Pine martins (a bigger cousin to the weasel) are active in the orchard these nights. Tracks go from tree trunk to tree trunk, then veer off when vole movement is sensed beneath the snow. There must be several dozen plunge holes out there, and certainly the martin comes up with a meal on some of those dives. Coyotes also cross through looking for voles as well. The one deer that discovered the unfenced entrance into the farm seems to have been deterred by the ol' fishline trick, whereby clear fishline is strung between trees and gateposts to "invisibly" snag any passerby ... which doesn't appeal to deer as they can't see what is blocking the way. They easily manage to go under the fishline but then tend to shy away, leastways for several days. This approach to deer deterrence requires making "your mark" in some fashion or other every few days. Perhaps my gentlest visitors to the orchard these days are the chickadees, zooming back and forth from the bird feeder with sunflower seeds to be eaten in the privacy of a bare branched apple tree. I'm glad to have finally learned that saying "chick-a-dee, chick-a-dee" out loud (in a most proper chickadee voice, no less) is a danger call; the grower who greets these friends with a heartfelt "dee-dee-dee" is accepted as friendly and perhaps even a downright reasonable species. Once I learn the chickadee word for 'eat codling moth larvae' I'll let you know!

Pine martins (a bigger cousin to the weasel) are active in the orchard these nights. Tracks go from tree trunk to tree trunk, then veer off when vole movement is sensed beneath the snow. There must be several dozen plunge holes out there, and certainly the martin comes up with a meal on some of those dives. Coyotes also cross through looking for voles as well. The one deer that discovered the unfenced entrance into the farm seems to have been deterred by the ol' fishline trick, whereby clear fishline is strung between trees and gateposts to "invisibly" snag any passerby ... which doesn't appeal to deer as they can't see what is blocking the way. They easily manage to go under the fishline but then tend to shy away, leastways for several days. This approach to deer deterrence requires making "your mark" in some fashion or other every few days. Perhaps my gentlest visitors to the orchard these days are the chickadees, zooming back and forth from the bird feeder with sunflower seeds to be eaten in the privacy of a bare branched apple tree. I'm glad to have finally learned that saying "chick-a-dee, chick-a-dee" out loud (in a most proper chickadee voice, no less) is a danger call; the grower who greets these friends with a heartfelt "dee-dee-dee" is accepted as friendly and perhaps even a downright reasonable species. Once I learn the chickadee word for 'eat codling moth larvae' I'll let you know!