Holiday Weekend Cointest

1.2k · May 24, 2008

Well being Kiwis (from New Zealand) we don't have to contend much with animals around caches.

So when we ventured across to Oz land (Australia) last November for our 30th anniversary we knew we would be challenged.

Yup - almost stood on a dark rich brown coloured snake on the first day! yikes - later found out this one matched the photos of the most deadly brown snake! Saw lots of beautiful lizards and butterflies, especially in the Northern Territory.

But the best caches was "Snakes Alive" at Alice Springs.

Photo shows my caching partner (& hubby) RadioNut50 having a real close encounter with an Olive Python.

A real first for us.... used to kiws, tuis, pukekos, wekas, and all manner of birds. But this was the first cache with snake!

8.8k · May 24, 2008

Ok1 Here is a peacock! He (is a male), lives in some caches in Rhodes, like Rodini and 7 piges (7 springs!).

This one is from the 7 springs cache! sorry, the photo is from my mobile it is not so good!

8.8k · May 24, 2008

Oh! sorry for not mentioning! I hope your dog you get better soon!!!

Butterfly lady, you are in New Zealand? Why I had the feeling you were in the States? :rolleyes:

1.3k · May 25, 2008

Have a big long snooze and wake up better Caesar! :rolleyes: Thanks for this cointest DorsetGal, I love seeing animal photos!

My story is from a caching holiday on Bruny Island (a small island to the east of Tasmania). I had taken my parents on a small 'get-away' as they are both unwell and dont have a car - or license for that matter! They'd never been to Bruny Island, and I wanted to set some more caches there, so I dropped them off for a jet boat ride and made my way to the Mavista Nature Trail.

Now I had heard that Bruny Island had Australia's only colony of white Bennetts Wallabies, and was hoping to find some. Well I was soon rewarded by the sight of one of these beautiful, extremely rare marsupials!

He was obviously well used to having his photo taken because he posed for me for ages

1.8k · May 25, 2008

Many times when we are caching, it is the littlest of the creatures that we see...

2.6k · May 25, 2008

Keep 'em coming folks, there are some FANTASTIC pictures here and I LOVE learning about all the anilmals others have come across and their own dogs too ... not that I am at all biased

Pupdate on Caesar:

Firstly thanks for your good wishes, at times like this I realise just what a blessing he is.

He has had a quiet day, mostly sleeping, but has now taken soft food and some drinks, I think he has a sore throat as he whines if I offer him biscuit or kibble ... so imagine me, hand feeding him dog meat from a can, ewww the smell!

Thankfully he managed to take a short walk and do what dogs need to do!

Hopefully tomorrow he will be feeling much better again ... the vet thought his knee would be rather sore, so I think the tablets he has for this make him sleepy.

Edited May 25, 2008 by Dorsetgal & GeoDog

May 25, 2008

Wow, this is my kind of cointest... I will start with the hawk that is currently serving as my avatar, it took me about 10 tries to get a decent picture of one in flight this week. I was caching on the west side of Phoenix, AZ

for WestWing Mountain Cache very close to where I earlier in the day retrieved one of Butterfly_Lady's traveling geocoins.

May 25, 2008

This pic was taken as we were waiting a jeep to tow us out. At Florida Finders Fest 2007 GC14D8Z we were headed to one of the midnight meet-ups down this side road full of nice soft dirt. Although this minvan had the spirit of 4x4 it didn't have the brawn and we got stuck not even 200 feet down the road.

Edited May 25, 2008 by dark_onyx1982

1.5k · May 25, 2008

Our favorite thing to do is to combine a camping trip with a caching trip...here Dude the dog is kind enough to share his food bowl with a chipmunk....

1.1k · May 25, 2008

We came across this goose while placing one of our cache GCT18A.

2k · May 25, 2008

Our favorite thing to do is to combine a camping trip with a caching trip...here Dude the dog is kind enough to share his food bowl with a chipmunk....

Wow, that is a GOOD dog! My dacshund Louis would think that chipmunk was an appetizer!

