Saturday's Critters

The wetland has been a bit of water in it. We had lots of rain this week. Barry Beaver is digging out a canal. Wetland beavers have to have different techniques.  Same lodge configuration, but the water has been so shallow.

This is the remains of Barry Beaver's work meal. I wonder if he is creating another lodge. 

 

I bought me a new trailcam stand with a gift certificate. Thanks, Caitlin!

What I ended up with was some great shots of fireflies... as well as the Imperial Moths.

Imperial Moth

FIREFLIES! The pregnant doe wanders across the yard, as well.

We got the deer fence up in good time. Here is the doe munching non-garden plants! A win for me!

   

 I've no need for defences against the bears. They just amble by. The bird feed is in. The garbage and yummy things are locked in the garage. If they wander about and there is no food they get the message. This one has a bad limp. I feel badly. I haven't seen it since June 15. 

 

For more critters: Saturday's Critters # 653 ! 

Crumbly Acres is soaked!

 Tuesday Joe got us some fresh rhubarb and strawberries from the farm down the road. Rhubarb-strawberry crisp!

The frog eggs are now tadpoles. I think they are wood frogs, but hard to tell. Wood frogs eggs are laid in the water. They hatch and grow. Eventually they lose their tails, after they grow arms and legs. They they switch from gills to lungs. They will spend the summer and fall in the forest, 'wood' frogs! 

 

♪♫♩ The sun'll come out... tomorrow! Maybe not. It's cool, and looks like more rain.

One can ask why cleaning out the goldfish tank takes days. No sooner did I spread it all out on the deck to let it dry... you guessed it. Rain. On June 18th, we had 25.65 mm rain (1"), and it kept dumping and dumping. There was a tornado warning, as well. Nothing came of it! I am using old towels and cloths to soak up the water I siphoned out. I have to or it stinks all summer!

We've 3 phoebe eggs as of Thursday. Or was it Wednesday?! A second brood. 

Fred's antics have been a hoot. I planned on staining the deck. I have rethought that. I tried putting up a barrier, but it didn't work too well. They started to climb it. I don't want to risk them getting on their paws. They are persitant.   

I've protected my milkweed plants. Except for one. Fred got up on the cedar railing and nipped it. They are entertaining. We'll say that. Yesterday I wrote about my beheaded petunias. I was so sad. 

The lobelia isn't tasty, apparently!

Look at them! Soon we will be able to smell them. 

Lots of critters!

Our release squirrels are doing well. I've removed this camera as I wanted it elsewhere. 

 

That said, I spotted three black squirrels on the path beyond the shed, leading to Barry Beaver's habitat. It has to be them, as they normally don't travel in threes! It is about 100m from their nest box. Good sign.

 

 They are wise to get out and about. While they watched the pregnant doe steal their supplemental food, they don't come out to watch Butch. Butch Raccoon was the one who knocked the camera askew! Sound up, as it chirps away. Another racoon was at the tree.

 

Imperial Moth

I found a poor little moth. It was flapping in the lawn. I believe its wings didn't unfurl properly, or dry properly. They emerge from the cocoom and hang off a branch, letting gravity straighten their wings. I put it in the weigela bush. 

 From my archives. They show up on the cameras at night!

The Freds have been rambunctious.

May 25 – my lovely basket. Fred has done a number on it! What I think was last year's kit, Big Fred, has disappeared. The 4 kits have been rotating around the 4 remaining burrows. Or they've all picked on. 

June 17th – nipped in the bud!

The signage doesn't seem to work! 

You'll notice Cinnamon watching them.

You can follow it right around the corner to the front garden.

What a lovely day Tuesday!

Sun and clouds...

Taking some time to clean the fish tank pump, I spread it out on the back deck to dry. Of course it rained last night! 

Cinnamon likes to watch the kits. Until they show some curiosity!

 

 Our Freds are spending time in the front yard. They are going up on the deck. Thing is, they don't necessarily trigger the camera. The wasp did, though! I have wrestled with the settings for a year!

   

This one was nibbling on the garden. I spooked it to the back.

 From the front window, I noticed this one running towards the path to the forest. For some reason it decided to come back.

 

I mentioned yesterday that my trailcam was askew. 

It was Butch, traveling in a group of three. 

The squirrels are on their own. They will rely on instincts. We've given them the best start possible.

 

Kits fighting...

 

Monday was a busy day!

It was a cold start to the day. I had the garbage out by 6 a.m.!

1. The goldfish are out in the pond. The fish tank is half cleaned. I have to clean the hoses and the pump. 

2. The released squirrels are still in their box. At least two are. I seldom see 3 at a time. Butch raccoon visited. The camera was askew when I waded through the mosquitoes. Joe fed them, and noticed the box askew, as well.

3. I cleaned out the gutter, which had overflowed in our 21mm rain. No wonder. I shoved the old hose down it, and it seemed to clear. 

4. We have 4 Fred kits, and auntie Fred, from last year's brood. That is my working theory. I thought we were down to 3 kits!

This one was hanging out at the flag pole burrow. Caitlin thought it looked like a great dating profile photo!

5. The garden is coming along. Apparently Fred doesn't like hollyhock. He nipped at my milkweed, though. 

 

Poppies are done! I snapped a photo. Thankfully.

The cedar waxwings have created a platoon.
They fly about, chirping away, eating bugs in the evergreens.

I was on Zoom for a webinar, UNMASKING: Embracing ADHD, Autism, & Being Queer. Thing was, it was on at 6:30 in Edmonton, Alberta, and it was 8:30 here. I set up on the dining room table, prepared to learn something. Just at pre-dusk, as I was trying to absorb all I was hearing and reading, I noticed a bear out back. YIKES! It went into the forest in the back 40, headed for the wetland. 

Why not go out front and see if it was there? There was our pregnant doe. Back to my Webinar, and there was Bear again. I whistled, and let it know we were here. It moved off. I shall have to look for the Marine Horn.

I lasted until about 10 p.m. on the Webinar. I usually go to bed around 9 and read for an hour. 

Look who is back!

Normally the kits would run up to Momma Fred and they'd nuzzle noses. Not this time. It can't be momma Fred. 

 

 Last year's kit came back. The one who spent winter under the shed. At least I think it is her. I was watching from the deck. One miniFred ran out to see her, and got close, then ran away. 

I figure I'll call her 'big Fred' since she isn't a kit anymore, and is in her second year. 

The miniFreds are quite affectionate, and bonded. 

 I need to stain the middle deck to preserve it. I am going to have trouble with this! 

 

Everyone uses the stairs!

 

We had a massive storm go through. I've some images of some very wet groundhogs, who then look like muskrats. We had 21mm rain (nearly an inch) and things are soaked. 

Big Fred looks healthy, if damp.