Saturday's Critters

It was a banner day. JB asked if I wanted to go for a drive and look for things to photograph. Hah! There was lots to see at home. 

I'd done my morning workout, JB did his walkabout. He spotted a porcupine on his walk. After I posted the 📹video of our Porky with the gimpy leg, a porcupine was hit on the highway. I was glad to hear that he saw another one.

From there I decided I could hear a red-tailed hawk, or a blue jay imitating them, and walked down the path to the forest. It called, again, and I knew I was on the right track. Suddenly, it flew over my head.  Hearing the hawk across the highway, up I went to see what I could see.

red-tailed hawk Sept 8 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

From there, I skirted around the yard, headed towards the back. I've elm trees down and ought to chop them up for firewood (non-mental note). I have to dodge those leopard frogs, nestled in the dewy grass looking for yummy friends. 

As I came around the corner, I scared Fred Groundhog as much as myself. He's been appearing from time-to-time. I think he has abandoned the wood pile for a hole just in the forest.

fred Sept 2 #6 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

After Fred disappeared, I walked to see if I could see his hole and nearly stepped on a jumping forest mouse, who jumped to get away from me.

jumping forest mouse from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The few Monarchs we have sail on the summer-like breeze in the backyard. The robins are happy having a bath in the water fountain. There were a half dozen of them taking turns. 

The Robin was eating wild grapes:

robin Sept. 5 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

From there, they all needed baths, but the Cardinal watched them.

robins bathing from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

cardinal & robins from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It is funny watching their behaviour. The cardinal watches. The other robin comes up and the first one chases it away.

The raccoons are active in the forest at night.

Butch & kits from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🐝HORNETS

From there, I looked up at the Hornet's paper nest and found another one. Having seen it several weeks ago, I'd walked down to the lower deck but could not spot it. This time it was obvious. The large hornets are buzzing in and out. They leave us alone and we leave them alone. 

hornets Sept. 5 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I've found out a bit more about these frequent flyers. From Iowa State U, I found out that there are about 100 - 400 drones in each nest, with one queen. They build up to 400 nearer the end of summer. The old queen will lay new queens, they will go off and mate, with the new queens hibernating after mating. The old queens and drones die off in winter.  

They have a typical four-stage life span: egg, larvae, pupa and adult. 

From Wiki: Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0 

Thanks to Eileen for hosting! 

Saturday's Critters # 456

🐸Happy critters🐇

  We just went into lockdown again last week. We managed to get all our healthcare needs attended to. One of us had a footcare appointment, a blood test, physiotherapy,  an X-ray (for his sore neck), and a vision checkup. All went well. 

I managed to go to the dentist, while JB picked up his regular homeopathic meds from the gym. The gym was closed, but they have essential services, like massage therapy, housed in the building. Our naturopathic doctor has an office there, as well. She leaves him his meds at the front desk.

Our healthcare professionals have had their first vaccine dose. My massage therapist, our dental office staff, as well.

Restaurants are surviving doing Take Out only.

We tootled on home for lunch. JB had picked up Subway sandwiches for us. 

I visited the trailcams and found lots of critters. They are all happy with the green grass. The critters are much more active these days. It's wonderful to see. That fresh hope of spring.🐰

Food fight: this is why it is illegal here, and in many other countries, to take in wild animals. They are wild. Butch food fight   

Talk about 'quick like a bunny!'

 

Quick like a Bunny part 2.

It made it to the backyard, if it is the same one!

 

backyard bunny from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

April 4th, Porcupine  still has a leaf stuck to his butt! Here is a daytime photo.

He hauled out the skin of the pumpkin that has sat here since the fall. There were a few seeds left. 

 

He came back again, and this time was marking the bushes. Porcupine marking     

The skunk has been around, as well. Again, archive photo! They are so fascinating. It wandered by one summer day, oblivious to me and my camera.

 

The woodland jumping mouse is back! It's like a deermouse, but with long tails. And, of course, they jump!

 

We knew it was coming. The 🐸frogpond  is awake, with mosquito larvae dancing in the warming water.

 

Zola is still alive and doing as well as she can. She's putting a bit more weight on it.

 

I've been watching for the wood ducks on the pond. 

They nest in the three boxes I have put up. They are flighty things. If I come around the pond from the far end, I can spot them, but they take off, being frequent flyers. I videotaped them, as I wasn't sure if they weren't just regular mallards. Nope, once I looked at the video, I realized they had taken off, came back, then crawled up on the land. When I went down to the pond the next day, they were in the wetland, on the other side of the path. wood ducks 

 

Visit more critters! Saturday's Critters #382

Gramma Camp in a time of COVID –Week 20 Wednesday

 I went down to wake the girls and told them the temperature outside! 

"At least you don't have to wait for the school bus in the cold!"

I thought we were in for something but it passed us by.

We watched the news, prior to breakfast. They showed healthcare staff getting the vaccine. "Oh, it's such a relief!" said Josephine.

 They were still sitting watching TV, and I said, "Weeeell..." hinting it was time for breakfast.

    "That's a deep thought!" said Grampa. "Don't let me dampen your enthusiasm!"

Momma and Papa took photos of their elf, Noël, for the girls.

Noël  was crying. The microwave has had the biscuit! They'll have to find one that matches the vent opening. (We had that problem!)  

Down at the trailcam... yes, I ventured down in -16 C. temps.

I took a close up of the pumpkin seeds. It looks like they eat one side of the seed and the hull. 

I found out who! mice friends from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo. It is an awful video, with terrible quality. I have officially replaced it with a new one I'm getting for Christmas!

The birdbath heater is obviously working!

This was from Dec. 15th, two days ago. 

Hydro outages

We dodged a bullet. The insulators are popping! That said, I've a fire going. We brought some wood in at our afternoon break. Just in case...

I saw a helicopter go by. A military one.They are noisy, and you can hear them coming.

helicopter from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Nothing on the Flight Radar, which is mysterious.  From a Twitter follower:  "that's a military helicopter are they required to register or run a transponder" HAH! They are frequent flyers. 😛

Well, there we go. I am officially old! Old Age Security! Apparently it takes a year for them to get their act together, when I will be 65. 

Isabelle did her regular afternoon run. I looked after the stopwatch.

We had a good day.