I stumbled upon this little guy climbing with all his might.
-1 racoon
After the keets were taken out by a racoon, we bought a trap. We left store bought corn in there for weeks, but the racoon has standards and prefers local organic stuff. So instead it destroyed some of our corn plants not 10 feet away from the trap. As with the keets, leaving 80% the food untouched. Their modus operandi: destroying everything and taking a couple of bites is extremely enraging.
The day I found our half eaten corn cobs on the ground, I decided it was time for the big guns. I opened a can of super fancy French canned fish we reserve for special occasions.
I reluctantly shared a tiny bit of it with the trap, and special occasioned the rest myself.
It had been many nights of failure, but this stuff is potent, and so the very same night, the racoon was trapped. Proving once again that French food is to die for.
Notice how it pulled inside 30′ of the string I had attached to the trap’s handle and proceeded to gnaw and pee on it. It’s only fair that it would spend all night being a jerk under the circumstances.
I had setup the trail cam next to the trap,
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and now I know there’s 2… So far though, second one seems to have wisened up to what the trap means, or maybe the stench of pee and fear hormones isn’t an enticing accompaniment to a fancy diner.
The Secret World of Leaves
Some sort of eggs under a zucchini leaf.
There’s a Japanese party at the currant plant.
I have no idea what is going on there, at a first glance, it looks like ants are gathering sunflower seeds (this is a sunflower plant); yet upon closer inspection, other insects are involved and and the seed looking things could be their cocoons. Maybe some aphids the ants are raising?
I found several of these neatly folded birch trees leaves. Some halfway done and tied up with some web. I opened one up but whatever natural cycle this is was already over and there was nothing in there but refuse of some sort. I love the idea that some insect is making a little sleeping bag with available material.
Petals are leaves come on, a bumble bee got in and the other insect decided it wasn’t welcome in that flower any longer.
Slow-mo Bird Song
I love recording birds in slow-mo to hear the complexity of their calls. My brain can’t process them at actual speed.
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Snake on a food coma
I kicked this guy out from under the outside shower, it was incredibly hard to get it moving. Then I noticed the bump on his body, thank you for taking care of rodents snake bro.
The Robins really like that spot
They’re back every year laying in the same few trees. A little higher this year.
Maple seedling
Something is making this year an excellent one for maples to come out of the ground. Maple seedlings are everywhere.
Maple Camouflage
not the best choice during Sugaring season
Dawn Supermoon
Not the only morning glow
Golden age of the Monarchs
Summer 2016 revealed amazing firefly spectacles. They left the stage this year to the Monarch butterfly.
caterpillar
I never saw butterflies as very good fliers, they seem to land on whatever the wind blows them on. Only after following one a while did I realize it hit a milkweed every single time. Despite of their completely erratic flight pattern, they are in fact quite calculated.
More bird feeder news
This helpless woodpecker fledgling & his mom have been visiting the bird feeder. He always has a feather sticking out awkwardly and doesn’t move around so well. He bumped into our window and couldn’t figure out how to eat from the feeder while his face was literally stuck in the feed. He’s the goofy little woodpecker, his mom does all the work.
Raided by 5 birds simultaneously
Photo credits: my brother.
Slow motion finch
I had this guy hover in front of my window many times one day, I thought he was trying to come inside but Rich pointed out he probably saw his reflection and was trying to pick a fight with it. Come to think of it, I had seen it chase another finch earlier.
Bringing the bird feeder this close to the big window has been nothing short of amazing, we call it “watching the big TV” and Robin’s been very much into it.
3 on the same feeder
Don’t miss the hummingbird
Empty nesters
They only stayed a few days.
Mama Robin is back
She picked a tree right next to the previous year’s and built her nest closer to the trunk. We discovered her as she was alarming in exactly the same way as last year when we happened to be close to the tree. What a great way to let predators know they’re getting warmer!
Anyway, we’re glad she chose our garden again this year (assuming its the same Mama Robin).