Your pictures of random animals (not pets)

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@Clix Pix: Why not share the hilarious shot of the squirrel (subsequently named Smaug, on account of how he sprawled on the scattered bed of nuts as he stuffed himself) that won the weekly competition?

I thought it excellent, and it brought a grin to my face every time I saw it.
 

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Ah, found it! I am going to have to rename it so that next time I'll be able to locate it more easily.....

Greedy little squirrel, who eventually was dubbed "Smaug." I have the tendency to name certain critters and even some of my camera lenses!

Getting Right Into the Food.jpeg
 

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Smaug provided endless amusement most of the summer! I eventually had to stop feeding the birdies and the squirrels on my deck, though, because the neighbors didn't appreciate the birdseed flying around and landing on their decks (wind blows those tiny, lightweight seeds very easily) and also were a little disconcerted by the ever-growing crowd which kept arriving for feast time. Started off with just two or three little sparrows, and then there were five, and then there was one squirrel, Smaug, and eventually a second squirrel and then a third..... By the time I pulled the plug on the daily birdseed buffet I had counted something like 27 or 28 sparrows all on my deck at the same time! Uh....that's a lot of birdies, and of course they always left a mess which meant I was out there sweeping the deck on a daily basis and cleaning you-know-what off my plastic deck table and the railing!
 

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Ah, found it! I am going to have to rename it so that next time I'll be able to locate it more easily.....

Greedy little squirrel, who eventually was dubbed "Smaug." I have the tendency to name certain critters and even some of my camera lenses!

View attachment 771

This was a real case of giving himself up to pure gluttony.

I love the way he is relaxed, and sprawled so comfortably, hind limbs splayed and stretched out, yet tucking in so greedily, with such uninhibited gluttony, on the deck.
 

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Smaug provided endless amusement most of the summer! I eventually had to stop feeding the birdies and the squirrels on my deck, though, because the neighbors didn't appreciate the birdseed flying around and landing on their decks (wind blows those tiny, lightweight seeds very easily) and also were a little disconcerted by the ever-growing crowd which kept arriving for feast time. Started off with just two or three little sparrows, and then there were five, and then there was one squirrel, Smaug, and eventually a second squirrel and then a third..... By the time I pulled the plug on the daily birdseed buffet I had counted something like 27 or 28 sparrows all on my deck at the same time! Uh....that's a lot of birdies, and of course they always left a mess which meant I was out there sweeping the deck on a daily basis and cleaning you-know-what off my plastic deck table and the railing!

Ah:

I hadn't know that you had put an end to these feeding sessions.
 

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I tried various kinds of birdseed and also bought sunflower seeds as well once Smaug and his buddies had appeared on the scene. I had the naive hope that the sunflower seeds, which I put in a separate tray, would keep them out of the birdseed. HAH! Anyway, one of the more recent brands includes peanuts and I thought for sure that the sparrows might have problems with those and skip over them but that the squirrels would love them and crunch 'em right up..... Well, SOMEBODY loved those peanuts, as they were always gone when I checked the trays!
 

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Ah:

I hadn't know that you had put an end to these feeding sessions.
That happened fairly recently, because one afternoon I went out to run errands and when I opened my front door a couple of the neighbors were standing chatting in the open entryway to the building (my unit opens off that, as does the one across from me). Of course I joined in on the conversation and someone brought up that they were frustrated with all the birdseed flying around and wondering who was feeding the birdies.... Well, I eventually realized that, oops, there was a problem here, the game was up, so admitted that it was me feeding them and I learned that the impact it was having on the neighbors' decks was certainly not appreciated. Oops....!!!! I hadn't realized that the darned seeds were flying around, but I had wondered if anyone was bothered by the increasing number of birds and squirrels arriving at this building. So, to make a long story short, I promptly ceased and desisted with the feeding of my furry and feathered friends on the deck.

I still had quite a bit of seed left so on a couple of different days took it out to the common grounds area and distributed it there. I am thinking that I'll do more of that, too, as the colder weather approaches and food is harder for the little guys to get. I hated having to stop feeding them right on my deck, but I realized immediately that it isn't a great idea to irritate the neighbors, as of course we all live here and we do have to take others into consideration.

And, yes, I miss my Smaug and his two squirrel friends, and all the little birdies! The deck just seems so quiet and empty now....
 

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That happened fairly recently, because one afternoon I went out to run errands and when I opened my front door a couple of the neighbors were standing chatting in the open entryway to the building (my unit opens off that, as does the one across from me). Of course I joined in on the conversation and someone brought up that they were frustrated with all the birdseed flying around and wondering who was feeding the birdies.... Well, I eventually realized that, oops, there was a problem here, the game was up, so admitted that it was me feeding them and I learned that the impact it was having on the neighbors' decks was certainly not appreciated. Oops....!!!! I hadn't realized that the darned seeds were flying around, but I had wondered if anyone was bothered by the increasing number of birds and squirrels arriving at this building. So, to make a long story short, I promptly ceased and desisted with the feeding of my furry and feathered friends on the deck.

I still had quite a bit of seed left so on a couple of different days took it out to the common grounds area and distributed it there. I am thinking that I'll do more of that, too, as the colder weather approaches and food is harder for the little guys to get. I hated having to stop feeding them right on my deck, but I realized immediately that it isn't a great idea to irritate the neighbors, as of course we all live here and we do have to take others into consideration.

And, yes, I miss my Smaug and his two squirrel friends, and all the little birdies! The deck just seems so quiet and empty now....

And they don't think to pay you a visit when there is no food forthcoming?
 

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This is a coyote spotted in the wild near the beach in the bay area, it let me creep up to and get this shot while watching me the whole time. It took me about 10 minutes to get this close and it knew I wasn't a threat.

View attachment 774
Wow, he's very close!!!! You were courageous to go ahead and shoot, but also wise to have waited to be sure that he wouldn't suddenly attack.
 

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And they don't think to pay you a visit when there is no food forthcoming?

It was really rather surprising how quickly the volume of visitors to my deck dwindled down! That said, occasionally I still get a birdie or two but Smaug and his buddies have quite deserted me, those fair-weather "friends"!!! Hmmph! For the first several days after I had stopped putting out trays of food I did leave what was on the deck still there, and a few sparrows did come around and peck at it, but then after there was pretty much absence of everyone at the scene, I finally got back out on the deck and gave it a thorough sweeping, as it still needed that.

Actually, it suits me that Smaug and the other squirrels aren't returning to the deck now in search of more food and then deciding to gnaw at the deck boards, which of course is unsightly and also would cause various problems down the road.... They've apparently given up on this as being a locale for a feast and have presumably sought goodies elsewhere and hopefully are finding enough to eat before winter sets in.....
 

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It was really rather surprising how quickly the volume of visitors to my deck dwindled down! That said, occasionally I still get a birdie or two but Smaug and his buddies have quite deserted me, those fair-weather "friends"!!! Hmmph! For the first several days after I had stopped putting out trays of food I did leave what was on the deck still there, and a few sparrows did come around and peck at it, but then after there was pretty much absence of everyone at the scene, I finally got back out on the deck and gave it a thorough sweeping, as it still needed that.

Actually, it suits me that Smaug and the other squirrels aren't returning to the deck now in search of more food and then deciding to gnaw at the deck boards, which of course is unsightly and also would cause various problems down the road.... They've apparently given up on this as being a locale for a feast and have presumably sought goodies elsewhere and hopefully are finding enough to eat before winter sets in.....

Fair weather friends, indeed!
 
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