Birds and deer

 I am ready! The hummingbird feeders are up.

#75 is cleaning up under the feeder. As I wrote yesterday, I will put away the sunflower seed feeder once I see the grosbeaks have returned! 

Evening grosbeak:

As a bonus, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak!

Maybe a little bit more time. I await the bears...

We haven't seen deer in weeks! A trio turned up Sunday morning. Can you see the Evening Grosbeak in the upper right corner on the feeder stand?!

She seems to have a round belly!

One was out in the backyard:

We had an adventure into Ottawa for Caitlin's concert. We had so much fun. More to come!

Saturday's Critters

 Someone nearby posted an image of a bobcat on our local FB page, from their trailcam. JB spotted one years ago, as we were watching out the back for some reason. It is illusive, and knows to stay away from humans, and staying out of sight during the day. Bobcat attacks are virtually unknown.

It's been seen twice around the lake, hunting rabbits, hares, and rodents. They are said to be crepuscular, more active dusk and dawn. There was some confusion, between it being a lynx or bobcat, but in a fuzzy photo, you could see the bobbed tail! They are an apex predator. This is an image from Wiki! They are elusive.

California Bobcat
CC BY-SA 2.0, Wiki Link

Someone else has posted photos of about 2 dozen evening grosbeaks at their feeder. It is a busy ecosystem around here, despite rain, snow, wind, and graupel! (File photo!) We've another couple of days of rain.

These images are from Thursday. I used the monopod, and does it ever make a difference. Can you see the buck in the middle of the photo, on the hill? He chased a doe back there. The poor old white pine trees are a stark reminder of chores left to do. 

They were spooked when I went out on the back deck. 

Out front, I was having fun watching three red squirrels. This isn't a great photo, I had the zoom lens on, and sat it on the monopod. It's proof of 3, though! The snow provides much protection as they work their way under the feeders.

I love the snow falling from it as it emerged from its hole. I suppose this is protection from predators. I heard the Great Horned Owl the other day. We've hawks, too.

Friday morning I counted 9 deer in the backyard, and 3 at the front at the pumpkins.

2 big bucks from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

One is Richard Deer, the other needs a handsome name, as well. 

The fawn with the wrecked leg is doing well, all things considered.

 

fawn ankle from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Thanks to Eileen for hosting! Saturday's Critters # 472

Stories of here and there

Cinnameg were sleeping in the weak sunshine, safe and cozy.

 

When I get dressed in long pants, and head out, Cinnamon likes to come with me. I missed the shot, but he was on the path looking into the forest and stood up on his haunches doing 'bear.' Then, he went back up the hill. I thought he was cold but behind me, in the forest, You Two deer were running away to escape us. They don't recognize us in the forest, or maybe they have situational awareness of us. Cinnamon ended up coming with me! 

There were deer beds! They scrape out a bed and hunker down for a few hours.

I've given up trying to videotape our Mice Friends. I did once. Maybe the camera has reached its best before date.

Here is a good story for you! 

JB bought me a trailcam for my Christmas present. I was so excited. I bought it November 4th, and gave it to JB to wrap. It's been sitting here, and I finally opened it up, and discarded all the awful packaging. (Ridiculous...) Reading the Quick Start Guide, the date and time was set. I realized it has solar power! One is supposed to plug it into the computer for 48 hours to charge her up. 

Charging it for 24 hours I was hopeful. I grabbed it as I was heading out during the 45 minutes we had sunshine on Tuesday afternoon. Turning it on... NOTHING! 

It is a Spypoint Solar-DRK Camera. Grabbing the guide, this senior, with her B.A., B.Ed., and M. Ed., had failed to read the fine print. "Batteries not included!" We begin on Plan B. Batteries inserted,  plugged into the computer. Fingers crossed. So far, nothing...

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The trailcams haven't done well lately. Fortunately, I've other things to write about. Dec. 24 – Sander Geophysics did a fly over!

Plane CGSGL  – I attempted a video to grab the plane register. I need not have tried so hard. It was on the radar.

 

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She really likes the decoration and the train! We had to move it.

🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

We have had lots of mourning doves (13), chickadees (12), several woodpeckers. Tuesday, a junco, a pair of cardinals, as well as a female evening grosbeak. The mourning doves were huddled in the sunshine, under the evergreen tree, during that 45 minutes when we actually had sunshine yesterday!

Archive photos, they are camera shy!

Bird feeder action: Saturday's Critters

I like my 'fat head', and spent some time stuffing his holes with bird seed! It was worth it. The woodpecker practically ignored me.


The evening grosbeaks have been visiting every afternoon! The males have a golden eyebrow, and more colour.


The juvie cardinal has figured out the feeder, finally!


In the meantime, I was at the bird seed cans in the garage, and found a poor, trapped soul. The yard stick worked quite well. They don't eat much. I cannot begrudge them a feed seeds.


In the video, I just added some forest bird sounds, since I was indoors filming outside and someone was watching curling! "Hurry, hurry hard!"

Saturday's Critters #255