Saturday's Critters

This is the backyard. I was just wandering. This is where Fred groundhog lives, but I haven't found his burrow yet. This hole wasn't finished and he has abandoned the hole under the wood pile. I think.. 

I like the driveway. It occured to me that in the Autumn I often find bird nests after the leaves drop.

Sure enough!

Great excitement. Thursday, Nutmeg was walking along the railing in the dining room. It was unusual. She spotted a bat on the wall. Grabbing the butterfly net, putting JB on the door ready to open it, I got it into the net. I needed to use a placemat to keep it in the net. JB opened the screen door, and it flew off into the big pine tree.

Last weekend, the fawn deigned to appear on the backyard trailcam! We've had some with spots in October, there is time yet!

 

fawn from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The scarlet tanager paused on a branch for me. Even he found the sun hot, though!

 

scarlet tanager from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I was trying to dig out the thistle, and found a bumble bee nest in the weeds. Whoopsie! I moved the hose.

backyard bees from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Four raccoons:

Butch raccoon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

For more critters, visit Eileen! Saturday's Critters # 453 

Nature's Critters

I checked on the wood duck boxes, now empty. This one was full of cobwebs. I opened it up, it has a hinge on the side door, and will clean it out when the bugs die down.

Lone bee mason house. 

These lilies are done, but just before the petals fell I noticed spider webs and baby spiders. You have to look closely! They were launching themselves on a silken strand and flew up on the breeze. 

The Angel's trumpet blossoms, Brugmansia, only seem to blossom for one full day. 

The water lilies are just getting going!

My little pottery worm is missing its middle. It broke, sadly. I lifted the head where it was on the ground and a bug flew out. Reaching for the tail, which was on its side, a sweet little red belly snake slid away from the hooman. 

This dude was somewhat loosey goosey on the lines. He was distracted, swerving nearly ran into a parked car further down the road. 

Then there was the truck and trailer. He'd turned right on a red, as the truck in front was moving through the green light. The truck pulled around him, I let him in. We ended up parked at the red light at the bridge is being repaired. I couldn't turn left to get into the parking lot. I shouldn't have let him in! 

Back at home I've been enjoying the robins eating berries. Critters are scarce on trailcams. I've heard this from other trailcammers. The bugs are horrid, the heat terrible. You can hear the House Wren in the background.

robin from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Visit Eileen's Saturday's Critters # 449 to see more critters!

Flora and fauna

This is a white-throated sparrow. I read a tweet where someone to the south of the province reported them back from migration, and immediately knew what mine was! How timely!

"song of the white-throated sparrow, old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody!"


Deer friend: You can't see me!


These wood ducks were behind the house, down the hill, on the wetland. I've had ducks check out the boxes. This is a female in the nesting box.

Phoebe's nest looks ready, but no sign of action.


The barred owls are about. One left me a beautiful feather.

Then, the garter snakes.


Not one, but two rose-breasted male grosbeaks. The females arrive later, they tell me.

Flickers have appeared on the lawn, trying to grab a bug or three.

This is the bed that used to have tulips in the middle!


Can you see the other bees? The one wasn't budging, and they stayed away.


Boys of spring!

The bees are awake!

The bees were busy after the rains.

Bees on crocus from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Bees, bird feeders, red-tailed hawk

The bees and wasps are working hard, some are dying at end of season.
 

The Blue jays are going nuts over the peanuts. They empty this feeder in 2 hours. It keeps them away from the other feeders, and the sunflower seeds, giving the smaller chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers a chance at the other feeders.


Then, on a beer run, I spotted a hawk flying in a cemetery. There were two, one flew away!