Spike Horned Buck

A late night visit to The Grove...the first for this young buck....

Young Spike Horn Buck

Autumn! No bugs! Blue skies!

Fawn Comes out of Hiding

Three Racoons

The Fox Returns

Bob Cat September 2013

This is the first Bobcat I've seen on the trail camera.
Click HERE for a link to more information about the BobCat.

Two Boys and a Dog

S. & K. found my camera in the Woods.

Great Blue Heron

Using our raft to fish from...a beautiful bird....

Great Blue Heron 

Gray Fox

CoyDog, or Gray Fox?   The Gray Fox has shorter legs, a shorter muzzle and a pointy face...and is much smaller.  This was taken in the middle of the night, but the infrared camera didn't miss the tell-tale  black stripe down the length of his bushy tail...

I continue to be amazed by the variety of wild animals which travel through so close to our house.
Curiously,  since the first appearance of Bear Cub, CoyDog and Gray Fox, our Doe and Fawn have not passed this way.

Bear Cub

This morning the woods "smelled" of Bear. Did he pass by the Trail Camera?
 It was a Bear Cub!  He visited The Grove several times Sunday, July 28th, in the evening, and again on Monday, July 29th, 8:45 am....just one hour ahead of me.

Bear Waymark

There are a lot of old Blowdowns harboring grubs for the Bear to "harvest'l

Night Visitors

The night of July 19th was a busy one in the woods: Early-on, two fat raccoons, followed by Mamma Deer and her fawn, at 8 pm, followed by a Black Bear at  9:15 pm  and finally by a Coyote at  10:15 pm. !  These images are still clips from the trail camera set to take videos.

Tail end of the bear cub. He came back later in the week and I have a better video of him. 

While the night videos are difficult to see,  and to judge size, I've  learned that Fox carries his tale horizontally, and Coyote let's his hang down. 

Dutchman's Pipe

We walked early before the heat drove us indoors. These popped up overnight along the woodland path.

Wildlife Activity

My trail camera is working again, however, the wildlife is somewhat illusive; most of the images are in the darkest hours, and while I  know what I'm seeing, nothing is clear enough to bother uploading.

Sorry about that!

On July 6th the Fawn was captured by the camera for the first time since it's birth a month ago; it is seen dashing past in a blur.  He let's us see about 3 seconds.  On July 7th a fat raccoon jiggled the camera on the tree while either a wary doe or a hungry coyote...I'm not certain which it was..watched from a distance; we've had a lot of rain, and most of the story of woodland life is told in the wet areas and sandy places, by the tracks...doe, fawn, yearling deer, and a very large "coy wolf", whose track at run measured 3 1/2 inches wide by 4 1/2 long...I'm guessing it is the "coy wolf" I spotted only once, three years ago; a canine much larger than the coyote we've seen on camera this entire spring and early summer.

July: The sun is starting it's relentless path back to autumn; thunderclouds form to the north and to the south.  I spotted a wash tub size Snapping Turtle in the water just off shore, and a 3 foot long water snake; both keep the Duck population well under control here on the lake, I'm afraid.

June

The lull before summer. Thunderstorm last evening. Fresh tracks in the woods this morning of the mother Doe and her fawn...he's out of hiding and traveling with Mom.

Problem is, my trail camera hasn't taken any photos for 10 days now; have tried new batteries and new media cards, to no avail. Guess I'm in the market for a new trail camera. 

Doe Discovers the Camera

This doe came through several nights before noticing the camera; In the meantime, there is no sign of the new fawn....but nightly visits by it's mother suggest that it has survived the first couple of weeks.

New Fawn

White Tailed Fawn: Hours after birth. The mother doe  led it to a safe hiding spot,  away from it's birth location. It navigated through the ferns and branches on wobbly legs.

