We aren't going batty – house repairs

I bought this bat house and put it up in Bala. It didn't work - too close to the window! I brought it with me here. I didn't have a place for it here,

bat house in Bala

until the woodpeckers had been bug hunting. The bat house has worked, covering up the big hole, until we have another woodpecker. This is the problem with wooden walls. One year it was the red wings building a nest in the bathroom vent. I replaced that. (What an adventure!)

  March 8 or 9th I noticed the new hole. Until I enlarged the photos, I didn't see the smaller one.

The first task was getting the ladder down from its storage place. It necessitates taking the car out of the garage. I needed a ladder to get to the ladder. I have to grab it, slide it back onto the railing (on the left), into the kitchen door, and back out onto the garage floor.

 March 10th, climbing the ladder, I removed the bat house and the stick, with hubby holding the ladder. When I removed it I saw the old hole, the same size as the new one! A perfect circle. How do they do that?!

Dorah was upset with the noise I was making. She watched from the widow!

 Having replaced it with a piece of board, I wondered what else to do with it. It was a gentle rain, and we were dampish. I had to decide if I would paint the wood, or what. I had some nesting boxes around the corner of the house, which haven't been use. Why not attach them to the new piece of wood?

Several holes

Anyway, I moved the nesting cylinders from the back of the house to the side. They didn't use them before as they were near the Muskoka Room. We'll see if they use them here. I hope, at least, to dissuade the woodpeckers! Finally, I put the bat house back up, where the nesting cylinders used to be.

Gardening, caterpillars, frogs, rural delights.

I worked in the forest for several hours today. My little black furry twins were good for moral support. They were fascinated with the sticks and stones I was throwing about.

A tree had to be brought down, one that will surely fall in the next storm. A dead cedar, it isn't good on a walking path! The kittens similarly helped. I chased them away.

Weather began to change. Hauled in my axe, saws, put away the tractor that was dragging the rocks out of the bush, and decided to garden awhile. Noticed animal poo on the table under the table umbrella.

Oh, boy, more poo photos for Jofee!


Opened said umbrella. Lovely brown bat rubbing bleary eyes, swore at me and flew into said forest. It was a beautiful flight, lovely translucent wings flapping it to safety.

bat house; bat

We have two bat houses, as well as many trees with holes.

What's with this?
Was it out late at the bar, forget to save money for cab fare home?
Everyone left before s/he knew it?

Anyway, there are lots of little friends in the forest.

In an update: I didn't take the time yesterday to pursue the identity of the caterpillar.
I have since done so. The above link is a great one. You can search by colours, location, hairy or not!
My caterpillar seems to be this one: but I will look again!
Trichordestra legitima Striped Garden Caterpillar


Nope! No red stripes...from chattnaturecenter.org Henning Von Schmeling
The final word: The caterpillar is Cucculia alfarata, camphorweed moth, feeds on, you guessed it, camphorweed, Heterotheca subaxillaris. Did not know they are found that far north. See them a lot down here in the south and further west.

A dear mouse tail

I haven't been feeding the birds in a few days. With the noise of guns about, the deer have been scarce.
The blue jays are wicked at the bird feeder. I've put out the feeder that used to stymie them in Muskoka, but these jays seem to attack the feeder and any chickadees who dare to pop by for a sunflower seed or two.

I decided it was time and popped down to the shed.

I heard a noise and froze. A tiny noise, and knew it had to be my mice friends. Opening the deer feed container (a large plastic garbage can, with a hole in the top) I spotted my buddy. It seems as if a pair of them ended up in the can, one died. They couldn't climb up and out of the top. I felt so badly. I think the one ate the other, too, as the deer feed isn't that appetizing... there were a few body parts from another mouse, as well as much moue poo. Who knew?
Grabbing the mouse by the tail, I popped it into the can. A cutie, with big brown eyes. Nature is a dog-eat-dog world.


It was reluctant to leave the apparent safety of my metal bucket, but I convinced it to sit on the fence.



Plugging the hole in the top of the garbage can, I thought, I took off to do some chores.

Bat house defeated Woody Woodpecker!

Not pretty, but no more holes!

Can you see Englebert on his mailbox?

Raccoon beheaded the inukshuk - again!

School bus passes - new 4' pine trees looking good

Chores completed, I realized that I hadn't closed the shed door. Back down I go. You-know-who was back in the deer feed, having squeezed in, was now stuck and eating away at the plastic lid trying to get back out. Silly critters. I thought the chipmunks who prance in front of the cats were the smallest brained critters. Think not.

Humming, ♩♪♫♬ "Please release me. Let me go..." I grabbed it by the tail, and released it again. It ran into the shed...
Visit more Camera Critters.