In the neighbourhood

Last weekend, our neighbour had fence posts removed, leaving huge holes along the property line for a few hours. Looking through the kitchen window, I noticed a neighbourhood crow looking into a hole, maneuvering around it, as if attempting to get in there. 

My husband and I guessed there was food below.

The crow gave up and when I looked in the hole, a fat little mouse was down there, stranded. 

We felt bad for it and despite our best efforts to rescue it via a shovel, then a stick plastered with peanut butter, hoping it would climb the stick, the mouse died. I had dropped in cheese for the poor creature, giving it a last meal at least. Poor thing. A quick death from the crow might have been better.

A slug somehow made its way into the hole as well 

and while we watched the area, another mouse went by the hole without falling in. An area Song Sparrow, probably one of those who greets me every morning at dawn, stopped by the stick for a look around. 

The mouse was not alone at the end.

We took the peanut butter stick out of the hole and left it on the patio and before we could wipe off the peanut butter, a crow discovered it and pecked it off the stick. 

The crow did a good job cleaning the stick!  

Starlings live in our neighbourhood and nesting is underway. One day last week, we noticed a neighbour putting a grate over one of the back vents on his house. The next day, two starlings were noisy and posturing on the roof of the house. 

We saw each land on the grate and call out as it did. The two continued the behaviour for hours, possibly because their nest was destroyed or made inaccessible by the grate.

The neighbourhood animals include numerous birds besides Crows, Starlings and Sparrows, such as Tree Swallows, Robins, Blue Jays, and Flickers. Foxes have stopped by as well as several predatory felines. Unlike the cats, neighbourhood dogs are confined to their yards, but we hear them greeting others often.

You know, there is a children’s story featuring the neighbourhood animals waiting to be told here. Even if that never happens though, the animals sure keep us entertained.

Along the way 4

As we walk the trails and beaches of Prince Edward Island, even the most familiar ones, there is always something different or unusual to see. This collection of items is from the last month.

This is Tate the Tater,

a mascot for the Prince Edward Island Potato Board. He was present the day Farm and Food Care PEI gave away bags with potato, turnip, cabbage and milk to islanders. This is the second such giveaway in our area. The farmers and producers on the island have been really generous during this pandemic. Thank you!

This rabbit is the first one we’ve seen on the island in our ten years here. I took the photo with my daughter’s cell phone and couldn’t manage a clear shot.

One early morning recently, we spotted a number of slugs making their way along the boardwalk. While some are squashed into the wood or gobbled up by birds, others manage to avoid the predators and footfalls as they retreat for the grass. 

Along one of the trails at the Rotary Friendship Park this nest is visible in a tree at eye level. It is much bigger than the tiny nests made by the sparrows around our house. I wonder which bird makes such a big nest?

A few weeks ago our daughter transported a bat to our house on her vehicle. This week we found this swallowtail caught in the grill of our car. Unlike the bat, sadly this butterfly didn’t survive.

During our recent trip to Chelton Beach, what we thought was the sound of a motorboat was actually a front end loader in the distance. The loader carried rock which it deposited along the shoreline in front of a cottage along the beach. Erosion is a problem all along the coastline. This cottager is attempting to hold on to his waterfront property for another few years.