Category Archives: Saturday’s Critters

Woolaroc’s Bison

Not much in the way of wildlife lately so I am posting some photos from years ago from a trip to Woolaroc about an hour north of Tulsa. Woolaroc is Frank Phillips’ ranch near Bartlesvville. Phillips is the guy that started Phillips 66 Oil Company and he donated his ranch and art museum years ago to a private foundation that now runs it and is open to the public.

There is a nature preserve there that visitors can drive through. Bison, various breeds of deer and other animals can be seen.

Woolaroc comes from “Woods, Lakes, and Rocks” and that pretty much describes the property.

I’ve always enjoyed visiting Woolaroc. They have a great art museum and several trails to explore, a petting zoo and lots more.

I’m linking with Saturday’s Critters

Weekly Critter Summary

I took a short hike on Turkey Mountain recently and surprised a couple of deer. They just moved off a short distance, keeping an eye on me. This one particular didn’t seem any in hurry to leave.

On the same hike, I came across an armadillo snuffling around the woods raising dust. It didn’t see me but when it did it ran off a few feet. I’ve seen more armadillos out in the woods this summer than I have seen in a long time.

Lots of livestock at the State Fair this year. I always enjoy looking at them.

Closer to home I came across this cottontail living in our front flower bed. It just sat there looking at me and then hopped back into its cover.

And in the home, LJ the cat catching some warm sun.

I’m linking with Saturday’s Critters. Go check them out!!

Butterflies at the Tulsa Botanic Garden

Saturday, we all three loaded up in the car and ventured to the Tulsa Botanic Garden to check out the butterflies.

It is butterfly mania up there. I wondered where all the monarch butterflies were in Tulsa. They are at the Botanic Garden.

Butterflies make me happy!

They looked pretty happy as well.

There were several humming birds as well. I didn’t bring the right lens to capture them so I have these two highly cropped photos.

I’m linking with Saturday’s Critters. Check them out.

Backyard Cardinal

A cardinal in our backyard having a little snack while perched on the feeder.

I’m linking with Saturday’s Critters by Eileen. Come check it out.

Saturday’s Critters – Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Maybe?

Saturday afternoon my wife and I were sitting on our back patio when we noticed this bird in one of our trees. It was quite a ways away and I was only able to get this photo of the back of his head. INaturalist gives a tentative ID as a Red-bellied Woodpecker. I had never heard of such a thing. Any help would be much appreciated.

Saturday was Monarchs on the Mountain on Turkey Mountain. A festival honoring butterflies and nature in general. I didn’t see any Monarchs but this giant caterpillar made an appearance. I was working a booth for the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition so I talked to a few people and I also planted a few new plants in our Monarch Waystation on the Mountain.

I’ve been watering the way station once or twice a week for months and have seen maybe two or three monarchs but a bunch of swallowtails. Those little buggers are shifty and hard to photograph. Lately the fritillaries have been all over the place. They like to hang out on a nearby tree.

Our veterinarian has an office cat. It is used to all the hub bub in the office. It just snoozes away and ignores everybody.

This is from our backyard trailcam earlier this month. A cardinal eating from a feeder.

I’m linking with Saturday’s Critters. Check it out.

Hiking at Oxley Nature Center

Friday morning I talked son Logan into going on a hike with me to Tulsa’s Oxley Nature Center.

In the parking lot we spotted a swallowtail butterfly. Swallowtails move around a lot so I just kept taking photos hoping one would be okay.

Later on in our hike we found a doe and her fawn in the woods. They were kind of skittish and the woods were thick so it was hard to get a good photo.

And later came upon this armadillo rooting around for something to eat. It pretty ignored us. I don’t think they see or hear very well. Years ago when I lived in south Texas they got hit a lot on the roads.

And as we were leaving we saw this doe and her two offspring. I think one might be a yearling and the other a pretty new fawn. They ignored as well.

Here’s my hiking companion, son Logan who has started a couple classes in the local community college’s Paralegal Program.

I’m linking with Eileen’s Saturday’s Critters. Come check out it!!

Saturday’s Critters – Hummingbirds Finally

We have tried for two years to attract hummingbirds to our backyard. We get occasional visits but no repeats. After several months this summer, my wife finally took the feeder down, cleaned it out, and left it sitting on a table on our patio. Then I was looking out the window and saw a hummingbird to trying to use the feeder. It was persistent so we prepared some more nectar and hung it up.

And now they are coming back. In two days my trailcam picked up twenty-nine photos and videos of the tiny little birds. Don’t worry I’m not posting all twenty -today.

Just one photo and one video. But hey I’m happy!

I’m linking with Saturday’s Critters. Go check them out!!

Saturday’s Critters – Cats and Others

I got Covid the first day of this month. Bummer but I am quadruple vaccinated and in good health so I just stayed home and isolated during my recovery.

Our cat Lizzie would sneak upstairs from time to time to say hello. She is not a cat that likes to be held but she likes being petted.

So she would come and say hello and I’d give a few scratches and pets and then off she would go until the next day or so.

It’s one reason we like to have our critters with us.

And I’m doing fine. I didn’t have a severe case but I still have the old covid cough but have got my energy bike and am hiking and riding my bicycle.

I think we have more cottontails kits in the backyard. Mom has been hanging out under the bench and doesn’t leave when we approach.

It has been very hot so I haven’t felt like mowing the yard. They sometimes stash their kits in holes dug in the grass. I’ve run over them a few times in the past. Never injured them but I can’t imagine the trauma from having a noisy lawnmower blade just an inch or so from your head. So now the grass is really tall. I’ll have to face the music soon and mow it, and I dread it.

We continue to have midnight visitors.

I’m linking up with all the animal lovers at Eileen’s Saturday’s Critters. Go check it out.

Tulsa Wildlife Update

I went hiking earlier this week on Turkey Mountain here in Tulsa. I came across this tiny frog traversing the trail.

I also went for a bike ride and took my camera with me again. As I was going down the trail I spotted a bald eagle flying high over me but headed down to the river. So I pulled out and spotted this guy fishing. That’s two weeks in a row I’ve seen a bald eagle in approximately the same location. Sorry for the fuzzy photo. I was at the far end of the range of my Canon Superzoom.

I also found this egret, or white heron or something several miles north of the Eagle out in the river looking for lunch.

And white pelicans on a sandbar.

And a log with two pairs of turtles. I didn’t know that momma turtles gave baby turtles piggy back (turtle back?) rides.

And a great blue heron. Again at pretty good range. They are skittish!!

That’s it for this week. I am linking with Eileen’s Saturday’s Critters. Lots of really good posts there. Check it out.

Arkansas River Critters

Last Monday I braved the heat for a bike ride on Tulsa’s RiverParks trails bordering the Arkansas River as it flows through town. I took my Canon SuperZoom camera along in a backpack hoping to take some photos.

I found what I think are great egrets. (I’m not a very good birder so if you have better ID I would appreciate it very much.) This one was looking for lunch in the shallow water.

This nearby group seemed more into grooming than eating.

Further down the river I spotted this great blue heron. They are very skittish and so by the time I stopped my bike, and retrieved the camera from the backpack and focused, this guy was ready to leave.

Nearby, this group of pelicans were hanging out together.

I saw something black with a white spot almost clear to the other riverbank. It turns out that it is a bald eagle. The first image of one I have captured in the wild. Sorry about the poor quality but it was at the far range of the camera.

I was pretty happy with my photos. Again, if I have misidentified any of them please let me know.

I’m linking with Eileen’s Saturdays’s Critters.

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