Yard action: coyote sighting

I was sitting out back with Cinnamon, having a good read. I'd collected the trailcam footage. I love this strange way the light refracts. It looks like a UFO! 

There was some movement with the Freds. Both were at or near the shed burrow. This is unusual. They aren't good at sharing. I think Auntie Fred was in front, MiniFred whipped around into the wood shed. I think MiniFred is the dark brown behind Auntie.

Suddenly, Cinnamon alerted. He's my little guard cat!

I looked up, and there was a coyote trotting around the periphery of the back yard. It had come up the path from Barry's trailcam. (Still no sign of Barry!)  Cinnamon spotted it, as did I, trotting to the back here.  It veered left, and down in the gully.  Hmmmm.

I could hear the Robins up in the tree. They were yelling at the coyote, and following it. around the back. 

Cinnamon suddenly looked to the left. I looked, and spotted the coyote peering at us at the edge of the weeds, in back of the big pine in the spot of sunshine. It whipped around, ran back to the right, The Robins were still screeching at it and following! Coyote was too fast for photos.

The coyote followed the edge of the trees, and Cinnamon kept an eye out. 

Cinnamon followed it intently. Safely. From the deck.

This Fred didn't seem to notice. Not a good thing!

After I was sure it was gone, Cinnamon watched me as I trotted down to see if coyote was on the trailcam.

It sure was. The camera spooked it! I have proof! They really are wary of humans, and knew I was on the deck. All was good. I didn't see it again. Such beautiful creatures.

Odds and sods

 That was a storm on Friday. After dinner, we watched episodes 3 and 4 of GONE. Being happy go lucky, we watched 5 and 6! I love the layers of clues, the accents, the scenery. It was filmed at Downside Catholic School in the UK. 

"– inspired by the book To Hunt A Killer by former detective superintendent for Gloucestershire Police, Julie Mackay, and ITV crime correspondent Robert Murphy, with both Mackay and Murphy consultants on the series.^[2]  Wiki  

GONE

We'll often watch a foreign film with translation. We just finished Fosca Innocenti 2022  and it was one of those light, joyful, mysteries. Almost a RomCom. The lead female is the Commissario in this TV Series from Italy. The characters are gender diverse.

She's not a size 2 actor, nor heavily made up. It is refreshing. We've been discussing it, how the make-up, the barely clad people of the American shows, is left behind in the dust in comparison. Filmed in Arezzo, Italy. 

Well, back to our little piece of heaven. The frog in the goldfish pond is against photos. Can you see his little eye balls?!

I wasn't that near to him, but I caught his legs in the photo! I am slow to respond. 

I snapped a photo another day.

Another throw back to cottage life. Caitlin hung up diapers! I have been looking for this photo for days... 

Barry Beaver seems ticked off still. All the trees he'd prepared to chop down fell in the July 1st storm.  We had our path cleared July 30th. I haven't seen Barry since then. I noticed that the duck weed and frog bit hadn't budged. 

Aug. 12

There seems to be some action, Aug. 13th.

 

The Freds seem to be slowing down. The cool nights are doing it, I think. A bit of a shock this morning!

MiniFred peeks his head out. Auntie Fred is minding her own business. They are solitary critters, I've read. I've seen proof as Auntie doesn't go under the deck. MiniFred stays away from the shed.

That sweet little face!

We have lovely afternoons on the back deck. Joe pulled up a chair for Cinnamon. 

As we sat there, I spotted the resident hawk flying at eye level towards us, then it veered up over the roof. I was too slow to spot it and capture a photo. However, this one is a frequent flyer. 

I've noticed several millipedes wandering across the driveway. Three or four, methinks. It's a bit odd. 

Of course there are things that are on the hunt in the night. Finally a half-decent image grabbed from the video of our regular fox visitor.

Saturday's Critters

🦊 That was an afternoon. As promised, there was drama. Joe Brian and I were sitting on the back deck. A perfect day. Not too hot. We'd seen Auntie Fred at the shed.

Before I go on, you can see the trailcams on the stand, lower left of the photo↓. They failed to pick up the excitement.

