Crumbly Acres Critters

The bird feeder is going full tilt. I change it up over the winter. Here it is for now. I'm hoping the bears are close to denning up. 

The Blue Jays concentrate on the one at the left. They half emptied it during the day. 

Downy woodpecker:

The globe feeder is for the smaller birds. The big ones can't get in. 

Goldfinch: 

The mourning doves like to line up on the branch. 

The cardinal is peckish, as well. No sign of the female.

I don't know if this is #75. We have two Gray Squirrels, black morph. This one was under the feeder.

 I am quite behind on my videos. It's hit or miss. Feast or famine. Drought or flood. 

If you watch the video, you can see the bunny beside the tree, the deer staring at it. Then Labbit hopped up the driveway. It's two clips from two trailcams.

 

We've had a pair of coyotes hanging about. On the driveway and in the forest.

   

 The fisher was back. Two days in a row.

 

Crumbly Acres

It feels like spring is slow to arrive. I suppose the snow storms make us feel this way. This morning it is below zero. It has slowed down the reptiles and amphibians. The birds, not so much. 

It is mating season for a lot of critters. For deer, who were impregnated in late fall, they are waiting to give birth. There were three of them sitting chewing their cud. This is out the bathroom window.

2 coyotes: April 5th, one pees on a tree, the other still limping.

 

They have pink head due to mating season hormones!

Turkey in snow 

   

Osprey can be difficult to photograph. Soaring up above. My reaction times are slow methinks.

This one landed on a tree in my yard. Rather unusual. It pooped in front of me. Silly thing. 

This one had managed a fish.

It is easier getting photos of nests. 

July 2013

 We were out looking for chorus frogs last week. The osprey seemed to think me a threat! They eat fish and snakes and such. Not people. I was still intimidated!

It is mating season. 

 

Labbit is so fast! Such great camouflage.

 

We anticipate a high of 14℃ today. The Chorus Frogs should be calling, as well as Spring Peepers. We shall see what happens. 

Saturday's Critters

It's been busy with spring critters. I am itching to get back into the garden, but it has been wet, cold, damp and rainy. I can hear the twitch grass growing into the garden, but don't have the energy to pull it out. The bugs are back, with many song birds returning to mate. The forsythia along the highway is very cheerful.

The mating season is upon is. I noticed a pair of flickers bopping around the arbour. They seem to be nesting in the dead elm, again. They were one of the first birds I noticed here. These photos from May, 2011.  The photo after is from our visit to Batchawana Bay in 2009.

 

Flicker from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We've small, medium and large critters! The spider web on the camera lens – doesn't help the image.

 

2 raccoons Apr 14 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The cottontail is so fast. Which is a good thing. I haven't seen them since the weather turned wet and cold.

 

critters from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The coyotes did their thing!

 

coyotes Apr 17 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The pond is greening up! We've two pair of mallards and lots of mosquito larvae!

 

mallards on the pond apr 18 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It is the second time I've seen a lone muskrat. It is very difficult to spot. It swam over to the dock and then went under it. 

 

muskrat Apr 18 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday's Critters # 540 <= visit more critters here!

Saturday's Critters

 The weather has been strangely warm for March. We've had some rainstorms come in, which helps to melt the ice and snow. I'm not sure that is a good idea, but this is Climate Change. We had much more snow last year to protect flora and fauna. None this March. This weather what usually happens in April, not March. Warm sunshine, with cold overnight temperatures. The maple tree sap is flowing!

The deer are massive leapers! I chose the thumbnail for the height of its leap. March 9th.

deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I went walkies and they were hiding behind the trees, watching me for danger.

deer in the forest from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The same day, in the dark.

coyotes Mar 9 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

They are the funniest critters, wandering in their long lines.

wild turkeys from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The skunk is awake, and out and about in the backyard!

skunk March 15 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Not only that, but the street sweeper was out in town!

street sweeper from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday's Critters

The coyotes are beautiful. In all our years here (14), I've seen them in the yard twice. Once was when he was sneaking up on Daisy, the other time was this week at 7:30a.m.:📹 backyard coyote. 

Our turkey, Archie, whom he chased up the tree this week, wouldn't agree. I think that is who Chad coyote was after. He flew up into the big pine tree.

All of my images come from screen captures on the trailcams as they are wary of humans here and elusive. They are quite aware that our local farmers and hunters have weapons, and they aren't aggressive when humans are around. 

 

coyote from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The poor critters in the snow!

coyote feb 18 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I love how they mark their territory in front of the camera!

coyote cedar corridor from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The deer don't mark!!!

 

deer cedar corridor Feb 18 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

They do wash ups where ever they need to!

