Who is Out There???

Once Teri and I learned that we would be staying in Medina for an extended time, we decided to create a bird-feeding station back in March. In addition to a variety of feeders we've placed a bird bath on the ground and added a small solar-powered fountain to keep the water circulating. It's been a big hit with the birds who drink and bath daily.

Pine Siskins enjoying a bath. 

But something is happening at night. We often find the birdbath totally dry in the morning, with the fountain upside down or even out in the grass. So we set up the trusty game cam to capture the nighttime activity.

We knew that there would be loads of White-tailed Deer, and were not disappointed.

They come alone, in pairs, and sometimes in larger groups. And they come all through the night from dusk till dawn. Click any picture to enlarge.

The bucks are just starting to re-grow their antlers, and you can make out the "nubs" on this one. 

Just as common as deer are North American Raccoons.

Occasionally they seem satisfied with just getting a drink, but more often than not they prefer to get right in and mess around. No doubt the source of the fountain relocation problem.

To us, anything other than deer and raccoons is a bonus animal. We've seen several, including the Nine-banded Armadillo, Virginia Opossum, and a Gray Fox.

Our most unexpected find was a House Cat. We don't know if it belongs to someone or is feral, but this one seems to have caught a mouse.

Depending on when I remember to turn the cam off in the morning, we can get some daytime shots as well. This Cottontail Rabbit lives under the porch and got caught coming home.

We'll keep the cam going while we are here and see what else comes to enjoy a drink or a bath.