Wild Animals Friends That Like to Use My Pool

[mguzzy]

I searched and searched for the "There's a moose in my pool" thread.. This was not in my skimmer basket.. and it wasn't floating dead.. so I decided to start a new thread. I have seen raccoons cleaning their claws in my pool, Bats dive bombing for bugs on the surface and families of skunks doing the hokey pokey in the raised garden behind the pool. This little guy just likes to hang out on my spa spill over wall. Every morning when I come out with my cup of coffee he is sitting there and gives me a little ga-mernin' chirp.

May I introduce you to Junior. I have had a pair of nesting Cooper's Hawks hanging out in the oaks of my back yard every spring for the last few years.. I call them Tippi and Rod. This year they had Junior. Here is the whole family; Tippi and Rod are on the branch and Junior is on the roof:


Junior assumes the whole backyard is his home range; he puts up with my dogs (which couldn't catch him anyway), he digs for grubs in my lawn (Its good for aeration too!), yesterday he caught a bird and ate it outside my office window (mmm, tastes like chicken!),

And he helps himself to the pool spa whenever he wants. He just keeps leaving the heater on.. Dang party animals...

 

[cowboycasey]

That is Awesome

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Wow! First off- that's fabulous that you have gotten on a first name basis with you, and how they appreciate your hospitality.

I didn't know they ate birds? Huh. I was thinking they must be keeping your yard clear of mice and snakes if they hang there...... BUT, that means your yard *has* a lot of mice and snakes. How...uh... lovely.

Wonderful pictures. We get an owl or two hanging out every once in a while. Fascinated by their eyesight and speed!

Maddie

 

[Texas Splash]

Nature at its finest. About the only critter you do have to be cautious about (I believe) is the raccoon. If they release feces in the water (usually from drowning), it has a very dangerous virus that is resistant to chlorine from a normal SLAM. Other than that, most critters are just fun to watch or a slight inconvenience to clean up afterwards.

 

[NewPoolSF]

Very cool hawk! I do think they like to dine on rodents, but I guess everyone likes variety. Neighbors talk about how ducks move from pool to pool in our neighborhood. I hope they don’t complain, but that is one of reasons we are getting an automatic cover. Since we have been living with an empty pit for almost a month, I keep expecting to find someone living in it soon...

 

[Newdude]

I keep expecting to find someone living in it soon...

Or worse

 

[iamnos]

I had a magpie thoroughly enjoying itself on the solar cover one morning, splashing round in a bit of the pool water that had settled on top.

 

[mguzzy]

I had a magpie thoroughly enjoying itself on the solar cover one morning, splashing round in a bit of the pool water that had settled on top.

Nice.. yah got get a pic and post it... Its nice to see other critters enjoying the pool, I always say!

 

[HeyEng]

We have all sorts of wild life around the property but thankfully only frogs tend to visit the pool (knock on wood).

We had a pair of Mississippi Kites that nested up front and while they are known to swoop at people, they never messed with me while mowing the yard. They are graceful fliers! Unfortunately, not too long after the youngin's hatched, they were attacked and killed...so no more kites. Not sure what took them out, but the carnage was pretty bad. Nature can be quite brutal.

These days, we have some fawns that are coming around with Mama. They are fun watch as they frolic and play in the yard. Ah, to be young again. I am moving one of the game cameras over to feeder, so hope to have pics in the next few days.

 

[mguzzy]

I didn't know they ate birds?

Yup.. its pretty impressive to see them dive bombing through the branches of our big oak trees... Especially when they were courting, they would chase each other in a game of tag that would put any singles bar to shame.

