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.

In summer, the pond provides the beaver with a safe refuge from predators, since it is much more at home in water than on land. In winter, the advantages conferred by the pond are even more vital. Because the water in the pond is a metre or more, it does not freeze to the bottom and the beaver can swim under the ice to get sticks from the food pile accumulated the previous autumn, return to the feeding chamber of the lodge and leisurely eat the food, all in perfect safety from predators.
Because beaver ponds (especially small ones like the one at post two) are not continuously occupied, the lodge may or may not be in use at the time of your visit. If abandoned the lodge will appear as a collapsed, grassy knoll projecting from the water. An occupied lodge can usually be told by its greater height, the fresh mud and sticks plastered on the outside and the absence of grass.
Occupied or not, the lodge began as a large mound of sticks and mud piled up by the beavers. When the pile was about one metre above the water the beavers cut a tunnel from well below the surface of the water, up through the pile, to the waterline. There the beavers rounded out a feeding platform a few centimetres above the water and formed a higher sleeping platform floored with shredded wood to make a soft bed. Except for the very top of the lodge, the entire outer surface is plastered with mud – so when the winter arrives the dome becomes a thick, hard frozen layer of insulation against the cold and predators – complete with a breathing hole at the top.

I’m not going to go into much more detail about the other features you will see on the trail, as it’s much better for you to pick up the guide book and actually walk this trail yourself to get the full benefit of it – and of coarse, seeing it with your own eyes as you will the lodge i have talked about above – is significantly better than just having someone on a blog telling you about it right?

As on almost all the trails, the guidebook is $0.50 which you can pay for at the pipe immediately where you pick up the booklets at the start of the trail.

And – as i always say, Remember.. if you’re going to park up anywhere in Algonquin Provincial Park or do any of the trails, you’ll need to pull up at the gates (big buildings just off the side of the road either end of Highway 60) and go in to get a Permit. These are $16.00 currently but the rates do change depending on the time of year, so remember to check out their website (linked at the bottom of the article!)

Make sure you’ve picked up one of the Algonquin park news papers (aka the Information Guide) while you’re getting a permit, they’re free and they’re very .. VERY useful to use the map on the back so you know where you are going!

Before you go on any of these trails, remember to have brought with you, proper walking equipment – for example decent walking shoes with a good degree of tread, and comfortable clothes suitable for what ever the weather may be on the day you go on the trail. Another thing you’ll want to factor in is the bugs! If it’s forecast to be warm, chances are you’ll be up against the Mosquitoes and or Black Fly – so bring your bug repellent! .. When i was there last month the blackfly were swarming – and they can leave a nasty bite, so a deep woods type anti-bug spray is advised.

So, that’s Algonquin Park’s Beaver Pond Trail – take it steady and see what more you can find out about these industrious creatures while you do!

For more information about Algonquin park – remember to check out our Algonquin Provincial Park section
And you can also visit Algonquin Park’s official Website.

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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.

Usually, legs are short and strong with 2 toes in front and 2 behind. A few species (2 occur in Canada) have 3 toes, 2 in front and one behind. The toes have strong, sharp, downward-curving nails, allowing the birds to cling to vertical tree trunks or to undersides of branches. Stiffened, pointed tail feathers provide support when the birds climb up and down trees.

Woodpeckers have a loud voice and a variety of call notes. They also drum with the bill, particularly during nesting season and when they have found a particularly resonant surface.

Woodpeckers are very useful in destroying larvae of wood-boring insects. With chisellike bills, they dig into tunnels in wood where larvae live. Studies show that trees in which they dig holes contain larvae even if they appear insect-free.

Sapsuckers bore a series of holes in the bark of deciduous trees to obtain running sap. Certain species (eg, northern flicker) secure ants by a sticky secretion of the salivary glands that covers the long, extensible tongue. Most species eat berries in season; some even snap insects in flight.

When nesting, Woodpeckers excavate a cavity in a tree trunk or branch, rarely in a bank, for nesting. White eggs (2-8), laid on a layer of wood chips, are incubated by both parents. Young are naked at hatching and remain in the nesting cavity until ready to fly.

