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.

Gardening on Crumbly Acres

This rock is a beauty. It came from the area where the miniFreds are digging out burrow # 5, under the flag pole. The Freds are in there, renovating. I stole the rock.

 

I've been moving rocks to the daffodil garden. It'll keep the moisture in some, and stop some weeds. That's the theory. 🤷  Then there is my trusty whipper snipper!

I dug it out, strapped it to the dolly, and rolled it here.

I did a panoramic photo of the back yard. It's a modest little bungalow. Perfect for the two of us, 2 cats, 7 goldfish.

Outside we've 4 groundhogs, several raccoons ambling through, 2 bears, Barry Beaver, and barred owls.

Out in the front, I noticed the doe chomping on my hostas on the camera footage. 

It was time to put the deer fence up. Joe assisted me. Basically, 2" square stakes, with netting attached. It is wonderful. Removable in the fall for clean up, and hardly seen. This is what I used on the front garden to keep Fred from eating my milkweed plants. (More on that later!)

My Itoh peony, is visible through the fence netting. The doe isn't getting that one!

The hawkweed is looking wonderful. I don't want to mow the lawn until it is done. I don't want to frighten the groundhogs, either. They are moving around the various burrows.

Our miniFreds are managing. They stick together until they don't. Saturday they were avoiding the shed burrow. I am certain Momma Fred is gone. I think last year's miniFred, who is now adult-sized, is back. 

Saturday's Critters

 Fred incident June 6th

I figured out yesterday that it was Momma Fred who was taken by the coyote. She had a good run. We've four teenaged groundhog kits foraging, and looking out for predators. I feel responsible! 

Our 3 released rescue squirrels are having a fine time. We are to provide for for a week. Eventually they will forage on their own. The trailcam provides me some entertainment. They don't come out when we are there. Joe feeds them faithfully each morning. Until Monday!

They are so happy with freedom and climbing the tree.

 

 They come out at night while the pregnant doe cleans up the bird seed. You can see them on top of the nest box, agitated with the thefts! The sounds of the frogs at night is glorious!

We continue to see a variety of critters out and about.

Porcupine

   

 I moved this camera away to watch the Freds. Maybe a mistake. I've seen a bear, coyote, and these three bucks wandering on through.

   

 The pregnant doe has been ambling around. I know how she feels. My second child, Jesse, was 10 ½ lbs. at birth!

   

I caught the bear on a couple of cameras. It might have been two bears. One looks large, the other smaller. The large one ambled down the driveway.

   

Checking out the frog pond trailcam later, I noticed it was askew. 

 

Boo boo bear was about. The older one was on the driveway, but this one I have not seen near the house. 

For more critters: Saturday's Critters # 652 visit Eileen's blog.