Very cool hawk! I do think they like to dine on rodents

Here is some info on Coopers Hawks

Cooper's Hawk Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Among the bird world’s most skillful fliers, Cooper’s Hawks are common woodland hawks that tear through cluttered tree canopies in high speed pursuit of other birds. You’re most likely to see one prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wingbeats followed by a glide. With...

www.allaboutbirds.org

Among the bird world’s most skillful fliers, Cooper’s Hawks are common woodland hawks that tear through cluttered tree canopies in high speed pursuit of other birds. You’re most likely to see one prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wingbeats followed by a glide.
...
Life is tricky for male Cooper’s Hawks. As in most hawks, males are significantly smaller than their mates. The danger is that female Cooper’s Hawks specialize in eating medium-sized birds. Males tend to be submissive to females and to listen out for reassuring call notes the females make when they’re willing to be approached. Males build the nest, then provide nearly all the food to females and young over the next 90 days before the young fledge.

I watched Rod make multiple nests for Tippi. I guess this year she finally chose a nest in my tree. When she was nesting he would bring a morsel to a particular branch and she would fly in and grab it and fly back to the nest. My trees are gigantic.. and trimming them is a yearly process.. When I saw I had a mating pair I passed on the tree trimming until fall.

Since my backyard is part of a larger grove of oaks we get all kinds of good birds and animals back there. I leave my bird book and binos by the kitchen bay windows that over looks the backyard, cause you never know what you are going to see. . Woodpeckers love wandering through oaks and one the day we had a visit by few Pileated Woodpeckers , that was quite the treat. But they passed on the pool.

 

[iamnos]

Yeah, we've definitely seen hawks eating other birds around here. Just the other day we noticed a few feathers drifting down from our roof. Went out to look and there was a hawk enjoying what I think was a robin.

 

[otter86753]

We have several pair of broad wing hawks that mate every year in the neighbor's tree. We love their distinctive whistle as they glide or sit in the trees.

We also have the occasional heron that makes its way to the pool. This one from summer of '16 stayed for a while and rode the "lazy river" effect of the float.

 

[DorsalSpine]

Late night swims with the pool lights on can be a blast. I'm always amazed at how bats can take bugs right off the pool. We have a young Red Tailed hawk that hangs out in the trees. I find find clumps of feathers every now and then in the landscaping. He does keep the chipmonks on their toes.

 

[Newdude]

My small sample size of *1* with 2 homes in a row with Arborvitaes says that bats LOVE them as we were overrun at both locations. 5 ft above the pool at dusk was mosquito city and the bats would dive bomb them with no regards to us swimming. No matter how many times we experienced no issues, it never once was any less creepy. Them things just fly so akward looking with the backwards flapping and whatnot it’s just not natural Gol Darnit !!!!!

Their precision at Mach 3 was equally as breathtaking.

 

[otter86753]

Bats skim our pool nightly for a drink after their long hot day spent in our neighbors attic (we've counted as many as 200 dripping out of the eave) under the hot Carolina sun. When we see the first one skim the pool, we move out of the "runway" to allow them their drink. We have never once felt the least bit skittish as they are excellent navigators. I wish the bats ate more mosquitoes, but most bats prefer more bang for the buck delicacies such as moths etc.

 

[SecoSteve]

Very cool wildlife pics. Unfortunately, the only wildlife I have seen in the 3 months of our pool ownership are the ones that have taken their last swim....and breath. Couple of mice and frogs floating in the morning. The bats are freaky. Hope they never mistake any of us for mosquitos. My pre work routine now entails a quick trip around the pool, checking the skimmers. I bought a "Frog Log" last week and so far it has seemed to help, except for one frog who didn't find the log.

 

[Orion7319]

We have a pair of red tail hawks and a pair of red shoulder hawks. The red tails are pretty large, but the red shoulders are almost always in the air circling. We have a ton of cardinals. Also we have two humming birds right now that are kinda entertaining. Sometimes the humming birds will fly right up to to you and stare you in the eye.

 

[DorsalSpine]

 

[DorsalSpine]

Not at the pool but one of the biggest deer I've seen in years. A 10 or 12 pointer if I remember correctly.

 

[mguzzy]

We also have the occasional heron that makes its way to the pool. This one from summer of '16 stayed for a while and rode the "lazy river" effect of the float.

That is cool... It looks like a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. We don't get those on our coast.