Feed the birds...

 It has been a tad chilly. Yesterday morning it was -35˚ C., this morning we're up to a balmy -12˚ C., and it is expected to go to 2˚! Above zero!

JB took a drive into town to fetch our renewed prescriptions, and to give the car a bit of a run. We have a garage, but at these temperatures, you are wise to run it somewhere.

What did I do? I thought about going for a walk down to the trailcams, but avoided the urge once I refilled feeders. Instead, bird watching has been fun through the front window. We have the usual visitors, like the cardinals. They are buddies with the American tree sparrows.  

The mourning doves get along with the sparrows, as well. 

I looked out, at one point, and saw some dark, speckled birds. Zooming in, I realize they were starlings. It is a tad chilly for them. Some years we have robins over winter, but not this year. Apparently we have starlings over winter some years, as well.

They hung out with the mourning doves in the sun, on the tree branches. The doves didn't really care.

The blue jays are bullies, and won't share at all! This one was all puffed up for insulation.

Blue Jay from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

feeder sharing from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I have to watch this, again! This was from 2016. Have the girls ever grown! They are young ladies, now.

 

Hot water & steam from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Book Review: Camera Trapping Guide

 I follow a Facebook trailcam camera and video group. The author of the book, Janet Pesaturo, is one of the administrators. She posted information about her book, and I bought it for myself for my birthday, Dec. 26th. (That's how we roll here!)

There are a lot of books out about critters. It is often difficult to choose which is best for you. I have general guide books about eastern birds, moths, insects, and mammals. I've interesting books, like my latest on animal scat! Scat Finder I've books specific to deer, owls, and bears. 

Janet explains that when she began setting out camera traps, she would go out with her mammal field guide, a tracking guide, and a summary of the critter's behaviour. She took the initiative to write this book to help us understand how, when, and where to place cameras, and she provides good information on 35 mammals, 5 birds, and alligators. Now, I don't need to know about alligators, but it was fun to read.

Amazon provides a preview, and the table of contents lists the critters. Each chapter is devoted to one animal, and follows a consistent format: physical characteristics, tracks and trails, diet, scat and urine, habitat, breeding, then rounding it off with specific camera trapping tips.

Chapter two
Eastern Cottontail

If I have any constructive criticism, it is that the durn maps end at the Canada/US border. I've been researching woodland voles (meadow voles, as Janet calls them), for example, and learned a lot about them. I still don't know why they are going into the mouse hole in the house, and that remains a mystery. 

It helps to understand a species to know where to place a camera. It pays to track them, and understanding paths that they follow. My frogpond trailcam, for example, is a heavily trodden path between the wetland and the pond. Many critters prefer to stay on dry land whilst making their way through their habitat. What I notice is that in winter, when the frog pond is frozen, they avoid the camera. Little twerps!

Janet wrote a blog called, One Acre Farm, all about homesteading. She has a new blog, Winterberry Wildlife. There is so much information on them. 

I do recommend the book. It is full a lot of excellent information not found elsewhere. 

BTW  I learned how to refine my camera trapping skills from my photographer internet buddy (we've never met!) who has a video from last year with the buck losing its antler on film. He camera traps in a large forest and writes about wildlife photography. 

For me, camera trapping has been hit and miss. I've learned a lot by my mistakes. 

Today, we begin with - 30 C. temperatures. There won't be much on the cameras today. 

The birds, mourning doves and starlings nestle in the evergreen.

From large to small, we film them all!

backyard deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Richard Deer has lost his antlers, he'll regrow them in spring, but he still wears a figurative crown.

bossy Richard deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I've been experimenting on the front porch, where the birds scatter seeds from the feeder.

American Tree Sparrow from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

mice and cats from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

For more critters: Saturday's Critters # 477. 

TV shows, critters, grandies

The days have been a tad chilly.  In the evenings we snuggle in. Clever people go out at night and photograph the moon, but I'd rather not!  Sunday morning it was spitting rain. Sunday night, several cm snow. I have to go out soon, shovel the walk and take the garbage down the driveway. 

