Wildlife On The Hill Playlist

I’ve been posting on my Facebook page allot so here’s some video’s to catch you up!

To see my photography postings check out my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Listen2Thea-Wildlife-Photography-More-236253616466167/

As always, enjoy your local wildlife and have a great day!   🙂

Wrestling Wraskles! The Adventures of Four Baby Foxes

These cuties are always wrestling with each other! There is one that seems to play and then will go to check on what it’s momma is doing and then runs back and plays some more!

 

http://thea-creations.smugmug.com/Other/listen2thea-gallery/17024928_LdXXLZ#!i=3192525907&k=tvxCgM4

 

 

Wildlife Contractions: Pregnant Doe

I had something exciting happen! I had noticed a deer standing a little funny at the top of the hill and grabbed my camera and it turns out to be a pregnant Doe. Everything in her body language is a little different and that’s really what drew my attention. I do believe she is having contractions! She stood in that one spot for at least 10 minutes. She’s chewing something much faster than they normally do and yet I never actually saw her pick anything up off the ground or trees. When she stops chewing super fast, is when the contraction happens and if you watch her belly where it curves in front of her hip, you can see it move. The other weird thing is whatever she’s chewing looks like a big wad of something as her cheeks seem to bulge with it, but you can see her swallow, have the contraction and it appears to be regurgitating as the big wad is back in her mouth. She even drools after one contraction. I was so excited, I kept wondering if the fawn was going to pop out and I was going to have the luck of catching it all on video!!!!!! But I didn’t ;-(
The UPS Truck drove up the driveway and she ran off into the woods.
Here’s a video, forgive any movement on my part, I was full zoom and handheld because I was afraid I would miss the big moment if it happened while setting up the tripod.

http://thea-creations.smugmug.com/Other/listen2thea-gallery/17024928_LdXXLZ#!i=2554815733&k=FzBTh8n

 

 

 

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More info at the Daily Post here:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/introducing-weekly-photo-challenges

Now, Listen to Thea and have yourself a Great Day!!!
~Thea 🙂

Late February gave us an old fashioned snowstorm

While late February gave us an old fashioned winter storm that resulted in this:

Heavy snowfall

The picnic table is almost buried!

It also seemed to bring in the birds who happily gobbled up the sunflower seeds!

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Sign up and enter your own photo for the Weekly Photo Challenge!
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http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/introducing-weekly-photo-challenges

Now, Listen to Thea and have yourself a Great Day!!!
~Thea 🙂

February and the color RED

In early February the male Cardinals colors are bold and bright.

He looks downright dashing in his black mask doesn’t he? lol!

But the female Cardinal is a beauty of her own!

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Listen2Thea’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Listen2Thea-Wildlife-Photography-More/236253616466167?ref=ts

Sign up and enter your own photo for the Weekly Photo Challenge!
More info at the Daily Post here:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/introducing-weekly-photo-challenges

Now, Listen to Thea and have yourself a Great Day!!!
~Thea 🙂

While I’ve been gone

Going to to a photo Catch UP for the next few posts!

First up is picture of a deer in January up on the hill where you can see how thick it’s winter coat is to keep it warm.

The deer seemed to visit less frequently this past winter but since Spring we’ve seen allot of both Does and young bucks!

Wooly Deer in January Coat

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Listen2Thea’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Listen2Thea-Wildlife-Photography-More/236253616466167?ref=ts

Sign up and enter your own photo for the Weekly Photo Challenge!
More info at the Daily Post here:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/introducing-weekly-photo-challenges

Now, Listen to Thea and have yourself a Great Day!!!
~Thea 🙂

Weekly Photo Challenge: Near and Far

Sitting on the waters edge you feel like you can see for miles and miles to the mountains in the distance.
One of my favorite spots in the world! Close to nature and far away from the craziness of everyday life.

