Sunday, May 21, 2023

Planting Update

We got two 1/2" rains in the 10 days since planting so the food plots are germinating well. We also got some really cold nights.  Soybeans don't like cold soil so I was a little worried.

These are the sunflowers.  They look to be up nicely.
The driveway plot soybeans are showing.
Main field plot also has some germination.
This plot near the pond has more weeds but that will be solved in a couple weeks with some roundup.
I had a beer for the camera tour this week.
It hit the spot quite nicely.
Van has started to prepare a pad for what will be the implement shed.  I'm buying a cheapo carport type building to get some shelter for the implements and to make room in the main barn.
The clover plots are looking pretty good.  This is the orchard plot.  It is sprouting some milkweed but mowing will handle that in a couple weeks.
The barn field has a few thistles but not bad.
The pond field has the major thistle problem.  I'll need another chemical attack here.
The main field clover is a little spotty but otherwise quite healthy looking.
Last week out with the dogs.  This is Daisy who really enjoys her treats.
This is Violet who could care less about treats.
Joan on the tour last week.
Some of the planting activity.
Cultipacker.
The antlers are starting to show.
And, the saggy belly crowd.


I mentioned the absence of bobcats last week and here they are.

Also coyotes.
And fox.

The turkeys are still putting on a display.








What could this be?  Doesn't look like a crow...



Sunday, May 14, 2023

Bird Buddy - The Usual Suspects

 I received a thoughtful gift this year. It is a Bird Buddy device which is a bird feeder with an integrated Wi-Fi camera. When birds arrive to feed, it snaps a photo, sends it to an app on my phone and tries to identify the species using AI (artificial intelligence). Of course, there’s a social network for sharing these photos. I thought you might like to see some of them. Here they are. 



















I didn’t include any squirrel shots which the AI correctly identified from a full frame of fur.