Wednesday 19 October 2011

Brown Dog Tick, Buster and the grackles, turkey courtships

There is no end to the excitement around here. The other day I posted the video of Felix watching the wild turkeys at the bird feeder.
Last night hubby noticed that Sadie had a brown thingie on her forehead.

He pulled it off, it didn't seem to be bothering her.
Next morning, today, she was fine, and the tick was much less engorged and dead.
Good thing.

Now what? We have a pamphlet from the vet on ticks and pets. I think, from the pamphlet, it is a brown Dog Tick. It was fat and round last night.

The pamphlet is written by a company that makes broad spectrum treatment and control of ticks. Of course, lots of photos to differentiate the various ticks; Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) and American Dog ticks Dermacentor variabilis).
It doesn't talk much about treatment, but explains the location and size of the ticks.
Sadie is good. Tick is dead.
Next adventure, Buster watched the grackles at the feeder. They love the Muskoka Room. Birdwatches that they are!

The grackles are pretty things in the sunlight.
This shot I captured in Bala, Muskoka on Long Lake's beaver pond.

But, back to my story. Today I looked out over the balcony and saw the head of a tall turkey. Ran downstairs to try and get a photo from the basement sliding glass doors.

We love living out here in the boonies. Lots of visitors. Needless to day the cats were enthralled..

Watch the courtship ritual as the male struts his stuff, and fluffs up his feathers. They saw me and suddenly down went the puffing.

I snuck slowly up to the window,
grabbed a photo, then started videotaping.




After they strutted, they noticed us at the door.
Off they went.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Jenn! I've removed two ticks from my cats in the last week. I think it's a bad year for them as previously we'd only seen one or two in the 13 years we've lived here!

Kay L. Davies said...

Eeuuww, I remember ticks on our collie when I was a teenager. Dad used to get them out with a hot needle, for some reason. Something about the head staying in if the body got pulled off without it. Ugh.
But I loved the video of the male turkey strutting his stuff. Wonderful.

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

You can never take too many pictures said...

Oh Yes How I also Loved! that male turkey spreading out in all his glory. They are good size turkeys with such long beards. So do you think the kittens will be as brave as Oliver and chase those crazy birds or even the deer?

Jenn Jilks said...

We checked and the head is still on the tick. Sadie looks fine. I think no one will be as brave as Oliver chasing turkeys. Can't wait till they see the big squirrels (which is what hubby call the deer), and what they do. Kittens are 6 mos, and seem to be growing like stink. Felix seems to be channelling Oliver. He may be be as brave, on 2nd thought!
They sure make my day. I love all the critterverse.

Brown Dog Tick said...

nice photos... i like it when they run... lol