📺 Karen Pirie is a 3-part series we watched last week. It is a heart-warming and excellent story about a cold case (2022). It is a good tale.

The show is written based on the novel The Distant Echo of the Inspector Karen Pirie series by Val McDermid.^[1] [2]

📺  We found The Long Call, a 4-episode British series (2021). There are rumours of a season 2, as well.

The Long Call is a British crime drama television series developed by Kelly Jones and Silverprint Pictures based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Ann Cleeves. Set in Devon.

The critters have been busy. Primarily in the dark of the night. 

I set up the trailcam to capture mice friends. Every morning the cats go out on the deck to check them out. Then they come in for breakfast.

cats on deck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

One black squirrel, tree sparrows, a red squirrel. I figured out if I put the trailcam on the deck, I could film some friends. I did!

front deck action from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It is the Year of the Rabbit, and I am doing my part. 

Poor thing, in the snow. She saw me and froze. Figured out I wasn't a threat. You can see her chewing on a lilac branch. Hubby headed out for errands, and she fled to under the tree. They are crepuscular, appearing dusk and dawn, although she is getting out earlier in the evening and staying out later in the morning. Jan. 19.

Labbit from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I spotted a hawk in a tree off the driveway. See it? No, you cannot. I went outside to film it and it disappeared. 

Then it landed on Labbit's lilac tree. I was so excited!

kestrel from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The hawks like the bird feeder. We've had a sharp-shinned hawk, as well. These are from 2015.

I like to multitask, and while we were watching taped tennis games, I sorted through the camera footage. It is our barred owl! She is looking for mice friends under the bird feeders.

midnight owl from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Finally, I leave you with our grandies. The first photo, below, was from a week ago when we celebrated Christmas.

Where does the time go?! They are gr. 7 & 10 now. They both had haircuts! They've had long hair for years, but they are changing it up.

This stool we had made when Josephine was small, 2009. 'Two-cut Kent' made it for us in Bala. She still fits! 

Josephine's haircut is called a Wolf Cut! 

House Wren action!

July 13th I decided I should clear it out. This is the super duper Bluebird nesting box, with two sides that open up. It is a clever design. We've not had bluebirds, though! 

The House Wrens began renovations in June, stuffing it with sticks. You can see what it looked like full of sticks. This prevents other, bigger birds from invading. This side opens for viewing, the other side doesn't have the divider and is great for easy cleaning.

This is what was in the nest. I did some cleaning out, after researching it. I thought it best to clean it out. There were moths, droppings, and debris. Often our wood duck nest boxes have buggy invaders. They suggest washing them out with soap and water or a hose,  but that'll require a bucket. Maybe today! 

There was one egg left. 

OK, back to the action. As I sat on my deck, I can hear the twitters and trills of the House Wrens. It is lovely. June 18th we were anticipating the gutter replacement, the birds having done some nice renos to the green nesting box, decided to abandon it. I don't blame them. It was quite noisy. You can see a couple of sticks poking out. They stuff it to stop bigger birds from getting in. 

July 13th, I noticed the absence of sticks, they'd been moved. (Nice new eavestrough, though!) They've been at it. I don't know, I wonder if it is the same pair or another one?  

The action was fun to watch. Teeny birds, and big sticks!

House wren nest building from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This is nest building in nest box #2. It is fascinating, and hard work.

house wren nest #2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Just after I cleaned the nest, I spotted a pair of brown-crested flycatchers on top of the box.  

Brown-crested flycatcher from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

  A sparrow was having a bath in the water fountain. It's a popular spot for birds. I had an oriole there📹 last week. Also, a male rose-breasted grosbeak📹. I saw the robin chase away the female grosbeak, too.

sparrow from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday's Critters # 448 <= if you like critters! Thanks to Eileen for hosting.

Summer is creeping towards us

I am amazed with plants like the hops vine. It has reached the roof. I continue to pick about 50 LDD caterpillars off of it each day to preserve it. The reptile tongs are terrific, now that the caterpillars have spiny things that can give one a rash.

