Fred Groundhog is here for the summer!

The grass is green and growing. I am itching to get outdoors, but we're on our 4th day in a row of rain. 

We have 16 acres of land. About 9 acres is wetland. I started tracking Fred, as he's disappear in September, and come back in spring. This is where I've found Holes by Fred. Yes, right around the house. He likes our lawn, I suppose. When I was ditch diving I found some holes across the gully, through the forest in the side of the highway. 

1.  I filled in the holes behind the propane tank, at the corner of the house. 
2.  The top right arrows show where the shed is, he has two holes there. 
3.  The three arrows show his 3 holes under the lower deck.
4.  The top left arrows show where he has dug into the edge of the yard, behind the fence.

Here are the details!

1. The propane tanks! He has stopped fussing here. I dissuaded him with logs. 

2. The shed is his current location. He knocked over the planter in his eagerness. He's dug two holes, an escape route, I guess.

3. Under the lower deck has been his preferred location. There was one hole here, then he dug another at the side, and then moved out prior to fall. 

Cinnamon knows he is in there, and keeps checking out the holes!

Cinnamon checking out burrows from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Fred dug an extension here at the side of the deck. It did not go well this year. I peeked in and could see water in the hole.

I don't know, but he might have dug into the drain that goes from the corner of the house, underground, to the lilac tree. I took out the pipe and let the water drain onto the driveway. Poor Fred!

4. Then there is the area beyond the septic bed. You can see it in the background. 

Here is the hole he's been working on. 

Several metres beyond, he's done an exit. 

What a busy beaver groundhog! 

I took Joseph Brian around to spot him! 

Fred Apr 9 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

For more critters: Saturday's Critters # 539.