Post your Pet or animal Pics (Part 1)

[Melizmatic]

[bryan]

Ya know that classic bumper sticker, “If you’re gonna ride my ass, at least pull my hair!”? Well, this is a chicken who has had at least her fair share of ass riding and hair pulling lately:

Here is a chicken that is recovering from an even more advanced case, blurred because not everybody will find it quite as cute as every other photo in this thread:

I didn’t have the presence of mind to get a photo of Tuesday before I brought her in the house for first aid today, but this is a photo of her a few hours later, on the way to a recovery cage in the barn. You’re not seeing a bunch of pus, that’s some sort of Goop™ that just happens to look like a bunch of pus. But had I had the presence of mind earlier, you’d have seen why I’m thinking of renaming her O-Ren.

[vermes82]

European peacock (Aglais io)

[MrShiv]

@Wayward

Just the one hatchling

Bad news! Turns out this little beast is a cowbird – a nest parasite. The gaping cherry-red mouth is a giveaway, as is this pic that Ms. Shiv took yesterday:

None of the real wren eggs hatched. Fortunately, it seems that the wren parents are already building a new nest, a bit farther from our house.

[anon87143080]

Those cowbirds are sneaky. The mother will periodically swing back to check on its egg. If the egg or chick has been kicked out the cowbird will destroy all the other eggs and chicks. The host parents sometimes learn their lesson and will raise any future cowbird chicks. Basically it’s a protection racket.

“Nice nest you got there. Be a real shame if anything ‘happened’ to it”

[MrShiv]

Oh yeah. We saw the mama cowbird hanging around. That’s when I started getting suspicious. It was odd because we usually don’t see cowbirds in our area.

[anon87143080]

They’re frequently at my bird feeder.

Five of them in this shot. Well, four for sure.

[FloridaManJefe]

Wednesday is lunch-at-the-marina day at the Pilot House, a boat-up bar & grill affair in Key Largo. today’s lunch guest was this beauty, a little juvenile manatee. so sweet! I just love them

she was joined by a very pretty nurse shark, who came over because the charter boat Charisma was cleaning catch and tossing the carcasses into the water for the sharks and fishies. (the manatee come 'round for the fresh water being used to hose down the decks):

I love nursies almost as much as I love manatee! so graceful!
isn’t she lovely?!
ETA: scale - manatee is approx 2.5 meters and nursie aroun 1.5 meter

[anon67050589]

I’ve swum with quite a few sharks in my time, including nurse sharks. They are sweet!

[ClutchLinkey]

Between your posts here and the food thread, you often make me want to drive all the way down I-95 and relocate to Florida. What a delightful Wednesday.

[FloridaManJefe]

the Conch Republic ain’t like the mainland Florida-da, that’s fer sher.
as my friend, (and Keys Free Press fishing column writer),
C. J. Geottis, signs off every post: “Life is good in the Florida Keys. Life is very good!”

[FGD135]

Wild Parrots in Australia Are Teaching Each Other How to Break Into Trash Bins

[anon61221983]

Birb gangs!

[anon87143080]

A pale spider on the side of my truck. It’s abdomen is about the size of a petit pois.

[BakaNeko]

This bird is humming to the tune of “Haters Gonna Hate”. Just look at his/her face.

These little guys probably hate the hummingbirds, as these birds are always picking fights with whomever drink at the feeder.

[anon87143080]

Looks like a nuthatch?

[BakaNeko]

It is a Bananaquit. The Swallow-tailed hummingbird hate to share the feeder with other birds, even hummingbirds of any species. They attack like a tiny dive bomber.

Bananaquit

[anon87143080]

Just look at it!

Actually now that I said that I think you posted a picture a few weeks ago.

[vermes82]

European peacock (Aglais io)

[anon23281680]

Does he want his belly pet or does he want to savage any hand daring enough to attempt touching his soft silky tummy?