Yo, people: we’re down to only one more batch of photos, and then this feature will disappear. Today I’ll put up the singletons or doubletons that readers have contributed from time to time. Send in your photos. Captions of photos are indented, and you can enlarge them by clicking on them.
First, from Tara Tanaka (FB page here, Flickr page here and Vimeo page here), a barred owl (Strix varia):
We are in an exceptional drought here in Tallahassee. I had just put fresh water in the bird bath for the third time today when I looked out the window to see the first ever Barred Owl on the bath arriving for what would be about ten sips of water.
From Robert Lang, who submitted a “spot the” photo of a rattlesnake that was too easy. I’ll show the original, the reveal, and a video:
This is a pretty easy Spot The… entry—it’s Find the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus helleri) , encountered along the Gabrielino Trail above the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena (which was my employer many years ago—um, JPL, not the snake). It was noteworthy for having the longest set of rattles I’ve seen on one of our local rattlers.Attached is the “find-the-“ photo and a close-up showing the rattles. Also, if interesting, here’s a short video. It was very mellow; never rattled, despite all the people walking by (it’s a popular trail).
The “reveal”:
. . . and a video:
From Laura Prail in Duluth, Minnesota. It looks to me like an older buck of the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus):
We just had this fellow wander through our yard, taken with an I-phone through our front window.
Speaking of barred owls, not sure if everyone knows about the controversy over the current plan to ‘cull’ thousands of barred owls per year supposedly to save habitat for the spotted owl. The issue seems to be that barred owls are moving west into the territory of spotted owls but of course the underlying problem is loss of habitat for both species due to timbering and land development. I’m no expert in this — perhaps some readers are — but it seems that every time humans try to ‘right’ an ecological issue we have caused we make it worse in some way.
AI Overview
The “massacre” controversy refers to a controversial plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to kill up to 470,000 barred owls in the Pacific Northwest to save the endangered northern spotted owl. The plan has faced strong opposition from animal welfare and conservation groups, who argue it is unethical, potentially ineffective, and that the term “slaughter” is a more accurate description of the scale of the operation.
The plan and its justifications
Competition: Barred owls are a threat to spotted owls because they compete for the same habitat and food, and are slightly larger and more aggressive.
Human-driven expansion: The barred owl’s expansion west is largely attributed to human-driven habitat destruction, which also impacted spotted owls.
Lethal removal: The plan authorizes the lethal removal of barred owls in designated areas of Washington, Oregon, and California, through methods like shooting.
The controversy and opposition
Ethical concerns: Critics argue it is unethical to kill one species to save another, calling the plan “colossally reckless” and a “misguided attempt”.
Ineffectiveness: Some argue the plan is likely to fail, as surviving barred owls could move into vacated areas and reproduce, creating a “never-ending cycle”.
Unintended consequences: Some officials have expressed skepticism, citing concerns that the plan could have “unintended consequences” and may be “unworkable”.
Alternatives: Critics suggest focusing on protecting the spotted owl’s habitat instead of killing barred owls.
The rattlesnake. I think I found it!
Love the pictures.