Frogs, snakes, diving beetles, bat

Spring unfolds... I heard a gray tree frog sing on Sunday, April 16th.

Ditch diving, I spotted a leopard frog.

I submitted my water beetle photo to iNaturalist. Someone kindly identified it for me. 

Understriped Diving BeetleDytiscus fasciventris

 🐣PHOEBE  has returned for nesting season.

I noticed action down by the shed. (You'll note the tree branches which still have to be cleaned up.)

Phoebe has begun a nest. Unfortunately it is on a cross beam, which critters can climb. 

They are not the tidiest pair! They've splattered mud on the roof of the shed!

I put a baffle around the post beneath the nest. I thought it safe, as there are many climbing predators.

 

I was checking on the phoebe nest, when I nearly stepped on a garter snake in the doorway. I know who was to blame. He likes to bring them up out of the woods. He was duly scolded. 

Cinnamon was rolling around on the sand pile Fred Groundhog dug one year. I moved the snake before I scared Cinn out of the shed, took him walkies, which tired him out, and I threw him in the house.

He has been watched carefully. The birds are just too fast for them. On our large lawn they see him coming a mile away. Mostly he releases the reptiles. 

We try to let the cats out for a good run in the early morning. Then, having not fed them, they hustle in for breakfast. It works pretty well. Now, Cinnamon is such a sweet boy. He is scared to death of Pepper, our newest visitor cat. Three times over the last 4 days, he waits by the door for JB to come back in after his walk, dekes out the door faster that a speeding bullet. At that point, he is out until he is hungry again. 

Cinnamon & snake from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I moved the trailcam back to the end of the pond. Something has been chewing on the strap! There was a snake at the base of the tree. I don't think the snake is to blame.

This is a garter snake protecting the trailcam, frozen at the base of the tree! It was hoping I wouldn't notice it sitting there. 

I spotted Fred groundhog across the highway!

In the evening, we were sitting watching Endeavour, when a bat flew into the room. Happily, it landed on the chimney brick while I fetched the butterfly net. JB was stationed at the door and I hustled it outside. That was an adventure. Josephine would have loved it!