Lily in all her glory
It happens to everyone sooner or later. They can’t help themselves. The attraction to the camera is just too much.
Lily (the wayward deer who keeps trashing my pond) has discovered the night camera. Earlier this week she posed this way and that way taking selfies unashamed. She only wished her friends could see her. She had her fur done and her whiskers trimmed.
Despite putting a load of lumber (large enough to build an apartment building) and netting on the pond, Lily has been coming around to check things out. She wants to make sure I don’t let my guard down and leave a nice salad for her by the pond. The salad would include my precious water lilies.
She is very resourceful. I covered a tub of recovering plants with netting. She removed the netting (moving it to another spot) and relieved me of the plants. Whatta gal! You have to appreciate her ingenuity.
If the damage wasn’t so annoying, I could totally appreciate her efforts and cunning.
Last night it wasn’t Lily who visited. The camera shows a fuzzy chubby critter. Maybe with stripes on the tail? Raccoon (although we have never seen one in the yard before)? Groundhog with highlights from the beauty salon?
This guy was more interested in the bird feeders which he climbed like a pole dancer to a rumba beat. I was surprised at how agile he was despite his girth. He took a drink from the pond but with all the boards covering the plants didn’t do any damage.
We are considering fencing in a part of our yard so we can grow things without Lily’s pruning efforts. Perhaps we should rethink this. I should contact that TV program and see what a dome would cost.
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
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Kate … I’m thinking you could make a bundle by having Lily featured on a reality TV show. She is adorable and resourceful. I’d love to see a photo of that other critter. When we lived in the country, I recall looking at the cement slab we called our back porch and saw a porcupine on it. 😉
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A porcupine? In Rochester? Tomorrow’s blog will have a picture of the other critter. He’s a little more camera shy but I did get him.
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No, we lived in Oswego County in Central New York when I saw the porcupine. But, I’ll bet they’re all over. Can’t wait to see the little critter. 😉
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Wow! I thought that was a desert critter.
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I wouldn’t be surprised if porcupines are in the desert, too.
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Funny.
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Not quite so funny when she’s munching on your flowers….
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Funny the way you wrote it
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Thanks!
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Witty all things considered that the pond is being used as a salad bowl. Deer is such a pest really. I know the feeling since we have the same problem in the island. Chicken wires all over the greenness that ruins the aesthetic of the surroundings.
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Seems Lily is angling for her her own reality show… 🙂
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Yes and she would be a star!
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🙂
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Wow! Kate you could have your own critter reality TV show. I love hearing about all the visitors you get in your own back yard. I need a camera to see if Mr Fox is checking out my chooks at night. We hear the Foxes cries, the dogs bark but I would love to set up a camera and see how close they get. Thanks for the entertainment. Would love to see photos of all your visitors.
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The camera has been fun. I’m surprised that the pictures turn out as well as they do.
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They are really good.
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Let’s face it, the word is out, the Pond is the place to be. Pretty soon they’ll be a rope line and a couple of those little deers won’t get it, like at Studio 54.
I have to say, whoever that was Lily or one of her brethren, you can’t help but to say, how beautiful. Talk about cheekbones.
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It’s the same deer each night. I can tell by the markings. You can see a spot on her body past her shoulder. I will have to get a bouncer!
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In a tux…you’re so funny.
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I am dying laughing over this post, sorry Kate. We have had no issues with deer this summer but there are fresh green round bales in all the fields around us and they are feasting on them and all the fresh green everything that is in the woods from all the rain. They haven’t even touched our hosta… yet. The squirrels however have eaten or rolled on every potted plant I have. And now spider mites are devastating all our evergreens. CH is spraying as I type. I hope Lily moves on! I hate to say it but CH would be giving Lily a little sting on her butt with a pellet rifle to move her along… it works well.
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I couldn’t do that. Instead we are installing a fence (cha-ching, cha-ching!) We don’t have a lot of squirrel issues and hardly any rabbits. There’s a huge protected preserve that has tons of luscious food for her. My hosta are just irresistible! I had spider mites on my hollies last year. Still haven’t recovered. I am thinking of replacing with something less susceptible. We also had on some yews where the frogs go so I couldn’t treat those. Nasty buggers. Glad I gave you a giggle!
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When I go to the gym in the early hours it seems to me that there is a large population of raccoons trying to make their way home. I wondered if there was some hot night club in the forrest that they frequented, but apparently they’re at your house. We see a pond, they see a Jacuzzi!
Lilly is very photogenic!
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A Jacuzzi with a sunflower seed buffet!
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Poor hungry critters! Pretty frustrating when the forces of nature don’t fit with our own plans and hard work!!
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I know. We are developing the land so there is no where to go. I visited a friend who lives way out in the country this week. She has an open garden with no critter issues but there are lots of fields and other food around. I couldn’t believe that she doesn’t get deer and I do. I live at the edge of a large city.
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That’s so unfortunate for them. Such a dilemma for you, too. It would be great if there was a good solution.
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Because they have no predators, the deer population is exploding and it’s becoming more common to see them in neighborhoods or even dead on the street. I wouldn’t be surprised if they come up with a birth control for the herd.
