May 28 2006
Riled Up Robins

I open the cabin door to put on my runners so I can go for an early run.

I see pieces of furry moss all over the porch. I look up and see that it was dropped down from a beam holding the roof. Some birds must have been building a nest very early that morning. In fact it was rather loud the singing as I was slowly waking up.

Can't have that over my entrance way ... fears of bird poop urge me on as I grab the broom and pull it all down ... it was spread out over about 8 feet!

I go for my run and come back about an hour and a half later. Lo and behold the moss is back in place above as before!

I grab the broom and start pulling it down. As I just finish, two big robins come and land on my outside table 10 feet away and start squawking at me so loud... "How dare you take down our nest material?" they are clearly saying to me over and over. They were quite upset at me.

I was just amazed that they had no fear and could scold me as they wanted.

I felt no guilt. No nests above my door! There are lots of other places to build.

I guess they got the message as there were no more attempts at nest building there.

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May 28 2006
Bucky made my day!

8:00 AM. Just walking back to the house along the trail.
I step onto the grassy area behind the house away from the bluff.

As I look up, I see a deer coming from my right on the path from my guest cabin.
He had obviously seen me as I stepped onto the grass. He was only 25 feet away and another deer was right behind him.

Instead of stopping and running away, the lead deer keeps coming towards me as I had stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn't believe that he was that unafraid!

Then I notice that he has small bulges where new antlers will be growing and I realize it is Bucky, who I haven't seen in a good couple of months. His brother turns off the path behind him and heads for the bluff in front of my cabin, while Bucky keeps walking right up to me!

He stops 3 feet away and I say "Hi Bucky, how are you doing?"
He just looks at me as I chatter on looking into his big brown eyes.
I realize then that he is expecting his arbutus berries!
About 20 seconds passed this way until he realized there was no feast from me today.

So he turned and walked off to join his brother on the way down to the beach.

I walked into the cabin with a huge grin on my face!

Bucky sure made my day!

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March 13, 2006
Robins and deer feasting on Arbutus berries

I am being swarmed by hundreds of robins feasting on the very, very ripe arbutus berries. They swarm and sing and change songs, stop and start together. I wonder who the conductor is?

There is a doe just in front between the porch and the outside bathtub and she stands still watching and listening to the show!

Woops, the doe ain't a doe...it's Bucky. I could see the spots where his antlers grew before falling off...he is in Bucky Heaven! The robins have dropped tons of arbutus berries as they fly into the branches and pull on the berries...many fall down so all Bucky has to do is stand under a tree and feast...he has walked barely 10 feet in the past hour. You should see the happy expression on his face!

I guess it's like chocolate cake for us!

Imagine your smile!

And he is all alone in his feast....he's having his cake and eating it too!

No other does or bucks around to interfere. He's now eating berries that landed on my bench near the outdoor tub and all around. What a happy deer!

Sort of reminds me of that hot spring day in Montreal as a kid when on a Sunday afternoon, at the rink beside the house, the sun melted the snow and ice and all the change that was there from people flipping over the boards rose to the surface. And it was all there for me to pick up...just me! I made a fortune!

Now, a couple of hours later, a few does have joined the feast and are foraging all over the bluff with the robins doing the hard work above!

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January 9, 2006
What a day on the bluff!

Last night's wind and rain storm brought down some more arbutus berries. I am amazed at how long they stay on the tree! They have been there for months...since September. 2005 was a record year for blossoms and thereafter for berries as each blossom in the spring makes berries in the fall.

The deer are just loving it. Arbutus berries are a delicacy for the deer to feast upon.
And have they been feasting! Because the bluff in front of the house and workshop is so big and open, the moss carpet holds the berries in easy view for the deer to browse.

This morning the two year old twins were here first...you can see the well formed antlers with 2 points on the end of each side to tell their age. Then the younger one year old buck twins joined them in the search. Soon one of the younger bucks challenged one of the older bucks and they half friendly-like butted heads together for about 5 minutes. Two doe females then appeared and all six were feasting happily for a while. The two senior bucks decided to take off at a trot. The does watched and after the bucks were about a hundred yards away, the does gave chase! What a role reversal! The younger buck twins stopped dead in their tracks and just gazed at the departing does with quite the expression on their faces! Maybe next year?

This all happened within 20-50 feet from me. In fact I got some amazing pictures that I will show later. The younger bucks are still browsing now as they wander on their daily rounds. They let me get quite close as I know them from when they were infants wandering with their mum. They let me get very close 5-10 feet before they move off. About a month ago, I picked a branch with berries off an arbutus tree and one of the bucks nibbled each berry on it from my hand! The next day when he saw me at the same spot he came running towards me at a full gallop wanting more! The magic of arbutus never ends!

Now three does are back feasting. And guess what? The bucks are all back. It's mating season. Before you know it, there will be some Bambi fawns around.

Well time to get into the shop and to start processing all the wood I just brought in from the bush. I have a huge stack now as I prepare for the coming busy summer season. Many steps to do but the first big one is done with the wood all here and the ends sealed, ready for making into arbutus lumber.