Gorilla Encounter

This video link was sent to us by a fan.  It is truly amazing.  It is a man who gets an up close an personal encounter with a silverback gorilla and his family.  I would be very afraid if I were in this man's shoes.  Apparently he was scared to due to the fact that he wets himself during the encounter.

Simply click here to launch the video:

Gorilla's are close to humans in the evolutionary scale.  Here is a diagram I have used in presentations on the lineage of Gorilla's before.

Taxonomy of genus Gorilla	Phylogeny of superfamily Hominoidea
Genus Gorilla Western gorilla (G. gorilla) Western lowland gorilla (G. g. gorilla) Cross River gorilla (G. g. diehli) Eastern gorilla (G. beringei) Mountain gorilla (G. b. beringei) Eastern lowland gorilla (G. b. graueri)	Hominoidea humans (genus Homo) chimpanzees (genus Pan) gorillas (genus Gorilla) orangutans (genus Pongo) gibbons (family Hylobatidae)

Osprey filmed catching fish!

The Osprey is a familiar bird of prey to most.  If you don't know it by name you will recognize it once you see it in this awesome film a follower sent to us. Osprey description according to the National Geographic field guide to birds: Dark brown above, white below, white head dark eye stripe.  Females usually have darker neck streaks.  Wings appear to be bent back in flight.  Scientific Name: Pandion haliaetus.  Usually found near an aquatic habitat.   Here is video a follower sent to us.

 This is truly incredible video. I can't believe this Osprey got 5-6 fish at a time, then got a flounder under 3' of water, and then made off with what looks to be a 5+ lb. Steelhead.  I've never seen a bird shake water off like a dog does 

There are 3 sequences in this one video:
1^st sequence he catches half a dozen fish in one strike.
2^nd sequence he plunges talons into deep water right to the bottom to grab his prey.
3^rd sequence he captures a big old fat fish that looks as if it weighs more than he does!
This is incredible to watch... Enjoy 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/nA3LtXnNIto?feature=player_embedded 

Deer running out of room?

 These pictures were sent to us from Reading PA near CarTech business.  There are approximately 30 deer according to the photographer.  These deer are so accustomed to people that they will let you walk up to them without scattering.  They will also let you feed them.  According to sources that have fed them the deer really enjoy apples, corn and bread.  You can see a small buck in the one photograph and many other doe.  These pictures are great but it begs the question, are deer running out of room?  Is the deer population simply too many?  I'm not sure.  What I do know is every year the law enforcement agencies use the deer in Valley Forge Park as target practice.  The deer population is so crowded at Valley Forge that snipers practice on moving targets to hone their skills and to thin out the deer population.

Photos courtesy of Mary Wolfinger

Rocky the squirrel

Rocky the squirrel is a wild pet of one of our fans.  He often visits the home and is not afraid of humans.  He will often let the homeowners get very close to him before he flees into the woods.  Did you know squirrels are the most active in late winter,  when the mating season begins.   The males will chase a females, as well as, chase off other suitors. This ritual of chasing, occurs through the trees at top speed.  Squirrels are usually born in the early spring. The average litter consists of four. This varies with climate and location.  A second litter can occur in mid summer,  if there is an adequate food supply. 

Photos courtesy of Mary Wolfinger

Winter Birds

The winter weather isn't so harsh so far in North Coventry.  One or two weeks of a brisk cold front and now right back to 60 degree days.  This is good for local wildlife.  There have been many birds spotted around our area.  Here are some viewer photographs of some local birds. The bird with a red stripe on its head is called a Flicker.  It is commonly known as a wood pecker.

Baby bird sleeping!

Black Deer Spotted and Picture Taken

A black deer was spotted and a picture was taken and sent to Coventry Wildlife.  A black fawn is more rare than Albino deer and is a biological rarity. It is possible but very unlikely.  Pictures were taken by Richard Buquoi near Austin, Texas.  Thank you fans for the original source for the photos.  

Spring Surrounds us in North Coventry

The thought of spring time is one that is loved by many.  Gardens are being planned, mulch is being ordered and the snow is a distant memory.  Well that would be nice but it actually snowed here on Saturday pretty hard for about an hour.  Spring time is almost here and it can be seen with the amount of wildlife showing up.  On Saturday over 120 robins were seen in Coventry Lake Estates.  Along with the robins many people have been reporting different types of birds such as crows and chickadees.  No pictures were taken but we will continue to try.  Many of the bird species in our state are here year round.  It is just easier to see them during early spring because you are outside more often.