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Birth control would be a good idea. Especially if it’s a temporary fix–nothing that would hurt them indefinitely.When we lived in Michigan, we sometimes saw deer on our street. There was such a small woods left for them.
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They have over a hundred acres here in the preserve but the herd is getting larger. It’s a battle of the wits although mostly I plant things they don’t like. The problem is that sometimes they will eat something they aren’t supposed to like. This past winter they sheared our holly tree badly. It’s recovering but goofy looking.
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Oh, they must really be hungry. It’s like a Biblical famine for deer :(.
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With our wet spring there is a lot of food available. Things are growing like beanstalks! Just not water lilies.
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Lily probably thinks she’s photogenic, Kate. What a dear she is, pruning your plants like that for you. Personally, I think she works for Vogue. Have you noticed how she’s not there when you come outside? Even though she loves the camera (and it her) she’s probably little more than a— runaway model. 😀
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There were several pictures of her primping before the camera so I think you are right. She was trying to get the fans to blow her hair just right. Just like the models.
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Just like a deer. Every hair always in place. When was the last time you saw a deer with a bad hair day? See what I mean. 😀
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🙂
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Kate, I’m pretty sure your mystery visitor is a raccoon. The adults are fairly large and have black “rings” on their tails. They also have the black “mask.” They’re nocturnal, good at climbing and love sunflower seeds. Always a problem at the bird feeders.
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I think so too. After living here for 13 years and keeping the sunflower seeds in a sealed container outside (with no problems), they figured out how to open it this spring. There is a new bunch of genius raccoons that moved in.
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They could never be accused of being dumb, that’s for sure. Hopefully they’ll move on.
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Hopefully!
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Good luck! Hopefully they will move off to newer more fruitful grounds soon…
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We hope that after we spend all the money on the fence, we won’t continue to have the problem. The deer won’t jump it but those raccoons are rascals!
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Wild America!
Hope you come to a compromise with Lily and other night bandits.
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It’s the wild, wild east!
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Sounds like your yard is the place to be after dark, Kate. When I went out to my garden last night I saw bunny sitting as calm as can be eye level with the swiss chard. No reaching for longer leaves or bending for shorter ones, just happily eating away at the leaf right in front of its nose. Maybe I should call him/her Char. Good luck catching your bird food thief. Hope its not a possum, they’re kind of gross.
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In past years we have had lots of bunnies but not this year. Not sure what is getting them. We have foxes or maybe something else. Nothing except cars get the deer.
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Bunnies are probably afraid of foxes. Nothing seems to scare Lily.
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No, she lives in a protected preserve with no hunting allowed. Deer don’t like dogs but I don’t think a dog would do anything but chase. Now maybe a hungry coyote! Bunnies usually (at least when we had them) refer young growth so once you got your plants going they were safe.
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Possums are not nice and have skinny-Winnie tails…they’re ugly dudes! I guess we’re lucky we haven’t any intruders…but then we have no pond either. Give and take. We do have a new garden in our front yard…a plot of big poles with trimmings…courtesy of the electric company! Guess we don’t rate underground utilities! Phooey!
Kate, I can’t make my picture show up on your likes…so I’m a red/white square temporarily!
Good luck with the ‘late nite’ show!
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I don’t think it’s a possum because of the tail but we will try to focus the camera on the pole. Utility poles! Ugly! So sorry!
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What a mess you got yourself into with that pond! I’m sympathizing from afar. Best of luck socializing with your “friends.”
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Seriously! There have been days when I think of closing it up but then the frogs croak and the fish greet me….
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PA started issuing doe licenses this past week. Maybe Ron con help you with your problem come this Fall. I hate to think Lily may be Bambi’s mother.
Have you tried feeding her apples? They love apples. They make good pets, Jake would love a new friend.
How does Lily get along with the bees?
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You know once you name something it’s hard to kill them.
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Racoons are very masters with their paws, I’ve rigged many suet feeders with wire, yet they’ve somehow removed the wire and opened the feeder. Sorry to hear Lily is giving you problems, Kate.
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At my last house, I had some dry cat food just outside my slide doors on the deck. At dusk the raccoons found it and my cat and I watched from inside the glass doors just inches away as they ate the food. I was astounded at how agile they are with their paws. They probably could open cans given the chance. My cat was in awe.
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I think they could, Kate. I had a run in with a raccoon last summer. I caught him in the act trying to break into a feeder. I threw ice cubes at him…he looked at me like I was nuts, probably because I have terrible aim. 😦
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We used to keep our sunflower seeds in a galvanized trash can with a lid and a handle that goes over the lid. Something kept pulling the handle down and removing the lid. These critters are not dumb!
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Fat squirrel? Possum? I’d love to know who the mystery visitor was. I hope you get a picture.
“Lily.” Hahahaha, got love that rueful sense of humor.
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Too big for a squirrel. Maybe a possum but the tail was bushy. I want to rig the camera closer to the feeders. The picture was too fuzzy to post. My friend Lynn named her Lily last year after she ate all my….lilies.
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