"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Nighttime visitors

With the recent heavy rains we experienced we discovered all sorts of different things.

 Thankfully - we didn't discover any leaks LOL

 But, you remember Blockhead?  Our eco-friendly pest control solution to sharing too much of our unharvested harvest with the local wildlife.
Blockhead in all his glory :)
He was the scarecrow that RMan and Mkid made last summer.  He took a dive and fell flat on his face.  Even though his feet were well anchored and providing support for his immense frame!
Sodden fields and clay result in...
The normally hard clay ground became so sodden with water, that he lost his balance with just a light puff of wind.  Straight onto a grape plant.  
Blockhead took a nose dive
Thankfully, the grape plant survived, and Blockhead is now once again on guard.  But this time the base has been reinforced LOL
Who is this...?
But, the rain also highlighted other things we were unaware of.  Such as nighttime visitors.

 Each even I walk the dogs, and on one such walk I noticed tell-tale signs.  Such as this footprint that I haven't seen before.
No print that I have seen before
Could it be a badger?  Dr A reckons that the pigeon toed pattern certainly indicates a badger.  And I have seen what I believe was one a few months ago.  it also looks too small to be a "wild" cat (wink wink Roy)
Check out the scale, and the difference,
between the dog print and our visitor...
For scale I took another pic - this time with a matchbox next to it.  You can clearly see the difference between the dog paw print and our mysterious visitor's.  I reckon maybe Englishman may be able to clarify the finding...?
Posted by Dani at 13:17:00
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9 comments:

  1. Sue15 November 2012 at 13:38

    Should be interesting to see who your visitor is. Good luck with identification!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani15 November 2012 at 16:36

      Sue - LOL I'm dying to know what (else) is creeping round at night... Maybe a night vision camera would clarify things - if only I had one...

      Delete
  2. Jane @ Hard Work Homestead15 November 2012 at 15:35

    So have such unusual animals there I could never even imagine what it could be.

    ReplyDelete
  3. DFW16 November 2012 at 17:57

    My cousins all have those night vision cameras at their hunting camps. I don't think they are very expensive, or else my cousins wouldn't have them. Their money is usually spent on ammo & beer (hopefully not used at the same time!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani17 November 2012 at 08:33

      DFW - Your cousins, and their priorities, sound like RMan LOL

      Delete
  4. Mad dog and Englishman16 November 2012 at 18:02

    mmm, I think it is either a badger or a porcupine. They have similar spoor. I would lean towards the porcupine.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mad dog and Englishman16 November 2012 at 19:09

    Either can be bad news for your dogs if you let them out in the dark for a final pee parade before bedtime or early dark winter mornings. Mad Dog was stuck in the nose by a porcupine. Since then, she snores so loudly ....we suspect inner nasal scar tissue.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani17 November 2012 at 08:34

      MD&E - I haven't seen a porcupine, but I have seen a badger... Reckon maybe a night vision camera may be needed to answer the question...

      Delete

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