Saturday's critters

It's been busy. I love the hummingbirds. It's just makes me relax, watching them! The hummingbird, through the window, from the comfort of my chair, is the best. The bugs are awful: mosquitoes, deerflies and horseflies.



A snapping turtle in the frog pond, bear, coyotes on the trailcam!

Snapping turtle

I wandered down to the frog pond, and I could see something. A nice sized snapping turtle. It seems to have two leeches on its back. I know we have leeches in the pond. I found a huge one a few years ago.

Bear

I managed to get Junior Bear on both trailcams, as he moved through the area. The time is slightly off, but you get the picture. He ambled past the first trailcam, and then skirted the frogpond, between that and the wetland. It's a high traffic area.

A bird, coyotes and turkeys

First up, a bird of prey soared along. I repeated it in slow-motion. I don't know what the bird was.
The coyotes (a pair), and a pair of turkeys. The one coyote just burst through, the other doesn't seem to like the trail camera! It's a great spot for the camera.

trailcam from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday's Critters #291 & 10th Blog Anniversary

Critter alerts!

Well, not so much 'alerts' as reports! It's the usual suspects...

I love the turkeys!



Porcupine is a regular visitor. They are slow, gentle, delightful critters, way too susceptible to being road kill.

The cats are sorting out their daily routines. Daisy is insanely jealous of Hooper and Annabelle. Sometimes things calm down.

The fishies are a mixed bag. Some are doing well. A couple show signs of ageing. (Aren't we all?!) The little calico up top, middle, doesn't look well, either.


We had several ribbon snakes last week in the warmth. It's turned cold, and they have gone deep into their hibernaculum.

A buck and a doe on the trailcam. Butch, of course.


Hubby and I were watching TV, when I noticed a wild turkey fly up from under the bird feeder to the roof.

Hooper was sitting there, under the tree, with BIG, BIG eyes! He spooked it. The turkey sat on the roof complaining, then flew to a tree, while the other two encouraged it from below. You can hear them in the video.



Backyard bucks


They are there day and night!

Critter's Meme

Lots of critters about!

She's very cute, and feeding a family!


The frogs are growing legs!



Driving along a back road, we met 3 deer. Also, a crow harassing what I think is a vulture!


The view into Westport, and a starling feeding it's offspring.


We haven't seen the males in the winter, suddenly they are popping up everywhere!
Deer selfie from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This little sparrow is nesting nearby, he's often atop the trees. I caught him in my conifer, where I could videotape his lovely song, and reaching for the stars.
sparrow song from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Spider, bugs, birds in action

I'm working on macros again. I've been so busy...stressed and trying to breathe.
I'm taking time to smell the echinacea! So is everyone else. I spotted a caterpillar, on top of one, the same orangey colour, but the time I'd fetched the camera: 'Gone Daycare!'(family joke from when the kids WERE in daycare. When they lost something, I would surmise they'd left it at daycare.)
Then, there is Common Mullein, it looks like a strange corn plant, but taking a quickie walk across the highway, I was able to snap quite a few critters adoring this plant.
Sort of a hodge-podge, as this is where my brain is at!
There is one bee-like thing, I haven't researched it yet, I know I've seen it in my books. It was on some poisonous Wild parsnip.



I've been scanning the tall flowers, as I know this spider hangs out on them. I just happened to have my videocam and, while I should have used the tripod, I can give you an idea of this wicked little spider!


Goldenrod crab spider from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Wicked little spider, who change colour! It won out over the bumblebee. 'My flower!' I assume it eats smaller bees!

Saturday Critters –Ontario turtles

A look back at some of my favourite turtles. I realized my old body preferred setting the camera down on the ground with the turtle, rather than hunkering down myself! This is the season to rescue turtles. If you can safely set them on the other side of the road, in the direction in which they are going, you can prevent a death.

TURTLES:

In Ontario we have 10 species of turtles, of those some are at risk: habitat loss, pesticides, road incidents, a slow maturity rate, poisons (mercury, PCBs), illegal hunting. 

1. Blanding's (Emydoidea) blandingii)
2. Eastern Box (Terrapene carolina) 
3. Eastern Musk (Sternotherus odoratus) –THREATENED
4. Eastern Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinigera) –THREATENED

   

   Toronto Zoo Poster

5. Midland Painted (Chrysemys picta marginata)
6. Northern Map (Graptemys geographica) –SPECIAL CONCERN
7. Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) –
8. Spotted (Clemmys guttata) – VULNERABLE
9. Western Painted (Chrysemys picta bellii)
10. Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insulpta) –SPECIAL CONCERN

This was the mother of all turtles, spotted July 20, 2009 Muskoka.