Posted by Bob Lefebvre
Earlier this week some of the Friends of Fish Creek birding groups found a Porcupine in a tree at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. I happened to be there with my camera and took of few shots of it sleeping. It was surprisingly high up in a poplar – higher than I’ve ever seen one before! Thanks to the birders for the tip on where to see this mammal.
Porcupine, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Calgary, September 11, 2018.
Porcupine (back view), Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Calgary, September 11, 2018.
Below is a shot showing just how high up the Porcupine was. I had to take this shot with my phone since I couldn’t get far enough away to get the whole tree in with my big lens. Can you spot it?
Porcupine in tree, IBS, September 11, 2018.
Porcupine in tree, IBS, September 11, 2018. It was about 25-30 feet up.
Nice to see the porky photos. An adult and 2 babies have been seen in Wildwood near the Douglas Fir trail.
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Thank you much for this photo/explanation. I had no idea that porcupines climbed trees, let alone THAT high. Amazing. —
–Any idea, was he sleeping/living/nesting in the tree, or was he after some bird eggs/baby birds?
He was just sleeping. They chew on tree bark and you often see them up in trees. They den in the park and feed on trees and bushes there. I’ve never seen one in a poplar before (usually it is willows or birch) and never this high. They are mostly nocturnal but I’ve seen them sleeping at eye level several times and even feeding in the daytime.
SWAINSONS — That is interesting. Had no idea. I knew I had to sort of watch/listen for Bobcats in tree branches, but had never considered these critters….