Mushrooms and fungus

 It's the season for it! A bit cooler, and lots of moisture overnight. September brings them to life. Funnily enough, just like the leaves, there isn't much diversity of colour.

I found some puffballs in the forest!

Pumpkins and deer

 We have had some cold temperatures, and some snow. A lot melted the other day, and walking in the forest smells like fall, again. The pumpkins are quite popular. 

I was on my way to grab the SD cards, and Clover and her fawn were in the forest watching me keenly, ready to roar away. It was a quick trip, and I didn't take my camera with me. I knew they'd be on the trailcam! 

They wisely kept their distance. Unfortunately, they kept heading in the direction I was going. It's a highly traveled path that they all follow. The best place for a trailcam. It's properly called a camera trap, since we are trapping their images, I've refrained from using that word. It is good that they fear someone in the forest. 

The deer scrape was uncovered, again, as the buck marks his territory and propriety over the doe hanging about. We had a doe grazing on the grass behind the house. Another in the front. I put a camera there, but didn't get any action yet. 

I love their leaps and bounds. 

 

deer flee from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

These are a bit of a glitch, I think my batteries were low!

buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This is only a few short clips, in slow motion, the batteries were low. 

coyote from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

😷We are all trying to keep healthy. Caitlin is managing COVID symptoms. Her brain fog is gone, she has some chills, and she is achy, sneezy and coughing. Thankfully she can work from home, sleep in their basement guest room, and recover. She had a positive RAT Sunday, another yesterday, but she is feeling better. 

Hooray for SPRING!!!!!

It is a glorious time, spring.



Greens and new growth.

 

I found a barred owl feather in the forest. Nutmeg is quite keen on it. Both kittens are quite skittish outdoors. They weren't feral, per se. Today was the first time Nutmeg came when I whistled. They'd been let out prior to breakfast.



I found an owl pellet. I might dissect it. These are the little bones Meggie got caught in her digestive system. The Laxatone seemed to work, and she's not throwing up anymore. Thank goodness for the belly x-rays.



I left the wood duck eggs here. I'm not quite sure what to do with them.



I noticed a bug beside the new bluebird nesting box. (No birds have moved in!)



To continue my inspection, the wood frog eggs are growing!



Along the path, a ribbon snake. It was quite cute.

Forest bathing, and a mystery

I went walkies March 18th. Yes, we've much snow, and it is quite cold (-17 ˚  C. overnight, warming up to about 0 in the sunshine). I met a little chipmunk on the way.


The wetland is peaceful and quiet. The shoreline has melted and refrozen.


I came across another woodpecker hole. They've been busy.


We've a mystery. I spotted some blood on the other side of the frog pond. I did an extensive search, and found another few spots. I tracked the spots and found it had walked along the edge of the frog pond, there were more spots at the far path, up the hill, and found more by the feeders.


The trailcam shows a deer with some issues.


She seems to be alright, however. They often have burrs, and ruffled fur. They do whack away at one another.