Baby Raccoon

We have a couple of mama raccoons who are bringing their babies around. Here is a shot I caught of one climbing the tree.

Return of the Hummers!

Our hummingbirds returned last Monday, April 13 -- or, at least that is the first time my husband noticed one. (I was out of town and he doesn't watch as closely as I would!) Now we have four and at least one of them is a female! There is a lot of chirping and penduluming going on around here! By summer's end, we will have 25 or 30 of them, all of the ruby throated variety. Thus it begins - the purchasing of a five-pound bag of sugar each week! I think this year may be a banner year for them, since the female is earlier than usual!

Our neighbors have a few hummingbirds, but not like we do. We aren't sure why we are so blessed. Perhaps it is the many rose of sharon bushes that we have around the house, or the huge trumpet vine, which they love. The former owner of our home (we bought it in 2004) planted lots of flowers they like all around the house, so perhaps they remember that. I do plant some, but I'm not as "green thumbish" at planting flowers as he was! We just hope they keep on coming, year after year!

Here are a few pictures from years gone by:

In the Fall of 2005 we had a rufous hummingbird come through and stay until mid-November. Members of the Hummer/Bird Study Group, Inc. (www.hummingbirdsplus.org) traveled from Alabama to our place in hopes of banding it, but as luck would have it, the rufous had moved on by the time they arrived.

Birds are so much Fun!

Last evening my husband called me to the kitchen window - come quick! I was amazed to see a hawk on the driveway tearing apart its prey. I felt bad for the dove - but I realize that the hawk has to eat. Far better that a hungry hawk get it rather than a domestic cat or dog, who would usually only kill it for "fun"! I believe this is a sharp-shinned hawk. We watched him for a few minutes, and then he flew with his dinner to a nearby tree.A few days ago five turkeys - four males and one female - came around to the pasture. (No hunting is permitted on our property. It is turkey hunting season here in TN, but those that squat on our land are safe!) It was obvious they were all vying for the female's attention, and four of them looked on enviously while one guy strutted his stuff!


A friend made us two new birdhouses. My husband put one up fairly close to the house and I had my doubts about anything using it. Well, thankfully I was proven wrong several days ago when the chickadees took it over. Then, a few days later, the bluebirds decided that they wanted it. It was fun to watch the battle of wills between them, but in the end the bluebirds drove the chickadees away. These pictures aren't that great; it was a foggy morning when I took them. Look closely and you can see one bluebird on top of the house and two chickadees in the bushes to the right of the birdhouse. The chickadees are planning their next move, but the bluebirds are confident that by the end of the day, they'll win, and they did. Soon we watched them bringing grasses in to build their nest.

Our Resident Gray Fox

We've had a gray fox coming around our place for a year now, eating the cat food that we had originally put out for the raccoons - but hey, whoever gets there first is welcome to it! Well, other than the fox and raccoons, we have opossums, skunks, and two particular deer that eat it. The two deer are a doe and her fawn from last year. The doe started eating the cat food, and when the fawn got bigger, it did also. And they also have their own food -- sweet feed that we put out just for them! We have quite the show to watch from our kitchen window right before dark, and even after dark when we turn the outside light on, which doesn't seem to bother the critters. Angel Kitty watches, too - safely from inside, of course!

Here was a little drama that took place out of our kitchen window last evening.

First I saw the fox approach the feeding area from the front of the house and I took his picture . . .

Oops! I think he saw me!
Isn't he beautiful? Must be all that cat food he eats . . .

Well, NOW who's watching him?


Oh, of course - that deer again! He's keeping his eyes on him! (note the deer in the right hand side of the picture)
Okay, now the deer's on the move. Just a few more quick bites . . .


Time to skedaddle!


And Up the hill he goes. Long after he's gone, the deer continue to maintain a vigil.



Last year I got a video of the deer chasing the fox away from the bird feeder area where we used to put out the cat food. The fox kept sneaking back and the deer kept chasing him away. This went on for some time and it became obvious that it was just a fun game for them to see who's faster and smarter - fox or deer. Although the deer were pretty quick and I know those hooves could do some harm, the fox was pretty sly when he slinked down behind the trees and crept up to the food! I wish I could upload the video, but my dial-up internet makes it time-prohibitive!

Some trivia about the Gray Fox: It is primarily nocturnal, but can sometimes been seen foraging by day in brush, thick foliage, or timber. It is the only American canid (canine) with tree climbing ability, and it occasionally forages in trees and frequently takes refuge in them, especially in leaning or thickly branched ones. It favors den sites in woodlands and among boulders on the slopes of rocky ridges. Well, that explains why we have gray foxes here, with all of the rocky ridges we have -- and caves, too!

