Cool Nature Photos

[goeduck]

yank it.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I started to but afraid someone would see me doing it...

 

[kenmbz]

We have so many invasive plants here, our forest looks very different than it did even a few decades ago.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

We have so many invasive plants here, our forest looks very different than it did even a few decades ago.

Correct, and love to know how they got here?
I'm fighting poison ivy, honeysuckle, privet, wild grape, etc. here constantly. If someone were to plant bamboo here they would be drawn and quartered by horses after placed over a ground hornet's nest.

 

[EddieWalker]

We have so many invasive plants here, our forest looks very different than it did even a few decades ago.

A Texas State Biologist told me that you wouldn't recognize the area if you went back in time 500 years. The forest floor would be open, the trees would be spread out more and the animals that no longer exist would be plentiful. Mostly turkey and quail are the main ones that have disappeared because of how thick the trees are today, but the deer populations are also affected since they don't have the natural selection of plants to eat that they need.

Apparently, if you clear an area to farm it, and then abandon the farm, the trees grow back super thick. Literally inches apart from each other. Since forest fires are stopped as quickly as possible, Mother Nature isn't able to clear the understory naturally. Today we have a bad combination of too many trees without any way to naturally thin them out.

Most people blame fire ants for the loss of quail and turkeys, but the State Biologist said it's the lack of habitat that made it impossible for them to survive.

 

[kenmbz]

Much of the invasives here look nice, so probably purchased for someones garden.
Autumn olive, lots of warts , firebush by the hundreds , fake grape, poison ivy and many strange little plants.
The underbrush here is thick and tall.

 

[goeduck]

Neighbor plants all kinds of exotic plants in their yard, I just hope they stay put. My yard is almost entirely native plants, or non invasive. English Ivy is a huge problem around here, amongst Himalayan Blackberry, scotch broom, tansy ragwort, poison hemlock.....

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

This evening I went to feed horses and I hear all this noise. This large bird was in the barn and I couldn't get it out. Up in coupola I have a fan so I tried it on-off a few times, garden hose, alarm sireen. I had drive through doors open and finally flew out. Is it a hawk?

 

[snymat68]

Looks like an immature Cooper's Hawk

 

[dj1701]

Canada's finest coming in for a landing. I heard these assholes a mile away, so I was ready when they came into view. Did not turn out to bad for taking it through a dirty bay window.