Saturday's Critters

 I was thinking of bats the other day. Colonies have been decimated with White-nose syndrome: impacted bats. Bats only produce one kit a year, recovery will take time. Around here they will hibernate soon. Bless our little bug eaters. We often have one in the house, but not this year. 

Our red fox continues to patrol, mostly in the dark. They are sensitive to humans, and know we sleep at night!

   

 The buck was around. Soon it'll be mating season for them! 

   

 The coyote zipped on by. Well, not exactly 'zipped' as he stopped to have a pee on camera, as they do.

   

 This one was watching for something. I don't know if it was me or not!

   

 In the day time, Cinnamon and I check out trailcams. No sign of Barry Beaver.

   

 No Barry, but a beautiful doe.

 

Visit more critters here: Saturday's Critters #668!

Saturday's Critters

Change is in the air. The last of the August bloomers are in bloom. I find it tough to enjoy each moment, planning the garden clean up I will have to do. Thankfully, Fred is helping!

I heard, and have seen, a frequent flyer is the House Wren. They haven't nested here in a few years. One is hanging about, though. Eating all those bugs in the garden.

The ribbon snake has been out and about, also eating insects. Soon they will enter their hibernaculum. They spend winter underground.

The doe wanders in the forest.

   

 Fred is entertaining all of us. Cinnamon can't understand why he goes down in the hole! Cinnamon is fascinated with Fred. He's such a gentle cat. 

   

 There is one turkey ambling through the habitat. 

   

 Coyote have such beautiful colours! 

 

Saturday's Critters # 663 <= visit more critter posts.

Yard action: coyote sighting

I was sitting out back with Cinnamon, having a good read. I'd collected the trailcam footage. I love this strange way the light refracts. It looks like a UFO! 

There was some movement with the Freds. Both were at or near the shed burrow. This is unusual. They aren't good at sharing. I think Auntie Fred was in front, MiniFred whipped around into the wood shed. I think MiniFred is the dark brown behind Auntie.

Suddenly, Cinnamon alerted. He's my little guard cat!

I looked up, and there was a coyote trotting around the periphery of the back yard. It had come up the path from Barry's trailcam. (Still no sign of Barry!)  Cinnamon spotted it, as did I, trotting to the back here.  It veered left, and down in the gully.  Hmmmm.

I could hear the Robins up in the tree. They were yelling at the coyote, and following it. around the back. 

Cinnamon suddenly looked to the left. I looked, and spotted the coyote peering at us at the edge of the weeds, in back of the big pine in the spot of sunshine. It whipped around, ran back to the right, The Robins were still screeching at it and following! Coyote was too fast for photos.

The coyote followed the edge of the trees, and Cinnamon kept an eye out. 

Cinnamon followed it intently. Safely. From the deck.

This Fred didn't seem to notice. Not a good thing!

After I was sure it was gone, Cinnamon watched me as I trotted down to see if coyote was on the trailcam.

It sure was. The camera spooked it! I have proof! They really are wary of humans, and knew I was on the deck. All was good. I didn't see it again. Such beautiful creatures.

Saturday's Critters

 What a week! So happy to relax and watch our critters. New shingles on the roof, and a root canal for me! The pain is lessening. We're moving into the Computer Age, and watching the news and soccer, hopefully, on the Internet. 

In the peace and quiet, after two days of banging, hammering, and chaos, the critters came back out. 

I have to repost Barry Beaver, who is cleaning up his mess. It all blew over in our big storm.

July 11th, our regular pair of kits were hanging out.

I think this is Auntie Fred, July 17th. 

In the peace and quiet, I could hear the Black-billed Cuckoo.

 

 It's not a good video, but I think it is the Fisher at the back door. July 7 Between humidity, heat and rain, condensation tends to condense on the camera lens. 

   

 Labbit came by! I haven't seen her in ages! 

   

 Butch has been active. 

   

 The coyote colours are amazing. 

 

Saturday's Critters # 657 Visit Eileen for more critters from around the world.

Fred incident June 6th

The Freds continue to hang around. After momma led them away (teenagers: move out, find your own shelter?), they dispersed to four burrows. Two hang out together. Then they don't. Wed., Jun 10th, I could Momma at the shed burrow. Three kits were grazing in the wet grass. We had 14mm rain. About a half inch. 

She was unusually vigilant:

 

 More whistling.

   

 She led them to the septic bed burrow.

   

 I realized later that a coyote had taken a groundhog.

   

 This miniFred shadowed her.

 

UPDATE: on the released squirrels...

Our pregnant doe has been stealing the squirrel food! I laughed so hard. I didn't realize the squirrels came out at night. You can see the doe's eye reflecting the trailcam light, and a squirrel on top of the nest box, watching the doe. I thought squirrels were diurnal. Who knew?! 

We have to provide food and water for about a week, until they learn to forage.

