Chillaxin' in the front yard

Sometimes you just gotta take a break and relax a little bit. A little while ago, the following little group was layin' around the front yard.

Buck, doe, and an immature deer.

Could I just take a break here without a photo-op? ?

Gettin' all wound up

As we get deep into the fall season, the landscape is turning. One thing that turned up was a water feature in the backyard in the middle of some rocks. After much hauling of heavy rocks we have a mini oasis to be part of the backyard habitat. It's plumbed with a hose for now, to be piped-in at a later date.

What the heck is this? It wasn't here yesterday.

The bucks are even more active. We had one visit yesterday morning. In the next picture, you can look closely at his horns. He's gotten tangled-up in some twine that he will need to live with until the horns fall off next spring.

Striking a pose for the camera.

A close-up view of the antlers:

All tied up.

Time to move along. Nothing to see here.

Then when the backyard seemed deserted for a while, something popped up:

There's a furry lump to the right of the tree in the middle.

Fox !

Close-up.

Good morning deer

Fall weather is setting in, so temperatures are getting more comfortable. Another buck stopped by this morning. We frequently see fawns, immature deer and does, but not many large males.

Lip smacking good grass to eat here.

I'm busy here, can you take pictures later?

Wow, good stuff over here.

Are you still there?

A nearby doe wants to gets in on the action.

Smile, you're on candid camera!

After a little nibble it's time to mosey on outta here.....

Well, it's time to refill my morning cup of java and get busy.
 

The Buck stops here

This morning is nice and cool, reminding everyone and everything that Fall is here. We've had several very cool mornings in a row now, which get the deer revved-up. They start to get more active, and frequently we see them running through the yard instead of just sauntering. Could the reason they're running be this guy:

No wonder I can't get grass seed started in this part of the yard.....

 

.... or this part of the yard.

Hope he raises his head so I can see how many points he has.

Maybe a four-point, or possibly six.  A young fawn joins in the breakfast activity.

Steady there, Bambi!

Wednesday's Deer Report

The visitors were munching in the yard today.

Are they yard statues, or are they real?

They moved. Not statues.

What the heck are they finding to eat down there in the dried-out grass?

I wish they could trim the grass well enough to make it look like I used the weed-whacker on it.

*Buurrrrrrrppp*!!

Camera! Action! Lights!

One corner of our house is close to the "wild" area of our backyard. The corner has motion-sensing lighting that pops on two or three times a night. But by the time I get to the window and peek out, whatever tripped the light is already gone.

So being very curious, we installed some surveillance cameras around the outside. They start recording when they detect motion in their field of view. I made a "birdhouse" for one camera. 

Looks like a birdhouse, doesn't it?

Here are some of the more interesting wildlife views the camera has collected:



The Disappointed Hummingbird

(Time-saving Note: No need to watch a video all the way to the end unless otherwise stated. The action is over when the animal(s) leave the frame).

The Sauntering Buck

Rocky Racoon

 

 "Wasp-zilla"  

Spooked Deer, Foxes, and a Sauntering Buck (at the 1:51 mark)

Black and white critter in the yard

Well, what have we here? It's hard to make out what this critter is. It's been stealthily wandering around for a long time out there. What is it up to?

Can you make out what this is?

Here's a closer shot. Looks like it's mostly behind a tree. Come on, show yourself!

Black and white, hiding in plain sight.

OK, it is the neighbors cat. Sorry for the time you spent looking at this blog entry.

Cat, would you please at least catch a field mouse on your way outta my yard?

Bambi sightings this week

This season's late Bambi was spotted again out in the backyard. A doe hangs around all the time which will of course be the mother. We spot mom feeding the fawn every so often.

Mommy, where are you?

The fawns know they should stay put, settle down in the grass and hide.

Ok, you better get down little fella.

One day the fawn was right outside the bedroom window. I took pictures through the venetian blinds so you'll notice some fuzziness in the pictures. But these are the closest shots I've ever been able to take.

Hmmmm... got to be something to eat down here.

Nope, did not taste very good.

Wait, did I hear something?

I better get down and wait 'til mommy gets here.

Today is Sunday and we're just reading the newspaper and drinking coffee when we spot a doe in the yard. It's probably the fawn's mother since it was alone. Got pictures through the blinds again.

Is this a pile of tree trimmings?

No, wait, it's a salad bar.

As usual, the good stuff is always hardest to reach.

In the searing summer heat, deer will eat stuff they are less fond of to survive.  Thankfully, we have a "wetter than normal" fall weather forecast due to El Nino activity brewing in the Pacific.

Fox family forages today

Looks like our fox returned, bringing some family members. We spotted three at one time. I was able to get pics of two together at times.

Let the games begin.

Something to eat over there?

We discovered that only grey foxes can climb trees, and not just curved trees, but straight up-and-down trees.

Time for a brief rest.

OK, let's get back to hunting.

What does the FOX say?

Look at the visitor in our yard this morning..... A grey fox walked through the yard and right through the fence.  He/she did take time to stop and strike a pose for the camera though.

What does the fox say? I couldn't hear him if he said anything.

Closer view of the little critter.

Newest addition to the wildlife family

Kinda late in the season for this little guy !

Caterpillar Alert!

Milkweed plants host a bunch of different butterfly larvae, otherwise know as caterpillars. We have a couple of antelope horn plants that sprang up in our yard. We are sharing them with the insect world.

Queen Butterfly Larvae on our Antelope Horn Milkweed Plant.

The catepillar is just trying to stay out of the sunshine on a hot afternoon, like everything else.

Here's a closer view.