So! if you’re out in Canada this year and spot these beautiful looking birds, you’ll now know just a little bit more about them!

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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.

Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diet as the seasons change. They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, small rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles, and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi, and nuts.

In settled areas, skunks also seek human garbage. Less often, skunks may be found acting as scavengers, eating bird and rodent carcasses left by cats or other animals. Pet owners, particularly those of cats, may experience a skunk finding its way into a garage or basement where pet food is kept. Skunks commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms.

Skunks are one of the primary predators of the honeybee, relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the beehive and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate. Mother skunks are known to teach this to their young.
Skunks are crepuscular and are solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day, they shelter in burrows that they dig with their powerful front claws, or in other man-made or natural hollows as the opportunity arises. Both genders occupy overlapping home ranges through the greater part of the year; typically 2 to 4 square kilometres (0.77 to 1.5 sq mi) for females, up to 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) for males.

Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. They often overwinter in a huddle of multiple (as many as twelve) females. Males often den alone. The same winter den is often repeatedly used.

Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing – vital attributes in a crepuscular omnivore – they have poor vision. They cannot see with any clarity all objects more than about 3 metres (10 ft) away, making them vulnerable to death by road traffic. They are short-lived animals: Fewer than 10% survive for longer than three years.

The most notorious feature of skunks is their scent glands, which they can use as a defensive weapon. They are similar to, though much more developed than, the glands found in species of the Mustelidae family. Skunks have two glands. These glands produce a secretion which has a highly offensive smell that can be described as a combination of the odors of rotten eggs, garlic and burnt rubber. The odor of the fluid is strong enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers and can be difficult to remove from clothing. Muscles located next to the scent glands allow them to spray with a high degree of accuracy, as far as 2 to 5 metres (6.6 to 16 ft). The smell aside, the spray can cause irritation and even temporary blindness and is sufficiently powerful to be detected by a human nose anywhere up to a mile downwind. Their chemical defense, though unusual, is very effective.

Skunks are reluctant to use this weapon, as they carry just enough of the chemical for five or six uses – about 15 cc – and require some ten days to produce another supply. Their bold black and white colouring however serves to make the skunk’s appearance memorable. Where practical, it is to a skunk’s advantage simply to warn a threatening creature off without expending scent: black and white warning colour aside, threatened skunks will go through an elaborate routine of hisses, foot stamping, and tail-high threat postures before resorting to the spray. Interestingly, skunks usually do not spray other skunks, with the exception of males in the mating season. Though they fight over den space in autumn, they do so with teeth and claws.

So with all this information, some of you may find it interesting to know that skunks can and are domesticated pets for some people. The scent glands are removed if kept as pets in the USA, however if kept as domestic pets in the UK the Animal Welfare Act 2006 made it illegal to remove their scent glands (it is considered to be a cosmetic operation), thus making them impractical as pets.

So! There you have it – The Skunk.. it’s an oddly more cuddly creature than most think when you first see it up close.. with slightly more wirey fur than you’d expect – but at least now if you come face to face with one, if it starts doing its little dance and paw stomping, you’ll know to listen to its warning hm?

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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.

During hovering, ruby-throated hummingbird wings beat 55x/s, 61x/s when moving backwards, and up to 75x/s when moving forward.

Nectar from flowers and flowering trees, as well as small insects and spiders, are its main food. It may also occasionally include tree sap taken from sapsucker wells. Hummingbirds show a slight preference for red, tubular flowers as a nectar source. The birds feed from flowers using a long extendendable tongue, and catch insects on the wing or glean them from flowers, leaves, bark, and even from spider’s webs.

Young birds are fed insects for protein since nectar is an insufficient source of protein for the growing birds.

