Critters in my own Backyard!

Look at this!  Mom does not have to go on Big World Assignments away from home, as I have animal friends right here outside my house!

We are no 100% sure, but we think this is a Cooper's Hawk.  Mom could not get a good enough picture quickly to be sure.
(Maybe our friend, Khyra, knows what kind of hawk this is?)

He had a friend up in a tree too.  They like to prey on pigeons and doves.

That would explain the wounded actor on BIRD TV!  My siblings and I were watching BIRD TV from our window recently, and this actor on BIRD TV, must have been ambushed!   
Cooper's Hawks hunt almost entirely by surprise!

And here is another animal friend.  It looks like a Southern Leopard Frog. 

Look at how cool and shiny his eyes are! 

I bet he came over to my house from the pond across the street, to make my acquaintance and to be my friend!

I found out that Cooper's Hawks don't prey on Southern Leopard Frogs, so I am glad my Frog friend is safe.

Before you go, please sign my GUESTBOOK here, and stop by JB's SMALL WORLD too, thanks!

Critters in Cabo!

Mom had to go on a "business trip" to Cabo in Mexico last month.  I am not sure if she was being honest or not.  She said she would not have much time there to do a Big World Report.   

From the looks of this material, maybe she was telling the truth!

Mom walked on the beach in the mornings and look what she found.  This is a Puffer Fish, but he is not puffed up and he is dead, mom!  I did find out that this fish can not be eaten since it is toxic and poisonous.

Mom found me some Horse animal friends trotting along the water's edge on the beach.  I would like to go horseback riding, as long as I did not get my furs wet!  I would probably look cute in a sombrero!

I am not certain what kind of Bird this is, but I do know that he is my friend!

Mom did not bring her good camera on this trip, so this picture of this Yellow Oriole is not so good.  This bird is common in Cabo, but mom said they fly very fast and are hard to photograph. 
heh, heh, good excuse, mom!

Mom went on a sunset catamaran cruise and said she saw California Gray Whales, who like to migrate down to this area this time of year, to mate and give birth to their babies.  Everyone mom was with tried to take pictures, but the whales were too fast, and hard to photograph.  

heh, heh, mom....another excuse?  Really??

I did find out that this was a mandatory trip for work, so I will give mom a break this time.

All in all, maybe mom missed me, as she was sailing on a Gato!

Before you go, please sign my GUESTBOOK here, and stop by JB's SMALL WORLD too, thanks!

Missing Piggie Alert: Has Anyone Seen Bacon?

Before mom left Holland, she went to check on my animal friends at the Haarlemmerhout, which is the oldest public park in the Netherlands.  These animals live here for educational purposes for little humans to learn about them.  I wrote about these animal friends back in 2008 also.

Mom's aunt sponsors an animal each year to help pay for their care, and this year, she sponsored Bacon the Pig.  I asked mom to go meet Bacon, and to make sure he was not really "Bacon"!!

Mom went around asking all the animals if they had seen Bacon.

Us Chickens, have not seen Bacon, sorry!

No, this is NOT Bacon on my head!  No sirree!

The hairs on my chin, can not detect Bacon anywhere......

Bacon or birds, birds or Bacon......the choices are utterly tantalizing!

Peacocks prefer pretty flowers and bugs, to pork.  I have no use for Bacon.

 

Royal Dutch Bacon Patrol, at your service.  Ok, so I am an Egyptian Goose, but I live in Holland now, so I am essentially Dutch!  No Bacon sightings, I am afraid.

Nobody has seen hide nor hair nor HAM of Bacon.

Tears,

JB

Before you go, please sign my GUESTBOOK here, and stop by JB's SMALL WORLD too, thanks!

Bah, Bah, Black Sheep, and MORE Black Birds?

I do believe mom was slacking off on her Big World Assignment to Holland and Germany, and she is now slacking off on helping me post her Big World Report!

And the material she brought back for me is not up to par.

Bah, Bah, Black Sheep.  Back in Holland, mom said these sheep wanted to be my friends.  They look like they may be Suffolk Sheep.  I like Sheep, so this is acceptable, I guess.

I think this might be a sort of Raven, but I am not sure.  Ravens can sometimes be associated with scary spooky things like Halloween.  He was sitting above a sign that said "Verboten", which means "Forbidden!"

I don't know if I really want him to be my friend....those claws look a bit ominous!

This is a European Magpie, and this is an interesting bird.

Did you know that the European Magpie is one of the few creatures in the world that can recognize itself in a mirror??  The only others animals that can, are all of the great apes, macaques, bottlenose dolphins, orcas, and elephants!

JB:  This is it, mom? 

Mom:  It was really misty and rainy when I was on this Big World Assignment, so I was not able to get you very good pictures this time.  I am sorry, JB!  I only have one more installment of the Holland Big World Assignment after this, and it involves Bacon.

To be continued.....

Before you go, please sign my GUESTBOOK here, and stop by JB's SMALL WORLD too, thanks!