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Well, it’s been a pretty hot weekend, the weather, other than the odd thunderstorm has managed to keep its act together for us, which makes a nice change to the cold wet snap we had earlier in the month – so since it’s a great time to be outdoors, i thought we’d have a look at another Algonquin Provincial Park trail – The Beaver Pond Trail.

The Beaver Pond Trail winds two kilometres through rugged Algonquin terrain, offering excellent opportunities to observe the roll of the beaver in the park environment. You may or may not actually see beavers during your walk, but everywhere about you will see signs, informing the observant hiker of their presence, activities and influence.

The Beaver is considered one of Canada’s national symbols, up there with the moose, the maple leaf and ice hockey – so this Trail is perfect if you want to enjoy a hike through the Algonquin landscape, while learning more about these special creatures. The trail takes you round in a circuit, visiting ponds, lakes, rivers, dams and meadows – and these features were not necessarily there all the time, As the trail guide explains to you, Beavers have had a significant impact on the landscape they live in.. an impact so significant that their effect on the environment is second only to humans as far as tailoring the landscape to their own needs.

At post two on the trail you visit a typical beaver pond – one of thousands in Algonquin Park. It is such a common place sight in fact, that we sometimes forget what an extraordinary thing it is. By damming the stream,. the beavers have actually changed the environment to suit their own needs – from a forest with a stream trickling through it, to a wide open pond, one or two meters deep. (more…)

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Woodpeckers may be found around the world, but i have to say, I’ve never seen one or really heard one myself in the UK. When i first went to Canada, in southern Ontario i was amazed to find not only one – but lots of woodpeckers coming to the feeding station! .. So Woodpeckers get the Canadian wildlife article for today!

Fourteen woodpecker species occur in Canada. These are red-bellied, red-headed, Lewis’s, hairy, downy, white-headed, three-toed, black-backed and pileated woodpeckers; yellow-bellied, red-breasted, red-naped and Williamson’s sapsuckers; and northern flicker.

Woodpeckers rarely perch. They primarily live in trees (obviously), although some species such as the northern flicker spend much of their life on the ground. Most species are nonmigratory; however, many found in Canada migrate.

These birds vary in length from 8-60 cm. Plumage can contain black, white, yellow, red, brown or green, in various combinations, and they often have red or yellow on the head. Many species are barred, spotted or streaked, especially on underparts; several have a prominent crest.

Woodpeckers are heavy bodied and have moderately long, rather rounded wings, and round or wedge-shaped tails. The chisel-shaped bill is strong and usually straight. Nostrils are hidden under tufts of bristlelike feathers. (more…)

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It’s been a while since we featured some Canadian wildlife so i decided to talk about a creature everyone had heard of – The Skunk. Do they stink? well.. in a word .. Yes. Yes they do. Though interestingly – a skunk hates its own defensive odor and will only generally use it as a last resort, as it knows it would get some on its own fur and then spend the next many days cleaning and trying to get it off its self.

Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance ranges from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream coloured.

Skunk species vary in size from about 15.6 to 37 inches (40 to 94 cm) and in weight from about 1.1 pounds (0.50 kg) (the spotted skunks) to 18 pounds (8.2 kg) (the hog-nosed skunks). They have a moderately elongated body with relatively short, well-muscled legs, and long front claws for digging.

Although the most common fur colour is black and white, some skunks are brown or grey, and a few are cream-coloured. All skunks are striped, even from birth. They may have a single thick stripe across back and tail, two thinner stripes, or a series of white spots and broken stripes (in the case of the spotted skunk). Some also have stripes on their legs. (more…)

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Hummingbirds aren’t the first thing anyone really thinks about when they think of Canada, but in the warmer months in the eastern side of Canada you may be lucky enough to find one of these tiny fast winged birds grabbing a sip of nectar from flowers.
Canada is host to a number of the humming bird species in these months such as the Green Violetear Hummingbird and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is 7–9 cm long with an 8–11 cm wingspan, and weighs about 3 g. Adults are metallic green above and greyish white below, with near-black wings. Their bill is long, straight and very slender. The breeding habitat is throughout most of eastern North America and the Canadian prairies, in deciduous and pine forests and forest edges, orchards, and gardens. The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or a tree.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is migratory, spending most of the winter in southern Mexico, Central America as far south as South America, and the West Indies. It breeds throughout the eastern United States, east of the 100th meridian, and in southern Canada in eastern and mixed deciduous forest.

Hummingbirds have many skeletal and flight muscle adaptations which allow the bird great agility in flight. Muscles make up 25-30% of their body weight, and they have long, blade-like wings that, unlike the wings of other birds, connect to the body only from the shoulder joint. This adaptation allows the wing to rotate almost 180°, enabling the bird to fly not only forward but fly backwards, and to hover in front of flowers as it feeds on nectar and insects. (more…)

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Of all the animals in the world, the wolf is probably one of the most popular animals.. to at least those who love wildlife. In history it was both man’s best friend and one of man’s hated competitors. In the UK, wolves are extinct.. hunted until every last one had been killed. However in Canada, these awe inspiring animals still survive, and if you go to the right place at the right time you may even be able to experience the haunting howls of these superb creatures.

