Life and death is reality in the country

First something got into the wood duck nest box and ate 6 of 8 eggs down by the frogpond. I think they were already dead and abandoned. There were ants in the wood chips, as well. I brought the last two eggs up to the house, and the raccoons ate them, as well as the dead cowbird egg. This was before they ended up in my bedroom, though the cat doors.



Then there is the frogpond. It is a vernal pond, from meltwater, mostly, however, it lasts into early summer. In a normal summer. You can see the trenches from the muskrat family, momma and 6 babes, where they came and went. Also, where they dug into the bank for a home. They have gone to find more water. I imagine they will be back in spring!
There is lots of death here, but the raccoons have been cleaning up the fish, as well.



We were so busy tootling around with Yam, I hadn't checked the frog pond. It is, sadly, done for the season. Just a few Ale Wives flopping in the muck. The frogs have gone. The tadpoles, the bullfrogs overwinter for a season, will likely hunker down in the muck and estivate.



I've had to fill the goldfish pond. The evaporation is awful. Froggie sits in the splash. We've had some rain, not a lot. Just a few mm here and there. It is better than nothing.


They are laying new eggs in the mason bee house. They will hatch next spring.


Bambi is on hosta #6! I don't mind, as she is a skinny little runt.