The Bears And Many Of The Birds Are Gone, But Still Some Critters In My Backyard.

The Bears And Many Of The Birds Are Gone, But Still Some Critters In My Backyard.

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It’s been over a month since I shared some photographs of the critters that visit my backyard here in Hazle Township in Luzerne County.  The mother bear and her cubs have not returned since late July. And many of the song birds have stopped visiting my feeders. However, I still have some critters that visit my yard every day, including the mother deer and her two fawns. 

Late last month mommy deer and her fawns started appearing in the field near my home in the evening. I am guessing she made her way into my yard at night to feed on the corn I put out for the deer, turkey and squirrels. 

As the weeks went by she got braver and brought the fawns into my yard at sunset. 

The fawns soon made themselves at home.

And they were joined by a few other deer which I think are a part of the mother deer’s extended family. My brother and nephew named her “kneedy” because of her deformed knee. She has been visiting my yard with her fawns for about seven years now. 

Occasionally  a large buck will show up, scouting out the doe as mating season approaches. I enjoy seeing my deer almost every evening and on many mornings.  Here is a link to a gallery with some more photographs of the deer that visit my yard. Backyard deer July -August 2020. 

In addition to the deer family I have a group of four turkeys who shoe up everyday for a handout of corn. 

They make themselves at home in my backyard. 

They even come onto my deck and knock on my backdoor looking for their corn, and allowing for me to get some close up photos. Interesting profile but not as cute as the fawns, in  opinion anyway.

Here is a link to some more photographs  of the turkeys visiting my backyard. Backyard turkey July to August 2020. 

In the Spring I get  many migrating birds at my feeders. Some like the brown thrasher, a Carolina wren, and an eastern towhee stayed, for a while. Other moved on. But now many of the birds have left. However their is still a lot of activity at the feeders. The cardinals, who remain all year, this is a female.

and this a male, are still frequent visitors to my feeders. 

The downy and hairy woodpeckers still  feed on the suet I put out for them, and 

which unfortunately also attracts the greedy blue jays and grackles. 

House finches, 

gold finches 

 along with the sparrows ,are always at the feeders. 

And occasionally a  black-capped chickadee, frequent visitors in the winter show up. 

Mourning doves are always around either perched on a tree branch or feeding on the seeds that fall from the feeders.

Crows also feed on the corn left behind by the turkey and  deer. 

Another critter that has been showing up is a groundhog that lives under my  storage shed. 

At first it was shy but it has become increasingly more brave when showing up, usually in the morning, to have left over corn for breakfast. 

The fox, skunks, opossums and raccoons have not been showing up. I think it’s because of a family of feral cats living in my neighborhood. But there are still a few chipmunks,

and plenty of squirrels still visiting my yard. 

The squirrels are constantly trying to get to my feeders. So far I have hung them high enough to keep them from stealing the bird feed. 

I am hoping mommy bear brings the cubs back for a visit before she hibernates, probably in a cave in the rocks on my property. Most of the critters you see here will  remain throughout the Winter. I will try and get a few more blog post to update you on there visits before then. Here is a link to a gallery with some of the other critters that visited my yard this past month. Backyard Animals July -August 2020 

If you can reach out and touch and love and be with wildlife, you will forever be changed, and you will want to make the world a better place. Terri Irwin     Terri Irwin

 

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