Saturday's Critters

Things have been dry. We're not flushing every time we go. I make sure the dish washer is truly full before we run it. Joe has been shaving with less water. Our big problem is showers. It takes time for the hot water to reach the shower being at the other end of the house. I've resorted to running water in one of my two water buckets in the tub until it runs hot so as not to waste water. 

Cardinal in the wild grapes looking for bugs

We're keeping the goldfish pond and water fountain going, as the critters are needing water, too. Then I can water my hanging plants with the water. The hummingbirds are happy in the fountain, as well as the cedar waxwings, robins, wood thrush, goldfinches, etc. 

We've had quite a few critters! This black squirrel was funny. Just off camera.

The birdcam is on the sidewalk, as I'm trying to keep track of Fred. There is another looking at burrow #6. I don't want to fill it in if she is in there. MiniFred seems to come and go. Where, I do not know.

You just never know who will show up, though. The skunk came by. 

I've two squash or pumpkin plants (I forget!) and they aren't doing too, too well. See these lovely blossoms? They are gone. I blamed Fred, but I think it was the skunk ↑.

Bear, Aug. 2nd, he inspected the trailcam.

 

Bobcat, Aug. 2nd,

 

There was gunfire most of the day Aug. 3rd. I worry about our deer. Here is a buck and a doe hanging about.

 

They were down at the frog pond trailcam, as well. Mind you, it's a vernal pond, and all dried up now!

 

For more critters: 

Saturday's Critters # 609

Saturday's Critters

Update on our Freds, I noticed a miniFred in the borrow under the shed. We had a chat. I told her to watch out for predators. 

Meantime, A/C's Sue had a question. I have a frogpond trailcam. One needs to set up a 'camera trap' on a path that is restricted by, for example, bodies of water. This track has the frogpond on the one side, and the wetland on the other. It's about 100m to the camera, but it is down a hill, through the forest, and well out of sight of the house. 

I do like porcupines! They just waddle on through the critter path.

 

The coyote with the bad leg still has a bad leg.

   

 I give you bear!

   

 This is funny. Couldn't the flicker have been fully in frame? I'll have to had a word with it.

 

Another great place for a camera trap is the driveway. The doe on the driveway didn't seem thrilled with the heavy rain. We've had some spotty storms running through.

   

 The fox has been back, on the driveway, just trotting in. You can see the camera lights on the house.

 

Saturday's Critters # 604 visit Eileen's critter meme.

Crumbly Acres Critters

I have found, since the fox sighting, that Fred is moving between burrows. I think I spotted the remaining kit yesterday. This is from May 24:

I think this is a kit, rather than Fred.

Friday, in the afternoon, the fox came back. I yelled at it to go away, but it circled the garden where the borrow is hidden. A little later, I could hear Fred whistling a warning, even though I sat there for a while seeing if it did return. The fox came by in the night July 29, with something in its mouth! Also, July 4th.

As of June 25th, the one coyote still has a bad leg.

   

 June 26th – the fawn and doe appeared on the frogpond trailcam. I don't know where I put the video, but it showed the coyote going through about 5 minutes later.

   

 June 27th – the bear came back, ambling through the critter path.

   

 The barred owl chose to eat in front of the camera! June 28, 9 pm.

 

For more critters, visit Eileen's blog! Saturday's Critters # 603

Saturday's Critters

I'll begin with a #75 report. This is the squirrel we released after rehab at our local place. I think! Proof of life, but not a great photo. He was bouncing around the yard.

I like watching the bucks. They shed their antlers in January or February around here. In spring, they begin to grow back. In the meantime...

 This is Tigger and Oliver, a cat we used to have. He had such character, following me when I took Oliver for walks. His sibling would follow a little further behind in the forest.

He great up to be a terrific buck.

Tigger, July, 2016

By August, the antlers look like this:

To give some mention to the doe, here she is. Still pregnant AFAIK!

   

 Fred is still out and about. 

 I had a video of Cinnamon for size, and then Fred (maybe miniFred?), roaring down the driveway. Those little legs! If you have time to watch, you will giggle.

 

Saturday's Critters # 601 <= visit Eileen here for more critters.

Saturday's Critters on Crumbly Acres

Things have been pretty quiet, in terms of critters. We're expecting very cold temperatures and a Polar Vortex tonight, over a few days. This kind of thing affects our critters.

The birds eat more to keep warm, the deer resort to eating twigs and dead weeds. The racoons are active in single digit weather, but once it freezes hey go back to hunkering down. The red squirrels are really busy, eating under the feeders. 

I woke in the dark, and peeked out the bedroom window. A doe was hunkered down in the snow, grooming. She leapt up as soon as I tried for a photo. Then, she stood here for 15 minutes. They are not tame at all. They feel safe in the yard, which is a good thing for us. 

Dec. 2022

I'm still wrestling with this trailcam. I've read the setting 5 times, at least. Again, 5000 images, taken every few minutes, triggered by snow, me, dratted red squirrel. You must laugh at these trivial things, frustrating as they are.

This is the view out the kitchen window. We seem to have about 6 regulars. Of course, they don't have name tags or antlers, the bucks winter in their yard somewhere else. 

