Driving in to work this morning along Franklin Pike I saw a sight that made my heart jump in a good way.  Franklin Pike is a major road in Nashville, but does not have much of any commercial buildings for most of my commute - just estates, mansions, and big fenced/gated yards (many country music stars used to live on the street - a few stars still do).  Saw some movement in the yard to my right - looked over to my right and noticed a young red-tailed hawk on the ground - and the good thing, I could see the bushy tail of a tree rodent sticking out from under his talons. 

Man - I love that hawk!

And Murphy's law kicked in.  This morning I decided not to bring my camera equipment in.  I've been carrying it and my long lenses for a week, with no photo chance like this.  I would have loved to share the moment with the rest of ya'll!

Too bad you didn't have your camera, but I'm sure the hawk was happy, even if it didn't get its portrait taken. Now if it would only hang out in your backyard for more of the same.

Late last fall, a fly fishing/photo buddy and I were eating at a bbq joint just off Centennial Park here in Nashville.  We were eating at a table in the park itself - 50' from the bbq joint.  We heard this rustle in the tree above us.  We found out we had another diner joining us.  We were having bbq pulled pork sandwiches - he was having squirrel sashimi.  My buddy grabbed my camera and fire off a few shots.

Wow cool pics I love seeing the bald eagles and the osprey dive bombing the trout when I fish my favorite local river!

Last summer we had a mess with rodents in the garden.  They ate half of our beets and my wife was afraid to go in the garden because of the little beasts running here and there.

And then we got a Mouse Elimination Optimizing Weapon, or M.E.O.W.

Rodent problem solved.  I haven't seen one in the garden since.

We also have some Redtail Hawks in the area too.  One sits on the garden gate every once in a while.

Yep, we usually have one of them M.E.O.W. units around.  Have one inside, but wouldn't dirty her paws on a rodent.  Haven't had an outside stray in 3 years now.  I think the number of outside stray MEOW units is inversely proportional to the number of coyotes - and while I haven't seen a coyote in my yard, I have seen them less than a half mile away.  Need a MEOW unit though.  I stepped on a vole Sunday.  The 265 pound gravitational force was more than it could stand.

We keep the M.E.O.W. unit in the garage at night because of the coyotes.

That way she gets a safe, good nights sleep, and then she is ready to rid the area of rodents the next day.

She also chases away snakes (I only saw her run off one actually; a large rat snake; but I am assuming there are others because she seems busy doing something all day), for which I am personally VERY grateful!

My wife does like the mice, but I am even more creeped out by the snakes.

The hawks keep the snake numbers down too.

Best wishes to all.

John

john if you get rid of the snakes your rodent problem will increase for sure that rat snake should be your best friend all kidding aside they call them rat snakes for a reason!!!!

Here is our Retired M.E.O.W.

She would bring home the snakes but luckily eat every mouse in sight.
Now she just makes sure nothing gets in the house, including the new pooch that arrived in February.

Cats and owls are a mouse's worst nightmare; remember the Secret of NIMH. The mice don't win in the real world of course.

Very early this morning, while going out to my back yard,

Fortunate sighting, Gorgi--I've rarely seen herons, and have never seen one at very close range.

Speaking of herons/frogs...

I never get tired of seeing Great Blue Herons, here and love seeing the flocks of the larger white egrets flying over the house.  So pretty.

noss

There is something elegant yet primordial about Great Blue Herons (GBH).  My GBH story left me on my knees - in the river!

I've mentioned I like to fly fish.  I got to my favorite river before daybreak in a relatively unknown area  - did not want to be around a lot of people.  Got into the water - knee deep - and the morning mist was very thick that morning.  I was surrounded by a thick gray fog.  I could barely make out the trees through the mist.  The mist was so heavy that silence was prevalent except for the sound of the moving water against my legs and the occassional lowing of a cow.  Peace!  The the sun popped up over the hills and turned the mist into gold - pure peaceful gold.  A moment or two passed when I heard this awful noise.  I knew immediately what it was.- a GBH.  I looked up as it was getting closer to me.  I faintly made it out in the golden mist.  It was flying up river toward me.  As it got closer, I could see the vortexes that formed, rolling off its wing tips into the golden mist.  I fell to my knees.  What an experience.  And why fly fishing for me is not all about catching but hugely about the experience.

I have a large lake in my backyard..literally and for the 15 years I have lived here every season we get a heron. Just one. I never seem to have my camera around when it arrives, or is around.  Will try to catch it next time. Also love the flocks of geese and ducks that arrive, coming and going each year...canadians and mallards. The geese stay long enough to lay eggs and hatch young, and off they go.  Deer love to bed down in the tall grass at the bottom of my yard as we keep a large portion between the lake and our property naturalized.  All kinds of creatures at my house, including copperheads and cottonmouths (have never seen a rattlesnake here BUT we do have them in KY).

Caneyscud--great description! It created quite a vivid mental image.