So here are "My" backyard critters at least for another week. The camp has a couple of cats, not very friendly but in very good shape so I'm not sure they are completely feral. Always on the hunt though.
Right next to the big orange bouye looks like Momma and a young one.
Weather is beautiful and I am getting stronger every day. Still some remnants of my cough but not much. Doing nothing more than sitting in the sun, reading, playing cards and eating.

Glad your feeling better.. Nice Dolphin and pretty cat

Based on the tracks I saw outside this afternoon on the house pad level, the big cat was back last night.

I still think he was just passin' through, but it's kind of spooky to think about him hanging around the neighborhood this long.

do you have any pets?
do they suggest precautions, oh, like maybe playing music or wearing bells while you are outside in big cat country? Maybe that's only for bears.

Mountain lion attacks are very rare, even when cat and human populations intersect. Even though one may prowl your neighborhood, you are at greater risk driving to the grocery store, though you likely give it little thought.

I never worry about driving because I am always playing music...

or wearing bells.

Seeing those tracks is a little unsettling. Wearing bells may be a good idea.

What a "dinner time bell", like they used on the farms to bring in the hands to eat? Isn't that a little risky.
Yes, Lyn that would make me a little spooked as well.

This guy was posing for me this morning.

greenthumb99 said:Mountain lion attacks are very rare, even when cat and human populations intersect. Even though one may prowl your neighborhood, you are at greater risk driving to the grocery store, though you likely give it little thought.

David, I've read the same literature. The problem is that the cats haven't read it and really don't know the "rules". The cats that come to town are usually young males that have been told to find their own territory by a dominant male or an aging male that has been displaced by a younger male and is no longer the dominant cat. Both are inefficient hunters and come to town to prey on the town deer, but if they are hungry enough, they will go for easy.

The habitat of my property and my neighbor's properties is not cat friendly for hunting, so I expected him to have moved along by now as there are better hunting areas near by.

I don't feel like I am in personal danger ... just kind of spooked.

Our friends came up the other day to place a wood duck / merganser nest box down by our pond. It is visible from our back deck and I am hopeful we will get a breeding couple this season. I've only seen a pair of wood ducks once, but we do get hooded mergansers, usually in pairs, now and again.

Some days I feel like the little guy in the Dunkin' commercials: "Time to fill the feeders."
Looks like I need all 4 suet, mixed seed, sunflower, and corn for the deer so they don't eat the rest.

Here baby I will post a few pic of animals that you don't have to feed. Pic #3 I think this might be my first "dolphin tail" shot.




Enjoy the Sunset..... hope it is just as lovely at home.

HollyAnnS said:Here baby I will post a few pic of animals that you don't have to feed. Pic #3 I think this might be my first "dolphin tail" shot.




Enjoy the Sunset..... hope it is just as lovely at home.



Whoa! So beautiful. Enjoy!

Wow, Holly, how peaceful!

I'm having fun familiarizing myself with common birds in this area. Robins visit my garden every morning and I love watching them hop around, searching for worms.

Blue jays are the messiest of the birds, constantly digging around the mulch and throwing the bark chunks everywhere. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out how the mulch was ending up 2-3 feet away until I finally witnessed the blue jays picking up the bark pieces and throwing them around. I even saw a woodpecker hanging around the bark mulch. There must be a lot of worms under there.

This morning, I noticed one of the feral cats in that unmistakable stalking stance. It was about to pounce on a robin, but it flew away. Whew! I was ready to make some noise and scare off the bird.

Since the last hard freeze our pilated woody's have been here daily.

The bluebird pair is back getting their nest together in the bird house in the Stepping Stone Garden. They've been coming for years to nest in the two story multi-family bird house - not at all what you hear that bluebirds will inhabit, but they always have the whole thing to themselves so I guess it works for them. Always makes me happy to see them.

This morning I saw a red fox making its way across the yard by the conservatory. He passed pretty close to the house, walked down the stepping stones, through the woods, and down to the pond. Beautiful creature. His coat was nice and thick and he looked well fed. I've seen foxes once in a while here but not very often, so that was a little thrill. When I excitedly relayed the siting to Mike, his first response was "and you want chickens???" What a kill joy he is

Take a look at the number of gulls behind and on this boat.

Saturday I went shopping and when I arrived at the Target store in Leesburg, Va I was surprised to find the air filled with at least 100 gulls. Nowhere near the ocean or the bay.

Ran some errands again this evening, and when I crossed a small stream near our house I was delighted to hear a rousing chorus of spring peepers. Ah! Spring at last!