Chickadee Photo Art » Mammals

Javelina aka White Collared Peckary

Sharon — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:00:38 +0000

The word Javelina comes from the Spanish word “javelin” meaning spear, a reference to their long, pointed canine teeth. Although they look like wild pigs they are not a member of that family but belong to the peckary family. The Javelina of Arizona are desert-dwellers who migrated up from South America. They forage for food and prefer prickly pear cactus, insects and other vegetation. They live in social groups of 6 to 12. During the heat of the day they seek shade and tend to be active in the morning and evening hours. They can be agressive toward dogs and humans but can be observed quite safely at a distance. In Sedona, Arizona the town has colourful Javelina statues erected in honour of their desert dwelling residents.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Red Squirrel in Winter

Sharon — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:55 +0000

Red squirrels are active during the winter and can be seen running around in the snow and on trees on milder winter days. They build great nests sometimes lined with stolen fabric which they have borrowed from lawn furniture. Fur lined and cozy they can keep warm on blustery winter days. Their nests are built in spruce/fir tree boughs, inside hollows of tree trunks or in homes/garages and sheds if they can get access. I love watching their antics and get a kick out of them when they “scold” you from above. They are territorial and although many squirrels can live in the same area they often go on real good chases chattering and uttering clucking warnings to other squirrels. They can clean out a bird feeding station in no time but then they need to eat too. I always find many peanuts buried in my flower pots and beds every spring courtesy of the squirrels.

Enjoy!

Sharon

Skunk in Winter

Sharon — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:34 +0000

You could not miss seeing this black and white striped skunk out for a walk on a sunny and warm winter day. They are normally nocturnal so I am not sure why this one was on a walk about during mid-day. It was walking along and rooting under the snow here and there in search of food. These photos were taken in the Pinawa area. About the size of a domestic cat, skunks won’t bother you unless they feel threatened and it is very wise not to annoy them. In all fairness to the skunk their body language will give you warning if you are too close. Their diets consists mainly of insects and they do eat small rodents as well. Sometimes in more rural areas skunks will damage lawns by digging for food. I especially love the baby skunks and they are adorable reminding me of kittens following along behind their mother. One campground in the Whiteshell that I frequented had many skunks which would appear with the onset of dusk and they wandered around the campsites in search of food. They were so used to people and being fed that they were almost like the campground pets. One walked right under my camp chair one night on its way to the lakeshore for a drink of water. I enjoyed watching them wander about without feeling threatened.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

River Otters

Sharon — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:00:41 +0000

Another fall day and a drive out to the Whiteshell Provincial Park. Once again I happened upon an otter family of three. Every time I come across an otter or otters they always will swim a little in my direction, pop their heads up and take a look. As usual, their curious nature allowed for this photo before they swam a little farther down the river. I am always thrilled to see these playful animals in their natural environment.

Below: A river otter from an early spring trip, once again taking a look.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

King of the Beasts

Sharon — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:00:15 +0000

This is the last of my zoo posts but I would be remiss without including our lions. Not too lively while I was there but at least the lioness was awake – the old fella – well, it was a Sunday afternoon and he was napping. Hmmmm . . .

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Siberian Tiger Cubs & Snow Leopard

Sharon — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:00:07 +0000

Still some photos from my October zoo visit. A few more photos of our precious Siberian Tiger cubs and one of the snow leopard who was cat napping.

Below: Snow Leopard

Enjoy!

~Sharon

White Tailed Deer

Sharon — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:00:43 +0000

Some recent photos of white tailed deer today. These were taken in late October / early November and as I had hoped there were more bucks visible at this time of year. It is rutting season and we need to be extra alert while driving in both the city (we have a large urban deer population in Winnipeg) and on the highways. The deer run all over the place during the rut and many are killed in traffic.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Mule Deer

Sharon — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:00:40 +0000

Mule deer are found in the Western portion of North America – the Rocky Mountain regions and get their name from their large “mule like” ears. They are more grey in colour than their cousin the White Tailed Deer. The mule deer’s tail is black-tipped, whereas the whitetail’s is not. Mule deer forage and mate in the fall as do others in the deer family with fawns being born in the spring. Humans and automobiles top the list of enemies but their natural enemies would be mountain lions, coyotes and also bears. They are always alert and rely on speed to avoid harm. These photos were taken in Alberta near Jasper.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Zoo Babies – Siberian Tiger Cubs

Sharon — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:22:08 +0000

As a rule I do not use photographs of caged animals such as in a zoo but this year in Winnipeg at the Assiniboine Zoo we had a special event – two beautiful Siberian (Amur) Tiger Cubs were born. A trip to the zoo was a must on a lovely fall day and I thoroughly enjoyed the antics of these two cubs who are known as Reka and Sarma. They played, rolled around, chewed on and pestered their momma just like domestic kittens do and mother was so patient and gentle with them – just placing her large paw on their head to settle them down. I was surprised how big they were already. They are simply adorable ! While at the zoo I took a few other photos and will post them in the near future and that will be it for captive animal photos.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Beavers “Super Beaver”

Sharon — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:00:12 +0000

This adult beaver was busy eating the leaves and branches of a recently harvested branch. Two adults were floating this branch in the water only to be met by two beaver kits (photos below). The little kits swam out from the edges of the creek to meet their parents and promptly started munching on the leaves as well.

I recently saw a nature show featuring the Canadian Beaver who is wreaking havoc in South America. In South America they are known as Super Beaver because of their ability to alter entire ecosystems. It seems our Canadian Beavers are very adaptable to different environments, are active for longer periods throughout the day and therefore create their watery worlds at a faster rate. Our transplanted Canadian Beavers are thriving and destroying forests and valleys on the island of Tierra del Fuego. Beavers also create wetland habitats for the benefit of other species and are nature’s greatest engineers. The most fascinating rodent and so much fun to watch!

Enjoy!

~Sharon