Here is a picture of our kids with the only bear we've seen while caching. You can see part of Louis and Duchess too:

May 25, 2008

Here's another hawk. I saw this one this morning on my way to Cone Mountain Summit in Scottsdale, AZ. He screeched before we could see each other, so I pulled out the camera and circled around the tree until I could see him perched on a saguaro. I managed to get this one shot at about 24x zoom, but he took off when I tried to move closer for a better shot. Contrary to popular belief, we do have rainy cloudy days here (just not too many).

1.7k · May 25, 2008

We have a cache in our backyard, not activated yet, I'm testing it for weather proofing, well I keep saying that but it's been out there for 8 months now. Anyway a couple months ago our neighbors started taking down trees. We got a knock on our door from one of the guys pulling down the trees and he handed me a nest of baby squirrels. After a couple phone calls I knew how to take care of them and did until after the workers left. As soon as the workers left I put my new babies out in the open for Mama to find them, and within about 30 minutes she did. Bella loved the babies and asked about them for weeks. She still asks every now and then. I was surprised to learn that I could touch them and that it was ok. I was also very happy to learn this because they were just so darned adorable.

So, my lesson for you is, if you find a nest of baby squirrels...

1. Try to gather their nesting material.

2. Touch them to see if they are warm.

3. Fill a sock with rice and microwave it for 2-4 minutes, check it after each minute segment so that it does not get too hot.

4. If needed add an old towel, something you don't mind getting soiled to a shoebox or other small container. Put the rice sock in there then add the baby squirrels.

5. If the area is noisy (human noisy) or if there is danger in the area wait until it has passed (I'm going with the assumption of yard work, trees being cut, etc.)

6. Once it's quiet and as long as it is not too cold, put the box with babies next to or as close to the tree you think they came out of.

7. Step back, get the camera ready sit back and wait!

Mama will most likely come back looking for them soon. The woman I spoke with told me that mother squirrels will look for their babies for up to 3 days after they go missing. Also that they (the moms) generally have more than 1 nest that they can bring the babies to. Don't worry about picking them up, Mom will still want them, but don't over handle them either. In total I had 2 nests given to me, one had 3 babies, the other was just 1. The single one I had to keep inside over night, in which case I put his box on top of a heating pad set on med-low temp. Unfortunately his mom never came back so he went to a shelter for squirrels. Another important note, NEVER try and feed the baby squirrels, if they are dehydrated they need to be taken to someone who can care for them.

May 25, 2008

I found this ordinary little squirrel in what seemed to me to be quite an unusual place: on top of Picacho Peak, a rocky crag of a mountain in between Tucson and Phoenix. I don't know how he got up to the top (Elev. 3370 feet, 1027 meters) but he was very tame so he probably had been there for a while, entertaining the visitors to a regularly climbed peak. It was probably not the right thing to do, but I poured him several helpings of water into a dip in a rock, which he lapped right up like a dog would. After I caught my breath and turned to search for the cache, I looked back and he was trying to go into my backpack.

1.1k · May 25, 2008

We saw this eight legged critter close to a cache in N.C. while on vacation

8k · May 25, 2008

This isn't the best picture--its the story behind it that makes it good. A good friend and I went out to do some caches one which was a 4 terrain. We found a different approach to make it about a 2 and were walking through the woods when suddenly she said to me Shhh look straight in front of you. There was a doe. I whispered to her to get my camera out of my backpack and took a few pictures. It was getting towards dusk so this one was the best of them. The doe meandered away and we walked on following the arrow towards the cache. A few minutes later we saw the doe again and this time a fawn too. They watched us and walked a bit and so did we. Then to our astonishment the fawn turned to its mother and started to nurse!! They were at the very most only 40 feet away from us. Of course the camera was packed away. Anne made a noise and that disturbed the fawn and they again walked off. While we were searching for the cache they were never more than about 60 feet away.

Edited to add that the cache was New 2U2?