They amble about in the wee hours.

   

 But come around in the day, too! I was watching from the window! I could see a furry doe under the feeder.

   

 It's Dratted Red Squirrel (DRS) who drives the cats nuts. Cat TV.

   

 The Mourning Dove on the nicely cleaned sidewalk!

 

We've just one turkey hanging around. It sees me in the kitchen window and takes off.

 

They do share.

 

Visit more critters at Eileen's: Saturday's Critters # 579!

A busy few days

 That was a day! It went from 5 ℃. up to 24!

🚚 I had a nice email from the company whose van that kept tailing me last week, trying to pass in unsafe conditions. I'd emailed the Operations Manager, who got back to me to let me know that he was going to speak to the two drivers. 

The day began! 

Rather than sitting here in parkas, I turned on the heat, after I figured out I'd put on the A/C at first. 😏 Cinnamon snuggled up on the foot stool, over the heat vent. He sort of fell off and supported himself with a paw on the floor.

We've had deer about. The fawn hasn't been anywhere near the house, as far as I know.

I was out looking at the goldfish pond, watching Jeremiah Bullfrog. He croaked a couple of times – great big bullfrog gallumps.  There were three leopard frogs in the pond. A dragonfly landed and Jeremiah went after it. A leopard frog took off in fear for its life.

 

In the afternoon, a Monarch eclosed! They hang vertically until their wings harden up after they've unfolded.

Things are happening in the forest.

Coyote shares the forest with the deer!  

 The doe bedded down in the forest.  

 The little fawn.

 

Saturday's Critters

 I transplanted this sputnik bush. I've had it for years and it isn't doing well. It had a little friend. 

Our buck!

Porcupine

Turkey on both trailcams!  

 The doe was in the forest

 

They move so fast, the coyotes. Porcupine, not so much.

Backyard doe and cottontail

Saturday's Critters # 558 <= visit more critters here.

Saturday's Critters

Bug season hasn't let up. The deerflies are horrid. I use these sticky patches on my hats.

Our resident doe, a frequent visitor, she's covered in deerflies!

doe a deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Even Fred is annoyed by the deerflies. The durn bugs like the heat, and have terribly painful bites.

Fred July 1 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We've a young coyote. It visited twice and peed in the same spot. Or two coyotes ran through. hard to say. Booboo bear pooped here. It's a popular travel corridor following the edge of the wetland.

 

Coyote July from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I haven't captured a fisher on the trailcam in a long time.

 

Fisher July 3 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Yesterday, the latest antics of our two bears. Neither seen near the house, at least in the daytime. They are good bears.  Booboo was back, as well.

 

Booboo Bear from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday's Critters # 551 <= visit Eileen's meme here for more critters.

Saturday's Critters

It is interesting watching the critters we haven't seen for winter, and others that just hang around. Fred and Freda have been making a nest in the burrow under the deck. The birds have been amazing. The bugs, not so much. The mosquitos and the blackflies are murder. The blackflies are the worst. I get oozing bites after they sneak in like little spy hornets and give it to me. Mostly on my ankles. I forgot bug spray one day! duH! 

We're missing some birds. The wood duck nest was raided. The House Wrens didn't show up. Usually the robins nest under the deck, but they are elsewhere. Happily the phoebe has nested and they have hatched. It's a feeding frenzy! Here she sat and watched me. 

The buck stops here, where he watched Cinnamon!

 

Cinnamon and Buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

There was an incident and a chase ensued! Groundhogs are solitary critters, but I think he has a motive!

 

Freda & Fred from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The porcupine had a visit, as well.

 

porcupine May 19 10 pm from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The deer have disappeared for the most part! Just once in awhile they pop up.

 

buck May 17 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

May 20

 

backyard doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It was with great excitement that I noticed the trailcam was askew. Just slightly! We had our first bear of the season! May 20, the little twerp, as is their way, was curious about the camera.

Bear visitation from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

For more critters: Saturday's Critters # 545  ...

Monday morning comes too fast!

 It was sunny Friday, and Saturday morning. The daffodils recovered from the frost. 

Cinnamon helped me, providing moral support, – or a distraction as I worked to clean the fountain. He is on the fence about 'helping.' Just beyond the fence are holes 4 a) and b). (There are usually two!)

Here are Fred's burrows. While I was working on the water fountain, I noticed Cinnamon going over to burrow #4. Fred had dug out some sand and grasses. Cinnamon had a good sniff. I thought that Fred was doing spring cleaning. 

 

Then Cinnamon rolled around in the sand and debris.

Cinnamon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I wondered why Fred wasn't working on burrow #4, off the edge of the septic bed. The skunk may have moved back in. Maybe holes 4 (a) and (b) aren't connected! It'd be clever to be beside the skunk for protection! I think the cottontail burrow is right nearby, as well.

I moved the Windscapes camera, I found some friends.

 

doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Fred Groundhog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Skunk Apr. 26 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Garbage is out, and it is raining. The snow tires come off today. We'll see what the week brings. I know the day will bring us rain. Sudbury has ice rain.