McGregor Muskrat

Yesterday a dump of rain (15mm ; 6/10"). Happily, it cleared by the afternoon and I was able to read on the back deck after doing laundry. The wind was wicked, however, and my laundry abandoned the laundry tree. I had to laugh.

Yesterday, I wrote about ADLs! groceries, i.e., meals, are one of the things that must be taken care of. I mentioned the weasel I had to avoid in Perth. It was on the Dashcam. 

weasel in town from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The bugs have been terrible, sorry to complain. If you know, you know! Here is a horsefly. 

 

horsefly from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I braved the bugs to pluck the trailcam memory cards! It was well worth it. Butch is well aware that McGregor Muskrat is camping out here.

 

Butch on the dock from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

And the big news is that there are TWO muskrats. You know what that means!!! 

 

2 muskrats from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The last time we had Muskrats (2014), they had 6 kits and ate and gathered (pruned?) most of the native phragmites to make their shelter. It really cleaned out the frog pond. It is interesting that they are building under the dock.

 

JB is under the weather. He's been napping. A lot. We have our suspicions, but we'll see what the doctor says. 

Frog pond tails

Firstly, the ducks have been busy!

ducks on pond from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

 I've the camera set as the wood duck is on her nest with about a dozen eggs. 

I think the male uses a lot of energy keeping the other males away from his mate. That said, the wood ducks have eggs!

 

wood duck eggs from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The lone muskrat! This is the new home of the muskrat. Under the dock.

You can see that Muskrat likes several paths through the weeds. 

I went down May 1st, and spotted the little varmint!

The Spring Peeper tadpoles have hatched out! 

I've spotted it on the pond, first time in April. I wondered what it was up to!

muskrat frog pond from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The raccoons like the fallen log, although it goes nowhere. In the middle ground, Muskrat goes under the deck.

 

raccoon & muskrat from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Crumbly Acres has signs of spring

 First, the front window provides entertainment. I am slowly finishing up the last of the bird seed. I was hoping to see the rose-breasted grosbeaks before the bears were roaming. We've a gray squirrel hanging around. I think I can see teats. It is the one I caught on video📹 flinging itself from the bird bath to the feeder. She is persistent. 

I found the Flicker nest! I went back and saw it at work.

xxx

Cinnamon and I went out the back 40. First we visited Fred in the shed.

I went back later in the day and saw Fred looking back at me. Can you see him?

On we went. Cinnamon flung himself up the trees.

The wetland is wet, with lots of invasive European Frog Bit growing on it.

Our frog pond used to be covered in it before the muskrats nested here several years ago. 

We carried on...

Here is a better photo of my garden. 

Labbit Cottontail in the dark under the feeder.

The pair of them are fueling up! 

Apr 26 cottontails from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday's Critters

It's been busy with spring critters. I am itching to get back into the garden, but it has been wet, cold, damp and rainy. I can hear the twitch grass growing into the garden, but don't have the energy to pull it out. The bugs are back, with many song birds returning to mate. The forsythia along the highway is very cheerful.

The mating season is upon is. I noticed a pair of flickers bopping around the arbour. They seem to be nesting in the dead elm, again. They were one of the first birds I noticed here. These photos from May, 2011.  The photo after is from our visit to Batchawana Bay in 2009.

 

Flicker from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We've small, medium and large critters! The spider web on the camera lens – doesn't help the image.

 

2 raccoons Apr 14 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The cottontail is so fast. Which is a good thing. I haven't seen them since the weather turned wet and cold.

 

critters from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The coyotes did their thing!

 

coyotes Apr 17 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The pond is greening up! We've two pair of mallards and lots of mosquito larvae!

 

mallards on the pond apr 18 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It is the second time I've seen a lone muskrat. It is very difficult to spot. It swam over to the dock and then went under it. 

 

muskrat Apr 18 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday's Critters # 540 <= visit more critters here!