Edited May 25, 2008 by LadyBee4T

May 25, 2008

One more before bed. I saw this antelope while caching near Prescott, Arizona along a trail that followed an old railroad bed. The rail line passed through private property, and was fenced on both sides so that I was fenced in rather than the antelope. I saw a group of four grazing and stopped to get out the camera. Three of them quickly retreated, but this one stood its ground while I struggled with the zoom to try and get a decent picture ("For crying out loud, stand still PLEASE!"). After I moved on down the trail and reached the cache, I looked back and the group of four had crossed the trail, hopping both fences to join another group of three on the other side that I hadn't seen.

I hope Caesar slept well and is feeling better.

8k · May 25, 2008

Last year we attended the Lazy Hayes Days Event with our dogs. The event is held in a state park and we camped in our tent there for two days of fun. This picture shows the Seegert Seekers son Geo Grump, Molly and Rocky enjoying the moment! I don't think that Molly and Rocky think he should be called a grump though!! LOL This years Lazy Hayes event is the first weekend in June

1.2k · May 25, 2008

when we found the 8 Zaligheden GCKK58 we walk back to our car and my eye saw this beautiful butterfly.

she had first her wings closed but when i pick my camera she opens her wings for us..

1.2k · May 25, 2008

Oh! sorry for not mentioning! I hope your dog you get better soon!!!

Butterfly lady, you are in New Zealand? Why I had the feeling you were in the States?

I believe B'fly lady is in the states.

Maybe also Butterfly Lady....

I had to grab the caching handle Butterfly_Lady.

I understand there is also a "Butterfly" that has never cached.

May 25, 2008

well here is my photo this was on the way down from Zeus cave - on Naxos. If you fancy caching in shorts - dont those plants BITE!!!!!!

if you want to see the pictures............

Bob

1.2k · May 25, 2008

We have a cache in our backyard, not activated yet, I'm testing it for weather proofing, well I keep saying that but it's been out there for 8 months now. Anyway a couple months ago our neighbors started taking down trees. We got a knock on our door from one of the guys pulling down the trees and he handed me a nest of baby squirrels. After a couple phone calls I knew how to take care of them and did until after the workers left. As soon as the workers left I put my new babies out in the open for Mama to find them, and within about 30 minutes she did. Bella loved the babies and asked about them for weeks. She still asks every now and then. I was surprised to learn that I could touch them and that it was ok. I was also very happy to learn this because they were just so darned adorable.

So, my lesson for you is, if you find a nest of baby squirrels...

1. Try to gather their nesting material.

2. Touch them to see if they are warm.

3. Fill a sock with rice and microwave it for 2-4 minutes, check it after each minute segment so that it does not get too hot.

4. If needed add an old towel, something you don't mind getting soiled to a shoebox or other small container. Put the rice sock in there then add the baby squirrels.

5. If the area is noisy (human noisy) or if there is danger in the area wait until it has passed (I'm going with the assumption of yard work, trees being cut, etc.)

6. Once it's quiet and as long as it is not too cold, put the box with babies next to or as close to the tree you think they came out of.

7. Step back, get the camera ready sit back and wait!

Mama will most likely come back looking for them soon. The woman I spoke with told me that mother squirrels will look for their babies for up to 3 days after they go missing. Also that they (the moms) generally have more than 1 nest that they can bring the babies to. Don't worry about picking them up, Mom will still want them, but don't over handle them either. In total I had 2 nests given to me, one had 3 babies, the other was just 1. The single one I had to keep inside over night, in which case I put his box on top of a heating pad set on med-low temp. Unfortunately his mom never came back so he went to a shelter for squirrels. Another important note, NEVER try and feed the baby squirrels, if they are dehydrated they need to be taken to someone who can care for them.

Thatá a really great story, I myself had a similar occason.

