Decorum - where has it gone?

 Let me begin with an amazing message. I've been hearing garbage spewing forth from politicians. Marjorie Taylor Greene is a fine example. She refused to call Dr. Fauci 'doctor' during the hearings into COVID responses. The lack of decorum is and basic manners you would expect to see in parliament. It just shocks me. Chrystia Freeland is Canada's deputy minister and whether you agree with her party or not, it is time to get back to basic manners and societal values.

Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives have no respect for Canada's democracy. They just don’t care. pic.twitter.com/uCBeTOkH2q

— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) March 22, 2024

I continue to go out on the back deck in the early morning to listen to birds. 

There are too many bugs, and I've too much work to do in the yard to explore much. 

I learned about the birds around here from spotting one and researching it. Everyone has birds that are common to their region.  

common yellowthroat from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The birds have learned to tenderize their food. 

Yellowthroat & caterpillar from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

 I've a mystery critter! You can see it on the sidewalk. Too small for a cat. Too small for Fred, and Fred doesn't come out in the dark. I've put out a trailcam on the sidewalk to see if I can capture it.

critter from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo

Saturday's Critters

It's been a noisy week. Wednesday the new driveway was put in.  Clover, the doe, has been scarce. Then, Thursday, the OPP certification carries on across the wetland, behind a forest in the field. Twelve cops fire into targets at the same time for 10 seconds on and off all day. It sound like rapid gun fire.

In the meantime, things carry on. The gray tree frog, who is currently green for camouflage, is back on the corner of the deck railing.

We have a lot of tree frogs! 

Someone asked about the deer and deerflies – if they get them on their faces. They do. It's quite something. They flick at them all the time with their big ears.

The deer turned up, again, after the driveway was done. 

Clover, the doe, was keeping an eye on Nutmeg. 

I was so excited to see TWO little newborn monarch caterpillars! Sadly, I went back to show JB, and I think a daddy long legs ate one. I saved #2 by moving it to a safer plant nearer the house. Life is so short!

I went back even later, and found a slightly larger caterpillar on the nearby milkweed plant. 

Common yellowthroat was in the burdock!

My trailcams have been fairly quiet. Finally, the does are moving around the forest in the dark. We've two, with three fawns between them. I thought we just had Clover and her singleton! This is from July 12, 2018, since they aren't being particularly co-operative! 

The doe & two fawns  in the forest and the meadow.

 

I put the old pillow down there to see what would happen. Apparently, some of them are deeply suspicious! I ended up moving it away.  doe and fawn  

 

Saturday's Critters # 397 < = Visit more critters at Eileen's blog. Thanks for hosting!

Birds and fruit

My big announcement, the phoebes have fledged! I went over to check them, and one flew over my head, then another, and another. There were four, so the first fledged earlier in the day.

July 8th

 I taped this, and the one in front jumped up, and flew! It was closely followed by another and then a third. The fourth, I believe, had already fledged. Momma came back and checked the nest, even in the late afternoon.

July 16th


phoebe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Look at the wild grapes! The birdies will be happy. The vine climbs up the trees, and gives birdies a feast.


The cedar wax wings have been amazing to watch. There is a wee flock of 4 or 5, and they scream about, visiting the serviceberry bushes. I love their calls. They seem to delicate for a sturdy-looking bird. They were in the lilac tree, and I was sitting on the deck.
cedar waxwing from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I haven't seen him in weeks!
rose-breasted grosbeak from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This is a bug-eater, and a welcome sight.
common yellow throat from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Daisy, bees, flowers, frogpond

Spring

We've are in a drought. The frogpond totally dried up. This happened in the drought of 2012, as well.

The frog pond, a truly vernal pond (created from snow meltwater) has turned into a garden.

You can compare in the videos below!

A few days ago the flowers hadn't bloomed. They have now!

August

Daisy and I took a trip down there to grab the trailcam, which has NOTHING on it! Hubby has spotted the doe and her twin fawns, I had them on the trailcam previously, but they didn't wait around for a photo-op.

Daisy heard a noise, it was a doe and at least one fawn, who took off like bats outta hell. Daisy just stood transfixed, assessing the danger.

We ambled around, onto the dock.
It was beautiful, even if I was missing my frogs and snakes!

This plant wasn't in my Wetland Plants of Ontario book. I was so disappointed!
This took some research: Water Speedwell, AKA Veronica anagallis-aquatica  found on the white wetland flowers of Ontario site. They also have a page to ID yellow wetland flowers!



Next thing I noticed, a warbler, a bug eater, bless its little heart. I've been told it's a Female Common Yellowthroat! I know we have the males! You can see an archive photo in the 4th one. He was banging a caterpillar on a branch!
    
Yellowthroat & caterpillar from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Frogpond traffic from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Bullfrog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Butterflies, and other critters: catch and release

On our way home from dropping the girls off at their home, the sunset was lovely!

Dorah brought me a baby mouse the day before, and that was a story. I took it from her, put it in the garden. An hour later, it was in a corner of the sidewalk, helplessly sitting there. I put it into the aquarium, hoping to feed it, and figure out what to do next. I gave it some peanuts and a bit of peanut butter, toilet paper rolls in which to hide.


On the middle deck, I found a nuthatch on the floor. Sitting. Daisy was sleeping on the chair beside. I approached it, and it flew away.

Usually, Dorah shares her critters with Annabelle.

Daisy caught a  Common Yellowthroat. Just a baby, it could fly horizontally, but didn't seem to get the idea to fly higher than little Daisy. I netted it, and took it away. Coincidentally, I'd seen a pair of Yellowthroats in the tree, just up from the frog pond.

Common Yellowthroat from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
This video is about Common Yellowthroat

Things have been busy in the garden, as well as the trees.

♪♫♬ "See the little beetle on a stone"


I can hear the Cedar Waxwings chirping in the pine tree. They must have successfully hatched their chicks. I cannot see them, other than on the dead elm when they take a breath. I heard a crow after them, and the parents chased them off!

We had a busy morning in the wee hours, Sunday. The strange cat was trapped between Annabelle (inside) and Buster (outside) at 2:30 a.m. and hubby had to get up and scare him out. We saw a poster at the vet, looking for a 1-year-old cat (gray) who was missing. Hubby phoned, but it is a female, not this well-hung male! I don't think he is a stray. He is shy, but used to people. He might be a barn cat. We should give him a name, he's here for food often enough. He's figured out the cat door.

Then, at 4:30 a.m., I could hear squeaking on the bed. Annabelle had brought us her mice friend and was playing with it on the bed. I popped the deermouse into the aquarium with the field mouse. 

I released them later, into the garden. 

A new bird for me: Common yellowthroat

It seems the male was more shy than the female! My bird book tells me that it is common in North America, but unusual here in Southeastern Ontario. All About Birds has more info. Bless its little heart, it eats bugs!