[Birdnet] Pelican-Ouray Refuge , attack porcupine

[Clay Johnson]

Hi All,

 

We ran over to Pelican Lake and Ouray Refuge this morning.  The sky was
overcast, with light rain.  The ponds along the auto tour loop at Ouray are
low to mostly dry and birding was slow, but it looks like they are starting
to let water in.  The river is still low.  We counted 40-45 species,
including the usual suspects.  Among the less frequently seen were a Common
loon, a Caspian tern and a red-breasted merganser at Pelican, a long-billed
curlew and a merlin between Pelican and Ouray, and a couple of black-crowned
night herons at Ouray.  There were three separate groups of wild turkeys and
lots of double-crested cormorants at Ouray.  A few Bald eagles are still
present.  We saw another Ouray Tree goose.a Canada goose perched on a big
limb high in a cottonwood tree.  

 

Most noteworthy, we were the victims of an Attack Porcupine.  Stopping at
one of the auto tour turnouts, we saw a porcupine on a cottonwood limb high
above the road.  

Cliftia and I kicked scenarios back and forth:  

1)       The porcupine would accidentally fall off as we drove beneath the
limb, the resulting WHHOOOMPH!!! flattening the SUV cab,

2)       The porcupine was a "fainting porcupine" similar to the famous
fainting goats.  Startled by our vehicle passing below, his little eyes
would roll back in his head; his muscles would go lax; he would plummet down
from the limb with results equivalent to 1) above.

3)       The porcupine was an Attack Porcupine, trained by the military to
destroy trespassers.  As we drove beneath, it would bare its teeth spread
all four limbs in a Ninja manner, and swoop down (again with results similar
to 1) above), then gnaw its way into the cab and savage us.

At this point, Cliftia noticed a hummingbird nest low in the cottonwood (it
doesn't take much to distract us).  We stopped, directly beneath the Attack
porcupine.  I got out of the vehicle to examine the nest.  The Attack
Porcupine attacked.  Not by swooping.it chose to use its personal projectile
weapon.  Several rounds of approximately .45 caliber pellets, appropriately
colored an olive drab, scored direct hits on the vehicle.  Although not
hollow-points, they were soft enough to deform somewhat when they struck the
target.  We can take a hint.we left.  You may scoff.but I have the pictures.

 

Clay and Cliftia

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