Wild Critters in Our Woods

Yesterday I took a walk to the back of our property. I noticed a lot of scat on the ground, evidence of the wild critters that roam in our woods. I thought oh how nice it would be to see one while I'm walking, but we never do. Yet, we know they are there. We have proof. We "see" them with a Wildview camera. Last year during hunting season we found a dead deer on our property, presumably shot and made it to our woods to die. We put the carcass in the back of our property and set up the Wildview Camera to see what would come around. We also found a dead deer alongside the lane, hit by a car, and put it back there also. In addition to foxes, we caught these shots of a bobcat and coyote coming to feed on them. Aren't they beautiful? The bobcat reminds me of Garfield with its glowing eyes! Eventually something dragged the carcasses away and they disappeared. I've also included a picture of a coyote that we got, without "bait," during the daytime, with the Wildview Camera. That camera is great and I highly recommend it for viewing those elusive wild critters. It has a motion sensor and takes three pictures at a time, and with automatic flash. You can also set it on video. You can set the date and time, but ours wasn't set properly so the date and time are incorrect on these photos.

Feeding Time

Every evening at about 6:00, my DH puts out sweet feed for the deer and cat food for the fox/raccoon/cat/skunk/possum/whatever else might wander by. There is one doe that eats the cat food! The deer know when it is "feeding time" and they come around and watch for him, then hang around close while he's putting it down. When he's done, they come running up to the food. We are sure the deer aren't as friendly with people other than right here and right at feeding time because we've seen them in our woods and they run away.

Cross Orb Weaver

This guy (or gal) built its web by the side of our back door the other day. Now he's moved it to in front of the rear deck hummingbird feeder (we haven't seen a hummingbird there all day so the one that occupied that feeder may have moved on now.), although it may be a different spider (but same species) than the other one. This is a Cross Orb Weaver. The spider's name is explained by its puzzling method of making its web. It makes an irregular orb, crossing back between the spokes, as though it frequently changes its mind as to which direction it wants to go! Very interesting critter.

Yellow Jacket Hover Fly

This morning when my husband and I were cleaning up the garden, this big guy kept buzzing me and landing on my leg. He looked like a hornet, sounded like a hornet, so of course I thought, "Hornet!" and ran to my husband's side for protection. Later, when I was walking up to the gazebo, here it came again (well, not the same ONE), and this time I had my camera. After it chased me away, it landed on a plant so I snuck back and took a picture, then looked it up on the internet. It is NOT a hornet! It is a Yellow Jacket Hover Fly, and if you can get one to land on your finger, it is considered good luck. (Does a LEG work???) It is also called the Virginia Flower Fly or the "news bee" because when one hovers in front of your face, folklore says it is bringing you good news. Hmmmm. . . wonder what good news I can be expecting?

Pennsylvania Leather-wing

I finally took the time to find out what this insect is. It is a Pennsylvania Leather-wing. I see them all over the place lately and they seem particularly attracted to the Crown Beard and Goldenrod plants. This is a GOOD BUG! Do not kill! According to what I read on the internet, it may control the corn ear worm, and it eats cucumber beetles, caterpillar eggs and other things you don't want around if you have a garden. These guys are mating and making more good bugs! :)

Flying Squirrel

I spend a lot of time at our gazebo, reading and writing. We have a gourd hanging on the gazebo that we hoped a bird would nest in. Something chewed the hole open larger and when I was up there during the day, I'd notice the gourd bobbing and moving and would hear a scratching sound coming from it. There was matted nesting material inside, but we couldn't see whatever was in there. Since it never seemed to emerge during the day, we figured it was something nocturnal. My husband and I sat up there for two hours before dark the other night to see what came out. As it got darker and darker, the thing would be moving around more. (My husband said it has as much trouble as I do getting out of bed!) Anyway, finally it emerged when it was so dark we could only see its silhouette. It was a flying squirrel. It hung its head out and looked right down at us. About then my husband sneezed and it went back inside. We had hoped to see it fly, but that will have to wait for another night. At least now my curiosity is satisfied and I know what's in that gourd.

Young Turkeys

This year's young turkeys are now coming to the bird feeder. We've seen as many as 20, counting the mama turkeys that come along. In these pictures, there were 7 or 8. The mamas certainly keep a keen eye out for any danger while the little ones eat! They are fun to watch!

Fawn & Family

Okay, I know I'm overdoing the fawn pictures but I can't help it. It is so beautiful!! I love the pic with the mama, the young buck and the fawn. It looks as though they are protecting the fawn.

Raccoon Family

Mama brings her two babies to the feeder. She comes early sometimes - before dark - because if she doesn't, the food will be eaten by another racoon mama that has three babies.

Fawn

Another fawn picture. I took this from inside the house. Later that evening my husband and I were up in our gazebo, away from the house, when we saw the deer family come to the bird feeder, with the fawn! The fawn stood right in front of our house where it would have been a perfect picture, but of course I wasn't there and I didn't have my camera. There'll be more opportunities, I'm sure!

Little Buck

We have two small bucks that come to the feeder. One is a "button buck" and the other one is getting pretty nice-sized antlers. Here's a picture of the larger buck. We just hope and pray he doesn't get shot this hunting season since we have watched him "grow up!" He won't get shot on OUR property - at least there had better not be any hunters on our property! We think the doe in the picture is the larger buck's mom.

Turkeys Again

Three, sometimes four, male turkeys have been coming to the bird feeder this summer. Last fall we had 17 turkeys, many of them young, coming to the feeder.