Friday, May 31, 2019

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!!!




--
Mike Mason

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

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!



--
Mike Mason

Monday, May 27, 2019

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....


--
Mike Mason

Sunday, May 26, 2019

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.......



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

--
Mike Mason

Saturday, May 25, 2019

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.)



--
Mike Mason

Thursday, May 23, 2019

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......



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


--
Mike Mason

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

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

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


--
Mike Mason

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

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.


My head in the picture......


--
Mike Mason

Monday, May 20, 2019

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...



--
Mike Mason

Sunday, May 19, 2019

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......



--
Mike Mason

Saturday, May 18, 2019

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.



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.


--
Mike Mason

Friday, May 17, 2019

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



--
Mike Mason

Thursday, May 16, 2019

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.



Finally the fox paid a visit.


--
Mike Mason

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

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.

--



Mike Mason

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

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.....



--
Mike Mason

Monday, May 13, 2019

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.


--
Mike Mason

Sunday, May 12, 2019

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



--
Mike Mason

Saturday, May 11, 2019

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......



--
Mike Mason

Friday, May 10, 2019

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 :-)



--
Mike Mason

Thursday, May 9, 2019

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
--
Mike Mason

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Really well lit shot of a hummingbird

The sun just happened to be in a good position.


--
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.



--
Mike Mason

Saturday, May 4, 2019

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



--
Mike Mason