states so far. Some wasp stung me today and I hardly even saw the damn thing so it's not like I was messing with it. I've seen some skinny white birds that I want to say are some kind of egret? I'm not sure and couldn't snap a picture because every time I've been driving.

Every time I go south I get bitten by red ants, FL, TX, and now LA, so apparently they are assholes in every state.

[Hummer]

Ants,wasps and hornets are some of the nastiest f'ers of the animal world. They don't kill as many people as mosquitoes but damn....

I've been battling mountain hornets that make paper nests underground and in the roof behind fascia where I'm building two new roofs. I always have a six pack of wasp spray handy. Lately they go for the hummingbird feeders and any meat we have outside. I zap them with a maps gas torch. Sweet revenge.