Our first day in Canada....

We started in Calgary - in SMOKE from a fire in the North - you can just about see the sun on the picture...  The we had clear air and lunch by a glacier.. and final a mother bear and cub...   A great day!!!

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Mike Mason

A very comfortable raccoon....

This raccoon is a regular and has been out a lot in the day - checking if I've put food out.  Last evening it was running over before I was back in the door - and talking to it didn't phase it at all.

It was still ready to run at any loud sudden noises!

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Mike Mason

A mixture of cat. fox and careful raccoon - but not at the same time....

The fox was back last night - very briefly.....

This cat has been in the yard day & night - but it does seem to have a collar

And this raccoon took a while and was very careful approaching the two larger raccoons that were feeding....

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/DPmLpylkgmQ

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Mike Mason

Little Birds - and Big

Two very different events. A hummingbird in slow motion...... and a vulture feeding.

I've only put in a still shot of the vulture - but I do have the video - it is gruesome - as the vulture spent 8 minutes working on the dead raccoon.  (The YouTube video is just over a minute and if you want to see it let me know?) 

This hummingbird video is lowed down to 1/4 speed - it really shows the way they fly.......

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/Uoz5POZ7a8I

Nature is raw in tooth and claw.....

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Mike Mason

The Mother Bird - outside the nest box

I sent out a few pictures from the camera inside the nest box- but these are two on the outside..... (Also one of a bat we found hanging by the back door.... It left after dark.)

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Mike Mason

Activity at the seed block....

The eggs in the nest are being well incubated - but these two wrens were on the seed block while there wasn't any bird in the nest box - I wonder if we have the parents....  One flew in and feed the other......

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/l5I1kKPG4l4

Then the squirrels got involved with a fight.....  (Video slowed to half speed....)

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/te9-iosEbeE

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Mike Mason

I'm hungry - get your act together......

This mother raccoon wasn't very happy with the delay in getting the seed out!!!!

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Mike Mason

The raccoons now own the backyard.........

The raccoons are getting very comfortable with me being around - or very hungry.  I put the food out, walked to the front to put trash in the bin. The raccoon was at the food tray before I got back - and wasn't going to run.  My head goes through the video.  I'm about 25 feet from the raccoon!!  The bird is still looking after its eggs.

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/49Aa1qSKu4M

My head in the picture......

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Mike Mason

No More Eggs......

The last egg was laid in the bird box yesterday morning - and now the mother is incubating them.  She spend most of yesterday and all night on the eggs.  Now we wait for the hatching - 12 to 14 days.....

Not to forget the wildlife - a large rabbit in the backyard this morning...

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Mike Mason

Day Seven - A seventh egg!!!!

Our little bird laid a seventh egg this morning - at the usual time - about 6:30am.  It spent a lot of time on the nest yesterday and during the night - so it might be the start of incubation.  

Overall a quiet night - some raccoon visits, but nothing else......

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Mike Mason

Day Six - another egg! And a coyote visit......

At about the same time this morning - another egg!!! 

The actual video was much longer - this is just the end.

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/NI_3KjoTOxc

We had a sick raccoon out this morning - thought it was dead - but it wondered off into the woods.  And last night a coyote came through - quite a whole since we have seen one.

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/QwShzDcKBSA

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Mike Mason

Day Five - five eggs... And going small....

The fifth egg laid this morning between 6:27am and 6:34am - and I was was watching it happen...

Now,I have pictures of the large animals (deer to possums) but these are some of the small - chipmunks and humming birds.

Trapeze Artist Chipmunk YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/4YPRt4Jwmo4

 

Humming Bird YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/qJL1Q9mXydE

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Mike Mason

Lots of activity.

Lots of activity.  Fourth egg laid, squirrels and raccoons on the seed tray, and a visit from the fox - which we haven't seen for a while.

Day Four - Four Eggs Laid.  Pretty much at the same time - fourth egg laid between 6:25am and 6:45am.

Squirrel was on the seed tray - but jumped off when the raccoon came along.

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/Agcdckrm9Ik

Finally the fox paid a visit.

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/vsgSInnwhls

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Mike Mason

Day Three - Three Eggs. And raccoons & Possums

A third egg was laid in the nest this morning.  Happens about the same time each day - 6:30ish.

We also had a very polite raccoon waiting its turn - and a raccoon and possum nicely sharing..

The raccoons are now regulars during the day.

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Mike Mason

Bird Nest Update

A second egg was laid in the nest this morning.  After checking information yesterday, it seems that it is likely an egg a day will be laid until the whole clutch is laid, then the mother will incubate them until they hatch.  So, hopefully, more eggs to come.....

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Mike Mason

New Grandparents..... of an egg!!!!

We have a bird house - with an infra-red camera - and between 6:42am and 7:27am this morning, the bird laid an egg.

6:42am

7:27am

7:2am - We can see the egg.

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Mike Mason

A VERY busy night.....

Lots of activity last night.  Cat & raccoon face-off, a three raccoon fight, a raccoon standing tall, and finally and peaceful rabbit.....

Cat - raccoon face-off : YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/3dMDjFGpIRU

Three raccoons share, then fight : YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/SKICDjrPxkk

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Mike Mason

All Day Raccoon.......

We had a raccoon day yesterday.  This one seemed to be around all day.

The cat in the background was waiting for birds to come down - and just watched the raccoon walk through.  The raccoon wasn't so happy when it saw the cat......

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/hutVddbplGM

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Mike Mason

Raccoons all day long......

We have raccoons over night, in the afternoon, and now this one this morning at about 8:30am.

Soon, they look at me as I go outside and ask what I'm doing in THEIR backyard :-)

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Mike Mason

Lots of activity yesterday.....

Lots going on yesterday.  We had three evening raccoons at about 6:00pm.  There is a bird nesting in out bird house.  It has been building its nest - and now seems to be sitting in more and more.  Hopefully we will see eggs and then hatchlings.  The humming birds were also visiting.

Hummingbird YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/GwyY9K3LaGc

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Mike Mason

Really well lit shot of a hummingbird

The sun just happened to be in a good position.

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Mike Mason

We now have two regular visitors in the evening...

These two raccoons have been visiting for the past few evenings. One is running around during the afternoon.

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Mike Mason

A bunch of stuff - Raccoons & Possums, Hummingbirds and a nesting visitor....

Lots of Spring time activity.  Raccoons and possums sharing - again.  More hummingbird visits, and hopefully a bird starting to nest in our bird box. (Thanks to Janie for noticing this..)

Hummingbird YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/sHXeYYHhSyE

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Mike Mason

I think the hummingbirds are here to stay for the Summer.

YouTube Video : https://youtu.be/GOXLEelIZKs

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Mike Mason

Raccoon and very Rotund Possum.......

The raccoons and possums are sharing - but the possum is VERY rotund.  I suspect a pouch of little ones......

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/WvDMdAr8RvM

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Mike Mason