The Homestead Zoo Update

Everyday here on the Homestead is an opportunity to see some very different critters than what are usually seen within city limits.  

There have been some additions to the cast of ‘regulars’ that roam the Homestead….

Frank the Fox recently moved into the area.  He is a single guy looking to pick up pretty chicks..but he’ll settle for my ducks.  He lopes through daily looking for the perfect opportunity to snag a tasty duck confit…. I have not seen him successfully nab one yet, but he has made off with something smaller a while back, most likely a squirrel.

Harry the Hairy Woodpecker along with the Mrs. (that is Harriette above) are daily visitors to the bird seed and suet feeders I have hung out.  Harry hasn’t quite grasped the concept of the regular bird seed feeder though as he pounded a hole in it trying to get at the seed inside instead of reaching into the already made holes…..he must be in government services…

Along with Mr. & Mrs. Hairy Woodpecker, their smaller cousins Donald & Dorothy Downy Woodpeckers are also regulars to the feeders.  They often get into a fight amongst themselves though and I have requested they have a meeting with a marriage counsellor to iron out their differences, we all need to get along here at the Homestead.

The Rockettes equivalent of the nature world would have to be the flocks of Chickadees that flit through the trees showing off their agile acrobatic feats.  Never sitting still long enough, I was amazed that I captured 3 on the feeder at one time.

Ned the White Breasted Nuthatch is the local mafia boss (doesn’t he look like a ‘Don’?), he monopolizes the bird feeder and is very territorial against other Nuthatches, the Chickadees and will even go up against the larger Hairy Woodpeckers for feeder control.

Rowdy Roddy Red Squirrel is nothing but a pain in the a#$! critter.  Raiding the bird feeders, trying to tear holes in roofs, these little rats with furry tails are the bane of most home/cottage owners in the north.  I have made arrangements with Ned the Mafia Boss to ‘take care of him’ for me….

If you have not seen my previous post during the summer about my brood of ducks and the making of a duck feather pillow, check it out….but I am glad to still have them hanging around.  Although they should have booked their flights already to warmer climes as pretty soon, they will be having a hard time paddling in the frozen lake.

John Deer is a regular visitor too…he keeps mowing down my lilies and columbine plant, but I fixed him, I just chopped them down to the ground for winter the other day…so he can look elsewhere for food, the garden buffet is now closed for the winter.

I also have Steven the Skunk, but thankfully, he shows up under the cover of darkness and is thrilled with his new job of aerating my lawn looking for grubs….and no, I do not have a picture of him.  You can guess why I haven’t attempted to get one….

Peter & Paula Pileated Woodpeckers are quite shy but they come around ocassionally gracing us with their red-spiked mohawk do’s.  They are quite large and are at their happiest when they are boring into sick trees looking for insects.

Bruce the Bluejay is a cocky and brash fellow.  He loves pretty much anything you toss his way, but he is very, very fond of peanuts.  He revels in stealing them from Chester Chipmunk.

Speaking of Chester, he has recently retired to his burrow for the winter, I have not seen him in a couple weeks now.  He hoarded his way through at least 2  20lb bags of bird seed and peanuts this summer…he will not be able to fit through his tunnel in spring he will be so fat from eating all winter.

Larry & Loretta Loon have now donned their winter plumage, but here they are still sporting their summer spotted tunics.  They will be departing soon with the ducks, I think they are flying the same cheap, red-eye carrier….

I hope you enjoyed a trip through the Homestead Zoo….its been a fun year seeing all critters around here.  There are many more nomads roaming through now on their southern migration, but the majority of the ones displayed today spend the winters here.  Hardy souls they are.  I am almost ready for my southern migration too….

6 thoughts on “The Homestead Zoo Update

  1. Love it, you make a great zoo keeper. I am disappointed, no pic of Steven?!?! I wanted to see a pic, see if your eastern skunks look similar to my western skunks???:P:P

    • LOL! I saw him once a couple weeks ago, it was barely starting to get light in the sky, he shuffled off to the neighbours through the bushes before I could get a hold ofthe camera…I wasn’t going to chase him either! 🙂

  2. I can share a pic of my Steven….however he doesn’t have a stripe. I will say he does some of his best work under the cover of darkness too 🙂

  3. Frank got his meal from our place, he was playing with his meal in our yard one day, the naughty boy.

    Thanks for telling me the names of our zoo inhabitants!

    • There are so many to name, Mrs. Bluejay showed up today with her hubby Bruce…her name is Betty 🙂 and yes, I did see a duck wing about a month ago between our place and your #4 cottage….I don’t want to know who it was…darn Frank!

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