When i was out there this year i happened to chance upon a violeteared humming bird on the ground. There was no signs to see why it had died, but it gave me a chance to have a rare close up look at these amazing creatures. Their feathers are tiny but shine in a metallic way and as i held it, it seemed such a fragile creature – but it’s capable of such agility whilst in the air. While in Southern Ontario, i wouldn’t say i see them commonly, though if you happen to be near a hummingbird feeder, your chances of seeing them will increase. Over two weeks i think i must have seen hummingbirds feeding at the feeder near us, on about 5-8 separate occasions, and every time it still amazes me how they can beat their tiny wings so fast.

When i think for my favourite birds, blackbirds, robins and blue jays are in the list, but hummingbirds have certainly made it there since i saw them – they have the ability to catch your attention, hold it and dart off leaving you wanting to see more of them!

So if you’re heading to Canada during the warmer months next year, remember to keep your eyes open around flowers and flowering bushes – you may just catch sight of something which you will have no doubt only seen on tv or in text books!

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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.

They are also capable of running at speeds of 34-38 miles (56–64 km) per hour, and can continue running for more than 20 minutes, though not necessarily at that speed. In cold climates, wolves can reduce the flow of blood near their skin to conserve body heat. The warmth of the footpads is regulated independently of the rest of the body, and is maintained at just above tissue-freezing point where the pads came in contact with ice and snow.

Their sense of smell is relatively weakly developed when compared to that of some hunting dog breeds, being able to detect carrion upwind no farther than 2–3 km. Because of this, they rarely capture hidden hares or birds, though they can easily follow fresh tracks. Captive wolves are known to be able to detect what foods their handlers have eaten by smell. Their hearing is sharp enough to register the fall of leaves in the autumn period. The legend that wolves fear the sound of string instruments may have a basis in fact, as captive wolves in the Regent’s Park Zoo were shown to exhibit signs of intense distress when hearing low minor chords. Their eyesight is not as powerful as that of dogs, though their night vision is the most advanced of the Canidae.

In popular literature, wolf packs are often portrayed as strictly hierarchical social structures with a breeding “alpha” pair which climbs the social ladder through fighting, followed by subordinate “beta” wolves and a low ranking “omega” which bears the brunt of the pack’s aggression. This terminology is based heavily on the behaviour of captive wolf packs composed of unrelated animals, which will fight and compete against each other for status. Also, as dispersal is impossible in captive situations, fights become more frequent than in natural settings. In the wild, wolf packs are little more than nuclear families whose basic social unit consists of a mated pair, followed by its offspring. Northern wolf packs tend not to be as compact or unified as those of African wild dogs and spotted hyenas, though they are not as unstable as those of coyotes. Southern wolves are more similar in social behaviour to coyotes and dingoes, living largely alone or in pairs. The average pack consists of 5–11 animals; 1–2 adults, 3–6 juveniles and 1–3 yearlings, though exceptionally large packs consisting of 42 wolves are known. Wolf packs rarely adopt other wolves into their fold, and typically kill them. In the rare cases where strange wolves are adopted, the adoptee is almost invariably a young animal of 1–3 years of age, while killed wolves are mostly fully grown. The adoption of a new member can be a lengthy process, and can consist of weeks of exploratory, non-fatal attacks in order to establish whether or not the newcomer is trustworthy. During times of ungulate abundance (migration, calving etc.), different wolf packs may temporarily join forces. Wolves as young as five months and as old as five years have been recorded to leave their packs to start their own families, though the average age is 11–24 months.

Wolves howl to assemble the pack (usually before and after hunts), to pass on an alarm (particularly at a den site), to locate each other during a storm or unfamiliar territory and to communicate across great distances.

Pups almost never howl, while yearling wolves produce howls ending in a series of dog-like yelps. Howls used for calling pack mates to a kill are long, smooth sounds similar to the beginning of the cry of a horned owl. When pursuing prey, they emit a higher pitched howl, vibrating on two notes. When closing in on their prey, they emit a combination of a short bark and a howl. When howling together, wolves harmonize rather than chorus on the same note, thus creating the illusion of there being more wolves than there actually are. Lone wolves typically avoid howling in areas where other packs are present.

