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Tag Archives: wildlife cam
Raccoon World!
I knew there had been activity out there because the water in the bucket was dirty and the pollinator water dish was nothing but dirt.
Look how many have been out there. I think this is a mom and her almost grown babies. I’m not an expert in raccoons so don’t quote me. They are cute but so destructive. All my pumpkins have been chewed on.
They even tried to steal the camera. I guess they don’t like being spied on. I need one of those signs to warn them they are on camera.
Early Morning Scramble Before Going to Bed for the Day
These two are hilariously always active. Sometimes twenty or thirty clips a night. They either barely move or else they sprint across the yard.
I woke up around midnight one night and I was in the kitchen for a drink of water and I saw the motion light go on. They look much bigger in person.
Posted in garden
Tagged wildlife cam
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Repeat Visitors and a New One
Look who came back! I found a giant turd in my garden. Then another one. Then a third one and I knew it was time to check the camera card.
I don’t see how such majestic creatures with a whole night of wandering manage to do so much pooping in my yard. Maybe my yard is their safe space?
The fly through feeder was empty because I planned to put it away for the season but hadn’t gotten around to it yet.
While they were hanging out, opossum zipped by and ran home. All these animals amuse me.
This is a first time ever: spotted skunk! This was in NW California at Mom’s.
My sister told me to set up the camera behind the trailer because she had heard activity. This was the first time I’d ever seen a spotted skunk. They are hilarious and really cute. But this guy is also making a mess in the trailer innards. Hopefully we can get it to relocate.
Late-Night Visitors Return
Look who’s back!
The birdfeeders were mostly empty because on the weekdays I get home after dark and don’t refill them. The deer hung out for about a half hour, wandered all around the yard leaving deep hoof-prints in the mud. Also left me some poop.
Same night another visitor. Almost missed it. The deer are in the way back in the upper left and an opossum hiked through, seen at the very bottom.
Not For You
It was really hot and dry so I scrubbed the bucket and put fresh water in and put it back in its place.
I also put out a little dish for animals that can’t reach the bucket.
But also: the camera has been mostly blank, night after night.
Then this guy showed up. With friends? Not clear from the clip but there were 2 turds. How can deer turd that much? Or do they hold it all in until they get to my yard? They damaged the apple and pear tree.
I was slacking on setting up the motion sprinkler. Sad to admit but one reason is that it’s dark when I leave for work and I don’t like stumbling around the backyard trying to turn it off.
Also, this cutie coming through, seasoning the water with his dirty feet.
Fresh Tomato Sandwich
These are a couple of the giant tomatoes I was talking about before. There are more out there.
Bob was gone for a couple of days and for lunch and dinner for 2 days I turned one of those tomatoes into sandwiches. They were so good.
I also made a peach berry pie last weekend.
Something about foods you can only eat at a certain time of year make them extra delicious.
Here’s a little raccoon print.
The trail cam has been quiet lately. It went so long without a photo I thought it was broken.
But I got clip of a cat running through the other night so it works.
Backyard Update
Sharp eyes will count all five of the raccoon family traipsing through the yard the other night. In the foreground you can see the motion activated sprinkler not doing anything. I think it’s because the sprinkler is pointed up a little bit to catch the deer.
This morning we went out for an early walk since it’s supposed to get hot this afternoon.
As we were coming home I spotted one big raccoon and three little ones dashing across the street. The mama waited on the curb and gave us the stink eye.
Pretty soon one more little one scampered across the street. Mama gave us a few more seconds and then went after the kits.
This was the house 2 down from ours. We started walking again and watched one of them climb a tree while the rest ran through a gap in the fence. Then the last one climbed to the ground and went through the gap.
Has to be the same family.
I do this every single time I change the batteries in the trail cam. I set the clock wrong. I ran the camera all day instead of night.
We have some very active blue jays. Not just around our yard but you can hear them screeching around the whole neighborhood. There are at least 5 around our yard, swooping back and forth from the front to the back and next door to our house. I watched one land next to 6 doves eating seeds under the bird feeders and stomp its feet once or twice and the doves flew away.
I love all the birds.
Beautiful Monsters
Look at Sybil’s beautiful apple blossoms.
The tree is now four years old and last year we had nice handful of apples to enjoy.
Check out these monsters going to town on our cute little tree! One night they were out there chomping away for over ten minutes.
Deer sightings in the yard were rare but for a brief spell they were happening every night.
I love the deer and wildlife in the yard but eating my apple tree is too much.
I bought some deer repellant which I thought would be a joke but bought anyway because: desperation. I also bought a motion controlled sprinkler.
I sprayed the tree, tomatoes, and roses the minute I got home. I also set up the sprinkler but it didn’t work right out of the box and my initial attempts at troubleshooting didn’t get far.
I have a youtube clip bookmarked and intend to give it another try.
Meanwhile: the spray seems to have worked. These two wandered around for a minute, took some unsatisfied nibbles and then left. I don’t think they’ve been back.
Oh Dear, Deer
Look! The deer are fighting over the fly through feeder.
I lost some of my enjoyment with the fly through feeder because the squirrels have been parking in there face first and not leaving until every corner is licked clean. I tried mixing the bird food with pepper flakes and then they licked every corner clean except for one where they left all the pepper flakes.
The feeder is presently taken down and in the garage. I’ll probably put it back closer to winter.
Here’s a nice hoof print in the middle of the garden. They have enjoyed the full buffet of my backyard.
Bad picture but you can see where some rose bush leaves have been stripped.
And here under the bird feeder where they trampled and made lots of turds. I wish there was a way to let the deer know that in my tradition we find them very yummy.
Majestic and Fuzzy
I had noticed that part of the garden where I’d just tossed some seeds looked stirred up. And there was one tomato plant that looked like the top was snipped off.
But I didn’t think much of it until I saw these clips.
I went back out there and looked more closely.
Those deer have been enjoying quite the buffet, snacking on many of my garden offerings.
They’re so pretty, though.
The camera is set low to the ground so they look gigantic.
I have the camera strapped to a 5 gallon plastic bucket that is easy to move around. I did not expect deer when I put it in this location. I thought I’d get a better view of the raccoons or opossums.
I am still amazed by how much is going on out there in my not at all rural location.