Fred and Fred 2

This was a great sighting of the lower deck. I could see both groundhogs at the same time. The female (left) had jumped out of the hole on the right side, and jumped over to the other hole, turned around, and poked her head out. Fred then appeared in the hole.

I think Fred 2 is a little more grey than Fred, who is a bit more rust-coloured. I also think Fred 2 is the female! Fred knows us and is wary, but will watch us carefully.

Fred's burrows

They were digging out under the Hydrangea. Burrow #5. You can see the dirt flying.

2 fred groundhogs from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Cinnamon and I went to check it out. He really gets into his work.

I put the snakescope into burrow #4a. This is more difficult than it looks!

 

Fred's burrow from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This camera is on its last legs! Still, it captured their run.

Fred Apr 27 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It is a busy yard. They've been wrestling on the deck! The Wingscapes camera was on the lowest step. I think this is bonding behaviour. I wonder if we'll have little Freds?!

 

Fred groundhog wrestling from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Monday morning comes too fast!

 It was sunny Friday, and Saturday morning. The daffodils recovered from the frost. 

Cinnamon helped me, providing moral support, – or a distraction as I worked to clean the fountain. He is on the fence about 'helping.' Just beyond the fence are holes 4 a) and b). (There are usually two!)

Here are Fred's burrows. While I was working on the water fountain, I noticed Cinnamon going over to burrow #4. Fred had dug out some sand and grasses. Cinnamon had a good sniff. I thought that Fred was doing spring cleaning. 

 

Then Cinnamon rolled around in the sand and debris.

Cinnamon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I wondered why Fred wasn't working on burrow #4, off the edge of the septic bed. The skunk may have moved back in. Maybe holes 4 (a) and (b) aren't connected! It'd be clever to be beside the skunk for protection! I think the cottontail burrow is right nearby, as well.

I moved the Windscapes camera, I found some friends.

 

doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Fred Groundhog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Skunk Apr. 26 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Garbage is out, and it is raining. The snow tires come off today. We'll see what the week brings. I know the day will bring us rain. Sudbury has ice rain. 

After the frost...

It was cold in the morning, but warmed up to 17 ℃ by the afternoon. I was watching carefully!

 Taking advantage of the sunshine, I had a new idea for cleaning up the fountain. This is how it looked before and after during. Usually, the algae dries up over winter and falls off. I've been scrubbing like stink. 

I tried a shower brush, (ineffective), then wire brushes (my dad's, better), and ran out of elbow grease. 

My t-shirt was covered in little green bits.  The videocamera wouldn't fit in my pocket and I figured out why. In another "don't tell the kids" moment, I realized I had my sundress on inside out.

The idea of the handy attachment for the drill popped into my head. I think the drill bits were my dads. There are three of them. I was bad to not clean the fountain before covering it up for winter, but you do the crime...  I bitterly regret not having a backup battery. I used to, but it pooched out on me. I worked until 4 and gave it up for the day. A shower was quite welcome.

I wanted to get an image, a reminder for the fall when I put it away again.

drill from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I went out to work during my second wind, and frightened Fred. He was poking around the wood tarp and scared me! He had an old burrow there, here is #1b, under the wood pile. I filled that one in.

I think they have a burrow in the middle of this garden beside the flag pole.

Can you see in the hole? There is a paver they have dug under, and I hope my hydrangea lasts. Now that we have two, I'll bet there will be more.

The little twerper has created burrow #5 in the garden! It's great and rather hidden. Burrow #3 has dried, it was filled with water, spring melt. 

Back out front, I found the first lily bug of the season. Oops, time to find the Neem Oil.

I thought I'd take a photo of my tulips. You never know who will take a liking to them! Both deer and cottontails like them. 

I tried a snazzy photo of the Lenten Rose, but it wasn't focused properly. It could have been great!

Barbara asked about 'Labbit' but it is just a name  Well, we still use pet names for critters. Back when we'd see a bunny, one of the grandies would call it Labbit. That term stuck. So cottontail or hare, they are all Labbits, but, as I've been told, not all bunnies are rabbits! Now we've two, I am sure we will have more fun.

@tz_garden asked about the deer fence. I ordered netting last year, and JB picked me up some stakes. It worked really well. This is what we can look forward to later in the summer. 

Saturday's Critters

 We've had two Labbit cottontails, and yesterday afternoon two Fred groundhogs! 

I went walkies and when I came up from the wetland, maybe a red-tailed hawk?

hawk Apr 25 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It seems to match my archival photo!

The birds have been busy. I haven't seen any turkey groups

turkey time from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Dratted Red Squirrel:

drs from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Silly Clover 2, eating my plants.

 

Morning deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Three bucks turned up later, covered in burrs.

Down at the frog pond... the water is seething with mosquito larvae. It is a blessed time until they emerge in clouds.

 

mosquito larvae from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I remember this tree falling over. Butch quite liked it. It just doesn't lead anywhere!

Butch on pond from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The coyotes are on the move.

coyotes Apr. 21 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday's Critters # 541  <= for more critters.

What a strange season!

First, the proposed gun range <= details since Sept., 2022.

There is another article out on the gun range battle. What upsets me is that the OPP aren't rebuilding the gun range, they are to decontaminate it and put the land back to the way it was, a quarry.

Apparently our township is now headed to the Superior Court of Justice. "...he is seeking a declaration that a gun range use is a legal non-conforming use on his property." And it is not. More months of waiting, more tax dollars going to lawyers for something few of us want. Our Barb spent hours and hours getting petition signatures of 500 residents who are against this. It'd be nice if the courts awarded costs to the township when he loses. 

🕊 🕊 🕊 🕊

Most of the deer have gone into the forest. There is grass growing and tree buds are bursting with goodness, food is bountiful. That said, this little one seems to have taken Clover's place in our garden. Clover was fond of my front garden. Clover 2 was going after my primroses out front. I love nature!

Joseph Brian went out front to hustle her off. I'll have to put up the deer fence around the garden sooner rather than later. She didn't really listen to him!

We drove through town and I grabbed a photo of the new build. They are $2300/month. Not affordable for many. 

The critters in our backyard have laid low, at least the mammals. The birds have been active! The flickers are still hanging around debugging the yard!

Thursday afternoon, Fred made an appearance. He tolerates us, but is quite wary. He nibbles away on the green grass.

Friday morning was a tad chilly. It was zero ℃! 

Thursday afternoon the daffies were happy! By Friday morning they were frosty and droopy. 

Friday morning, out came the cottontails in the frost.