Freds June 5th: escape!

 Yesterday was my report on the squirrel release. They are doing well. Meantime, I'm behind on the Freds, who have settled back in under the lower deck. Until they weren't!

Picture the two of us watching them from above. They are fascinating.

On the trailcam, I found Momma Fred leading them down the garden path driveway. Not a good thing. 

Later, I was watering the front garden, and spotted a miniFred on the driveway. It ran towards us, into the back yard, and went under the back deck. Hmmm. 

 

Joe was on his way to town for errands, I was putting the hose away. Another miniFred was on the driveway! I asked him to put the car back in the garage. The trick in herding groundhogs (or cats) is to get behind them, not approach. I was worried that it'd run away, or towards the highway.

Here I am, trying to videotape. Yes, in my housecoat and nightie!

 

He stood right in the way, so Fred deked into the garage.

I encouraged Freddie to leave the garage, since Joe Brian needed to get the car out.

Things settled down... until they didn't! 

Fred on moving day

Fred began working on the burrow under the deck (#3). By now she'd moved the kits from the shed (#2) to the gully (#4). I wondered what she was up to!

 

 I should have known! She moved them in under the deck (#3).

   

 In 2 parts! I've noticed she wags her tail like mad when she has a purpose: those kits best behave!

 

OK, Fred's saga continues. My understanding was that the young groundhogs are eventually kicked out of the burrow, as these are solitary critters. My theory is that while she is lactating, her maternal hormones still kick in. They move off in late August anyway, for a hibernation burrow. 

The trailcam I'd left showed a raccoon exploring. They are no match for groundhog claws, though. And what big teeth you have! We had a Bobcat and a Coyote trotting along the driveway. In the dark.

The Wingscapes camera I'd set on the deck was great. They came and went. 

I was in Ottawa with the grandies at Grandie Camp for a few days. At home, chaos! OK, what could the remaining two groundhog kits get into? They could dig!

The (now) twins seem to have created borrow #6. At the front of the house.

They excavated quite a bit in a couple of days. 

I waited, hoping they'd leave so I could fill in the hole. Nope. Peeking out at me. I decided to put water into the hole to encourage them to vacate. They covered up my on Hollyhock with construction sand. Also, they are eating my Milkweed. Sigh.

That worked! I sat on the deck and watched until they peeked, then ran around the garage to the lower deck burrow.

Things didn't go well at the burrow under the deck. I think Fred expected they were gone. Or there was a fight?

There they are back at the burrow.

They just glared at me for a bit! I won, though... so far.