Groundhog Afternoon

It's not unusual for a Groundhog to be seen in our front yard.  

It's not even too unusual to see two.  

On June 9th, however, I saw five in the front yard at one time.  

That was definitely different and got me thinking about Groundhogs.  What I realized was, apart from all the hype on February 2nd (Groundhog Day), I didn't know much at all about them.  So I started doing some reading and they are actually rather more interesting than they might appear!  (aren't most creatures?)

Here's some of what I learned.  First, as far as names: Groundhog is the one I call them. They are also known as Woodchuck (possibly coming from the Algonquian word "wuchak"); having absolutely nothing to do with wood or chucking it.  Another name which I like is "mouse bear" (sounds nicer than Groundhog!) which is probably because they look sort of look like little bears when they sit up.  They are in the rodent family so the 'mouse' part of that name isn't out of place either. 

 Though they belong to the group of rodents called marmots, not mice.

Here's a Whistling Marmot from Colorado for comparison.   You can see the Marmot has a white muzzle, which our Groundhogs don't.

They live in the mountains where it's rocky, compared to Groundhogs which live in the lowlands and prefer open fields or grassy edges of woodlands. Both will whistle though, as the one above is doing, especially when they are excited.

While Marmots are social, Groundhogs are typically not, at least for most of the year.  However, when it's breeding season in early spring, a mated pair share a den until the kits are born (gestation takes about 31- 32 days).  Once it's time for the kits to be born, the male leaves.

At first, it just seemed to be snack time the afternoon I watched.  Groundhogs eat mostly vegetation (and I don't mind as long as they only eat the flowers and weeds in the yard... I would not be as happy to see them if they started in on my flowerbeds!).

Then more appeared!

The babies weren't too much smaller than the parents.  The one I assume was the mother was with them, and another adult was farther over in the lawn (probably the male, who had left the den when the babies were coming).

I watched them from about 2 pm and then off and on for the rest of the afternoon.  They didn't seem to mind much as I watched from our front deck and went quietly in and out the door.  

Groundhogs only have 1 liter per year with 2 to 6 kits.  Young groundhogs are weaned and ready to seek their own dens at five to six weeks of age.  Then the adult encourages the kits to move out and find or make their own burrow.

Our family still seemed to be a happy group.  The small ones scampered and ate with little care for what was going on around them, although if the mother ran back into the taller weeds, they all followed.

Though as you can see in the next photo, Mother did have her fierce side, as most mothers do when they think their children might be in danger.

(Notice one 'child' is still eating!)

One of the most interesting things I read about Groundhogs was about their burrows, which of course I have no photos of!  They dig them with their short legs, moving an average of 700 pounds of soil!  Some tunnels can reach up to 45' long and have 2 to 5 entrances.  Groundhogs use their burrows for sleeping, rearing young, and hibernating.  

There are lots more interesting things to read about Groundhogs.  For quick reading, click here.  For more detailed info I recommend this link.

I can't write a post about Groundhogs without using the word prognosticator!  (Isn't that a great word?).  Prognosticator means "one who predicts from current indications".    Though apparently the custom of Groundhog Day may have started with ancient European weather lore, a newspaper writer named Clymer Freas was the first 'modern' person to connect groundhogs with predictions of spring.  On February 2nd in 1886 in The Punxsutawney Spirit, he wrote, "Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow." ('Beast'?  Good grief, Cylmer, you were quite the writer!)

Personally, I felt my time spent watching our groundhog family was much more interesting than 'Groundhog Day'.  Now that I know more about Groundhogs, I think they are definitely deserving to be more than just a cultural phenomenon for one day!  

Since that afternoon, I have not seen the whole family together.  Perhaps that was their last romp - the kits seem quite self sufficient.  

This one was here the afternoon of June 15th, happily eating clover flowers and other tasty lawn plants.  He or she and I will both stay happy as long as that's ALL it eats!

(Same spot... notice missing white clover flower!)

Chipmunks and Cheerios

On a whim on Tuesday I decided to give our chipmunk some Cheerios.  We had some that were past their 'best by' date and I was thinking about what to do with them.  When I say 'our chipmunk', I'm talking about the chipmunk/chipmunks who live in or around the pile of rocks under the birdbath in my herb garden.  It's conveniently located for them close to where they can also find plenty of sunflower seeds.  A chipmunk or two (or ten?) also scamper back and forth between our little woods and the rock pile.  

The Cherrios remained there all day, until late afternoon when a chipmunk finally found them.

Once found, it didn't take him long to dispose of them.  

"For me?  Don't mind if I do!"

The first batch were tasted, and thought good.  Though the round shape did pose a bit of a problem... 

"Sunflower seeds don't roll like this"!

"Got it"!

I put the next few Cheerios in a different spot, where they wouldn't be so apt to roll away.

Cherrios are just right for little hands.

Are they good for chipmunks?  I'm not sure, so I only gave him a few.

"I think I'll have another."

He seemed to think they were tasty, but rather dry.  Good thing there is water available nearby.

One reason I didn't put more Cherrios out was I didn't think they would store too well in an underground larder.  

He filled up his cheek pouches with the remaining cereal.  His puffy profile seems out of proportion with the amount of Cherrios there were.  I think he was debating whether to try to get the one out of the water.  See it there on the right side of the birdbath?  (He left it.)

Today, he was back, and hunting around again-- but he had to 'settle' for seeds.

"More Cheerios, please?"

Bonus: Butterflies!

I wasn't planning to write a post today, but then I saw something I wanted to share with you.  

So, I'm going to keep it simple; and I hope you enjoy these Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.