I was out running in the woods, it´s been a short time after a bad storm, on my first round I noticed some babysqurrils lying on the ground beside the track, I made a second round, picking up my cellphone on the way, when I came close to the point of squirrels I saw the fifth falliwg down a 10 m tree

I called home and told them to call someone who might know whatt to do, then I stayed there a long while waiting in secure distance, but it looked like the mom was killed in the storm

I picked up the babys and went to a vet, she told me how to take care of them, unfortunately I couldn´t find a place to give them to, no one wanted to take car of them.

We raised them with shots filled with babycatfood. One had to be euthanized, ´cause it´s back was broken, two died but we managed to raise two of them (Mickey and Mini) They were really cute, when they were old enough, we released them into the wild, even though Mickey did not want to, he burglarized into our house

It´s been a few years now, I gotta look for the pics, will put one in later on

May 25, 2008

This is a Chukwalla lizard which I saw near a cache in South Mountain Park, Phoenix AZ. Chukwallas have a pretty cool defense mechanism: they will crawl into a rock crevice and puff themselves full of air, making it very hard to pull it out (like you would want to!).

2.4k · May 25, 2008

This swan lived on the high tech campus

High Tech Campus Eindhoven is a hotspot for industrial research, there are a lot of high tech componies

We did there the cache high tech campus cache GCRRN8

A task was to look under a wooden bridge nearby the water

But this beauty of a swan was follew us , so no...i did not look under that bridge

I was afraid he was going to look with me, both our heads under the bridge, sorry i am a wimp

2.4k · May 25, 2008

I believe that Crows are my garden angels

When i walk i see crows everywhere, i feel save when i see them

These are crows from ireland, look how beautiful they are

1.8k · May 25, 2008

Here I am with my two dogs when I was siting out an Earthcache. Josie and Flyn are flat-coated retrievers, and like all retrievers, love the water. It was a lovely day: we splashed and splooshed and waded. These are memories I keep close to my heart -our dogs are here for so short a time!

We are thinking of your fur-kid, too.

2.8k · May 25, 2008

I was caching in Huntsville with Hedge Hopper. He was about 10 feet in front of me when he walked by an old dead tree. After he walks by, and before I get there, from the bark lying on the ground popped this little beauty. It is the only one I've ever seen, and man she is pretty! This is coral snake. They are poisonous, but she wasn't interested in us. She was trying to get away.

May 25, 2008

I have done a lot of caching hikes in the Lower Salt River Valley east of Mesa, AZ, which is the location of GC57, Arizona's oldest geocache. A lot of these hikes were at least in part off trail, and there were signs of horses everywhere. I'd seen other cachers' reports of seeing wild horses in the area and really wanted to see them for myself. One morning I set out to do a climb to a cache that I had not yet gotten and when I pulled in to the picnic area and parked there they were, visible right from the truck. I grabbed the camera and approached cautiously. Thankfully they didn't bolt, but gathered together so I could take this picture of three together.

May 25, 2008

There are some great pictures in this thread.

I was out caching with a friend of mine and our kids. We searched for this one a long time and couldn't find it. At one point I heard a lot of rustling in the leaves and noticed several mourning doves moving away from me. This one let me get a picture.

2.4k · May 25, 2008

Nearby a cache we encounter a hornest'nest

We make careful a photo and warned the next cachers to be careful nearby the cache

May 25, 2008

This little bird is a killdeer, which is a pretty common bird across much of North America. I have seen them often here in Arizona in parks and on golf courses, but this was the first I had seen in the wild, while hiking for a cache along the Agua Fria River south of Black Canyon City, Arizona. They remind me of the bird in Steinwaltzer's avatar. Killdeer are ground nesting, often laying their eggs in a small dirt circle right out in the open. If you happen to approach the nest, the mother will move away from the eggs and do a big loud act trying to draw your attention to her, which can include folding up a wing like it's broken to make her seem like easy prey.

1.2k · May 25, 2008

today we did het Blauwe Eitje GC1AY9E and on the way we saw this bird..

this one is special for you GEO.ERROR........it`s a little fosie sorry for that.

