theluciddreamer's Favorites

Red Fox would have white tip on tail so points to Gray Fox. Red fox would have black socks and Gray would not.But the black extends well up the leg. Note black ears. Very small white spot on chest. Gray has stripe down the tail as does this one. Face more cat-like pointing toward Gray Fox. My vote is Gray. INat repeatedly suggested Arctic Fox - nope and Gray was way down the list. But I think this is a Gray Fox color phase with black points. Hope to see kits any day now.

I was very surprised to see a black colored White-tailed Deer fawn this evening behind my house. I have seen some very dark White-tailed Deer in this area in the past:
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/816864
but not one like this. These are just quick shots, taken against the light and as the deer were rapidly moving away, but this black fawn can be seen in company with normally colored fawns. I will be trying to get more and better shots in the next few days.

melanistic

interesting article from the Wilson Bulletin from 1965 about a melanistic Pileated Woodpecker at Okefenokee in 1917:
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/v077n04/p0404-p0405.pdf

First iNaturalist record.

With Graham Armstrong, Pete Ellis, Steve Guy, Guy Langan, Paul Harvey, Phil Heath, Ian Lewis.

Seen for more than an hour after dawn, in a small loose group of Eur. Curlews, feeding in a short-grass field on the south side of the main lake. This was "limpy" - the bird that had been shot about 3 weeks earlier, but seemed to make a recovery.

This location is the last known wintering site for this species. The last record from here was in February 1995.

Here is a link to the last video taken at this site, in January 1995:

http://www.hbw.com/ibc/video/slender-billed-curlew-numenius-tenuirostris/bird-foraging-short-grass

Narwhal adopted by a group of Belugas. Individual known to the authorities who has been visiting the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park for several years. Observed by sheer luck from the ferry L'HERITAGE I on the crossing between Trois-Pistoles and Les Escoumins.

Aleutian Fox
Blue Phase of the Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus)
Eareckson Air Station, Shemya Island, Aleutians, Alaska, USA

Arctic Foxes were introduced by Russian fur traders as early as 1750 to neighbouring Attu and in 1775 to Shemya. Arctic Foxes were (re-)introduced to Shemya (by Aleuts from Attu?) in 1911 using stock from the Commander Islands (Bering Island, Medny Island). Shemya became a 'fur farm' that was occasionally visted for fox trapping. Today the foxes remain as they reduce the presence ofbreeding Alaskan geese, which could cause bird strikes with aircraft taking off from Eareckson AS. The foxes are habituated to the presence of humans. while feeding them is prohibited, their behaviour indicates that this occurs/-ed.
Shemya is one the Semichi Islands, which belong to the Near Island Group of the Aleutians,

© Dirk HR Spennemann 2010, All Rights Reserved

Description :

This lovely stray feline was exhibiting sectoral heterochromatism (or dichromatic eyes). The genes responsible for melanin production are the cause of this beautiful effect. It is most often seen in white or tuxedo-colored cats. This individual also exhibited deafness; white cats have a higher risk of genetic cochlear degeneration.

Habitat:

She was first seen on our back porch, near a lawn and mixed hardwoods.

We ultimately ended up fostering this kitty for a couple of weeks before someone adopted her!

One of the reasons why I find the entire wild/captive dichotomy on here somewhat arbitrary is that organisms interact with their environment whether or not they also have human contact. Its not like the squirrel or jay could, if the cat leaps, remind them that it has its "Captive/Cultivated" box checked.