When I documented the Datura this morning I noticed ash floating through the air and settling on the plants. Is the ash from the Sequoia National Park Fire?
And a visitor–standing on the rabbit ornament eating Zinnia flowers.
Category: Squirrel
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
A new visitor has been coming to our bird feeder. Difficult to take a photo because it doesn’t stay still very long and is too far away.
The bird quickly enters the bird feeder, snags a seed, exits, and flies into the oak or pine trees.
We built the bird feeder out of a wire-coated basket and some scrap wood. We hoped the wire would keep out the squirrels.
Today I was able to capture a photo of the visitor, not a great one. But it was good enough that I could use it to identify the bird.
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Canadian Wildlife Federation, Hinterland Who’s Who
Las Pilitas Nursery–California Native Plants
Mended Tecoma stans
I started the Tecoma stans seeds the first week of November.
The plants were small, but popped them in the garden a few weeks ago.
I noticed that when the squirrel dug up my garden, for the umpteenth time,
this little plant was broken. Part of the stem was still attached.
I aligned the stem and taped it with cloth tape.
Used a skewer as a splint.
Then a small piece of bamboo as a stake to support the lot.
That was ten days ago.
Update…
Mended Plant in New Garden Location a Few Weeks After Mending
My irrigation system needs updating. I am waiting until I get all of the plants transplanted before I update the system. Currently I water the bed by hand. That is a good thing to monitor all of the new plantings. Soon most of the drought tolerant plants and the succulent garden will require only a few waterings per week.
Squirrel Encounter Today
While I was taking photos of the cactus for the previous post, the squirrel watched me from his perch on the roof of the garage.
Apparently he decided I wasn’t a threat. He scampered down from his perch and proceeded to dig and bury seed in my rock garden in progress.
The cactus I was shooting is located at the corner of the courtyard. There are two flagstone steps. I was standing on my knees taking the photos, so my legs were across the lower step.
When the squirrel finished his work, it ran right toward me, and jumped over my legs.
Seriously? The Squirrel is at it Again!
The squirrel dug to the right of the hole I filled with wire and pepper flakes yesterday.
I folded two pieces of poultry netting, then manipulated them into a ball.
The balls of poultry netting were crammed into the large hole and the smaller hole to the back.
I emptied the contents of a container of red pepper flakes into the hole.
Placed a piece of poultry netting over the hole. Covered the area with soil.
Now, my hope is the squirrel will go live some place else. There are fields and a small mountain at the end of the street.
To the right of the service road there is a mountain and a large field that often has cattle grazing.
There are loads of rocky areas that would make a lovely home and protection from predators.
What a nice little succulent!
I was surprised to see water still flowing from the mountain.
There are plenty of places, not in my courtyard, that would make a delightful home for a ground squirrel.
Update: Not even an hour after I published this post there was a thump on the door. The squirrel jumped from one of my potted tomatoes and hit the door. When I checked the courtyard I found that it dug a hole on the opposite of the tree.
Preparing to fill the new squirrel hole with poultry netting.