Wolves appear prominently in the folklore and mythology of human cultures. In Norse and Japanese mythology, wolves were portrayed as almost god-like. In Japan (where wolves were known as ookami or “great god”) grain farmers worshiped wolves at shrines and left food offerings near their dens, beseeching them to protect their crops from wild boars and deer, while the wolf Fenrir of Norse mythology was depicted as the son of Loki. Certain cultures portrayed wolves as part of their foundation myths. In Roman mythology, the Capitoline Wolf nurses the future founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. In the mythology of the Turks and Ainu, wolves were believed to be the ancestors of their race, while the Dena’ina believed wolves were once men, and viewed them as brothers.

So, what if you were wanting to see a wolf? Or hear the wolves howl? Well I can only really suggest places if you should be going to the Muskoka/Algonquin regions of Ontario, however if you search google for zoos or wildlife parks near where you will be staying – you’ll no doubt find a place which you can go visit!
Muskoka Wildlife Centre has a couple of wolves – these being the ones in my photos. They can often present extremely close encounters – and opportunities to capture photos similar to mine on this article. However if you’re looking to encounter wolves out in the wild, it’s probably best you go to one of the organised ‘Public Wolf Howls’ in Algonquin Park.

At post 6 on the Mizzy Lake Trail in Algonquin Park is Wolf Howl Pond. This pond was named in the early 1970s when the meadow at the far end of the pond was used by a pack of wolves for several summers as a ‘rendezvous site’. A wolf rendezvous site is a sort of temporary headquarters used by wolves when the pups have become too big for the den but are still too small to travel and hunt with the adults. Because wolves tend to occupy such places for long periods of time, the discovery of a rendezvous means that park staff can take visitors out to hear wild wolves howling with a rather high expectation of success. Back in the 1970s several thousand people participated in ‘Public Wolf Howls’ and heard at that very location the incomparable sound of wolves howling under starry skies, in response to the imitation howls given by park naturalists.

Public wolf howls are still held each August whenever a rendezvous site is found at an accessible location and they continue to have a high rate of success. If you get a chance to go on such an expedition, they highly recommend that you do! there are few ways better of making contact with Algonquin Park’s most famous animal and listening in on its family life, not in a zoo or on television, but in that animal’s true environment.

If you’re interested in going on these Wolf Howls, remember to ring up the park and find out if these are going on to arrange your visit.

More recently obviously, Canadian wolves have also been featured in the animated film Alpha and Omega – Wolves who live in Jasper Park in Alberta.

If you are looking at how to get to Canada to see wolves – remember to check out Canadian Affair. It’s the company i always book my flights with when i fly to Canada and it really is the provider of the lowest cost flights, and it doesnt cut back on quality of service – including 2 inflight meal services and using Thomas Cook as well as the Canadian Airline Air Transat (both of whom i have flown with!) so dont forget to have a look before booking with anyone else! And here’s a link to the Special offers that many miss, so you dont have to go looking!

So there you go! Wolves, one of the many fantastic animals who call Canada their home!

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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.

Black squirrels are well established on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities. They are mostly found in the city of Rock Island. According to one story, recounted in the book “The Palmers,” they were first introduced on the Rock Island Arsenal Island. Some of them then escaped by jumping across ice floes on the Mississippi River when it was frozen and populated other areas in Rock Island.

Vancouver, British Columbia, has a growing population of black squirrels after they were introduced to the Stanley Park Peninsula before 1914. The squirrels have thrived and spread throughout the Vancouver area.

Black squirrels can also be found in Britain where grey squirrels were first introduced from North America at the end of the 19th century.The origin of the UK’s black individuals has been a topic of dispute, with initial research indicating that melanistic individuals are descendants of black zoo escapees. Regardless of their origins, the melanistic population in the UK continues to grow, and around the towns of Letchworth, Stevenage and Hitchin, as well as nearby villages such as Meppershall in England, black squirrels are now as abundant as grey individuals! (if you dont believe me – take a look at bbc news!)

So there you have it! The black squirrel of North America!

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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.

