Saturday's Critters

We'll start with a skunk and a mouse! Our Vancouver grandies are in a Panto for December. They posted a photo for us. They are in rehearsal. Both their parents are trained actors, so it makes sense.

Coyote in the forest, listening to something!

 

Bunny in the back yard

 

Fisher in the dark

 

Grouse

 

Turkey time!

 

Saturday's Critters # 570 <= visit the page Eileen hosts!

Saturday's Critters

 I've been having a fun time keeping track of the skunk, cottontails and other critters. I found a baby once. So wee!

This is what I'm seeing on my sidewalk:

The moon has been fabulous. Even as I am critter watching.

Labbit moon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Rainy Labbit from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Skunk (I shall have to think of a name!)

Skunk March 27 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Down in the forest, a ruffed grouse appeared. I seldom see them.

 

Grouse Mar 24 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The deer fence will go up once the greens begin to grow!

 

deer in the garden from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I've had a disaster in the house. In September, 2012, we bought a 60-gallon fish tank. I've thought about when it might fall apart. It has sprung a leak. Having taped it with Flex Tape, it was still leaking.

I'd bought the tank when we had five goldfish and they needed a larger tank.

 

I had no choice but to put the fish in the outdoor goldfish pond. JB helped me drain the indoor tank. They don't make this style anymore. I cannot replace it. It is difficult to say if anyone repairs them. We'll ask around. 

It's a bit chilly outside (-1℃), but I expect the fishies will be OK. Percy is pretty solid. One of the other three is showing signs of age. 

Saturday's Critters!

Here we are, putting some of the critters to bed or bidding them farewell. I'm still pondering when to bring in the goldfish. We were down to 2 C. on Thursday morning, but no frost. The hanging planters are hanging in. The fuschia is covered in caterpillars! 'Covered' is far fetched, but there must be a half dozen! 

I've brought my house plants indoors, keeping a sunny spot for Cinnamon. He kindly rolled over on the orchid light, nearly toppling it over. I had to move the cord. 

As always, I try to select the best thumbnail from each video – if you don't have the time or patience to watch it. I love their antics, though. 

There is action on the videos. This is the fawn a week ago. She is beginning to lose her spots.

 

fawn from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

They have to be careful in the forest. There are lots of predators.

 

fawn from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Speaking of predators.

 

coyote from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

coyote from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The fawn is so playful! 

 

doe and fawn from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The grouse was fun to see. I don't recall seeing one here!

grouse from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The weasel was a hoot. You could mostly see its eyes reflecting the light.

weasel from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Thanks for Eileen for hosting critters lovers: visit more here... 

Saturday's Critters # 459

Sumac on lot #2

This used to be a large, integrated sumac forest. Previous owners cleared it, and mowed it. I've let it grow. Over the years, the sumac have died off. I think, perhaps, the lack of water. This is a parcel with very shallow soil. 

The young saplings have tried to grow, but they are yummy for the deer. They turn the most glorious colours in fall.

Sumac berries are popular with lots of birds, e.g., robins, grouse. 

Lots of birds rely on sumac during the winter, like this grouse.

This was a disaster. They fell over, dead. I keep on having to chop them off and toss the trunks onto the field.

I remember the year I ordered a whole batch of leftover pumpkins after Hallowe'en! The critters loved them. You can see the sumac that used to grow.

I spent some time chopping down the dead trees. It looks better, but it is sad to lose them.

Cats, forest walkies

The cats napped while we were away Thursday. They lobbied hard to go outdoors prior to departure. 

When we arrived home (1:30), I had to wake them up or they'd be out all night. 

I talked them into walkies, which became 'climbies!' He jumped to the trunk of a second tree, then came back down, just like a firefighter!

 

cat climbing from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Nutmeg was ticked off being inside. She went after my new fan! How cat-like, pulling it onto the floor!

The next day...

Nutmeg and I ventured down the hill. I wasn't sure where Cinnamon was...

Cinnamon startled a half dozen grouse. No birds were harmed!

 

grouse from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I spotted a plane. It disappeared in September clouds. I hustled back up to the laptop to see if I could figure out the cloud ceiling, but the plane didn't register on Flight Radar. Dang!

On through the rest of the forest...

Frogpond, all grown over.

Cinnamon trying to appear on the trailcam footage!

It looks like September!

 🐻SNUGGLE Bears had a race!

Grouse, deer, yellow lady slipper

We had an adventure. JB does morning and afternoon walks around the property. I was out puttering. JB called me to the back. A bird.   I went into the forest, to see if I could see it. It was limping in front of him, pretending to be wounded. I looked for it. (The BUGS are AWFUL!) 

We usually see grouse on the side of the road during mating season.

The video was useless. Another one for the @IneptBirder! 

Clip3 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Ruffed Grouse can digest bitter, often toxic plants that many birds can’t handle. Levels of defensive plant compounds in buds of quaking aspen, a major winter-time food source for Ruffed Grouse, reflect the cyclic rise and fall of grouse populations: they’re lowest when grouse densities are increasing, and highest when grouse densities decline.

Looking for the grouse, which flew off, I came across some yellow lady slippers. How serendipitious. Ontario Wanderer spotted a yellow lady slipper. What a coincidence.  My photos aren't great, but the bugs were!

Look closely. Behind the lilacs. JB saw her on his morning walk on the path. She came around the house, but didn't eat my hostas. Yet.

Nutmeg is incorrigible. I had to rescue another chipmunk from her. I've found two seperate burrows. Silly things.

Nutmeg from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Cinman and I went walkies again. He was sleeping on his cat tower, and petted him and asked if he wanted 'walkies'. He hopped down, came outdoors and we went down to the pond. He was chatting all the way. Look what we spotted! He wisely was scared, and turned around and retreated.

 
Porcupine May 31 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It's been really hot. We had the air conditioner on last week. She was panting.

kitten play from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The above video is from a 30 C. day, a couple of days ago. What a change in weather. It should be in the double-digits, a least. Another polar vortex.

Where did June go?

Here we are, settled back in after our trip to Muskoka. June flew by with 101mm rain.  It was a beautiful drive. Along the way I could hear the birds in the forest. It was spectacular, as they trilled away.
Once home, I fetched the trailcam photos and promptly set the trailcams to video, now that I could monitor them again.

We have frequent cast members: two bucks, a doe, coyotes, raccoons.



The goldfish are looking good. They have a friend.

Our hops vine has been growing majestically. The question mark and comma butterflies like it and lay eggs here.

Once home, back to routines. Usually, I work out at 10 a.m., but with the heat, I took it easy. July 2nd, I went out at 11:00 to get the SD cards. Look who was there about an hour before me!

On the trailcam,  a fine male bear. (You can see dangling evidence of his gender!) He's a good bear. I haven't seen any signs of him around the house. I did see some bear poop June 10th, so he's not a frequent visitor.

bear Jul 2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Donning my hoodie, and bug spray, I ventured forth.
Next, I think it is a grouse and her two (at least) chicks. I've run into them twice in the grasses. I thought it was a hawk family, but it is not. (The hawk that got away)
mystery bird from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Just a lovely spot of colour!
 
Scarlet Tanager from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
young buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

You're not supposed to have the trailcam face east, but that's where the trail lies.
Hooper from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The tadpoles are busy in the pond, as well.
tadpoles from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

For more critters...

Saturday's Critters #290