12-FEB-2011
Ravine in the snow
Made a quick stop at the FWG to see if the beaver was around. The snow was coming down heavily at that point, but a few minutes later, the sun was out and the sky was blue. Such has been our weather this winter: all over the place!
09-FEB-2011
Mourning Doves keeping warm
When it is cold and very windy out, as it was today, mourning doves often seek shelter in protected places. These big Norway spruce are particularly attractive to the doves and when the sun is out, as it was for a little while this morning, they will sit half hidden by the branches and facing the sun.
09-FEB-2011
Black squirrel eating Manitoba maple keys
Finishing off the last maple seeds on this tree. There were four of these guys, all black phase, in the tree.
09-FEB-2011
Wing prints
This was the clearest set of wing marks out of the three that I found today. You can see there has been some activity behind the wing marks, and it covers an area greater than shown in this shot. It looks like a bird dropped down on the snow to capture a vole or mouse or...? The wing marks were 22 inches across at the widest point. A Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Crow?
09-FEB-2011
Crow at FWG
Here is the same crow after dropping the lump of something!
09-FEB-2011
Crow with something in its bill
This is the crow that was eating the lump of flesh (?). He seemed to be having a tough time of it, and from the fact that he didn't appear to be eating, only bashing away at this whatsit, I assumed the lump was hard frozen.
09-FEB-2011
Scrap of fur
It was a partly sunny morning at FWG, but very cold thanks to a brisk wind. I came across a group of four crows, three watching the 4th eating something. I couldn't make out what it was, but it looked like a lump of frozen animal. After watching for some time, the crow appeared to drop the lump, so I went over to have a look. I couldn't find it, but did find much fur scattered over a wide area. This clump was on an Evening Primrose plant and those dots are seeds from the plant. I came across another area not too far away, where more fur was scattered about the snow. It could be rabbit fur, although I haven't seen sign nor hair of a rabbit for a long time. Generally, their signs are fairly apparent in winter. The last time I noticed rabbit presence was when some tracks were found in the first snow on the pond, a couple of months ago.
03-FEB-2011
A red squirrel in the BYG
This little guy is enjoying some warm February sun, especially welcome after the snows of yesterday.
03-FEB-2011
Tortricid moth gall
This is another type of gall on the Canada goldenrods, made in this case by a Tortricid moth. Notice how it is more elongate and rougher than the big round smooth balls caused by the Goldenrod Gall Fly which I posted a couple of days ago.
03-FEB-2011
Staghorn sumac
Lovely sunlight on the red seedhead of the sumac and the fresh snow. The seed is actually inside the fuzzy red capsules that together form the sumac 'cone'. If you look closely, you can see a seed or two.
03-FEB-2011
The Interpretive Centre
The FWG Interpretive Centre with a big mound of snow at the entrance to the BYG.
03-FEB-2011
Amphibian pond under snow
The pond is now under a heavy coating of lovely fresh snow. It was completely unmarked by any tracks at this western end.