Blackfly are usually prevelant just before mosquito season, through may in southern ontario. They favour humid warm conditions, exactly like mosquitos.

So Lets look at Mosquitos now. Until recently i dont remember having seen mosquitos in the UK, but that seems to have changed and we seem to be getting more and more, so chances are you have probably had the delight of being in bed one night and hearing the high pitch annoying squeek of a mosquito as it stalks you while laying in bed.. only to be annihilated by you when you get up finally.. I absolutely hate Mosquitos, and while i’m out in canada i’ll usually keep a count to see who’s winning! me or the bugs!

Mosquitos and Blackfly can be absolutely everywhere depending on the conditions, especially in May and June. If you’re going to be doing outdoor activities – especially when it includes going on trails in woods, or being near lakes – make sure you get sprayed up with bug spray.

I’d reccomend OFF! if you’re actually out in Canada, though i have personally found Boot’s (in the UK) own Deet concentrated formula of bug spray to be the best. It comes in a pump action bottle and you spray onto your skin, and rub to cover yourself completely. The bits you will always forget to spray are your face, ears, ankles and if you’re a guy with thinning hair, maybe even the top of your head! … Obviously dont spray the stuff into your face, because deet is highly irritative to your eyes.. so spray on your hands and apply to your face carefully! Instructions should be found on the bottles of all good bug sprays so remember to read the lable on them all!

SO! Mosquitos and blackfly.. they’re incredibly annoying, but they’re all part of Canadian wildlife! More than likely the most common creatures we’ve featured that you’re going to come accross while out on your holiday! Put the bug spray on your list of things to take – right now!

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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.

In recent years, Canada Geese populations in some areas have grown substantially, so much so that many consider them pests (for their droppings, the bacteria in their droppings, noise and confrontational behavior). This problem is partially due to the removal of natural predators and an abundance of safe, man-made bodies of water (such as on golf courses, public parks and beaches, and in planned communities).

Contrary to its normal migration routine, large flocks of Canada Geese have established permanent residence in the Chesapeake Bay and in Virginia’s James River regions, and in the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), and nearby Hillsborough. Some flocks in Canada may even choose not to migrate, even during the winter, if food (such as leftovers from human) is constantly available throughout the season.

So, if they breed in Canada, surely that means they fly to and from Canada to the UK right? We see flocks of them flying around the country at certain points in the year right? Well, the answer is actually no.

Canada Geese have reached northern Europe naturally, as has been proved by ringing recoveries. The birds are of at least the subspecies parvipes, and possibly others. Canada Geese are also found naturally on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia, eastern China, and throughout Japan. However, these geese were actually introduced into the UK. They were first introduced in Britain in the late 17th century as an addition to King James II’s waterfowl collection in St. James’s Park, their success though proved all too successful and now we find them all over the UK. Greater Canada Geese have also been introduced in Europe, and have established populations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Scandinavia. Semi-tame feral birds are common in parks, and have become a pest in some areas.

So what about these flocks of birds that form their famous V formations, flying from the pond down your road? Where do they go? The most likely answer is that soon after their young can fly they have moved a short distance to join up with a larger flock nearby.
Many birds, geese included, spend much of the year in large flocks but disperse when they need to find breeding sites an raise their young – your pool is probably ideal for a pair but not suitable for a winter flock.

Most recoveries of ringed Canada Geese in Britain have found that the individuals concerned were within about 30 miles of the place where they were originally caught (although some do move further – including some quite long distance movements within Britain to join moulting flocks, and a few movements to the continent).

So there you have it! The Canada Goose, maybe you’ll spot some of these not so unfamiliar birds while you’re over in Canada yourself!

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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.

On average, an adult moose stands 1.8–2.1 m (6–7 ft) high at the shoulder. Males weigh 380–720 kg (850–1580 pounds) and females weigh 270–360 kg (600–800 pounds). Moose are mostly diurnal. They are generally solitary with the strongest bonds between mother and calf. Two individuals can sometimes be found feeding along the same stream.

