Morning Visitor!

So early this morning I was heading out the front door with video camera in hand to capture some activity at the Oriole nest. Just as I grabbed the door knob I saw some movement and decided to wait. This little skunk was doing some morning grooming.

Skunk at Front Door

Last night's activity at the birdbath. A skunk, opossum and a house cat!

A Light Night Drink!

We haven't seen the little skunk "Pepe Le Pew" in the last four days.  However last night the BirdCam took a picture of him taking a drink at 3:56 in the morning.

Skunk

Pepe le Pew is setting up residence!

When I came home from work today the little skunk was on the steps.  He looked up at me and his tail when straight up, fortunately he was facing towards me.  

A skunk on the steps, I prefer the concrete rabbit

He didn't spray and went on about his business and slowly made his way down in the garden.  I suggested that he should just move along and he did!  Down to the little waterfall in our garden and got a drink.  That is when I made may way to the front door and into the house to grab my camera.

Skunk

He continued towards the front door digging around the rocks looking for grubs to eat.  Then he went towards the back side of the house.  Since Mike also saw him two days ago at about the same time of day, I'm thinking he has set up residence near or under the house.  I'm sure this story will continue!

Little Visitor

Mike came home from work today and was greeted by this little visitor!

Skunk

This is a small skunk, the brick is only 11 inches long.  Mamma skunk can't be too far away.  One morning last week I saw a mother skunk with five small skunks at the ground level birdbath.  I don't know if their den is on on our hillside or if they are passing through.  They disappeared into the bushes before I could get my camera.  The good news is that they do eat rodents including rats.

Critters on the garden path

One day in July of 2010, I discovered a hole that was being dug on the lower garden path.  So I decided to set up the BirdCam and point the it towards the hole to see who was digging.

Turns out that some skunks were the culprits. 

 

Then there was another visitor on the garden path, a Coyote.  I wasn't too surprised as we sometimes hear them howling during the summer nights.

  A month later I placed the camera in a different location on the lower garden path and here is a Coyote going up the steps.

I don't think this is the same coyote in all the pictures as this next one looks a little smaller than the last.

I like having the date and time on these pictures.  The real surprise came a month later with this next picture, as it was the middle of the day when the coyote was on the path.  You can see the backside as its walking away from the camera.

This could be one of the reasons that we had very few, if any gophers in the garden.