The following leads to an interesting discussion of a fawns
early hours and days.
Click here:
North-American-Whitetail

Laying In

Staying Alert 

The Coyote is Nearby

The Flying Squirrel at Midnight

May Morning

View from my Window: 7 am

Coyote in the Woods

A rainy morning...
According to the video camera two pregnant does in the area were very uneasy during the night.
The cause is made obvious by this video..Apparently the coyote is hanging around the area as well.

Here is a video of the doe. She is using her sense of smell...and the fawn is kicking up a storm...

Two visitors Before Dawn May 23rd

The Doe came through around 1 am, and the Coyote passed by around 6:30 am, in the rain. He's hard to spot..in the upper left corner of the screen....

The Curious Yearling

Because of snow in the woods, and vacation, I didn't put the camera out until early May.
This is the first video clip: A doe at the salt block and her yearling....
There are about 5 other deer in the area including a very pregnant doe...in another month or so we should be seeing the new fawn...

Spring Sunset

Sunset Reflections

Pieris japonica and Shadblow

 The Shadblow growing near my house has not bloomed for over 15 years...so you can imagine how delighted I was to find it covered with blossoms!

What changed? A mature Hemlock growing nearby blew down in an October Storm two years ago.

The Pieris japonica is also loaded with blooms.

Happy Spring!

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle in the Morning Sun 

Snowmelt Trilliums

A Welcome Volunteer
Beside the Car Park
Snow piled up by the plow melted  in mid April
And Revealed Snowmelt Trilliums.

Wayward Swans.Strange to See

One of three Swans
April 24th, 2013
This is the first time Swan's have  graced our Lake..
Imagine!
Update: The swans stayed about 2 weeks, then flew away.

April Fools Day 2013

Moose Tracks in Snow: April 2013

There is still a lot of snow in the woods;
The tracks indicate three or four moose of various sizes  being stalked by a couple of coyotes.

My trail camera was in the wrong place, of course, to catch the real action.

Fire in the Sky

Nor' Easter 2013

Sitting out the Wind

Frozen Lake

Snow Shoeing in a Snow Storm on the Frozen Lake

Fisher, Hunting

Fisher from trail camera video 1

Fisher from Trail Camera Video
You can see the video on Youtube by clicking on the link below. 

 I hiked into the woods to bring in the trail camera for the winter...there is at least a foot of snow in the Grove, and no animal tracks. One last surprise on the video camera, however...taken Dec 22nd...a "Fisher."

 Fisher on youtube

Eagle Hunting

Sunday, January 6th, 2013: A young eagle visited our yard this morning.  The lake is frozen, so expect Eagle is waiting for the squirrels at the bird feeder.
Here is his "snow Angel." Can you can spot his foot prints?

Mink

This morning when Al was filling the bird feeders he spotted a mink on the stones by the edge of the water.    My father told me he only saw one live, wild mink in all his 98 years.

Cardinal Red

A flash of red on my deck...
A quick photo through the window...
He heard the shutter

and....


  A poem posted today by craig cornish    

Cardinal Red
On barren branch, in gray skies cheer
Cardinal red
A drop of hope that Heaven bled
And spread on feathers now appear
To brighten skies and dry a tear

The Eagle

The Eagle rocketed  down on a squirrel at my bird feeder this morning at 9:15 am.
A huge blur, past the window, between me and the feeder. This photo was taken by someone else but is identical to what I saw....You can imagine my excitement!

The White Tailed Buck

7:00 am: I spotted something swimming fast across the lake this morning, and as it came closer I realized it was a Buck. The lens on the camera was a short one...20-70 mm.   Wonder if a Dog or Coywolf forced him into the lake. I hope he finds a good hiding place as Deer Hunting Season begins soon. Be safe!

Cleft in the Rock

Hilltown Land Trust

It's Veteran's Day. Good day for a hike. This Hilltown Land Trust property is a mile down the road from our house. The "trail," while freshly cut, is not too clearly marked.  Spots of blue paint on squares of white paper, nailed onto trees.  No clear path, and in some places the "sign" markers are missing.

