Chickadee Photo Art

Muskrat

// April 29th, 2011 // No Comments » // Atikaki Wilderness Provincial Park, Beaudry Provincial Park, Birds Hill Provincial Park, Boreal Forest, Canadian Shield, Fort Whyte Nature Centre, Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park, Interlake, Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipeg, Mammals, Nopiming Provincial Park, Oak Hammock Marsh, Recent Posts, Rodents, Urban Nature, Whiteshell Provincial Park

Related to Beaver?  No.  Related to a Rat?  No.  It is said they are more likened to an overgrown field mouse.  Thick, richly coloured fur which keeps them warm in the icy cold waters throughout winters.  They build little mud/reed lodges for sleeping and eating in.

They are active during the later hours of the day. Muskrats do not have webbed feet and their tail is bald; both feet and tail are sparsely covered with fine hairs.  Their tail is long and more round than flat and does look like a rat tail. They use musk glands to scent their trails and communicate. Muskrats are found in slower moving rivers, streams and marshy areas and inhabit virtually all areas of North America. Valued for their fur, they are trapped in large numbers and they have numerous air borne and land predators. In spite of this their population remains healthy.  There are many fascinating facts (how they have adapted to eating underwater) about these mammals which have so well adapted to their aquatic habitats.  Check out the following Muskrat Fact Sheet at Hinterland Who’s Who

Below:  A good view of the hind feet

Below:  A muskrat’s tail – round and bare

Muskrats use their front feet like hands to grip their preferred food like cat tails.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

SANDERLINGS & a correction notice for Birds Gallery

// February 12th, 2011 // No Comments » // Birds of Manitoba, Information Items, Interlake, Lake Manitoba, Recent Posts, St. Ambroise Provincial Park

First the Correction Notice . . . There are a few birds in the Birds of Manitoba Gallery that are NOT native to Manitoba.  They are: Stellar Jay, Rufous Hummingbird and Clarks Nutcracker.  These birds are native to Alberta and British Columbia.  Thanks to a very astute birder ( Gary B. ) in Winnipeg who pointed out that not everyone viewing the gallery may know this -  I had placed them in the Manitoba Birds gallery simply because they are “birds” . . . A new gallery has been added entitled ” Birds- Other Provinces”.

Now on to the Sanderlings . . . These pretty little shorebirds reside in the Arctic regions but I happened upon them on the shores of Lake Manitoba during their migration period.  They scooted in and out of the waves along the shore and searched the sand for food.  I hope you enjoy these photos of our migrant visitors.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Manitoba in years gone by . . .

// February 7th, 2011 // No Comments » // Information Items, Interlake, Recent Posts

This past year our family held its first reunion and as a result many old photos were dug up for scanning and presentation.  So today I thought I would stray away from the norm and share a few of the old photos – dating back as far as the 1930′s.  There are a few of Winnipeg’s 75th Birthday Celebration showing Portage Avenue in 1949.  Views of Lockport on the Red River from the late 40′s or early 50′s and a few of rural farm life.  My mother had a box brownie camera – not sure if she took these photos or not.

Below:  Harvest time showing the threshing machine throwing straw up onto the mound.  Note the metal wheels on tractor and wagon and the very thin rubber tires on the truck to the left.  Our best guess is 1930′s. The large barrels would have been filled with gasoline and the horses to the right would bring the crops loaded on wagons to the threshing machine set-up. Not all farmers owned the machinery so neighbours would help neighbours in getting the crops off. These crops would have been truly Organic – no pesticides or fertilizers during this era.

Below: My father & aunt cutting wood and my grandfather splitting wood at the family homestead in Silver, Manitoba. No wood would mean no heat or cooked food.  Harvesting cordwood was a very important part of homestead life.  Everything was prepared in wood stoves during this time.

Below:  Lockport, Manitoba.  Note that even during this time there were fishermen in the fast waters just like there are now in the summertime.  This photo is from the late 1940′s or early 50′s.

Below:  Photos of Winnipeg’s  75th Birthday celebrations.  The parade of Aboriginal horsemen in full dress at Portage and Main. The second photo shows a mortgage rate sign at 4.5% which I thought was rather interesting as well. These celebrations would have taken place June 5 – 11 in 1949 according to Winnipeg historical records.

Enjoy!

Sharon