A New Resident

It appears we have a new resident at our place.



The white-tail doe was back again yesterday, slurping up mulberries. Good for her, I hate to see them go to waste.

She is not wholly comfortable. The kitchen window was open and certain sounds made her jumpy. Here Lisa was spraying a pan with cooking spray--heaven knows what she thought the sound was but she didn't like it. The doe wandered off towards the garden but came right back when she decided there was no threat.



Such a pretty, innocent-looking face.


Hey! Don't eat the tree, for cryin' out loud!!


She also noshed on my petunias and munched a bunch of leaves off the black-eyed Susans. Time to get the soap and mesh bags, I guess.

The chickens were out for their evening free-range time, and Sister Joan wandered up to the doe, eating mulberries (which by the way seem to give chickens very loose stools). The two animals eyed each other but apparently decided neither was a threat. Ah, peace and harmony in the back yard.



Louis watched the big brown dog with the pointy ears for a while too.

White-tail

We had a visitor to the mulberry tree this morning.


A lovely white-tail doe was picking the berries out of the grass, not 30 feet from the house.



I took a few shots through the closed window and screen, then tried to quietly open both. She was having none of it, and walked calmly from the back yard.



This may be the same doe that Lisa and I saw last week out on the trail. She stood her ground on the side of the hill, stamping her foot and snorting at us. Then she walked down the hill, across the lane and into the brush. We looked but did not see a fawn.

I wish she would eat all of that invasive crown vetch but no, she prefers the native plants too--like the purple coneflower out of my garden and the wood anemone along the trail. She sure is pretty, though.



Lori and I are heading up to Traverse City today to meet with folks at the Boardman River Nature Center to talk murals. We are excited about working with them and for the opportunity to put our artwork in their facility. Hoping to get a bit of hiking and bike riding in while we're up there.

Have a wonderful Summer Solstice!

The mulberries are ripe.


The tree in the back yard hangs heavy with the fruits. Our wet and cool spring has made for a lot of happy trees, and they all seem to be producing prodigious blooms this year--cherry, crabapple, serviceberry. This red mulberry should be full of birds.



But the birds have been unusually quiet this year, and already the berries are littering the ground. I've seen a handful of robins and a small group of Cedar Waxwings the other day, but other than that there's been little activity.


It has seemed to me all spring that there are fewer birds this year than in the past. The mornings are strangely quiet. We did finally have our House Wren show up, and I thought he and his lady were going to nest in the house on my studio, but I am not sure that they have indeed nested.

We do seem to have a plethora of Common Grackles this year. Their numbers have increased over the past few years, perhaps due to the fact that I put seed out. Now that the mulberry is in full fruit I will cut back on what I put out and make the birds go eat some free food.

This grackle, down in the lane in front of the house, was being harassed by three young ones, who chased it around in circles.




Bring them up here to the mulberry tree, Dad!


Last night as I was coming out of my studio I noticed an odd shape on the wall hanging by the door. I stopped to get a better look. There, perched on the lip of the sun, was a tree frog. I ran to the house for my camera.





Frog got your tongue?