Mother Daughter Day Out

Quick Kiss

Did you hear what I heard?

I'll go check it out….

Great Blue Heron up a Tree

This is a new one for me: A Great Blue Heron in the top of a Pine Tree!

Bearly a Visit

The trail camera didn't "wake up" fast enough; it caught the tail end of this young bear…

Young Bear Traveling Through the Grove.
Two of the three Ash trees have died; the large one on the right doesn't have any leaves on it at all this year. Branches fall off during every storm. I will need to search the area for a safer place to locate the camera, but I hesitate to do so because this spot appears to be along a  main wildlife travel route.  There is a video of this fellow, but he is only on for 3 seconds of a 25 second clip..and he's walking away…

Our neighbor's black Lab walked with me this morning. He had lots to sniff out…raccoon, porcupine, Young Fawn, Mother Doe, and Black Bear. 

Fawn out of Hiding

A welcome sight on my trail camera!

For many years the thick grove of Hemlocks  surrounding the grove of older Ash provided a safe sanctuary for new-born fawns. Evident in this photo is how rapidly the Hemlock trees are dying. 

Survivors and Volunteers

Forgetmenots beside the Water

For many years a clump of ForgetMeNots bloomed  in-between the rocks next to the lake, but then, about 15 years ago, they disappeared. Year after year I would look for them.  Nothing.

Then,  yesterday,  my search was rewarded! A great profusion of Forgetmenots tucked into the rocks along the shore…in the same spot, after all these years!  

Nooks and Crannies

Among the Rocks

Doe in Residence

Two does had fawns in the woods beyond the garden last week. Since they are sharing the area, I'm thinking the younger one is a daughter of the older one. No sign of the new fawns as yet.
 The does are always on alert. Listening. Smelling. Watching.

Doe checking out the trail camera. 

Morning Visit by Coyote

This is a "still" video capture of a female Eastern Coyote taken with a Bushnell trail camera. This particular animal  has hungry, weaned pups nearby, and is in search of food. She's been  keeping an eye on our very pregnant Old Doe.

If you would like to read  about the Eastern Coyote (Coywolf) this is an interesting link:

Eastern Coyote

Female Coyote in the Woods

Deer and Coyote

 Coyote---
You can wach the video on You Tube by selecting YouTube on the bottom right. 

The Young Buck

 You can view this larger by clicking on the bottom right…"full screen.." button

I think this was the fawn born here last spring. 

Spring Greens & Blues

New Velvet

Caught on the trail camera this morning…While we've had Bucks with antlers in the fall months, this is the first time one has passed in from of my camera in the Spring.  I do hope he comes back throughout the summer so we can watch his antlers grow.

New Velvet
3:30 am

Short Video of White Tailed Deer On Alert

A young deer visited the grove…it is most interesting to watch the tail of this deer …perhaps  he hears  the raccoons coming through the brush ..

Raccoons

A couple of cute fellows...

Buck after a long winter

A very long winter affected this Buck…are the clumps on his body signs of a tick infestation?
Hopefully he will move further along the ridge to find food. There isn't any in this part of the woods. Years past, the deer could find acorns under the leaves, but there weren't any last fall.

Snow is Out: Young White Tailed Deer are Back

A Young Buck…thin from the long cold winter.

First Images of Wildlife on my New Trail Camera

Gray Fox-No, it's not an April Fool's Joke: We still have a lot of snow in the woods.

The Gray Fox:  The new trail camera is a "hybrid." First it takes a still photo of whatever triggered the camera, followed by a 30 second video. Nothing earth shattering here, but FUN to have the camera back in the woods.  The deep snow in places made walking difficult but not impossible.

Back Lit Flitter

This fellow wore himself out chasing back and forth between bird feeders…intent upon keeping the Blue Jays away…
No time for eating …. LOL

Third Week in March

Amazing! We had another  ice storm just last week.  Anxious to hang the new trail camera before the animals started moving in ernest, I strapped on a pair of "ice walkers, " grabbed an old walking stick and followed the snow mobile trails  up to a point where  tracks of deer, coyote and fox crossed.  I followed the animal tracks for a bit, then veered off deeper into the woods.  The snow was quite deep.
This is the time of year the Cougar passed through our area of the Country in past years. Some day there will be an image of him on my camera, and that will be the last day I hike alone. :-)

End of February

Cold! 2 degrees..and the weatherman is promising more "Plowable snow" later in the week.
This extended cold may be just what we need to kill off the ticks in the woods.  In the meantime, a nice pot of tea by the wood stove is in order! (I just read..the COLD doesn't kill off the ticks!. Oh well. )

Teapot collection at the Salem Cross Inn