Video: Sir Hoppy Swiftfoot!
This bunny has been coming every night all winter long, but tonight when we got quite a bit of snow, he made it up onto the feeder. This feeding station is about a foot off the ground, and I am very impressed with his survival skills. I also think he is super adorable.
Good night, stay warm and have a great Wednesday!
Video: The squirrels
have taken over this ground feeder,
and they are taking the most hilarious videos.
Every person
that feeds birds at one point will encounter one situation. The critters will find out that there is food, and they will try to get to those goodies. There is a number of ways to keep the bird food budget tight - with the help of squirrel-proof feeders or foods - but some also enjoy watching these entertaining rodents. This one looked so adorable that I decided to include it in the calendar this year. Meet the September “bird”.
You can get an Ostdrossel calendar here on ostdrossel.com or here.
Video: Turf war!
Trash panda and smelly teddy are having a turf war over spilled seed. The skunk’s defense is giving the word buttress a whole new meaning 😆 Bird traffic has slowed down a lot right now, so the photo bounty is a bit meagre. With temperatures dropping, things will pick up soon again. I am still hoping for some Evening Grosbeaks, but so far I got none.
Video: Elfriede the Opossum
This young opossum has been coming to the yard recently, and I just love watching it. I called it Elfriede, which is a German name equivalent to maybe Ethel. And yes, I am assuming it is a she. I just love her little feet and the tail and the fuzzy coat. She is very careful and alert, but she comes every night. I hope she stays.
Video: Kid Icarus!
Tonight, the Birdsy cam captured a Flying Squirrel in the yard! We have named him Kid Icarus.
Fun fact: There are nine squirrel species in Michigan, per the DNR. I would not have considered Chipmunks and Groundhogs the squirrel species, very interesting. And the Thirteen-lined ground Squirrel is on my wish list of animals to see now.
Video: fuzzy night visitor
Last night, the trifecta of Michigan nightly visitors came to the waterhole - a raccoon, a skunk and then this adorable fuzzy butt, an Opossum. I am happy to see him, it has been a while. I am busy with work this weekend, and bird traffic is not extraordinary, so I am a bit slow with photos. However, the calendar is in the works, and the cameras are out to capture whatever fun stuff might happen. Have a great Saturday!
The price you pay
when you’re hunting that teen Cardi and put the cam on the ground… Here’s one of each squirrel kind I have visiting. Top left to bottom right: Fox Squirrel (that is the largest kind), Eastern Gray Squirrel, American Red Squirrel (tiniest here and feisty, and I think this one is preggo), and a melanistic Gray Squirrel.
Everybody was enjoying
this nice, shadowy spot. At least until…
On a sidenote, that Titter looks so happy!
Squirrel break!
I heard the young Cardinals calling again yesterday, so I thought I would put the camera on the ground to see if I could capture them. Well, look who got busted :D I really enjoy that background, and the squirrels also contribute to the garden by planting sunflowers all over the place, so they deserve representation here too.
New in the shop!
I have added the squirrel and the groundhog to the shop, they are available on several products like greeting cards, stickers, clocks, pins, travel mugs, backpacks as well as face masks. Face masks are also now available in three different sizes. Furthermore, I have added two aprons.
For direct links to the shop, go here for the squirrel, here for the groundhog, here for a backpack and apron with the King of the Yard here, for the red Flock of Chickadees here. I will also add direct links on the main page. Let me know if you have any wishes, I will see what I can do.
Video: Nightly pond visitor
The pond has been there for a while now, but there are still fun surprises like A FROG! 😁 It feels good to know that we created a habitat. I hope he is hungry!
These guys are not the same species,
but they look like kindred spirits and I loved the color combo. Teenage Gracks have the coolest colors going on.
Mr. Vacuum,
the Chipmunk, is still around and makes me giggle every time I see him. I know they can be destructive but so far they aren’t. I never see more than one, though. There is also a tiny American Red Squirrel around (he’s a little meano and even pulls MoDos by the tail) and of course the other regular squirrels. And they all make it tough to get photos of the birds that feed on the ground. Their nut radar must go crazy once they hear the camera being placed on the ground somewhere.
So I think
there is more than one bunny. The one we usually see still has the white dot on the forehead and is so small that he can’t reach the bowl. This one, however… :D
Video: surprise visitors
I just looked out the window when I saw three deer walking across the yard! Thankfully, an attention-seeking Robin and a Starling parent and his kid jumped into the frame, so Birdsy recorded it. This is only the second time I have seen deer in my yard, it was quite cool to watch.