Gray wolves are slender, powerfully built animals with large, deeply descending ribcages and sloping backs. Their abdomens are pulled in, and their necks heavily muscled. Their limbs are long and robust, with comparatively small paws. The front paws have five toes each, while the back paws have four. The forelimbs are seemingly pressed into the chest, with the elbows pointed inward, and the feet outward. Females tend to have narrower muzzles and foreheads, thinner necks, slightly shorter legs and less massive shoulders than males. Wolves are very strong for their size, possessing sufficient strength to turn over a frozen horse or moose carcass. (more…)

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One thing i was slightly supprised at when i first went to Canada, was the very black and very large Squirrels there were there!
They are actually a type of Grey squirrel. Grey mating pairs may produce black offspring, and in areas with high concentrations of black squirrels, mixed litters are common.The black subgroup seems to have been dominant throughout North America prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, since their dark colour helped them hide in virgin forests which tended to be very dense and shaded. As time passed, hunting and deforestation led to biological advantages for grey coloured individuals.Today, the black subgroup is particularly abundant in the northern part of the Eastern Grey Squirrel’s range.This is likely due to the significantly increased cold tolerance of black individuals which lose less heat than greys. Black individuals also enjoy visibility advantages in denser northern forests

Large natural populations of black squirrels can be found throughout Ontario, and in several parts of Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio. Populations of grey squirrels in which the black subgroup is dominant can be found in these six areas as well as in smaller enclaves in New Jersey, southern New York, Illinois and Connecticut. Outside areas of North America where black squirrels occur naturally in abundance, there are several notable introduced populations of Black Squirrels: In the United States, the city of Kent, Ohio has a significant black squirrel population, after 10 were legally imported from Canada in February 1961. They have driven out native squirrels in many areas, though they peacefully coexist with most other rodent wildlife. (more…)

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Well, its friday 13th, lets hope you arent supersticious! Still, you dont have to be unlucky to meet the subjects of this article, they’ll be happy to meet you whether you’re lucky or not!

First, Blackfly. Well, as you can see from the picture, these aren’t the blackfly i always grew up in the UK to know as blackfly. Those being the sort of sap-sucking aphid with wings. These are much more mean. Almost everyone in the UK will know of mosquitos, those annoying buzzing things that fly about and land as soon as they can, but blackfly may not necessarilly be familiar to a good few.

Most black flies gain nourishment by feeding on the blood of other animals, although the males feed mainly on nectar. They are usually small, black or gray, with short legs, and antennae. They are a common nuisance for humans, and many U.S. states have programs to suppress the black fly population. One thing however, is that their bite, if you thought Mosquito bites were bad – Blackfly bites are worse. Luckilly for me, ive always been obsessive about putting bug spray on, so i’ve not been bitten by blackfly, though i can tell you the most common places you’re likely to be bitten. Your ankles are their favourite. Blackfly like to sit in grasses, so as you walk through they’ll zip up your trouser legs and go for the first skin they find. Another annoying spot they seem to like is your ears! Usually they’re unsuccessful, but it’s really irritating to suddenly get this incredibly loud BZZT! in your ear, and you have to bap trying to get it off. (more…)

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Well, we’re a blog about Canada, and children all through the UK who go to parks with ponds or small lakes will be very familiar with the sight of Canada Geese. But, if these are, as their name describes — ‘Canadian’ geese, why are they in the UK? Do they fly here? Well keep reading and you may just find out!

The Canada Goose is a wild goose, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body. It is often called the Canadian Goose, though technically this isn’t its correct name.. being picky that is!

This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. Its nest is usually located in an elevated area near water such as streams, lakes, ponds and sometimes on a beaver lodge. Its eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down. The Great Lakes region maintains a very large population of Canada Geese.

By the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat in the late 1800s and early 1900s had resulted in a serious decline in the numbers of this bird in its native range. The Giant Canada Goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until, in 1962, a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota, by Harold Hanson of the Illinois Natural History Survey. With improved game laws and habitat recreation and preservation programs, their populations have recovered in most of their range, although some local populations, especially of the subspecies occidentalis, may still be declining. (more…)

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The moose is the largest species in the deer family, and they can be massive! We were lucky enough when driving back from Algonquin Park to see a moose standing by the side of the road, and its only when you’re close to one that you can actually appreciate how big these animals can actually get!

In North America, the moose range includes almost all of Canada, most of Alaska, much of New England and upstate New York, the upper Rocky Mountains, Northeastern Minnesota, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale in Lake Superior.

All moose are herbivores and are capable of consuming many types of plant or fruit. The average adult moose needs to consume 9,770 calories per day to maintain its body weight. Much of a moose’s energy is derived from terrestrial vegitation, mainly consisting of forbs and other non-grasses, and fresh shoots from trees such as willow and birch. These plants are rather low in sodium, and moose generally need to consume a good quantity of aquatic plants. While much lower in energy, these plants provide the moose with its sodium requirements, and as much as half of their diet usually consists of aquatic plantlife. In winter, moose are often drawn to roadways, to lick salt that is used as a snow and ice melter. A typical moose, weighing 360 kilograms, can eat up to 32kg of food per day.
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North America’s smallest and most common species of bear. It is a generalist animal, being able to exploit numerous different habitats and foodstuffs. The American black bear is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern, due to the species’ widespread distribution and a large global population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. The species is not overly dangerous to humans, but has been responsible for a few deaths, as well as property damage and livestock predation. The American black bear has been the source of inspiration for numerous popular cultural depictions of bears, including the Teddy Bear and Winnie the Pooh.

The most omnivorous species of all bears, the black bear’s diet is mainly vegetarian, feeding on buds, berries, switching to roots and nuts in the fall. In fact 3/4 of their diet is made up of vegetable matter. The other 1/4 is made up of carrion, insects, grubs, and worms. The black bear also hunts mice, small birds, and fish. Found in both deciduous and coniferous forest, from the Tundra to Mexico as long as there is natural forest for habitat. Den’s are often made out of a hollow tree, a shallow cave or an excavation.
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