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Sign up and enter your own photo for the Weekly Photo Challenge!
More info at the Daily Post here:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/introducing-weekly-photo-challenges

Now, Listen to Thea and have yourself a Great Day!!!
~Thea 🙂

Blue Babes

After the wrens destroyed the eggs of the Bluebirds first nest, they moved to a new house–actually the house they used last year and built a new nest. They’ve been insistently tapping at all our windows since their first nest was attacked, no matter if I cover a window so they can’t see their reflection, they just move to a different window. Not only could I not cover all the windows in my house but it was starting to become annoying as it sets our dogs barking up a storm. I know they’re supposed to be attacking their reflection, but it was obvious that they could see right into the house and would sometimes just sit on the window sill and look into the living room! I think they may have learned their lesson though as our garage window was open and instead of tapping on the window the male flew right in—to his surprise I’m sure! Of course he couldn’t figure out how to get back out right away and was quite frightened. I opened the garage door but he didn’t fly out that way either. After a few minutes he left the way he came in and since then they’ve been much more wary about tapping on the windows! 🙂
Today I decided to check the nest and I’m happy to report 4 babies that seem to be doing well. I’ll try to get more pictures when I take them out to check for Blow Fly larva attacking them. Here’s their first picture for you enjoy.

Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of their summer! Unfortunately we have been plagued with one form of a cold after another and passing it back and forth between family members. It has been quite miserable all in all, but as the kids last day of school approaches I’m looking forward to the summer more and more!
Have a great day and thanks for listening to Thea!

Wretched Wrens

The Bluebirds haven’t stopped their tapping on the windows, although now sometimes they just sit on the window sill looking inside. I decided to check the nest as they seem to be paying more attention to what’s going on in my house than their own.

With heavy heart I’m sad to say there are only 2 out of the 5 eggs in it now. Perhaps that’s why they were tapping at the windows because they were upset their eggs had gone missing. I decided to check the Chickadee nest too and it was empty other than the nest itself. After carefully inspecting the ground around the nest I did find one Chickadee egg and one Bluebird egg that had a holes poked in it.

Bluebird egg 😦

Today I noticed a Wren going into the Chickadee’s house. Wrens apparently are known for destroying other cavity nesting birds eggs and even throwing babies out of the nest, but it is the first time it has ever happened here. Usually the wrens arrive first and pick their houses, but for whatever reasons, they arrived after the Bluebird and Chickadee already set up residence this year. Normally, you know me, I love all the birds, but right now I could wring the Wrens neck! There are plenty of empty birdhouses left around the property that they could have chosen.
I’ve been watching and I haven’t seen the Chickadee even going to the nest box anymore and I was so excited as it’s the first time one has nested in my birdhouses. And even more so, I’m concerned that the Bluebirds aren’t tending to the two eggs that are left in the nest. They seem to be checking all the birdhouses looking for their eggs or possibly to set up a new nest. And of course still spending a large part of the day tapping or just sitting and looking in my window.

I went to a website to see if there was anything I could do and there’s a video of a wren destroying eggs and another actually removing newborn Bluebirds from their nest. Luckily the home owner had a live camera in the bird house and happened to be watching it at the time it happened and they were able to go outside, find the baby bluebirds and place them back into the nest.

There were some suggestions I guess I’m going to have to try. The wrens already have two nest boxes occupied and after reading from the Sialis.org site I’m thinking part of the problem may be that we had to re-secure the post the wrens current bird house is attached to this year and when my husband did it he changed the direction slightly that the bird house faces-so that now the other birdhouses are in a direct line of sight. So I’m headed outside to see if I can rotate the post so the wrens birdhouse doesn’t face any other birdhouse.

Check it out the Sialis website for some interesting reading
http://www.sialis.org/wrens.htm

I’m hopeful that the Bluebirds will take care of their eggs or at least build another nest and that everything will work out. Right now I’m feeling pretty down though.

Weekly Photo Challenge: RED

Now, Listen to Thea and have yourself a Great Day!!!
~Thea

Sign up and enter your own photo for the Weekly Photo Challenge!
More info at the Daily Post here:
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/introducing-weekly-photo-challenges/