Northern weather

[robert.]

had to mow again. 3rd time this year. Hard to believe people 50 miles north of me are shoveling snow.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

had to mow again. 3rd time this year. Hard to believe people 50 miles north of me are shoveling snow.

I'm 100+ miles south of you and have only mowed 1 time this year, and it was 38* this morning.

[healey36]

Canadian geese are pulling out, large flock of sparrows that winter here just flew in, squirrels piling up black walnuts like mad...early fall in the cards?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Canadian geese are pulling out, large flock of sparrows that winter here just flew in, squirrels piling up black walnuts like mad...early fall in the cards?

We've got a good acorn crop on the ground already and the hickory nuts hitting the house and deck are large this year.

[healey36]

I think the squirrels are in a bit of a panic since we’ve taken down the old red oak. The pin oak and the willow oak just don’t produce the volume of acorns.

[robert.]

I have been treating a fox with mange. Once a week it gets a hardboiled egg with Ivermectin in it. Poor thing is so thin. It wont make the winter if this don't help.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I have been treating a fox with mange. Once a week it gets a hardboiled egg with Ivermectin in it. Poor thing is so thin. It wont make the winter if this don't help.

Tough to do - takes a lot of weeks to clear the mites and then the eggs as they hatch.

I remember when the beagle got it when I was a kid - horrible and we did not have Ivermectin or other drugs like that back then....

[healey36]

I have been treating a fox with mange. Once a week it gets a hardboiled egg with Ivermectin in it. Poor thing is so thin. It wont make the winter if this don't help.

They are usually scrawny when they are healthy. Hope the treatments are successful. They are beautiful animals. Unfortunately, the coyotes are starting to drive them out of their range around here and they are turning up increasingly in built up areas.

I was out watering the garden last week and a young fox ran through the yard. We have a pair of red-tailed hawks and a couple owls. Why are there so many squirrels around here?

[robert.]

2 weeks ago along the PA and MD border. About 5 miles north of MD. We saw a large black bear. It was one of those Holly f%*k that is one big bear. By the time i turned around it was out of camera range. I'd guess somewhere around 600-800 pounds. At first glance i thought it was a cow from someone's pasture. Big *** bear. Miles away from Murph.

[healey36]

That would be one huge black bear. The ones I’ve seen in western Maryland cracking open bird feeders are about 300 pounds at the top-end.

[E7]

600-800 pounds! Bearzilla!!!!!

[HONDO74]

I think the squirrels are in a bit of a panic since we’ve taken down the old red oak. The pin oak and the willow oak just don’t produce the volume of acorns.

I have been feeding the squirrels that play on my upper back deck black oil sunflower seeds. I always put the seeds and deer corn out for them in the winter. I like watching them play and it also keeps the cats amused. The squirrels know the cats can't get to them so they tease the cats.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I think the squirrels are in a bit of a panic since we’ve taken down the old red oak. The pin oak and the willow oak just don’t produce the volume of acorns.

I'll not worry too much about them here - we just had the big red oak taken down, but the much larger white oak and hickory should be enough for our squirrel population; sacrificed enough of my tomatoes to them this year... I'm also a bit surprised how many we have what with all the predators that are roaming about here. Surprised by the number of chipmunks as well given we have a good 6' black racer living under the front steps now. Deer found the hosta around back and ate those down - 1st year for that; usually they only graze on the ones in the front gardens. Not seen the foxes about lately....

[healey36]

I think the squirrels are in a bit of a panic since we’ve taken down the old red oak. The pin oak and the willow oak just don’t produce the volume of acorns.

I have been feeding the squirrels that play on my upper back deck black oil sunflower seeds. I always put the seeds and deer corn out for them in the winter. I like watching them play and it also keeps the cats amused. The squirrels know the cats can't get to them so they tease the cats.

I usually buy a sack of raw peanuts in the fall, throwing a couple fist-fulls out every day or so once the cold weather sets in. When we first moved here, we found peanut shells scattered about in the back garden. The squirrels would come up onto the terrace as if they were looking for something. Didn’t take long to figure it out. I’m guessing between the old couple that lived here for thirty years before us, and the thirty-five years we’ve been here, that’s a few hundred pounds of peanuts.

[robert.]

I toss a lot of peanuts and chestnuts. Nothing takes the chestnuts. Trees around here are turning g brown and dropping leaves.