Fred and the garden

 It's been too chilly to plant my 3 veggie plants: 2 zucchini and one squash. I put them out in the rain. See who was headed over? Fred loves her veggies!

I moved them onto the coffee table.

In the afternoon, in the warmth and sunshine, the kits came out. We still have 3 kits. 

You can see the 3 here. Momma, now that they are eating grass, is wandering further away. She spent a lot of Tuesday under the lower deck. When she wasn't eating my plants.

Momma Fred seems to have moved over to the burrow under the lower deck. Can you see her? 

She is working on my hosta plant. She is leaving the Bleeding Hearts along for the bees!

YUMMY!

The Crumbly Acres camera reveals the early morning action. Fred is quite keen on my front yard garden.

   

 I spent a couple of hours trying to put up some barriers. She's eaten 3/14 of my milkweed plants. Just lopped them off. Who likes milkweed, other than monarchs?

First try was a drain spout, I didn't think that would last. 

 

My next idea, was to raid our dump pile. Using the skill saw, I carved out the bottom of the old hanging planters. 

My next idea was using the netting that I use in the deer fence. That didn't seem adequate, and I added fencing. My petunias are looking good, with the lobelia hanging over.

What could go wrong?

You can sort of see the netting. It is great stuff, and still lets us see the flowers.

Epic fail! Rookie error? I forgot to take into account that they can climb. She just slipped under the netting.

I reinforced it!

I'll try put the surveillance siren on from 6 – 8 a.m., she's there at a predictable time. That MIGHT dissuade her! 🤞

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.

Travels and critters

 🛬 U.S. travel

I am not worried, much. My son travels to the US on business Monday. I've been tracking what has been happening to US visitors, even with Visas. It's not pretty. I've spotted 22 incidents, and I am sure there are many more revoked Visas. 

#22. 🇦🇺 Aussie ex-cop jailed & deported from US after cuffs, arrest, 3 cavity searches. She was terribly mistreated. Her husband is in the US military.

Birding has been strange. So cold, but the birds are still singing. Another single-digit ℃ morning! 

The frog likes his rest spot, a piece of wood I threw into the pond.

I left the guest room door open. Cinnamon was looking for a snuggly spot! He landed on top of my repaired jacket, yet to be rehung. 

This isn't too exciting looking, but #75 has ventured up a different tree. It'll be two week on Tuesday. There is progress. 

When he went back into his box, he neglected to bring his tail in! I'm inclined to think he met a predator. I tossed his food ration out between these two tree and he leapt out of his box, and hustled up the tree.

She wanders away to feed, but they stay there by the hole. I don't know why they don't use the exit in the shed! She's moved two more rocks out. I guess renovations are continuous! 

I love watching them. These sweet head bumps! 

Another cute video of Fred and her kits. They will be gone before we know it.