I looked up, and there was a fox running across the yard, from near dark part of the forest towards the flag pole garden, where Fred has a burrow. I've heard there is a momma fox with kits.  Foxie moved behind the garden, and I couldn't see her. I should have gone to the other end of the deck. There she was under the trees!

CAN YOU SEE HER? The iPhone I have isn't the greatest for photos.

It wasn't over, though. I could hear MiniFred just down the gully, beyond the fox. She was not amused. The fox appeared back on the hill. MiniFred whistled at her again. And we didn't see another thing. 

Remember the two trailcams in the second photo above? Nothing on either one of them. I was really ticked off. Here is a fox from my files. Narrows Lock Rd, with a snack in its mouth.

The fox is a regular. All my fox videos.

More often than not, I see her on the driveway trailcam. July 21st.

Here she is in the night. In the rain. I believe Fred is diurnal. She was out of luck.

   

 She likes the driveway! 

 

Saturday's Critters # 658 Visit Eileen's blog.

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?!

I am. For sure. I taught gr. 5 for many years, from JK to gr. 8 all told. I am not smarter than Fred Groundhog, though. 

 What did I expect? Petunias are the flower of choice! This is a wooden planter, and Fred can climb. The flowers have been eaten, including the pansies. I put an upside down tomato cage, wrapped in chicken wire. Weighed down by rocks! Fingers crossed. I have to laugh. They provide much entertainment. 

 

I am hoping I've barricaded my zucchini plant. Fred has nibbled 3 blossoms. Don't tell them, but there is another plant on the other side of the sidewalk. Shhhhh! 

 

I have an antique school bell. I managed to refit it with a new stand. It's an old bed post. Perfect size to fit into the cement brick stand. I have a chain on it! The grandies used to ring it.

My hops vine has worn it self out. It used to host Eastern Comma and Question mark butterflies. This was July, 2023. Well, a lot of us are past our prime. As Joe said in the grocery store, to a fellow shopper, "The first 60 years were easy!"

July 2023

It's a shady spot. I'll have to figure out what to put here. The vine climbed up and it was pretty. I pulled it all out as it was rotten. There are lots of Bleeding Hearts self seeding. 

The frog pond! 

I ventured down to check out Barry Beaver's spot. I think he has moved back into the wetland, but still working here to deepen the little canals. I heard a Veery here. The trills were wonderful. 

Back out front, the Cedar Waxwings are eating bugs from the Spruce Tree! You can hear the goldfinch singing in the chestnut tree beside it. Our little Cedar Waxwing squadron is happily waiting for the Serviceberries to ripen.

Have a great week, all! You know what I'll be doing...

Gardening on Crumbly Acres

This rock is a beauty. It came from the area where the miniFreds are digging out burrow # 5, under the flag pole. The Freds are in there, renovating. I stole the rock.

 

I've been moving rocks to the daffodil garden. It'll keep the moisture in some, and stop some weeds. That's the theory. 🤷  Then there is my trusty whipper snipper!

I dug it out, strapped it to the dolly, and rolled it here.

I did a panoramic photo of the back yard. It's a modest little bungalow. Perfect for the two of us, 2 cats, 7 goldfish.

Outside we've 4 groundhogs, several raccoons ambling through, 2 bears, Barry Beaver, and barred owls.

Out in the front, I noticed the doe chomping on my hostas on the camera footage. 

It was time to put the deer fence up. Joe assisted me. Basically, 2" square stakes, with netting attached. It is wonderful. Removable in the fall for clean up, and hardly seen. This is what I used on the front garden to keep Fred from eating my milkweed plants. (More on that later!)

My Itoh peony, is visible through the fence netting. The doe isn't getting that one!

The hawkweed is looking wonderful. I don't want to mow the lawn until it is done. I don't want to frighten the groundhogs, either. They are moving around the various burrows.

Our miniFreds are managing. They stick together until they don't. Saturday they were avoiding the shed burrow. I am certain Momma Fred is gone. I think last year's miniFred, who is now adult-sized, is back.