Back in the Fall, Grant collected a large bag of acorns on one of our drives and planted a few, hoping to get some to grow. A previous attempt produced two tiny oaks that are now struggling to survive out of the hill.
This batch sadly did not germinate, so last week Grant put the whole tray outside on the porch for whoever might want them. This morning I found an acorn shell on the porch table, so it looks as if the squirrels are begging for more please.
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“We loves peanuts, but we loves acorns more!”
Acorns are a lot cheaper too, but they won’t be available for months.
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Little Red, on the other hand, decided to embrace carrots.
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He ran off down the hill with his prize.
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As I watched the chipmunk, a junco came to pose for me. They are so sweet and pert, like English robins. They are also called snowbirds, since that is when they show up.
They spend the Summer months further North.
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Recently, we were thrilled with the return of the bald groundhog, as we really did not expect it to survive, especially since we had such a long frigid stretch.
After that first sighting, we didn’t see it again until one sunny afternoon:
Luckily, there was still a meal to be had.
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The carrot went down in a hurry.
That was March 30th and when we didn’t see it again – oh dear, has something happened? But last night we discovered that it has simply relocated down the hill. The slope beneath the house is peppered with burrows and Grant has been delivering an afternoon carrot to one where he has seen daily activity, so he keeps an eye on it. Yesterday, when he got out the binoculars, he realised that it was our little bald friend.
All along we’d believed it to be female, but now we’re not so sure. I managed to get a photograph as it went back down the burrow, but that only served to confuse me further. Males have broader heads, I think.
Whatever it is, we hope it will continue to do well.
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Thank you, Carolyn, for the wonderful photo update on the lives of your wildlife friends. It is uplifting to read about you and Grant taking such good care of all of them. More please!
Joanna
I feel sad for the baldy Groundhog, but it seems to be doing okay. There are still thousands of acrons littering our property, as I lost interest in clearing them up. Three days ago, I watched a large Wood Pigeon swallow one whole. I expected the bird to choke on it, but it went down. They grow like wildfire in Beetley if they fall onto soft ground, and the little saplings are almost impossible to pull out, with incredibly strong roots.
Best wishes, Pete.
The groundhog looks like it is wearing a cotton shirt!
Ha, that piece of carrot is almost bigger than Little Red – talk about your eyes being bigger than your stomach 😁. I hope your little bald friend enjoys many more carrots!
Really enjoyed this, made me smile. Isn’t it great to connect with nature and the creatures around us? I have a mixed flock of wee birds that follow me to our wild feeding post 🥰
Yes, Nature is wonderful. I wish I’d managed to visit Scotland properly in my able-bodied days!