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.
Here’s a special Christmas Day gift to our Birds Calgary readers!
Bobcats have reported many times in the past few years in SW Calgary, especially in the Weaselhead, South Glenmore Park, North Glenmore Park, and adjacent residential neighbourhoods. On December 13, Tony LePrieur was taking photos in the Weaselhead, and was lucky enough to see three of these beautiful wild cats together. There were four in the group, according to other observers that day. It appears to be an adult female and three young.
As Tony lay down on the ground to try to get a photo of one of the cats through the bushes, one of the young ones walked right up to him to a distance of about four feet. I think you’ll agree that he got some outstanding photographs!
You have to be amazingly lucky and very quick with a camera to get a photograph of a wild weasel. Glenn Alexon has managed to snap not one but two excellent portraits of local weasel species.
Here is a Long-tailed Weasel seen by the administration building at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary on one of our Friends of Fish Creek birding walks, September 9, 2011.
The most widespread weasel in the western hemisphere, Long-tailed Weasels are sleek, long bodied hunters 20-26 cm long, with a tail measuring half to two thirds of their body length. Summer coats vary from rich chocolate to rusty brown, with creamy white to yellowish underparts. Northern populations moult to pure white in winter, but their tail always has a black tip, regardless of coat colour. Southern populations do not change colour in winter.
Living from southern Canada to northwestern Brazil, these animals have the greatest habitat tolerance of any American weasels. They can be found in virtually all habitats, from Arctic-alpine to tropical, and are absent only from true desert and agricultural areas. They are most abundant in open woodland, brushland, and grasses and meadows near water.
Glenn has also managed to photograph a Short-tailed Weasel on the back of Sulphur Mountain in Banff.
Called Ermine or Stoat in Europe, Short-tailed Weasels measure 17-34 cm. Their coats are rusty to chocolate brown with white undersides, and the tail has a black tip. Northern populations moult to white in the winter, but retain the black tail tip. In North America, they are smaller than the Long-tailed Weasel with a proportionately shorter tail, and the two species occupy the same geographic areas.
Found throughout the northern hemisphere in North America, Eurasia and Greenland, Short-tailed Weasels occur in a wide range of habitats from Arctic tundra to semi-desert, and sea level to 3,000 m. Unlike the Long-tailed Weasel, the Short-tailed can also be found on farmland and pasture, preying on the abundant rodent population.
To see more wonderful wildlife photos from Glenn, have a look at his Wildlife of Alberta Flickr page, and be sure and see the kissing marmot photo while you’re there!
Photos taken in Carburn Park by Rob English on Dec 6/11. Even in the depths of a Calgary winter, there’s always lots to see in our natural areas! Click to enlarge photos.
Sometimes when you go birding you don’t find what you hope to see. But sometimes you see something unexpected that is just as great. And sometimes it’s not even a bird.
Last Saturday the Friends of Fish Creek Society birders explored the Votier’s Flats area of Fish Creek Park. Our goal was to find a Northern Pygmy-Owl, which is always a treat to see, and which several members of the group had never seen. The owl has not yet been reported in the park this fall but in the last few years it has first been sighted at about this time.
We didn’t find an owl, but someone spotted a writhing mass at the side of the path that turned out to be a family of Least Weasels – a mother with eight young.
Photo by Dan Arndt
The nine little mammals moved through the undergrowth in a mass, over and under each other, but always in contact. In his report on Albertabird, Gus Yaki described them as “travelling together so close that they seemed to be a single organism.” Pat Bumstead says that they probably were making one of their first forays outside their natal den, and were exploring their surroundings.
Photo by Wayne Walker
The mother crossed the trail near us, and the young separated amongst our feet. They showed no fear of us. I put my hand down, and briefly had one in my gloved hand. The shots below show just how small Least Weasels are. These young are as big as an adult, or nearly so.
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
The juveniles eventually crossed the trail to reunite with their mother.
Photo by Dan Arndt
Although they are impossibly cute, weasels are carnivores, capable of killing animals many times their size. In these photos they show off their teeth.
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Anne Elliott
We were very lucky to see such an amazing sight. If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of looking at these little guys, so below there are some more pictures for you to enjoy.
(To see an additional Birdscalgary post about another species of weasel, click here.)
(To see a YouTube video that uses some of these pictures, with music, click below:)
Here are the rest of the photos:
Photo by Dan Arndt
Photo by Dan Arndt
Photo by Anne Elliott
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Thanks to the three photographers who contributed these great pictures: Wayne Walker, Dan Arndt, and Anne Elliott.
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Wayne Walker
Photo by Dan Arndt
Photo by Dan Arndt
Photo by Anne Elliott
Photo by Wayne Walker
