Clap Hands, Here's Chuckie

You never know who is going to show up at Goose Station Central.  Today, it was Chuckie, Bon Bon Acres’ resident groundhog.  The little guy has come a long way over the past three months when it comes to his interactions with humans.  At the start of the summer, he would only come down as far as the apple tree in the backyard but I am slowly winning his trust. 

Chuckie has some big shoes to fill.  A few years back, we had a woodchuck here I named “Sunny” who was nearly tame.  I loved her so much.  She had babies once and the entire family of five lived under the gazebo for one summer.  She was an extraordinary creature as she was so friendly.  The last time we saw here was when she went under the barn for her winter torpor.  I never saw her again.  😢

As groundhogs only live to around the age of six, I would wager Chuckie is her grandson. 

(please click on images to embiggen) 

An Afternoon with Friends

Weeding and hand trimming are favorite summer tasks for two reasons: first, they put the finishing touches on a freshly mowed lawn; and second, my new lower vantage point allows for some great up close and personal interaction with the Bon Bon Pond wildlife.  

Tuesday's outdoor work gave me the opportunity to spend some time with Humphrey, the new and very bashful resident woodchuck.  And, of course, my beloved best friends, the turkeys are never far from my side when I'm outside working.  I am so honored to have earned their trust and companionship.

(please click on images to embiggen) 

My beautiful boys:  Larry and Moe.

Patti, Maxine and LaVerne--my sweet girls

The ever-elusive Humphrey.

 

Bon Bon Pond All Stars

Special Note from LaBonBon:  Sorry for the “far away” pics.  This year my parenting geese are very protective of their offspring.  In fact, they rarely swim across the pond, preferring instead to hide in the tall grass on Bonnie’s side.  Perhaps this is in response to the raptors who now call the pond home.  ???  Either way, their strategy is working as all six of their goslings have survived.  They will be three weeks old on Friday.

The new resident woodchuck is also very skittish.  He runs for his life whenever he sees me.  I still dearly miss my beloved Sunny, the world’s sweetest and friendliest woodchuck.  She loved to watch Jeff work and would keep him company.  We last saw her go to sleep for the winter in mid-September of 2012. ??? 

The turkeys are my closest wildlife companions.  They are here all day every day and talk to me constantly.  The males seem to be in competition with the new neighborhood rooster and holler every time he crows.  The sounds of the country are music to my ears.

   

(please click on images to embiggen)

Spring's Comin'

 

http://animaltracks.today.com/_news/2013/02/02/16756058-early-spring-the-groundhog-says?lite 

Happy Ground Hog Day!

Sunny News

Five days and no Sunny sightings to report. Our resident woodchuck was last spotted entering her home beneath the barn on Wednesday, September 19^th.   

Sunny is a constant pal, with me each day while I work outside. Not one to miss a meal of sunflower seeds, her absence is glaring and has me a bit worried as it seems awfully early for groundhogs to go into hibernation.  A look back in this blog told me that Sunny’s brother, Buddy, came out of  his winter sleep on March 15^th.  If Sunny followed a similar pattern, mid-September would fit within the realm of normalcy. 

Wondering if the abnormally hot and dry summer could induce an early torpor, I set about doing some internet research. Sure enough, my trusty friend Google introduced me to the concept of “estivation” which is described  as a temporary state of inactivity that mammals will enter if, for example, during summer months it becomes too hot or dry. 

While studying up on woodchucks, I was interested to read they receive most of their hydration from the dew on vegetation they consume.  Well, maybe most do, but my Sunny drinks water from a pan.  Perhaps she modified her behavior in response to the drought?

I also learned that woodchucks usually do not travel more than 50 yards from their dens. This is very good news as I worried that perhaps Sunny had wandered away to another place that doesn’t like woodchucks. 

Tomorrow I will perform a close up inspection of her homes and see if I can observe the traditional “dirt wall” that wintering woodchucks construct to keep out uninvited guests.

Hibernation is an important part of life for woodchucks.  Here at Bon Bon Pond we did our part to fatten her up for the long cold months ahead. 

Sweet dreams, my sweet Sunny.  See you in the spring.

More Sunny the Woodchuck

My sweet little friend: she truly is the “sunshine of my life.” Sunny the woodchuck continues to amaze with her fearlessness, friendliness and intelligence. She’s a quick study and has learned to drink from a water pan and eat sunflower seeds from a makeshift “dish.”  

I believe Sunny is truly an example of "adaptive evolution."   She has displaced her larger and stronger brother because she has learned to live in harmony with humans.  No matter how hard I tried, her poor brother could never get past his fear of me and thus seems to have moved on. 

Youtube is full of videos of woodchucks who have befriended people.  They are sweet gentle little animals that respond well to human kindness.  It pains me that they are often vilified for simply doing what God intended for them:  digging holes.    Some of the videos show people petting them which I would not recommend.  I love and respect the wildlife too much to try and turn them into pets.  Rather, I think of them as friends and fellow residents here at Bon Bon Pond.  

A wiggle in the walk . . . :-)

Looking for apples:  a favorite treat.

What a face!  Is she cute or what?!

Sunny Update

Good news to report on my little woodchuck.  She’s been active all day and eating a ton of her favorite food: sunflower seeds.  It’s just as hot today as yesterday but the humidity is lower.  Her breathing is better and she hasn’t been digging body trenches. 

This afternoon her brother appeared but then took off when he saw me. Obviously both are living here although they keep their distance from each other. Woodchucks are notorious loners so it should be most interesting to see how this plays out.   Stay tuned for further updates.

 

Sunny "plays well with others."  She gets along great with the squirrels and the groundfeeding birds.