Something Stinky

This little critter decided to visit our yard a few weeks ago.  The kids were getting a kick out of watching it wander around the yard.   It was out there for a long time, keeping us inside and then decided to get really close to the house and disappear under the deck.   We didn't see it again that night but we did smell it!    

And oh did we smell it!!   About the time it got dark out the smell filled the whole house.   It smelled like it had decided to spray right under our deck where we last spotted it.   It was really so strong and smelled all night and into the next day.    For some reason too it lingered in our entry way/ laundry room for about a week.   I think it had sprayed right in that corner of the house because you could smell it outside there for awhile.   Ugh, I'm not sure what we did to offend it that night but it sure got us! 

The next afternoon after it had stunk up our whole house the little critter had the nerve to make it's way back into our yard and root around again!    But after the incident the night before and the fact I was a little nervous to let the kids out when a skunk could be lurking under our deck I decided this little visitor was not welcome in our yard!

Thankfully Adam was home and the skunk lacked the common sense to run from the sound of bullets.   Let's just say this little stinker will not be stinking up any other houses!  The end.

A Rare Sighting

We (my parent's) spotted this unusual bird this week in their crab apple tree.  It was before the big blizzard (but snowing when I took these pictures.)   It took us awhile to identify it.   The pictures don't really do it justice.   It was pretty big and very bright and beautiful for this time of year.   Bright orange chest and very distinct markings.   We finally figured out it is a Varied Thrush.   Even though if you check out this bird's bio here he is supposed to live along the very western coast of the U.S.

He hasn't been spotted since the blizzard and hopefully headed out or fared okay through it.   But it was a fun sighting to see this pretty bird so far from his home and by ours for a little while.

Trail Cam

Adam has been baiting critters with his trail cam and a pile of field corn.   So far he's created quite the night time hot spot for the local wildlife.    These pics are not good quality since they are being taken at night by an old digital trail camera ... but you'll get the idea.

Raccoon hot spot ... count them, 5 raccoons!

Small buck enjoying the corn.

My favorite pics ... raccoons and deer sharing the corn.

We had one picture with 5 deer.   This one shows 3 of them.

And even a bunny and deer eating peacefully side by side.

Camera's back up to capture more wildlife.   Now it's a matter of trying to find enough corn to keep feeding all these animals!

If She Only Knew...

If this Mama Thrasher only knew what I have been going through to help her keep her little babies safe in their nest, she wouldn't scold me so when I get near her.      It wasn't my idea for her to build her nest about 2 feet off the ground and right off the side of our garage.

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Right where our evil cat is sure to find them.   And when I last heard her scolding away I went to look for the cat only to find him hiding under a tree right next to the nest.   Since then he has been banished to the indoors and let me tell you, that there has never been a cat so set on getting out more than this cat.    He waits, he lurks, he listens for the door opening and then makes his move.   He meows endlessly, scratches at every window and door and sheds balls of his long fur all over the house as my punishment for keeping him in.

All for these little feathered strangers.

I couldn't bear to let them meet the fate I was sure they would if he got out again.   Thankfully they have decided to leave their nest today but have not gone far yet.    Maybe soon too our evil cat will be let out again to roam and hunt and prowl.   All I have to say is chipmunks beware!

Wood Duck Update

In case you were wondering... the wood ducks are continuing to nest and hatch out little babies!   This pic is from earlier this month and when we had 3 boxes of wood ducks nesting and all 3 hatched out somewhere between 10-12 eggs successfully.   We only found 1 egg in a box that didn't hatch.     
This Mama wood duck is hissing at us wondering why someone is looking at her in her private nesting box.

We were lucky enough last week to check a box on the very day the babies were hatching out.   They only stay in the box about 24 hours before leaping out so it's rare to see the babies!   They are so cute and so, so small!     I think there were at least 10 babies in this box and they were all gone by the next day.

Yesterday we checked the boxes again and there are 3 more ducks currently sitting on eggs.   That's a total of 6 different ducks nesting in the boxes so far this summer.    At 10-12 eggs a duck I think we are making a difference in the wood duck population!  : )  At least in our little creek we are anyways!   I don't what the survival rate is when they leave the nest but I'd like to think most of them make it.

Owl Cam

My Dad hung several wood duck houses by the creek and one of them was taken over by some screech owls.    He checks them occasionally to see if anything was nesting and we knew owls had been in one of them.   Funny thing is the adult owls just kind of hunker down when you open it up and don't try to fly out.    The babies hatched, not sure how many but it looks like somewhere between 4 and 6.   You can see both adults and one of the babies looking up in this picture.

This is how we check.   This house is up pretty high but Hunter got to see the baby owls.

There are several other house and they are all full of wood duck eggs.    Tough to ever see the baby wood ducks because they climb up and jump out of the house the day they hatch!

You Know You Want One!

So you know you want one... but do you know what it is?     Deer head  - European Mount.   You'll want one even more when you hear the story of how we got it.   Not a typical hunting story.

So a few years ago we were walking near our house when we came across a terrible smell... really, really bad.   We left the area quickly.   A few days later we tried walking in the same area and same smell.   The husband  finally went to investigate on his own and found a dead deer near the creek.    You can see where this is heading, can't you. 
Yes, you are right.   The hubby waited til the deer, well ummmm, decomposed enough and  freed the skull which, of course, included the antlers and brought it back to our house.   He let it sit awhile more and then took it to a friend at work who has experience with European mounts and he then boiled it and all the other stuff you do to make it whiter and clean looking.    Someone else he works with made the plaque to hang it on and we got it back recently.   Nice of them, huh?
The dilemma... where to put it now???    I've already ruled out a few suggested spots, the living room - no, the bedroom - no!   Like I want to wake up to or stumble near that in the middle of the night!   Location is yet to be determined.    I did say the garage is okay. 
I'll update you when it finds a permanent home because I know you want to know : )