I almost passed this lovely bird by as it was swimming among Canada Geese at Hecla Island.  It was the little tuft of feather sticking up on its head that made me turn around and take a second look.  I have never seen this type of goose before – but they could be easily by-passed as my reference book indicates they can be found amongst the Canada Geese  as singles or small numbers.  They are about the same size as Canada Geese but their bill has a pinkish tone and their plumage quite different than Canadas. 

Below – Greater White Fronted Goose swimming with Canada Geese.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

This garter snake town statue is found at Inwood, Manitoba.  Inwood is right next door to the world famous Narcisse Snake Dens located in Manitoba’s Interlake area.  Here, thousands of red-sided garter snakes emerge each spring and fan out into the countryside.  They return each fall to hibernate in the limestone sinkholes found in the area.

Below:  One of the Narcisse sinkholes that goes deep into the limestone.

Below:  Snake Tunnels have been constructed to allow snakes safe passage under the highway.  The mesh fence narrows and funnels the snakes under the road via man-made tunnels.  This has helped reduce the numbers of snakes killed by motor vehicles each year.

Below:  A red sided garter snake swimming.  They just glide across the top of the water. The swimming snake was in Atikaki Wilderness Park.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

People from all over the world visit the Red River in Winnipeg-Lockport area to catch these monster Channel Catfish.  When we have gone fishing for cats it is always catch and release but I have heard they are not bad eating if smoked. I don’t know anyone personally that has kept them for eating. People say it is like chicken – Yup! Heard “tastes like chicken” many times to describe unusual meats although I did taste Lynx once at a banquet hosted by a Yukon group and it really was like a chicken thigh.   It takes a long time to get a large catfish up to the boat ( sometimes 20 minutes or more) due to their bulk.  My son estimated this one in the 3 foot range and weighing in around 30+ pounds.  This is not an unusual size to catch at Lockport- there really are a lot of huge catfish concentrated in this area. You will notice my son’s hand in the mouth – they don’t have teeth, just a “sandpaper” like rim but they do have barbs than can do some damage if you get stuck by one.  People even catch these big ones from the shoreline casting out their baited pickerel rigs. The shorelines here are often lined with people relaxing and fishing and of course, Lockport is also known for its delicious foot long hot dogs at a few local diners. The Red River at Lockport / Selkirk  is  closely monitored by the DNR officers so be sure to have appropriate licences, barbless hooks etc. and practice good catch and release methods at all times.  Below a few more photos  – another large one and a few smaller ones.

The Winnipeg River (above) meanders through the Whiteshell creating lakes throughout. Above are some rapids where Pelicans sit to catch their fish. The photos below show terrain typically found in the Whiteshell.  Roads have been “cut through” the rocky terrain and the forest is full of lush undergrowth, tall stands of Boreal Forest trees and many different kinds of mosses and lichens.   I personally find the mosses and lichens both beautiful and interesting ( check out a previous blog under Mosses and Lichens for photos). Fox, deer, black bears and beavers are common sights here as well as a variety of  forest dwelling birds, owls, herons and other waterfowl.

Below:  rocks line the highway edges.

Below is the sign welcoming visitors to the Whiteshell.  Note the “turtle” on the sign.  The Petroforms (a sacred site to Aboriginal Peoples) are located in the Whiteshell.  One of the Petroforms is a turtle symbol representing “Turtle Island” which is another name for North America. According to First Nations teachings, the Turtle represents the teaching of Truth. You can find a “Gallery” dedicated to the Petroforms which inlcudes contact information on the right hand side of this page.

In addition to the lakes, beavers in the park have created numerous marshes which in turn provides habitat for birds, turtles and waterfowl to name a few.  Many of these marshes are filled with beautiful pond lillies. Below is a photo of a marsh filled with Water Calla Lillies.

