Bobcat

Hey Cil! You sure did hit 1000!! We have enjoyed all of them! I love reading about what you see on your walks and what your area of Florida is like- your descriptions have made us want to visit the area.

Wow- a bobcat. I think I would like to be in the car too if I ever run across one.

:clap_1: 1000 posts for Cil!:clap_1: Keep them coming!!

:clap_1: Yippee!! 1000!!! I too have loved reading about your discovery of your area. I would have LOVED to have seen that bobcat!

:clap_1: on reaching 1000. What is your area of Florida in which you're seeing all the turtles, deer, etc.? Were you the one who saw the mamma bear and two cubs recently as well?

:clap_1: on reaching 1000. What is your area of Florida in which you're seeing all the turtles, deer, etc.? Were you the one who saw the mamma bear and two cubs recently as well?

No! Yikes. Would love to hear about it, though.
Paula, I am in Gulf County. I have been living all over the county, but am presently in St Joe Beach--that's where I saw the snapper.
Along the new stretch of 98, they do have traffic signs with mama bear and baby bear silhouettes.
But now that I think about it, we were in Bay County when we saw the deer and bobcat.

Congratulations Cil on 1000 post.:clap_1: I always look forward to them.

Seeing a bobcat is spectacular. We have them in our area. I am 1 hr. North of Manhattan. One early morning, we saw a Bobcat limping through our property. The paws were huge. Beautiful animal. It's so rare to spot one, but when you do you never forget it.
We called animal patrol since we were not sure if it was injured or if it was still around. He was near a bird feeder of mine. They mentioned that during mating season they can travel as far as 50 miles to seek a mate, and the bobcat we saw was mostly in a fight with another one over a mate. We did not see blood. They told us if we saw it again, to call them and they would pick it up, since about 1 hr North of us is bobcat sanctuary where they doctor them and set them free.
We also have small black bears, but have yet to see one. Most of the animals live in a Fahnstock State Park about 40 minutes north of us.

I did see a deer on 98 in SoWal once at dusk in Sandestin. They are quite tiny there, almost like small dogs. Our deer here are much larger.

I am glad to hear you are a box turtle rescuer too. There's several small lakes near me and they are always crossing the road to get to them. I just pick them up and put them on the side. They are slowpokes.

Bdarg and the kids found a baby scorpion on the driveway this morning.

After the cute little baby was brought inside to be photographed and interviewed, he was released into the woods, so he can grow and prosper, and plan when he is going to come into our house in the dead of night and sting us.

On a good note- I did not run across any pygmy rattlesnakes when we went exploring in the woods today.

A neighbor of ours saw a momma bobcat and two kittens this morning prowling the edge of Camp Creek Lake at Watersound.

I get scorpions in my mailbox ALL THE TIME!!!!

Bdarg and the kids found a baby scorpion on the driveway this morning.

After the cute little baby was brought inside to be photographed and interviewed, he was released into the woods, so he can grow and prosper, and plan when he is going to come into our house in the dead of night and sting us.

On a good note- I did not run across any pygmy rattlesnakes when we went exploring in the woods today.

Wednesday night I saw a coyote crossing Watersound Parkway at the entrance to the golf course. It was pretty amazing. It looked similar to a German Shepard, but taller and thiner. Now I have a suspicion as to what happened to our two cats, since we live adjacent to the golf course . On Thursday night we saw a huge owl on our neighbor's roof. We heard the hooting and saw the silhouette in the moonlight--spectacular. We've lived here 5 years and this is the first time we've seen these particular animals.

I get scorpions in my mailbox ALL THE TIME!!!!

Wednesday night I saw a coyote crossing Watersound Parkway at the entrance to the golf course. It was pretty amazing. It looked similar to a German Shepard, but taller and thiner. Now I have a suspicion as to what happened to our two cats, since we live adjacent to the golf course . On Thursday night we saw a huge owl on our neighbor's roof. We heard the hooting and saw the silhouette in the moonlight--spectacular. We've lived here 5 years and this is the first time we've seen these particular animals.

I only saw a coyote once at dusk and it was on a highway. They are pretty cool looking. It was sitting and the silhouette of him looked like one of the paintings you see in the West. A pack of them live right behind my house (we abut woods too) and some nights we hear them howling.

:clap_1: Congratulations to Critter Cil on her spottings and her 1,000 posts! You always entertain and educate!!!

