After looking for 4 weeks, I finally found the muskrat’s dwelling. Made of reeds, as I’d suspected – due to the massive reed damage in the very back of the pond. The muskrat’s been destroying so much vegetation, that I could just see its hut. Some pics of the pond and the reed hut.
Two pics, too lovely not to post. Reflections make our mud hole so beautiful, it wrenches my heart. These two are for Penny and Rob.
One water lily remains. It’s the one closest to the dock, and the canoe moored to that dock. A canoe which was only recently put back into the water, and allowed to swing about on it’s mooring – out over the closest water lilies. I think that canoe had been acting as a sort of scare crow for the water lilies – cause when I beached the canoe a few weeks ago – the water lily destruction began in earnest. Hopefully,Read More
Miles, our big (and old) lab, loves a good rogering. And while I’m giving Miles a good going over, Kitty loves to work on the other end. (She’s such a tail biter.) And both of us working on the old boy just puts him over the top – he just loves it. And it will always be that way …
Some pics of the lily patch this morning. And so, after several nights of marauding muskrats, the trap remains un-tripped. And the apples used as bait – uneaten. I was just so smug, about my bounty, pre-muskrat. Oh well. On the other hand – turns out we have a pair of Green Herons living in the Willows by the pond. Pretty neat.
Tried carrots last night. In a trap my son lent me. This morning, carrots still there, trap untripped. But a lot of new water lily damage – about half gone now. Went to local grocery store, bought a bag of apples – and are they tart? Anyway, I’ll rebait the trap before night fall – and we’ll see tomorrow morning, whether or not I get lucky. The trap is right next to the water’s edge, with the opening facing the water.
Too much new damage this morning, to the water lily patch, for it to have been done by turtles. Has to be a muskrat. And at the rate it is going, I fear the lily patch will be completely destroyed in a couple more weeks. So, off I go, this morning, to our local Tractor Supply Co, or Lowes, to purchase a muskrat trap. Neat. Never done that before. (Or maybe my son will loan me one of his –Read More
From up on our deck, using binoculars, I sighted a Northern Water Snake on the far side of the pond, laying on the plant mats. About 4′ long. Thick. Gleaming. Perhaps it was admiring some nearby frogs? Got my camera gear, about to start down the hill – and it was gone. Maybe next time.
No deer tracks yet – so its not a deer. Their sharp hooves always give them away. A raccoon perhaps? Never seen one in the 4 years we’ve been here though. Doesn’t disprove anything. Maybe a Muskrat, as Ken suggested. We had one this spring. Kicked up a lot of mud. And the net says they love water lilies and cattails. We have both — but it’s the lilies getting worked over this week. But … here’s a pic of aRead More
Just added a vid – 20 seconds or so of a Green Heron in our willow tree, above our dock, preening. This was only after a couple weeks of going down every day, till that bird just got use to me. And Miles (our beloved trusty but crusty, lab).
