Last year due to a lot of spring rain storms and the melt off a lot of those blood suckers got washed away so a very light year in my area. Heard they were pretty fierce up north. Time will tell for this year.
If it was a male, you would know. Not only are they brightly colored, they can get L-O-U-D! And they sound like a kid getting mauled in the woods. Very alarming if you've never heard it before.
Sorry for the hijack...you tell me because I don't know much about the birds and just figured out that it was likely a peacock
Doesn't look quite right for a peacock to me? More like some kind of pheasant? Big for a pheasant tho!
First impression - Black pheasant, Ringnecks females are a dusty brown not really any other markings, males have the white ring on neck as well as some what iridescent greenish coloring to head. So many variations have been imported by the game farms likely an escapee. Pheasants as a whole were not a native bird to the states.
As far a mosquitos go, try and put up some bat boxes. My house has a colony of about 40-50 that live in the boxes and in a small crack between the brick chimney and the house. They were there when we moved in so it was easy to get them to take to the boxes. They need a hot area to be happy, if you try to attract them do some research. I'll tell you this, if I we are out before sunset we might get bit a few times. After the Brown Bats emerge, there aren't any bugs around for the night. They sweep the yard then move off but keep working the property all night. Watching them emerge in the evening is cool but watching them return at first light is simply awesome. I'll have to post a video this spring.
Yea, I don't know what kinda of bats we have around the house. But its fun just watching them, swooping and diving at dusk. Especially when your in the swimming pool.
That is most definitely a black pheasant. Neat! This is about as late as I've ever seen for no spring birds here except for that one flock of geese my wife saw. I don't think they were locals. I'm surprised we have not yet seen any sand hill cranes as they typically begin to return when snow is still on. I also would love to see some of those 60 degree days you fellas are talking about....but not too many yet. Just would love to get rid of this snow and ice. Still can't get in the woods because of too much snow.
Yes sir I stand corrected it is a black pheasant, I just found some pictures online. It seems to like hangin around here. I knew the place was goin to the birds. Or maybe it's cause I'm crazy as a loon