Forest tracking

Sunday Morning 

JB called me to the kitchen window. Look who he spotted! I think it is Prince Harry, and he'd lost one antler before breakfast, then came back later having lost the other one. This can happen 24 hours apart. I think the younger bucks have less testosterone, and lose them prior to the Kings.

I put on my outside clothes, and snowshoes, to have a look for the antlers. Off to the back 40 first, and all I spotted were snowshoe hare tracks. This is where I ought to put a trailcam. I do have a photo from 2015.

I love seeing tracks in the snow. This is a hole in the snow, with lots of tracks. An interesting mystery! 

I kept going and came across a lot of deer beds as I moved around the edge of the wetland. The sun was wonderful.

I am not sure what these tracks are, but they are big. Maybe our 📹 bobcat. It's not coyote, as you can't see claws. 

Picture this: our turkey was sitting here. You can tell by the poop. I saw it scurrying away, ticked off I'd ruined his morning roost. 

Isn't it pretty! It's lovely going through the forest, but the wetland is a bit difficult to navigate. All the grasses bend over, and get covered in snow. The deer paths are here, but it is too much to follow them.

More deer beds.

As I moved through the forest I flushed a bird. It could have been an owl, but all I saw were the colours and wing span of a large bird. They look far different flying away, rather than perching!

I rather think it was the hawk. It sure surprised me, flying across the wetland to escape the two-legged one. There are lots of rodents around. I would bet it was watching for a squirrel or mouse. I think those are the colours I saw from my archive photo. 

This dead tree fell over last year. There were lots of tracks around, as well as tunnels. Maybe a red squirrel! 

I was a bit worried, but it really isn't a very good 'house' with both ends open.

hollow log from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Monday Morning

My deer shed, antler hunt was to no avail. It was a good workout. Monday morning I took out the garbage and found some good-sized coyote tracks on the driveway.

The tracks looped off into the forest. You can see the coyote was following the track of the deer. 

The next morning, both King Frederick and King Charles appeared, with antlers. We shall see. There is more snow on the way. Lots of fun.

And the snow fell!

😷COVID-19 

Wed., Jan. 3rd – Our local hospitals  (Perth and Smiths Falls) are participating in hallway medicine. With the cold weather, and people congregating indoors, respiratory viruses are laying people low. Flu, RSVs, plus COVID in congregate settings. 

💧⛄☁⛈⛆

Tuesday, we've got a storm on the way. If you are keen, radar predictions, as well as lightning counts are below! It's not the snow that worries us, it's the snow, then freezing rain, then rain on top of this. 

Let me show you the birds we've had, then move to the present. I was taking a photo of the buck, but noticed the birds behind him. The mourning doves have such great camouflage. 

Then the snow came...

The feeders have been busy! The zoom lens and the tripod have been terrific. I was pleased to see both cardinals at the same time. Usually the male is the star, but he was in the shadows. 

I didn't think this through! It catches the seed the blue jays chuck overboard, but it also collect the snow! 

Monday morning was garbage day. Out I went to drag the garbage 100 m to the road. Critters had been by, judging by the tracks! Actually, the first photo (below) was from Sunday's storm, as I used the snowblower. The second one from a dark Monday morn. They are huge paws.

It was nice of him to keep his nose just in frame for me!

It looks pretty on Oliver's Lot.

The driveway was done!

The new Wingscapes camera is out under the feeder. It is great!

The tree sparrows like the dropped seed!

 

American tree sparrow from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It works for mice friends!

mouse cam from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Our Vancouver family are out enjoying winter! They go to Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Camp. 

Bryony, Cluny and Jesse!  The girls take lessons. Jess is a little kid's coach. They are thriving in winter. I think CLuny took Jesse's photo!

I hope all those affected by the storms hunker down. We will. They've cancelled school busses in SE Ontario.