 

deer in the sun from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Have a great weekend! Visit more critters here: Saturday's Critters # 532

Critter tails

How good it was to see the sun, however briefly. There is another storm on the way. Happily, it looks like just snow and no rain. I can deal with the snow. We make sure we have food, gas for the snowblower, and I can take my time to shovel. We had 4 cm Thursday, not even worth shoveling!

I cannot complain, though. The high temperatures for some parts of Canada are -30˚ C. today! Sorry, Red!

Cinnamon enjoys a moment on his cat tower, and my first paperwhite bloom. The ceramic rabbit sits atop my gifts from Jean! She is a peach. 

I went for a walk to fetch trailcam cards. I met the deer trio, Momma and twins. It was funny, as they lined up, all looking in one direction, then looking at me.

deer trio from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I think the frog pond trail cam froze after the snow and rain. Nothing on it, yet two pieces of Fisher poopies in front of the trailcam. 

A big coyote track, as well.

There was a lone turkey about, in the snow.

  

lone turkey Jan 11 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I often wonder about the critters in the snow. We've another big storm on the way, potentially 20 cm. Again. 

  

King Charles dec 28 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Coyotes 

coyotes from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Lots of rain, snow and visitors!

 I look to Australia, with their flooding. So many disasters. Our rain storm went east, and Quebec and the Maritimes are having the same issues. New Brunswick had 100,000 without power, 7000 without power in N.S. Dec. 19th. BBC News is showing video of the Iceland volcano eruption. 

We had a change here. We had 30mm rain on Monday, 9 C.., which is obvious on the radar We woke to snow Tuesday, -3 C. We went from rainy green to snowy blue. I write this, since my videos are strange and seem out of date. Our snow comes and goes.

Lots were without power in southern Ontario,  4688  4866,  4941,  5111 was the top number! Most people were back up that day.

🌨 It looked quite something!

I feel perfectly fine showing videos that have snow or don't! 

deer Dec. 9 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

King Charles Dec 10 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Back in the forest...eyes in the dark!

 

coyotes dec 12 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

😼 Cat visitors – we've had two new ones this year

It is strange as our nearest neighbours have to be a km away. We've coyotes, fishers, a bobcat, mink, and other predators. 

• Nov. 20 – We don't have a black cat! In the cold and dark.  Long haired cat
• Dec. 11 – Harlequin tabby: strange cat. 

 And, we end with a second view of the new visitor.

 

strange cat from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

😷 We visited our terrific GP in town, we are grateful to have him. He debriefed us on JB's bone density

scan. We've access to it online as soon as it is up. The trick is to interpret it. His bone density is decreasing as a result of the Lupron treatments, which is why we monitor it carefully. Joseph Brian is doing almost everything to ameliorate the condition: Calcium, Vit. D supplements, and regular walking (an hour/day). The only thing he could add to the regime is weight training. This is tricky with his shoulder and lumbar issues. We'll see how this goes.

Coyote question, a gift, Monday morn

Barbara had a good question after I sighted the coyote the other day! Yes, the 🐕coyotes hunt 🦌deer, but they can only take the fawns and the sick or wounded deer. The deer use their hooves to fight. Unlike wolves, they don't hunt in packs. Unlike city coyotes, ours are quite wary of humans. There are too many people with guns around here for the coyotes to be calm about humans. The farmers can kill them if they are harassing their livestock, as well.  

What a sweet gift!

It behooves me to remember that there are good people in the world! Few of them make the news! We chatted for an hour in the driveway.

🏇Our neighbours are the Millars of equestrian fame. Ian Millar owns Millar Brooke Farm, with his children, Amy and Jonathon. There is a statue in Perth of Olympic equestrian Ian Millar on his famous horse, Big Ben.

The family has had lots of support by fans near and far. There was good news from Florida. 

Millar Brooke Farm

Jonathon Millar had a horrible fall three weeks ago, while jumping in Florida. He was put into an induced coma, since brought out of it. They reported that he is improving: communicating with facial expressions, hand signals, and speaking. He's begun physiotherapy, as well. He will be moving to another Center, in Atlanta, for more specialized rehabilitation for his brain injury. 

Monday morning did not go well. I pushed the start button on the coffee machine in the dark, in order to have a hot cup after I put the garbage out for 7:30. I was so looking forward to a hot coffee! It was a chilly morning, and it was weeping graupel from the skies. When I came back indoors, I discovered the coffee pot wasn't under the coffee machine. Poor JB was trying to clean it up. I helped out. 

Downtown Ottawa was a bit of a mess, with icy roads. There were dozens of incidents, with cars in the ditch, as well.

I am happy all I have to do is get the garbage out Mondays! We were anticipating the arrival of Aussie Tree Care, to chop up our branches. That was an event!