Critters

[elainegrey]

Tuesday evening i harvested some very nice potatoes. Wet purple potato skins seem almost iridescent with a sheen that seems to change in the light. I stopped harvesting because a huge wolf spider seemed unwilling to move along. I'll pitchfork that hay out of the way tonight.

I saw a different doe yesterday, who moved through the yard rather quickly. I need to tweak the game camera because i think a movement like that deer's that would trigger the camera, but the delay would just capture an empty yard.

Yesterday evening as we watched some show, Carrie bounded of the hassock, baying alarm, "Foes at the door! Foes at the door!" Just beyond the deck was a young buck, maybe a year old. He clearly heard the ruckus, but wasn't alarmed, just alert. Carrie continued to growl and bark and warn. A bit territorial, not hunting. It was sweet to be able to observe the young deer, although i wonder how wise it is for it to be inured to barking. (Admittedly, we have double pane windows and good sound proofing here so i'm not sure how loud Carrie seemed to the deer.)

This morning i went out in the dawn. Flitting overhead were two bats: oh, more please!

Comments

[gurdonark]

A friend sent me a text saying that she had a baby bat hanging on her house. She wanted to know if she should call someone or leave it. I texted back to leave it, and explained how bats are in general beneficial though they should not be handled.

I wish I saw bats flitting overhead, though I will make do with the lightning bugs that seem much more profuse than usual this year.

How great that y'all are getting potatoes to grow!

[elainegrey]

Lightning bugs are such a delight. I missed them in California.
I'm not often up and outside in the predawn to see the bats, and at dusk i'm either too busy or focused on the fireflies as well.

I go back and forth between pouting about the only fair production from the plants, to delight that i have things growing, to appreciation that i don't have to figure out how to deal with bumper crops, to acknowledgement that this is just the first year.

[randomdreams]

For us, bat o'clock is twilight, and we almost always see a few. It's really nice.
It's been my experience that deer are pretty complacent about even the immediate presence of medium-sized dogs, because the deer are easily capable of outrunning them, or in the case of bucks, whacking them with an antler. I've watched male elk turn and move towards people with a dog, while the rest of the herd moves away, because they're so confident about their abilities.

[elainegrey]

Elk are intimidating! I've been told white tail deer are small deer. I don't perceive a difference from the mule deer in CA, but i'm not sure i have enough references that the perceptions can be compared.

It's nice to know the young buck's complacency wasn't poor survival instinct.

[randomdreams]

I feel like there is more regional difference in deer size than the difference between white tail and mule deer, based on my encounters with them.