We continue to get raccoons ambling by. I was reading in bed, Muskoka room door open, and heard one on the back deck. There was nothing it could get into, though. This one, with the skinny tail, has been out. It fished out some stones I had in a container. They rattled. It held paperwhites in the winter. 

And a fun one, a large male bear on the driveway. Video on Saturday's Critters!

Saturday's Critters

The phoebes have been nurtured, and now are fledged. 

My McGyvered mirror has had the biscuit. 

During COVID (June, 2020), the grandies were here and we took the opportunity to look at the precious things for a moment. It was special.

My new mirror, a little less than great. I read it had a 36" pole. I neglected to read the size of the mirror! A full size security mirror is $143! 

It wasn't as bad as I thought!

 

Barry has disappeared deeper into the wetland. I hope there is water there for him. The path is frequented by both Butch raccoon, and our pregnant doe.

   

 A bear came by. It was captured on the driveway, and on the same path in the video above.

   

 A coyote was another brief visitor. Too brief for a video. Got him on the driveway camera!

The porcupine(s?) are out and about on an irregular regular basis. It seems to take the same path. I guess, when you are a porcupine, you can amble where you want.

 

We've a lot of wind. The doe seems a bit unsettled. They can't hear predators with the sounds.

 

Saturday's Critters # 651 <= visit more critters from around the world at Eileen's blog.

Saturday's Critters

Having fun with the new trailcam, I threw out a bread crust. The crows dispatched it. The one on the left won! 

Coyote:

Fred:

Phoebe has 5 eggs, which should hatch next Friday. They sit on the purple pencil, swooping down to catch a bug. I hope they don't poop on the trailcam!

I cleverly lowered the camera, as the skunk just missed! Love that tail!

MiniFred was sent to back to her burrow (which Momma Fred dug) in no uncertain terms!

   

 Momma Fred took umbrage and resorted to doggy digging under the deck. 

   

 The phoebe is still sitting on the nest. They like my purple pencil. 

   

 Busy spot, coyote at night, deer and Fred in the day. 

 

Saturday's Critters # 647 for more critters, visit Eileen's blog.

Critter action

Here we go, Tuesday. It's not bad outside. Now. There might be another storm coming in today. Where was this precipitation when we needed it in August?! Thursday they predict we'll go down to -13℃. At least we've snow cover to protect flora and fauna. We had some snow last night. Perhaps you'll notice I put up my Valentine's Day wreath (far right). We need some colour.

It was a lovely fall. Despite the drought. I forgot to publish this at the time. Doing a panoramic photo for my header I caught myself on the dashcam! I miss the colours.

 

 Jan. 6th, I noticed the coyotes following my snow shoe path.

   

 This is the present.

   

 It is tricky walking. I do love watching them.

 

In the morning, Joe goes out to feed deer. They hear the garage door and come running.

 

Finally, at 5 a.m. the fisher came for a visit. The feeders attract rodents in the night. You can't choose your visitors! I never see it in the day.

 

Snowy Crumbly Acres

It's been a mess out there. Rain, snow, sleet, graupel, etc. More snow last night, about 3 cm. After our melt, the driveway was good, almost. Just give me winter, and let it rest there. 

Joe carefully avoided the camera whilst sweeping. This was before the fall he had Thursday on the one little bit of ice I missed.

He hurt his hip and scraped his hand. He'll live. Nurse Jilks bandaged it. 

I have avoided the frog pond trailcam. Then, when I visit it, and bring back the SD Card, I realize it had gone to a default setting. Photos, not videos. I keep forgetting! People who camera trap can empathize. It can be cold and miserable, and one declines to reset the time or date.

I put the three photos into a video.

 

 As long as we are giggling, I don't know what I was thinking, but I turned it the wrong way, instead of having it face the sidewalk... 

   

 

This is what I was trying to capture: Labbit!

   

 The deer in snow.

   

 The fisher went on by, as well.

   

Chad Coyote is a handsome one! He is a frequent visitor. 

 

📹 Lots of Critters

It's been cold and snowy. Perfect time to watch curling on TV! Canada was choosing its Olympics teams. I quite liked the arrangement here!

Nov. 29 the sun came out. My orchid has lost three bloom branches. Nutmeg didn't care. She was cold, looking between me and Joseph Brian to be let in. 

With the unexpected action of Barry Beaver, I have neglected the other regulars. This is a buck on Nov. 13th, spreading his scent at the scrape.

Coyote

   

 There are two does hanging around. What I find interesting is that the coyotes trot up and down the driveway. The deer trod carefully on the grass beside the asphalt.

   

 This looks like the fawn that hangs with the does. She did a selfie, you can hear her sniff for food, just in case! 

   

 The fawn was into the garden Nov. 20. I'd forgotten this! You can hear the blue jays yelling at her. 

 

Anyway, the week begins. Lets have a good one. It's -8 ℃. Garbage is out and it is time for coffee!