Crumbly Acres creatures

Thank goodness for the distraction of Wimbledon! And the forest.

 The porcupine went through the forest.

The frog pond hosts muskrats. They've been eating the native phragmites. 

One year a muskrat family moved in and we hosted them: Guess who had six babies!

The green frog sits in the green frogbit! (An invasive species.)

Frogbit, Latin for frog bite!

The forest canopy surrounds me. It hosts a bazillion bugs. I spotted a part of a poem on FB.

BREATHE

And she stopped...

and she heard what the trees said to her,

And she sat there for hours not wanting to leave,

For the forest said nothing,

it just let her breathe. –  Becky Hemsley

The Eastern Comma butterfly is around. She'll lay eggs in our hops vine. I'll look forward to that. The three black dots identify her.

We also have Eastern Question Mark butterflies, which are very similar. Both have amazing camouflage, and look like a dead leaf when they are folded up. The difference is the little white marks. I don't think I need to lay it out before you! 

As I passed the meadow, the momma turkey was there with her off spring. It surprised all of us!

 

We took a chick into the bird rehab in August, 2019. 

It's wonderful seeing new life. They were in the front yard one year. Aug., 2017.

It's a busy yard!

Well, my end-of-season chores are underway. Good question about the chestnuts, Patio Postcards. I don't eat them, I save them as decor and throw them out in winter. They red squirrel drops them, but doesn't eat them after they fall!

Yesterday, I used the kids' power washer on the flag stones. I'll have a new project next spring, (maybe!) lifting the stones and putting sand underneath. They seem to be sinking. 

🐠Today is goldfish day. It is supposed to be sunny, although we're at 2 C. right now. I'll drain the pond a bit, and give it a go. Tomorrow is supposed to be fine, as well, but tomorrow I'm getting my Spikevax shot. I'll assume it'll all go fine, but I will have two days to get fish in. They can be stubborn! 

😷Josephine is managing COVID. We texted yesterday afternoon and she said she was sniffly, cough and a runny nose. Mom says she was throwing up in the evening. Poor kid. This is going around the schools. 

🦌 I learned two new things the other day. We noticed that the fawn has lost its spots. A significant sign of Autumn. Then, I wondered, when do we stop calling it a fawn? I found the answer. They would be a fawn for the first year, and a yearling in year 2. 

I noticed pedicles on our fawn, where the antlers will grow. They are called spikes when a yearling has them. Caitlin calls them pickle stabbers! 

clover & fawn from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🕷️ TICKS 2022

I had a tick, again. Just crawling on my hand. It's been stuck inside a piece of tape, and gone to tick heaven 😜. We've done pretty well this year, especially since the cats have their meds to keep them away.

Happily the turkeys are around. They eat ticks, bless their hearts. I spotted them out back.

turkeys from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The turkeys and chicks in the forest! 

  

Cinnamon has been out on Oliver's Lot. Nutmeg is still confined to barracks. 

Butch is fattening up for winter. They are omnivores and eat anything!

 

Butch + 3 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Fred groundhog is still around. I think he just shelters under the lower deck. When he hears us open the back door, he'll scramble to seek shelter, then peek his head out. I call, "Hi, Fred!" and he'll recognize me and come back out. 

He's made two holes, one in and one out. I don't think it's a burrow, just an escape plan. His burrow is at the end of the septic bed!

Fred under the deck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The buck turned up in the dark.

 

buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The doe turned up in the daytime. Gotta love that tail! 

 

doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Turkeys trot

I love watching the turkeys. They are hungry, with the snow covering the wild seeds and bugs they pick up. They've been at the feeders in the front yard. We have a flock of 14 females. Yesterday we had the 6 males. There were 7, but you know the coyotes have to eat, too!

I wonder how many the coyotes get, as wild turkeys can fly. The coyotes just have to be vigilant. Despite the silly lobbying by the bird agencies, our cats haven't snagged any birds in months. Birds fly away!



I guess they are camera shy, as I tried to get a photo, they all marched off!



It's hard to believe that the turkey pullets were just wee in the spring. You can't tell them apart from the adults now. Here they are in the yard in the greenery in May. They gather in gender-based groups in winter. April 25th is turkey hunting season in Ontario. They have time.

I love the deer turkey interactions.

Also at the feeder, a pair of rock pigeons! I do not know where they came from. They tend to live in flocks, and hang out at local farms and barns. They were a lovely surprise. Too bad the local Christmas bird count was on Saturday! Meantime, none of the lovely birds fellow bird watchers get: cardinals, grosbeaks, purple finches. Many later in the winter...

My 2019 Christmas bird count: 

Mourning doves =  11
Blue Jays =  2
Chickadees =  7
Hairy woodpecker = a male and female
Nuthatches, 1 rose breasted, one white
juncos = 2

I have pre-ordered groceries to pick up, also a prescription, and physio to take. I just don't have the energy to shop, and JB is a seething breeding cough factory. JB's doctor's office called and his lungs are clear after his x-ray. Hopefully we can kick this cold virus soon. We just must treat the symptoms.

It's a day of Lake Effect Snow in south west Ontario. I hope everyone is safe. These ribbons of blizzardy whiteouts are horrid for drivers.

We're balmy this morning, -6 C., but watch out at the end of the week. These are the high temperatures.