Wow, thanks for the congrats and the other critter sightings. Aww, bobcat kittens.
Yikes, scorpions in the mailbox. Fortunately, I've read that none of Florida's scorpions give fatal stings--I hope that's true.

Mango, I agree that the deer are smaller here. The crows seem to be, as well, and the woodpeckers are positively anorexic.

Camp Creek, in my experience, coyotes are usually not that big, certainly not taller than a German Shepherd...this reminds me of Barefootguy's home video of the canine critters which might have been coyotes, but might have been red wolves or a combination of the two. But even red wolves aren't all that large. Wow, I wonder just what it was you saw.

I've heard lots of coyotes here, some of them very close, but have not seen any. Used to see them all the time in Denver, they did very well living on the golf course; in the early morning hours they would come check out the alleyways of our neighborhood, getting into leftover pizza and such.

I have a friend who photographed an alligator peeking out of the lake at Camp Creek Golf Course. I've heard they call the golf balls "gaiter bait".

Camp Creek
Was just reading an article about Eastern coyotes and it said that they are often larger than their scrawny cousin out west, perhaps partly because of mixing it up with the wolf. However, it averages 35-40 pounds, maybe half the size of a German Shepherd or husky.
And they do mention that smaller pets sometimes disappear when coyotes move in.

We heard them alot a few summers ago in Louisville- they were around for a few months then moved on, apparently after hunting out the area. Turns out they were living in our little sailboat, which was being stored upside down in our back field. When the boys got it out the following spring, there was coyote poop in and around it! (In case you want the yukky details- dog size, lot of hair from their prey :shock: ).

(In case you want the yukky details- dog size, lot of hair from their prey :shock: ).

heehee
Thanks for sharing your scat story, Jdarg. I guess coyotes don't waste anything.

:clap_1: :clap_1: Way to go on your posting milestone. I wonder if the next thousand come quicker as birthdays do as I get older.:funn:

I saw a Bobcat once in my yard in Blue Mountain.

I was eating breakfast one morning and saw him strolling down the firebrake that seperates my yard from the State Forest.

I always wonder if any of his bigger cousins, (ie. Florida Panthers) are still around -waiting to jump out at me from the trees!

Saw a Coyote cross 395 just south of publix last week. A new beaver pond in the state Forest. A few years back a 700lb turtle. And a Panther bout 10 years ago. All within Walton County. Truely an amazing place.:clap_1:

What about birds of prey? Has anyone seen eagles, ospreys, falcons?

I have seen several red hawks.

What about birds of prey? Has anyone seen eagles, ospreys, falcons?

I watched a bald eagle chase an osprey. The osprey had a fish, and the bald eagle wanted it. I was standing at my second floor window, and they flew right at me. The osprey threw his fish down in our yard, right as the eagle was reaching out with those huge talons to grab him. He threw the fish and then dove between the houses. The eagle hit the brakes, dove down, grabbed the fish, and flew off to a nearby tree to eat it. It was an amazing site!

The osprey takes a bath in our pond eveyday.

We also have a hawk that hangs around and bathes in the pond. Not sure what kind, though. Maybe a sharp-shinned or coopers. I just call them bird hawks, since they zip through the trees and catch birds. They love it when people put out bird feeders.

And ... We have a couple great-horned owls.

Oh yeah, we also have a belted kingfisher. Not really considered a bird of prey, but it dives into the pond, catches fish, and then beats them to death on a tree branch before eating.

Funny, I was going to post about raptors and here are scenethief and barefootguy doing the same. I've seen several ospreys and their nests; there are bald eagle nests along 30A and at St Vincent's.
I see those smaller hawks all the time; bald eagles about once a month, except in summer (don't they migrate to cooler climates then? Did not see them between April-August).
Two months ago I saw what appeared to be two bald eagles either playing or hassling each other.

But what I was curious about happened yesterday:
I was pulling onto 98 and saw a humungous brown bird of prey flying along the beach.
I drove along with it (seems like I always see these birds at the craziest times) and tried to get a good look at it because he was very low.
He landed on a big pine tree as I drove past and I saw his talons--yikes.
It was not a vulture nor was it a mature bald eagle, but it was gigantic.
I suppose it was either an immature bald eagle or a golden eagle?

edited to add: I love kingfishers! They look so cool with their big ole beaks and their topknotted heads.