The Whiteshell is less than 2 hours from Winnipeg and is a very popular cottage area. There are a number of hiking trails in the Whiteshell for persons with varying skill levels.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Above:  Turtle Petroform, Cloth Offerings, Tobacco Offerings  (see Petroforms Gallery for full size images and more photos)

I recently had the opportunity to meet and spend a day at the Petroform site with Ron Bell who is recognized as a cultural teacher with an in depth knowledge of the Petroforms and teachings that have been given to him. These teachings include medicine from the various plants that naturally inhabit the area and much more than the rock formations themselves. There is much information that he is able to share and one definitely needs some interpretation of the site to benefit from the visit if your intentions are to gain some knowledge of the teachings, history and meanings of the formations. Had I visited on my own, without a knowledgeable guide,  I basically would have been looking at interesting rock formations and nothing more.  It was a fascinating day in the Whiteshell forest. Ron has given permission to post information to contact  him (buffaloman1@hotmail.com) if you are interested in obtaining more in-depth interpretation as a group or individual.  More contact information can be found in the “Main Menu” section on the right hand side of this page. There is also a new gallery (bottom right) with photos from the  Bannock Point Petroform site which is unique both historically and culturally to Manitoba.

Petroforms are shapes and patterns of large rocks and boulders which cover large open areas of ground.  One of these sites can be found at the easily accessible Bannock Point in the Whiteshell Provincial Park (Manitoba). The Bannock Point Petroform figures are laid out in the shape of  turtles, snakes, humans and other abstract figures.  This site, considered sacred by many,  is still  used by First Nations peoples, elders and others for ceremonies, to share knowledge, pass on stories and as a place for elders to gather.  Sweat Lodges, Vision Quests, prayers and offerings  take place here.  When visiting, offerings of cloth, tobacco or sweet grass should be considered.  Likewise, if you find cloth or tobacco placed on stones or hung in trees do not disturb them. It is the belief of the Anishinabe and other First Nations people that the Petroforms were left long ago for the benefit of ALL people that might visit the site to receive their teachings and healing. One story suggests that this area is where the first human was lowered to earth.

The Bannock Point site contains all the shapes and patterns that are known as Petroforms suggesting that many of the shapes originated here in the central part of the continent and fanned out to other areas where Petroforms are found.

These ancient sites are protected by law to preserve them intact for generations to come. Many questions remain unanswered about the fascinating rock shapes laid out on the open large and flat surfaces of  Canadian Shield granite bedrock ridges found at Bannock Point.  Whiteshell has some of the oldest pink coloured granite found on earth. Boulders left behind on the ridges from the last ice age gave humans the opportunity to arrange them into patterns.  It looks that some of the boulders may have been carved or chipped to give them the appearance of a shape such as a turtle head.

If you do visit the Petroforms site on your own and find a ceremony taking place it is suggested that you respect the privacy of the ceremony and consider returning another day.  These ceremonies should be considered religious in nature as are others that take place in any church or synagogue.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

The above photos are of a female Brown-headed Cowbird taken at Oak Hammock Marsh.  These birds were foraging on the ground picking up insects.  Below is the male .

Below a Western Meadowlark at Oak Hammock Marsh. Meadowlarks are commonly found in grasslands areas and their song is beautiful and unmistakeable.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

This Northern Shoveler pair was sighted close to Oak Hammock Marsh.  Beautiful waterfowl with large shovel like beaks that swipe back and forth while feeding on the water surface. Can be found breeding in shallow wetlands. Below is the female Northern Shoveler.

Below – close up views that show their broad beaks.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

These photos taken at the Leo Mol sculpture gardens at Assiniboine Park.  Leo Mol (1915 – 2009) was an internationally reknowned artist who donated his personal collection as his legacy to the people of Winnipeg, the community where he lived. A walk through this outside art gallery  filled with bronze sculptures is appealing at any time of year.  The tulips are in full bloom right now.

Whoops!  One of these things is not like the other !

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Two fishing shacks that have been pulled off the ice.

A shack and augers in the distance on Lake Winnipeg at Hecla.

Enjoy!

~Sharon