Feed the birds!

I ordered a new topper for this feeder. It's supposed to be a squirrel baffle, but it works well for the tray feeder to keep rain and snow off.  The only issue is getting it hooked on properly! 

  

 The plastic hook doesn't hold well. It took me a half hour to MacGyver it! It has to hold tightly since the deer like to go after the tray feeder. 

There were squirrel issues on that spring-like day. With the warm temperatures, I think they were twitterpated. I didn't see any of them after the snowy day and cold temps. And since just the one.

This is the action shot! 

I counted 2 squirrels in front, went out back and counted 9! They are all Gray Squirrels (black morph).

I couldn't get them all in the one photo!

#75's nest box:

Even the red squirrel hung around!

 

I have to say that the foofoerah around gold, silver or bronze just doesn't matter  to me as a fan. The difference between 1, 2 or 3, in fact the top ten finishers, is so close, by mm or 1/100th of a second. I know all the participants gave it their all. I have American friends. I am happy for them. They are suffering from their president. The orange one is merciless.

At least average Americans can be happy about getting gold. I know many of them are shocked, angry, and terribly upset with what is going on in their country. I hope this gives them some joy. 

I think a better way to sort the medal list is by totals. I'd totalled our top 10 finishes, which is a feat unto itself. It's all a miracle.

Crumbly Acres Melt

Our morning visitors.

You can see my reflection. I've put out my Valentine's Day wreath. I am looking forward.

Can you see the three, under the tree?

January, 2024

January 2024

The sweet female cardinal!

Knowing a melt was on the way, perhaps rain, I switched out the feeders. It's important to wash them regularly. I've one in the bathtub, ready for cleaning. 

It's been a food fest at the feeders. I counted 23 mourning doves!

The Gray Squirrel appeared! We've had 3 black morphs, but this one seemed a bully. 

In the past, it just seems to be a master leaper!

We've a major melt on the way. It makes such a mess! Next, it'll freeze and make walking treacherous. It's no good for any living creatures. 

These are the local snow machine trails. It is an extensive system. We drove past them on our way home from the dentist. It's been an early season. Looks like we're getting rain, too.

This was the last ice rain storm we had. It's a peculiar sound, tapping ice on branches. 

  

Eastern Gray Squirrel (black morph) AKA #75

We had some snow yesterday. I've been watching from the front window. I must go and put out the garbage, though. I'll shovel later! The temperature dropped over the weekend. 

In the meantime... 

As many of you know, we released a rehabbed squirrel this past year. He was given a case number: #75, so we've kept that name. Even with the zoom lens and the tripod, I'm having issues focusing! 

We saw him infrequently during summer. These days, he is hanging out closer and closer to his nest box. I watched him run to the end of the tree branch and leap to the next tree No photo, as I wasn't prepared! This is our broad-winged hawk checking out the nest box in the summer. 

Aug. 3rd, 8:30 a.m.

'

This is a bit of info about our Eastern Gray Squirrel (black morph). 

Eastern Gray Squirrel (wiki)
(black morph)

I spotted one of them on the railing.

   

 It seems that #75 has a friend. The two of them were running up and down the horse chestnut tree.

   

 I was out fetching trailcam cards, and spotted #75.2 up in the trees near the meadow. These are the Five Sisters, although one tree has crashed to the ground in old age. I know another black morph squirrel nested in the saw-whet nest box. That's where it may have come from. 

 

Flying gray squirrel!

I wrote about Fred's burrows yesterday. They are epic! I have to assure @Karen that there was a very sturdy base with two concrete pads. Sand and large gravel chunks, which Fred managed to move, probably went down with the house. I'm glad we're in the country. 

You can see the work he did. (We're going with 'him' for now, AC. ) It was very heavy to try throw back into the hole. I laughed, honestly. It's still solid. 

Friday, the first daffodils were tipsy in the rain. Percy, and his two pals (one died last week, sadly), have been frigid.

Down by the driveway, actual daffies on Saturday! I ventured out in the rain. This is with my cell phone, in the rain and cold.

These came around to bloom on Saturday, in the rain.

🦝 I haven't noticed many raccoons this year. This one was on the trailcam, but alone. We'll see if they show up. They often do turn up with kits in tow. They slumber over winter, and maybe their systems are out of whack with the warm/cold temperatures we've had.

Butch raccoon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The trailcams themselves have been fairly quiet. Not many coyotes. I guess food is more easily available.

coyote April 6 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We had a couple of turkey hens go by in the forest, but Archie hasn't been around. 

Instead, just a lone hen in the yard in the rain.

2 turkeys from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I caught it twice on camera, jumping from the bird bath to the feeder. Hubby has seen it jumping from the horse chestnut tree behind the feeder onto the feeder. April 13. It is a very strong gray squirrel. 

FLying squirrel from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.