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The distemper epidemic continues unabated in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Many types of urban wildlife of susceptible to this terrible disease. This Minkâa likely victim of canine distemperâwas found in the Great Trinity Forest near Pemberton Hill Rd. Photograph by Ben Sandifer.
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"Birded High Point & Stokes State Forest Thurs 6/2 with Sandy & Bob. Had some nice birds, including the Blackburnian Warbler I was gunning for: Sandy heard one from the moving car, stopped, & pished it all the way down from the top of a tall conifer for great looks. (""Pishing"" is a sound that attracts small birds -- sounds like their mobbing call. There's a real art to it.) But the sighting of the day was undoubtedly this mink. We were standing next to a small stream a little ways off the road when I spotted something moving & said ""What's that??"" My first thought was ""river otter?!?"" Simultaneously another birder on the road (whom we never did get to meet & thank) called out, ""There's a mink headed towards you!"" The mink made her way up the rocky streambed carrying a dead chipmunk by the neck, passing <20' from us & depositing the chipmunk in a streambank den under some tree roots right across from us, then continuing upstream. We stood rooted to the spot & marveled; she was clearly aware of us, but didn't seem overly concerned. Here's a shot of her traveling. Are those babies at the mouth of the den?? They haven't moved in between the 2 shots I got there. I'm skeptical because we didn't notice them at the time, & our looks thru bins were much sharper than these photos -- but she was so close at this point & we were trying not to move; maybe nobody was actually looking thru the bins at the den? I know I wasn't, because I was busy snapping pictures. What about you, Sandy? Bob?"
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"Birded High Point & Stokes State Forest Thurs 6/2 with Sandy & Bob. Had some nice birds, including the Blackburnian Warbler I was gunning for: Sandy heard one from the moving car, stopped, & pished it all the way down from the top of a tall conifer for great looks. (""Pishing"" is a sound that attracts small birds -- sounds like their mobbing call. There's a real art to it.) But the sighting of the day was undoubtedly this mink. We were standing next to a small stream a little ways off the road when I spotted something moving & said ""What's that??"" My first thought was ""river otter?!?"" Simultaneously another birder on the road (whom we never did get to meet & thank) called out, ""There's a mink headed towards you!"" The mink made her way up the rocky streambed carrying a dead chipmunk by the neck, passing <20' from us & depositing the chipmunk in a streambank den under some tree roots right across from us, then continuing upstream. We stood rooted to the spot & marveled; she was clearly aware of us, but didn't seem overly concerned. Here's a shot of her traveling. Are those babies at the mouth of the den?? They haven't moved in between the 2 shots I got there. I'm skeptical because we didn't notice them at the time, & our looks thru bins were much sharper than these photos -- but she was so close at this point & we were trying not to move; maybe nobody was actually looking thru the bins at the den? I know I wasn't, because I was busy snapping pictures. What about you, Sandy? Bob?"
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"Birded High Point & Stokes State Forest Thurs 6/2 with Sandy & Bob. Had some nice birds, including the Blackburnian Warbler I was gunning for: Sandy heard one from the moving car, stopped, & pished it all the way down from the top of a tall conifer for great looks. (""Pishing"" is a sound that attracts small birds -- sounds like their mobbing call. There's a real art to it.) But the sighting of the day was undoubtedly this mink. We were standing next to a small stream a little ways off the road when I spotted something moving & said ""What's that??"" My first thought was ""river otter?!?"" Simultaneously another birder on the road (whom we never did get to meet & thank) called out, ""There's a mink headed towards you!"" The mink made her way up the rocky streambed carrying a dead chipmunk by the neck, passing <20' from us & depositing the chipmunk in a streambank den under some tree roots right across from us, then continuing upstream. We stood rooted to the spot & marveled; she was clearly aware of us, but didn't seem overly concerned. Here's a shot of her traveling. Are those babies at the mouth of the den?? They haven't moved in between the 2 shots I got there. I'm skeptical because we didn't notice them at the time, & our looks thru bins were much sharper than these photos -- but she was so close at this point & we were trying not to move; maybe nobody was actually looking thru the bins at the den? I know I wasn't, because I was busy snapping pictures. What about you, Sandy? Bob?"
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"Birded High Point & Stokes State Forest Thurs 6/2 with Sandy & Bob. Had some nice birds, including the Blackburnian Warbler I was gunning for: Sandy heard one from the moving car, stopped, & pished it all the way down from the top of a tall conifer for great looks. (""Pishing"" is a sound that attracts small birds -- sounds like their mobbing call. There's a real art to it.) But the sighting of the day was undoubtedly this mink. We were standing next to a small stream a little ways off the road when I spotted something moving & said ""What's that??"" My first thought was ""river otter?!?"" Simultaneously another birder on the road (whom we never did get to meet & thank) called out, ""There's a mink headed towards you!"" The mink made her way up the rocky streambed carrying a dead chipmunk by the neck, passing <20' from us & depositing the chipmunk in a streambank den under some tree roots right across from us, then continuing upstream. We stood rooted to the spot & marveled; she was clearly aware of us, but didn't seem overly concerned. Here's a shot of her traveling. Are those babies at the mouth of the den?? They haven't moved in between the 2 shots I got there. I'm skeptical because we didn't notice them at the time, & our looks thru bins were much sharper than these photos -- but she was so close at this point & we were trying not to move; maybe nobody was actually looking thru the bins at the den? I know I wasn't, because I was busy snapping pictures. What about you, Sandy? Bob?"
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Seen dead on road in Benbrook, Texas.
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Seen dead on road in Benbrook, Texas.
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Seen dead on road in Benbrook, Texas.
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American Mink (Neovison vison) LaBagh Woods Chicago Cook County IL March 2016 Week #10 Jeff Skrentny IMG_1226
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American Mink (Neovison vison) LaBagh Woods Chicago Cook County IL November 2015 Week #44 Jeff Skrentny IMG_8117
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American Mink (Neovison vison) LaBagh Woods Chicago Cook County IL January 2015 Week #4 Jeff Skrentny IMG_6344
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