October 2015 Activity

Week 40 
Two deer browsing in the back yard,  a few songbirds back after refilling the feeder. There has been no rain for about a month (since September 11-- now October 9).  The deer are still up on the terrace eating the last bit of tomatoe plant leaves. 
Providing sweet feed and corn, plus kitchen vegetable trimmings on an every other day basis.
20 or so turkeys walked through the back yard.
Week 41 
Turkeys are back again, nice sized flock with healthy looking birds.  We saw a fawn today, no spots, but perhaps the smallest fawn seen at this time of the year since we have been observing deer.  It was less than half the size of a normal doe.
Still no rain. Still hot at 90 degrees every day.
Added two front end loaders of brush to the pile nearest the roadway.
Mowed about 5 acres of backyard to cut the broomweed to prevent reseeding.  It was cut high to cut the broomweed, but not damage the tops of native grasses.
Scraped out of the ground several large cactus plants, reminding me that this fall we need to take big time action to rid parts of the property of small cactus growth.
Week 42
Still hot, still dry.  Small bird population is beginning to shift to the fall/winter bird species.  Many of the cardinals have moved on now that their brood has matured.
So far this fall, not as many deer have been observed.  Concluded, though that deer counts don't mean a lot since there are others within a mile that feed the deer and so have pulled them away from here.
Week 43
Seems as if we are having a big problem with either one or two feral hogs tearing up the backyard.  Had another shot at the big black beast the other morning with buckshot (no rifle rule here) but did not bother him as the distance was too great.
Not sure mentioned in an earlier post, but along in August last a family of mother and four feral cats moved into the area and stayed about a day.  They, all but one runt cat, moved on to a neighboring ranch where they stayed for awhile until they were sent away to the animal control unit.   The runt stayed with us and is now a house cat, no longer roaming the area.

September 2015 Activity

Week 35
This is the last week we have before leaving the ranch for some two weeks.  Checklist completed, water troughs filled, feeders full, deer yard supplied with two days feed (no need to provide more, they just eat it all up in one day)

Week 36, 37, 38
Out
(Neighbor reported 4 inches of rain to us by email---great!)

Week 39 
The deer and other wildlife seem to have given up dependence on me as there is nothing stirring.  All the cardinals have disappeared, which is noteworthy as there are usually lots of them.