 What was an easy walk at first, past huge bolders covered with several species of moss and lichens, soon became more difficult as the "trail" started it's descent past a "glacier dump" into a wooded basin surrounded with  ledges and bolders.  After picking our way down the trail, using our walking sticks to test for holes between rocks, hidden by oak leaves, we made the turn back towards our starting point, following for a brief stretch,  an old established "trail" along a brook and through a Hemlock grove. Old stepping stones placed across a clear running stream left us on the other side facing a steep climb between boulders and trees, back up to the top of the hill, and our vehicle.

While the Hilltown Trust describes this as a  "moderate" hike,  for a couple of 75 year olds with arthritic knees,  the climb back out was beyond Most Difficult.

The Eagle

 A ring side seat, and a camera handy this morning.

The Eagle spotted a Cormorant

The Cormorant dove under water, and the Eagle circled several times before flying away.

Birchwood Reflections

Along the Shore
End of Autumn. 

Wild Turkeys

Using the trail camera set to "video" provides a much more complete
way to observe and enjoy the wildlife in the woods beyond the garden. The older camera that I started out with never could hold a charge long enough.

September Still Life

King Fisher

Two Great Blue Herons Celebrating the End of Summer

The Summer people and swimmers have gone, and all is quiet on the Lake. The Kingfishers are able to relax on the ladder of the raft; two Great Blue Heron's performed an amazing ballet over the water, and the Eagle perches on overhanging branches.  Ok. The Heron's don't show up too well in the photo, but theyswooped and spun, taking turns touching the water, then soaring again.

Huge Black Bear

The woods "smelled" different when I took my walk today. This video reveals the reason. He's pretty big!
I do hope he's just passing through. Guess I'll get a bear bell and some pepper spray.

Moving on...

The old buck being chased away by an old doe.  The other deer in the group include a daughter born last year.  The mother apparently didn't raise a fawn of her own this spring.  Whatever the case, she's decided that this old buck should move on. In the 2nd video our new fawn receives a lesson in sharing at the salt lick.

August Still Life

Trio of Mushrooms

Moist August days;  mist on the lake in the morning, distant  thunder in the afternoon...
A heavy rain, washing clear the trail littered with rocks and dead wood.

Moose Tracks

Moose Tracks

Moose tracks, captured this morning with the iPhone.  There had been a heavy rain overnight, and the Moose Tracks were clear. They looked like overgrown cow tracks. This must be a younger one. He didn't sink too deep into the mud, and while they were wider than the heel of a man's shoe print, they weren't as long.

We recorded our walk on an iPhone app. Total length: 2.24 miles. The going was rough, we stopped frequently to "check out" various tracks,  and to contemplate a handsome old Oak Tree which had recently snapped off half way up it's trunk.    Wish the Moose had walked by my Trail Camera.....

Video of Late Night Visitor

I decided to try the Video function of the Bushnell Trail Camera...
The deer have become used to the simple still photo action, ...but the light created by the video is a new thing.
I am hoping that the Buck or the Fawn will pass by during the day...

Visitors this past week

The Fawn's first visit...Out of Hiding!

Later that night...a Buck in Velvet!

Doe Visiting the glade

Eight am Visit. Soon she will be bringing her fawn(s) out of hiding. 

Young Black Bear

 I wonder if the bear scared off the deer? Between June 16th and today the only movement triggering the camera  appears to have been  a flying squirrel.

Flying squirrel?

Going on a Bear Hunt

Black bear in the Glade

Going on a Bear Hunt

Memorial Day Parade

Geese Family Memorial Day 2012: Taken with my iPhone from the Deck

The Buck visits at Midnight

June 1 2012: Midnight Visitor
Notice the new antler's beginning to grow on this Buck

It will be interesting to see if this fellow continues to visit the area throughout the summer so we can see how large his antlers grow...