Redbuds and Lone Star Ticks

Some years ago, I transplanted about a 4 foot tall redbud from the farm to our yard.  It has done quite well there and here's a couple photos from when it was near peak blossom.

It has this interesting tendency to grow clusters of blooms on the branches too.

Anyway, the ticks seem especially bad this year and it seems like they get worse every year.  I have a few friends and acquaintances that have been affected with either Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Mayo Clinic on RMSF or Alpha-Gal meat allergies Mayo Clinic on Alpha-Gal.  Recently the Washington Post ran an article on the Lone Star tick and I thought it might be of interest.  W-P Article on Lone Star Ticks

Another blogger that I follow, who's farm is not far from ours, also posted about them recently. I wasn't aware that hand sanitizer worked so well on the little ones.  Blue Jay Barrens on the Lone Star Tick

Anyway, I take all kinds of precautions like permethrin on clothes, tick gaiters, long sleeves, showers, inspections, etc.  But I still find them crawling on me - sometimes more than a day after I've left the farm.  They are nasty little buggers and I am going to be very sad if I ever develop this meat allergy.

They're Toying With Me (As Usual)

 I was out by myself for a quick turnaround this weekend.  It was raining, foggy and thundering when I arrived on Saturday afternoon.  Turkey season is mornings only at this point so I pretty much just went for a walk.

There wasn't much else that I could do with the ground so wet.  So I put on my raingear and went out to check cameras.  The ticks are bad - I was careful last week and still picked 3 off.  Back to wearing tick gaiters.

The dogwoods are blooming now - they are mostly just understory.

But large, pretty blooms.

During the walk, I bumped three Toms that were walking under these redbuds.

I was hoping to see them in the morning.  Some of my plots are turned up.

And, in the other ones, I may be making some progress against the thistle and other weeds.

Poop of the week - I'm pretty sure this is a coyote or bobcat poop where everything has been washed away except for the undigested hair.

In the fish pond, I spotted a bunch of tadpoles.  I've been led to believe that these are unlikely to survive in this pond with the fish - they are pretty much just bait.  Here's a little video showing the swimming.  Tadpoles in the Fish Pond

So I spent some time looking for morels.  My area that normally produces a lot of black morels was empty this week but I spotted a few golds.

One of them was pretty huge.

On Sunday morning, when I was about to have my eggs for breakfast, I spotted some movement just out the window at the bird feeders.  Here's a video.  Gobblers at the Feeders

I went ahead and ate my breakfast.

Then I suited up and headed out to hunt.  When I stepped on the porch, I spied movement on the driveway - more (or the same) Toms.

They sort of went across the field and I thought they might be headed for the clover below the pond.  I went and set up there with two decoys.  I called a bit and waited.  I watched 3 red heads come over the crest of the hill to point X in this photo.  They came down and got a look at the decoys from about 80 yards, then they circled up into the trees.

They worked their way thru the woods down to the Lucy Trail.  Once again they came out to the field edge, looked at the decoys, and then turned and headed back into the woods.  I was calling and they would pause and turn - but then resume.  About 10 minutes after they left, I heard a shot from down below in the valley.

Something was just not quite right with my decoys or calling.  Here's some of the action that was on camera this week.

Photos from last week.

A few random updates:

1.) the killdeer nest in the middle of the driveway is now empty and abandoned - did they hatch?

2.) I have a bracket on order to roof mount the Starlink - maybe this week.

3.) I got another notice from Silencer Central that my "ATF form is still pending".  It has been more than a year since they received the form and cashed the check.

4.) No news on the 375 H&H that I have had on order - last word was a possible manufacturing date in May.

Joan and Violet last week.

More from the trailcams.

Sneaking off to the right.

Antler progress just beginning.

Redbud Time - Turkey Opener - Morels

 It may not be peak redbud time, but it is close.  This is our view of the driveway on arrival.

Each of the field edges seem to have some redbuds.

The other excitement on the driveway was created by a killdeer deciding to nest right in the middle of it.  Van saw it and marked it so we are driving around the four eggs.  The Mom isn't always appreciative of our efforts.  Video of Killdeer Mom

Another bit of excitement - after a year or more of waiting, the Starlink satellite internet service kit arrived.

Installation requires a lot of line of sight of the north-facing horizon from east to west.  I think it is going to need to go on the roof but I temporarily put it in the middle of the field.  It has motors and orients itself to the available satellites.

I haven't gotten the expected 200 mbps with the 30 latency but it is still a far cry from the 2.7 Mbps that we have with current DSL (13,000 feet from dslam).

I did turkey hunt each morning.  I had a nice encounter with 5 gobblers at 150 yards.  They were gobbling and strutting and I could see a full fan (not a jake).  They would talk to me but they would not come into range.

My turkey hunting is really more like a nature walk.  I look at flowers and look for morels.  And occasionally I stop, set up and call.  I have more success with the mushrooms than with the turkeys.

This is one of my regular spots - 45 morels.

Things are greening up and it's nice to be out in the woods.

There are wildflowers everywhere.  Lots of different violets.

Trillium

I found this chunk of fur.  My first thought was the deer shedding winter coats.  Upon closer examination, there was some meat on the fur.  I'm guessing a predator meal.

The frog pond is getting active.

I could see the salamanders swimming out there.  Here's a video Salamander in frog pond.

Dandelion season too.

It's not just the redbuds.  Crabapples are also in glory.

The wind snapped the middle pear tree in this row.

Yellow violets

I saw this bird on the ground and at first thought tom turkey (red head) - but it was a turkey vulture.  I also saw a harrier hunting over the fields.

My spraying seems to have stunted some of the thistle - others seem unaffected.  This may take more chemical warfare.

I did disk up some plots.  Not sure what I'm planting where yet.

Joan and Violet helped with some chores.

There are definitely turkeys around - even if my calling doesn't appeal to them.

The predators are always on the prowl.

Shots like this indicate that we may need to take some does this fall.

They are called whitetail deer.

The bucks are showing some nubs.