I put out the kiddie pool, but I have a leak. I'll see if I can find a repair kit. I fill it a little each day, so as not to drain the well. It gives it a chance to warm up, as the well water is about 4 C.

🌩We had lightning last night, moderate temperatures, but no rain. I keep hoping.

Sitting on the back deck, I was watching a pair of red-eyed vireo have been playing in the lilac tree. In and out, chases back and forth from the shrubs to the trees. It is delightful!

red-eyed vireo from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I like their nests. They weave birch through it.

I managed the baby crow noises on tape!

 

In the frontyard, a sparrow pair on the spruce tree. I had a bit if trouble finding it! 

 

sparrow

I'll leave with a laugh. I realized my mistake in putting the trailcam in front of the flags. I was hoping to catch the doe, but I moved it as it'd waste batteries!

flagging from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday Critters

Our snow barely lasted the day, thankfully. The daffies don't look too thrilled. 

April snow isn't unusual (see the graph), in 2018 we had 20 cm that month. I've thrown the shovels into the shed, ne'er to be used until the end of the year. We're more likely to get April showers, however.

I wonder how the cold affects the critters. The ducks have laid. Although the one box is full, the other two are empty. The frogs are much quieter, the wood frogs quiet, but the spring peepers are peeping. I put the birdbath heater back into the birdbath. We have had subzero temperatures. I hope that is the last of them until fall!

Having worked a week on proper camera set up, I am having trouble! This is a screen grab from the video. This is where the video began. The ducks are so fast!

All you can see is the wood duck  tail!

We had a cat visit the dock. I can't imagine who, or where it's from. The nearest house has to be a km away. It seems to be a solid colour, unlike our visitor, Oregano, from the winter. frogpond cats 

on golden frogpond 

The muskrat continues to munch the native phragmites under the dock. The invasive one grow 15' tall. [Our country is getting rid of them <= local news story] Bless his little heart! muskrat in snow  

 

muskrat  

Nutmeg on pond   made an early visit to the pond. If you listen, you'll hear the wood ducks scolding her.

 

Normally, we don't see Butch in the daytime. He was out on the dock. It's funny hearing the spring peepers (only a few), and watching the ducks watching Butch eating their cracked corn on the dock. frogpond tails 

 

In an unusual moment, both the porcupine and Butch  raccoon appeared on the trailcam at the same time. It is a lovely spot for grubs. It's damp, where the frogpond drains into the wetland.

  

Back up at the house, the birds are still at the feeder. I haven't put them away yet, usually May, when the junior bears are sent away by momma bears. sparrow  Outside, watching the crows nest build, I heard songs sparrows. Also,  the witchety-witchety-witchety of common yellowthroats. They are dancing in the tree tops as the buds open.

Is it a song sparrow?

 

Thanks to Eileen for hosting our critters. They sure are heartwarming, aren't they?

Saturday's Critters #384

Wood ducks, sparrow, deer

What a glorious day! I did some gardening, cleaned out the birdbath, weeded.



On the way down to the frog pond, I spotted a Baltimore Oriole.




When I went down to the frog pond, one female wood duck. They are very wary, as they should be.



They are too fast for the trailcam! She sat on top of the nesting box for a bit.



They've a goodly number of eggs.



White-headed sparrow was thirsty.



The deer!

STC_0002 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

September sights and animal tails

The last of my hibiscus.


I managed laundry, after two tries. I thought hubby had taken his out of the washing machine. I didn't even look. Coming upstairs, he said thank for putting his laundry in the dryer. Smacking my head, I realized I had a double load. I had to re-rinse his, and restart mine. Yes, you may giggle!


Annabelle and I went down to fetch the trailcam SD cards. She was enthusiastic.

JB called me to the back window. There was a buck. Daisy was sitting under the tree, unconcerned.  Four raccoons, and a buck on the trailcams.


Then, in the back 400, evidence of a guest. I haven't seen Junior Bear since July!

Feeder action

The frog pond is all grown over with water parsnip and other foliage.


The sparrows were finding bugs, still on the frog pond.