ONE --

TWO --

THREE!

The flowers are chives, in case you are wondering.  Obviously, they are attractive to butterflies!  (And also tasty in soups and salads, besides being pretty to look at).

3 Minutes in the Lives of 12 Wood Ducklings (and 2 Mothers)

The whole episode I'm going to tell you about actually took slightly less than 3 minutes, but they were exciting minutes!

I'm not sure who was more excited-- the mother Wood Duck or me.  

Let me tell you the story...

It was a beautiful evening on Friday, so I decided to take a walk along the path by the swamp.   The past few days, I'd had a couple of quick sightings of ducklings.  This time, I thought I'd be ready... just in case I happened to see any more.  I carried my camera (and it was turned on and the lens cap was off).  I was prepared.  

I was scanning the water.  Watching the distant water, mostly.  Not expecting a mother Wood Duck and her 12 babies to be feeding right along the bank.  Not expecting her not to hear me approach.  You get the picture.

I got a lot of pictures, too, but the first few didn't turn out very well because I was so excited, I took them with a tree branch between me and the ducks.

The duck family had been peacefully feeding in a little cove along the edge of the swamp.

Mother duck went into immediate emergency mode when she realized I was close by.  The ducklings did, too.  They started swimming away as fast as they could.

They were making bubbles in the water, they were paddling so fast.  But that was nothing compared to the splashing their Mama was making!

She was doing her best to create a distraction - so that whatever danger lurked in the form of the person on the shore, it would go after her and not her babies.  If only she could have known that I was another mother who would certainly never hurt them.  

Indeed, I stood very still (after I moved a couple of steps so the tree branch was no longer in the photos) and tried not to scare her anymore than she already was.

The ducklings quickly made it to a sheltered spot.

 First they all disappeared momentarily behind this clump of grass.

They kept swimming... and for a little while they were out in the open again.

Their next hiding place left a bit to be desired-- I can still see you!

Finally, they seemed to get the idea that they should go back in the thicker, taller grass to hide.  This meant swimming thru the open water again, but just for a little bit.

By this time, the mother Wood Duck had calmed down quite a bit.  All her babies were safe, right?  That's her in the lower left of the next photo, and the babies are at the top right.

There they all were, heading for safety, towards the back of the swamp.  Or were they?  One baby seems to have a mind of his own.

How did the mother know this one was not with the others?  None of them had made a sound (at least since all the splashing had stopped)!

Perhaps, like human mothers, Wood Duck mothers have eyes in the back of their heads? 

All's well that ends well, and this brief encounter between 12 ducklings, their mother, and I, ended just fine.  The stray duckling got the message somehow that he'd better hurry up and join the rest of the family.

Even though he seems to be heading slightly in the wrong direction in this photo, he made it back with the others by taking a turn at the last minute.

Where all the churning water had been only 2 minutes and 40 seconds before (the time elapsed on my photos from the first one of the duck family to the last), was back to peace and tranquility.

Ruby and the Rockets (and Rabbits!)

Ruby and the Rockets!  

(Are you thinking that's a great name for a band? Okay, I'm glad to know I'm not alone.)

The kind of rockets I'm writing about are Dame's Rockets.  And the rabbits... you are going to have to wait til the end of this post to see!

Dame's Rockets are blooming now.

Yes, that's the name for those pinkish/purplish/whitish flowers that many people call Phlox. 

They do look very similar to Garden Phlox, and unless you look at them closely, you probably wouldn't notice the difference.

So, let's go with Ruby to look more closely and see.

Dame's Rocket flowers have only four petals and are actually in the Mustard family, while a true Phlox has five-petaled flowers and is in the Phlox family.

It is also not a 'native' (note the word 'Alien' after its name in the above photo.  While not native to our region (it's from Eurasia), it certainly has 'naturalized' here.  

Garden Phlox, on the other hand, is a native phlox (Phlox paniculata) which has been cultivated and hybridized.  There are many color varieties.  The one I have in my garden is a white one called 'Miss Lingard'.  It's not blooming yet this year so here's a photo from last year of it with a Hummingbird Moth (or Hummingbird Clearwing).

It's a little hard to see in the photo, but the flowers do have 5 petals.   

Another difference between Dame's Rocket and Phlox is their leaves.  Phlox have opposite leaves and Dame's Rocket have alternate leaves (referring to their placement on the stem).  You can see the arrows pointing to the leaves in my field guide.

And in real life-- Dame's Rocket leaves:

and Phlox leaves:

Both flowers are sweet-smelling and pretty!  

Gather yourself a bouquet of Dame's Rocket... there are plenty of them.

But don't ask me why they are different colors... I don't know, and I haven't found anything in my research that tells.  (Sorry, Laura!)

Now, you've learned more about these flowers than you probably cared about (and not what you wanted to know, Laura) but your patience in reading will now be rewarded with the second part of my title... "(and Rabbits!)".

While Ruby and I were on our walk, looking at Dame's Rockets (which she was NOT at ALL interested in), she found something she was VERY interested in.

This area had been tall grass just a few days before and then it was rotary mowed, leaving this exposed--

 I had to drag Ruby away from it, because inside were...

BABY BUNNIES!

After putting Ruby in the house, I went back to check on this furry, occasionally undulating nest.  I very carefully opened it up slightly with a long, thin stick.  After taking a couple of quick photos, I closed it back up and gently placed some long pieces of dried grass over it.

This morning I couldn't resist checking on the bunny nest again.  I am happy to report that the babies seem to be doing fine!   Here's a couple of peeks:

Which do you like better?  The bunnies or the flowers?  Ruby says, definitely the rabbits!