~(‾▿‾)~ Crows

The crows have begun a nest in the white pine tree. I was suspicious. They've been around a lot, flying into the girl's climbing tree and back out! Eventually, I saw them taking twigs into the tree. I've begun a page just for the Crows.

I didn't think I could grab a photo of the nest building activity, so I sat on the back deck, partially in the morning sun with a sheepskin lap blanket, holding the video camera. 

They went back and forth, one landing in a nearby tree to keep guard, the other taking the twigs to the nest.

See it?! 

as the crow flies  

You may choose not to watch these, but it was hard work following them. I figured out how to wear my reading glasses, perched on my nose, but still follow them from the distance. crow's nest  

 

From below, this is all I can see, however. It is rather excellent for the crows, although the predators know it is there. The one crow sits in a tree keeping watch, the other takes twigs to the nest.

The crows are active.  So is the kestrel. It was flying around the tree. I was out walking and it flew by three times. This is a screen capture.

I was walking about, looking for the nest, and I could hear it calling. The other birds know the nest is there. It's just taunting the crows.

The blue jays are horrid predators. This one was watching for action at the crow nest.

In this video, the crow and wood duck, the crow was scared off eating the cracked corn on the dock. The durn camera pooched out between clips, it always pauses. You cannot see the actual moment. 

I sat out April 24th. A lovely day. The one crow sat and watched for predators. The other flew to the tree. This behaviour repeated itself all day. It hides in the trees in plain sight. Soon the leaves will be out, and I won't be able to see them at all.

Eventually, I used the zoom lens on the tripod, and did a bit better capturing the nesting materials in their beak.

S/he flew to the other pine tree, on the lookout for predators. They seem to go to great pains to hide their approach to the impending nest. I was fascinated. See it peeking around, looking for predators.

Later on, I folded up the tarps that were drying on the laundry tree. The one crow circled around my head. I cawed at it, and talked to it. We'll see how agitated they get. They used to be around a lot more. There were always three. I did some more reading, and they hang out in family groups. They are known for raiding other nests for food sources, they aren't shy creatures.

Cinnamon cat, et al

Caterpillars 

I began the real part of my day downstairs – to do my workout. Cinnamon doesn't like the colder weather, and he was full of beans. I had moved the upstairs caterpillar downstairs for spacial reasons. I had thrown a bunch of cat toys into the box where he is sitting, in order to vacuum. He sat on top of the box, and began throwing the toys onto the floor.  Typical cat!

There was a certain amount of indoor activity. Another chilly day. The top perch is smaller than the other caterpillar, and Cinnamon wanted to snuggle. There was grooming, then biting, then hissing, as 'killer' drove him off her perch. He's such a sweet boy, deferring to her all the time, especially at the food dish.

Walkies at the pond

The frogpond is teeming with life. I tiptoe down for the trailcam cards, switch them out, replace the batteries, if I need to. We are limiting activity around the pond, seeing as wood duck is on her nest, and it's been cold. I don't want to flush her from the nest. It is a busy spot on the trailcams: Saturday Critters.

Mosquito larvae, fairy shrimp, water lice. You have to look closely. 

water slaters or water-lice

I love these little creatures: amphipod,
AKA: freshwater fairy shrimp.

Can you spot the mourning cloak? They are well camouflaged.

The backyard

Green grass, sunshine and my daffodils! Yippee for SPRING!!!!

You Two happened by. So far, so good, no bugs. Once the deerflies come out, we won't see much of the deer. They go down into the forest.

The phoebe are still debating a nest site, I think. I was on the back deck watching the crow's nest, with zoom lens and tripod, and I could hear them chatting under the deck. 

We'll lock that door for the duration, until they settle the nest debate. 

We've been doing take out for a year, almost once a week. I think our restaurants are going to survive.

What is wonderful is that the restaurants have secured non-styrofoam containers. I keep meaning to take photos, so I hauled this out of the can.

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

Book Review: A Woman's Garden

A Woman’s Garden: Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful things

A new book from Tanya Anderson, of Lovely Greens, it covers seven categories of useful plants, over thirty-five plant-based projects and recipes, and features women gardeners and their growing spaces. 

This is a delightful book! There are eight different women profiled. They all grow gardens for a purpose.  Kitchen garden, edible flowers, herbs,  skin care, herbal medicines,  plant dyes and the like. 

The women come from a variety of lifestyles, and backgrounds. The photos are terrific. What gardener doesn't like seeing garden photos??!! For those of us stuck at home, wanting to find some new hobbies, or refine some old ones, this is a wonderful reference book.

Here is the author speaking of her journey. For her, it is more than a hobby, it's a lifestyle!

More snow, new desk!

Good news!  Hummers are on their way! We awoke to pretty cold temperatures this morning, after about 8 cm of snow yesterday, so I don't expect them too soon.

I ordered a new desk for JB. That meant I had to move his old desk, which belonged to the previous owners (we bought it from them), into the guest room. It's just a particle board thingie. Isabelle will use it.

It was a heavy box, with another box for the table top. It's from a Canadian company (Effy Desk), although manufactured in China. It was well-packed, and I could barely lift this box. 

I had the base done, I thought, when I realized I had to switch the two bars that hold the power box. I had to take it apart, and redo it. I'm stiff and sore from sitting on the floor for so long, despite a break! Funnily enough, I've a massage booked for this afternoon. 

It's electronic, it raises up and down with the push of a button, and can hold up to 220 lbs. It's sturdy! He's been standing at the island in the kitchen to work on his laptop. This, I hope, will be much easier and provide some more options. His neck and arm are still sore, lo these many months. I loathe seeing him in pain. I warned Caitlin, there goes the family fortune, again, but it's only money and if it helps...

Outdoors, the snow began to melt in the afternoon when the sun came out. 

This morning, we're back to freezing temperatures (-2 C.) and a skiff of snow. The poor daffodils are hanging their wee heads in the cold. I can't bear to look at them!

Yesterday, Cinnamon and I went walkies to fetch trailcam memory cards. One wood duck box has eggs, another box has had a duck in to settle the wood shavings. The oldest box doesn't seem to have a candidate. I've been really careful to stay away from the box with the nesting wood duck, as it's too cold for the eggs to be left for long. She'll come down out of the box for food, and hustle back in.

We met up with You Two . This is what JB calls this pair of deer. He'd go out of the house for his daily walks, and say, "Hi, You Two!" The doe hangs around, and has for a couple of years. Her yearling won't be with her long, as its a male, and they go off to their own winter yards, splitting up for the summer, as well. 

It's funny, seeing Cinnamon on the dock. I've been putting cracked corn in the flower pot for them. I think the ducks  were hopeful that he was going to feed them.