wildlife

Another mutant on the dock in Gloucester.

Seagull vs. crab at Pleasure Bay.

Sure, the chances of you being gobbled by a great white shark are incredibly low, but don't be stupid out there, the Coast Guard says, in a holiday weekend shark advisory for the waters off Massachusetts:

"Predation is not generally a concern for boaters and paddlers in Northeast waters," said Al Johnson, the First Coast Guard District's recreational boating specialist, "but I have no doubt that a great white shark that swims into your comfort zone would surely find a splashing paddle or dangling hand inviting. I also expect that same passing shark would spend little time differentiating between boater, paddler and prey."

While shark attacks on humans in the Northeast are rare and there have been no recent sightings along coastal beaches, sharks are attracted to the area by the growing seal population. Johnson advises boaters and paddlers to avoid passing pods or springs of seals and avoid seal colonies and other areas where pinnipeds bask.

Channel 25 reports This time an emu was captured in Sutton today, only three months or so after one was collared in Waltham. Where are they coming from?

Ladybug's Leaf looked down from a bridge over the Muddy River in the Back Bay Fens yesterday and spotted a pair of fish.

State officials assure us there's nothing to worry about, dum dum, dum dum, dum dum, dum dum, dumdumdumdumdum.

The Animal Rescue League of Boston tweeted this afternoon:

A domestic pigeon was found homeless wandering the streets of Somerville.

Steve tweets that State Police, DCR rangers and Boston animal control have converged on Castle Island to pick up a coyote found wandering around there.

Pet Cabaret posts an alert District E-5 sent out this week about the cat-munching coyote.

Wicked Local West Roxbury reports Animal Rescue League investigators are blaming a coyote for what was left of a cat found on Garnet Road on Sunday.

Earlier:
Cat found hanging from a tree in West Roxbury.

Bob took some video of the large stripers in the water between Long Wharf and the Aquarium - and how they beat a frustrated duck to the hunks of bread he threw to them:

Romeo and Juliet? This year's swans are more like dual Lady Macbeths. Mike the Mad Biologist chronicles the avian war on the lagoon:

... One day I saw one swan prevent the flock of ducklings from entering the pond: wherever the ducks went to try to jump in, the swan was right there hissing at them. That day, the swan even jumped out of the water and pursued them on land.

It gets even more vicious. The swan (again, no idea which one) will try to isolate a couple ducklings and then pursue those ducklings. The duck's mother then tries the 'broken wing' gambit (squawking loudly and then veering off, in an attempt to draw the swan away). It never works. These swans are on a mission.

The Globe reports an environmental group says the Fresh Pond hawks are reason enough to block a planned apartment complex in the middle of Alewife Brook Reservation. Meanwhile, at the other end of town, Harvard's resident hawk couple have a new nest of hawklings.

Channel 4 reports.

Mike Ball explores the Blue Hills Reservation with a guide, tells us some about the flora and fauna and rocks.

Steve Borichevsky photographs a male Baltimore oriole putting the moves on a female - without success.

Itspeej reports a couple of baby ducks have fallen into a storm sewer on Queensbury and that BWSC and Boston Police are trying to get them out.

Truck Stop Tea Party captured the moment the other day when somebody stopped traffic near the Arboretum to let a family of geese cross the road.

Yesterday:
Make way for Ducklings on Storrow Drive.

Copyright Truck Stop Tea Party. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Cutest traffic jam ever in the history of Boston.

Penny Cherubino photographed a woman walking her pig on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall in the Back Bay yesterday.

And then there's this video of three coyotes cavorting behind somebody's house on Weld Street in Roslindale (taken by a woman who obviously was keeping her toddler securely indoors):

JD photographed a standoff the other day between a BTD worker and a turkey.

John Bassett of the Brookline Neighborhood Alliance sent out e-mail tonight alerting residents:

There have been sightings in the Walnut St - High St. neighborhood in Precinct 5 and one witnessed killing of a cat there. A number of other pets are missing in that area. There has also been one seen near the High School.

Somerville.

Mattapan.

UPDATE: Chicken not crossing the road in Mattapan.

David Guarino came up with that title for his photo of a turkey outside the Wonderland T stop this morning (did it have a meeting downtown?).

Polly wanna nest.

Yes, suh! George Cumming photographs the pair of parrots that showed up last fall and survived the winter:

... Now they are back and they are nesting on Bremen St. not far from the Y. This is truly better than chocolate Easter bunnies. They are very vocal and fallen nesting material is strewn all over the sidewalk beneath. It is just amazing to watch these birds while lots of people walk past on their way to the Airport T station. ...

Copyright George Cumming. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.