A Very Cute Family

Earlier this month, I was surprised and delighted to spot a little family of skunks doing a kind of congo line shuffle across my back yard.  

With five babies to feed, no wonder the mother was so hungry and the reason I previously saw her foraging for grubs well into daylight hours. At first, the youngsters kept very close to each other and to their mom in her search for food. But within a few days, the five young skunks were all over the place, no longer sticking with the group.

Like their mom, they seldom looked up from foraging and digging in the grass.

  

And at dusk one evening I looked out the window to see a mother raccoon with three kits in tow. No doubt they were headed for the nearby ditch to search for frogs and other edibles.

 

Masks on but hardly disguised.

Keeping close to Mom while exploring along the way.

 

 

More backyard pictures taken this month:

 

A Gray Catbird wading in for a dip.

A male Baltimore Oriole having a turn.

Panting on a hot July day.

A Robin sun bathing to help dislodge mites.

Caterpillars destined for Robin babies ...

... also honeysuckle bush berries ...

... and grasshoppers ...

... and good old, regular fare earthworms.

A hummingbird clearwing moth nectaring on phlox.

 

This year I went a bit overboard with my sweet pea planting. I filled seven large containers with them. Lots of feeding and watering and staking and support twine involved. So blossoms I had, aplenty! Sweet scented in a nice variety of colours. My assortment of flower vases is getting quite a workout.

 

The first picture was meant to show the bouquets on my window sill. I didn't notice the hummingbird until after I downloaded the snaps. The orange tabby cat ornament in the corner spotted it though.

 

Finally, I sometimes see a young tabby who, I think, drops in to say 'Hi' to Ellie Mae. He looks healthy and well fed. Since my grounds are quite jungle-like, I can understand his liking to visit.