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