Mating occurs in September and October. The males are polygamous and will seek several females to breed with. During this times both sexes will call to each other. Males produce heavy grunting sounds that can be heard from up to 500 meters away, while females produce wail-like sounds. Males will fight for access to females. They either assess which is larger, with the smaller bull retreating, or they may engage in battles, usually only involving the antlers.

Female moose have an eight-month gestation period, usually bearing one calf, or twins if food is plentiful, in May or June. Newborn moose have fur with a reddish hue in contrast to the brown appearance of an adult. The young will stay with the mother until just before the next young are born.

Moose are not usually aggressive towards humans, but can be provoked or frightened to behave with aggression. In terms of raw numbers, they attack more people than bears and wolves combined, but usually with only minor consequences. When harassed or startled by people or in the presence of a dog, moose may charge. Also, as with bears or any wild animal, moose that have become habituated to being fed by people may act aggressively when denied food. During the fall mating season, bull moose may be aggressive toward humans due to the high hormone levels they experience during this time. Cows with young calves are very protective and will attack humans who come too close, especially if they come between mother and calf. Unlike other dangerous animals, moose are not territorial, and do not view humans as food, and will therefore usually not pursue humans if they simply run away. Like any wild animal, moose are unpredictable and should be given a respectful amount of space.

A moose’s body structure, with a large heavy body suspended on long spindly legs, makes these animals particularly dangerous when hit by passenger cars with low ground clearances. Generally, when colliding with a moose at high speed, the car’s bumper and front grille will break the moose’s legs, causing the body of the moose to fly up and over the car’s hood and deliver the bulk of the animal’s weight into the windshield, crushing the front roof support beams and anyone in the front seats.. That means that although initially the following sign is an interesting new occurance on a road trip to further north in Ontario, it’s not to be taken lightly – always keep your eyes out for Moose. When we saw the one we did, at first it looked like a large statue of a moose (as you will find pleanty of moose-type ornaments) however when it turned its head we saw it wasnt, so although their considerable size you can miss them easilly.

Caution, Moose!

If you’re looking to see a moose for yourself and happen to be in Southern Ontario, both Toronto Zoo and Muskoka Wildlife Centre have a number of them, or if you want to try your luck, Algonquin Park would be a good place to camp to try to spot a wild one like we did!

Just remember with all wildlife, respect nature, and it’ll have respect for you!

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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.

In January the mother bear gives birth to 1-5 cubs during the dormant state, but the average number of cubs is 2. The cubs will spend the next two years with her. Black bears have few natural enemies besides humans. An old or injured bear might be attacked by wolves.

Black bears feature prominently in the stories of some of America’s indigenous peoples. One tale tells of how the black bear was a creation of the Great Spirit, while the grizzly was created by the Evil Spirit. In the mythology of the Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian people of the Northwest Coast, mankind first learned to respect bears when a girl married the son of black bear Chieftan. In Kwakiutl mythology, black and brown bears became enemies when Grizzly Bear Woman killed Black Bear Woman for being lazy. Black Bear Woman’s children, in turn, killed Grizzly Bear Woman’s own cubs. The Navajo believed that the Big Black Bear was chief among the bears of the four directions surrounding Sun’s house, and would pray to it in order to be granted its protection during raids.

Morris Michtom, the creator of the Teddy Bear, was inspired to make the toy when he came across a cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot a black bear cub trapped up a tree. Winnie the Pooh was named after Winnipeg, a female black bear cub that lived at London Zoo from 1915 until her death in 1934.A black bear cub who in the spring of 1950 was caught in the Capitan Gap fire was made into the living representative of Smokey Bear, the mascot of the United States Forest Service.

Unlike grizzly bears, which became a subject of fearsome legend among the European settlers of North America, black bears were rarely considered overly dangerous, even though they lived in areas where the pioneers had settled. Black bears rarely attack when confronted by humans, and usually limit themselves to making mock charges, emitting blowing noises and swatting the ground with their forepaws.

You can meet a black bear at Muskoka Wildlife Centre if you’re heading to that region of Ontario!

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