8.8k · May 25, 2008

Ok! Here is a cow on my way to Monte Smith cache! There a couple of cows in the area!

As you can see, this cow wanted to be famous!

2.4k · May 25, 2008

The keeper of the cache

May 25, 2008

On the same hike that I saw the killdeer, I was continuing along the Agua Fria River, when I heard a big splash in the water that startled the heck out of me. I looked down and saw that four of these fish had emerged from under the algae. I don't know much about fish so I can't tell you what they were, but they were about 12-14 inches long, and would have made a good meal for the blue herons I saw flying through the canyon.

Okay that's enough for now, time for a hike.

May 25, 2008

I climbed very high up after a cache and came face to face w/this guy. We had a chat and I went on my merry way!!!!!

Best of luck to your furry friend! Give him a hug for me!

May 25, 2008

Sorry to hear about your doggie's knee injury...... I was unable to attend GW6 this year due to 2 of my cats having terminal cancer. One of them has been in ICU 3 times with pneumonia, and I have to give her pills twice a day... At least she's still with us....

These photos (and I hope I get the links in okay) were taken up in Kamloops, BC. My hubby and I were out caching on quads (ATVs). I found a turtle in the middle of the road, and decided to move it to safety....

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...bf-2e38f8286fbc

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...2f-192be4586b13

1.2k · May 25, 2008

by the cache GC1AY9E we saw this kind little lamb lyijng in the drinkens barge.

the rest was thirsty but can not drink.......

May 25, 2008

I was lucky enough to catch this Monarch near a memorial cache. Usually they fly away... but this one let me photograph him and hang out for a while...then lazily flew off....

2.6k · May 25, 2008

Keep 'em coming folks, this thread is really interesting!

Pupdate: Caesar appears to be making steady progress and we have just returned from a very short (like 100 metres) walk. Things are moving in the right direction, and his interets in food has returned

2.4k · May 25, 2008

Keep 'em coming folks, this thread is really interesting!

Pupdate: Caesar appears to be making steady progress and we have just returned from a very short (like 100 metres) walk. Things are moving in the right direction, and his interets in food has returned

I'm happy to hear a little bit goodnews about Ceasar

I wish you a lot of strenght because as your dear friend sick is you are also sick

A picture for you to cheer you up and give a big hug to Ceasar

May 25, 2008

Our youngest GeoKid is always stopping to check out the ducks, spiders, bugs, etc. when we're out biking, hiking or geocaching. He picked up this ladybug friend in Pearce Estate Park when we were out hiding a couple of new caches for attendees at our WWFM III event to find after the "flash mob" ended.

PS - sending our thoughts and good wishes for your recovering GeoDog. Hope things are a little better today.

2k · May 25, 2008

My hubby, El Cacholoco captured this Black Swan while caching in King's Park in Perth, AU. It turns out, he was one of the last cachers there...they pulled all the existing caches and banned caches in the park. Our TB's were rescued but not the coins

May 25, 2008

Spotted this Black Rat Snake a week or two ago while placing some new greenway caches. It was closest to this cache.

2.4k · May 25, 2008

No....... this in not the monster of lochness

It is Error who loves to swim after a hard day caching

8.8k · May 25, 2008

Here are some other cows near the same cache, Monte smith!

1.2k · May 25, 2008

we did as you know GC1AY9E and we where close to the cache so i say to my hubby "i think the cache is out there" he say to me "well you go take it, you are a girl maybe he is friendly to you"

and i did we found it...

sorry for the edit i did post the picture wrong...

Edited May 25, 2008 by lorca.nl

8.8k · May 25, 2008

Here is a goat close to the cache! wow! This place even if it is an archeological site, it has many animals!!!

8k · May 25, 2008

This picture was taken near the cache Bird Lovers. In the cache you were told to take some seed and put it in your hand. The birds supposedly would swoop down and eat out of your hand but they were too picky that day and didn't like our offerings. LOL

1.2k · May 25, 2008

there was also a chicken area...............

Holiday Weekend Cointest

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment