Enjoy!

~Sharon

Enjoy!

~Sharon

** New Photos Gallery has been updated . . .

These diving birds need clear water and can be found around smaller ponds as well as large bodies of water.  They are able to hover in the air  before splashing down into the water to catch a fish.  A very attractive bird I think.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

This photo was taken at the Petroforms site in the Whiteshell.  One could not miss seeing this brightly coloured metallic green beetle scurrying across the rocky path.

They are found in the deciduous forests and do not bite humans unless handled. This beetle can have white spots on its shell, usually numbering six but some beetles have a few spots or none at all. They live in woody places and like shady openings such as dirt paths and fallen logs to hunt. Their prey includes caterpillars, ants and spiders. The beetles stay in larvae form for one year before pupating and has a total lifespan of just under 5 years.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

These are truly beautiful birds found at marshes in Manitoba.  They will eat fish, frogs and insects which they catch with their long spear-like beak.  In flight, they tuck their head back towards the body and fly with their feet extended – easy to identify on a fly by. These photos were taken in the Whiteshell Provincial Park.

Enjoy!

Sharon

Then, I was taken to an area where porcupines had completely stripped a spruce tree of its bark and naturally hoped to see a porcupine.  We found the tree, but no one was home.  This was the only tree in the area that was nearly bared of its bark . . .

Next, an active Eagle’s nest but once again, no one was home.  We did see the eagle soaring high above the area. These are very large nests – this one about 4 feet across and situated high in the trees.

Okay – so something found me.  This woodtick . . . they were abundant and not hard to find. I really don’t like woodticks!  Ugh!

Sometimes this is the way things work out when you intentionally go searching for wildlife.  As a rule, we see animals and birds when we least expect to and are fortunate if a good photo opportunity presents itself.

Lesson 1:  The animals and birds don’t work on my schedule.

Lesson 2: Always have your camera on hand because you will most certainly need it when you don’t have it.

Enjoy!

Sharon

Here’s the scenario.  I am driving home from the Whiteshell on Hwy 44 and from a distance see a fox family up ahead crossing the road.  The mother is a black fox, white tip tail ( only the second one of this colour that I have seen ) which is a  variation of the Red Fox.  She has two kits with her.  Momma fox and one kit run towards the bush to the right of the highway and are safe.  The second kit runs across the highway to the left on its own.  There is fairly decent traffic on this highway and cars were coming in both directions.   I had slowed down but still driving I could see that the kit realized it had been separated from its family and starts back up towards the highway.  It was coming up on the highway, stopping on the road, going back toward the ditch and seemed confused about where to go. I had visions of another little dead animal at the roadside.  So, I pulled off onto the shoulder and chased the kit back down into the ditch area.  The kits were quite young and its first instinct was to crouch down and lay still as pictured above.  It laid there looking at me.  After a few minutes there was a break in highway traffic so I walked around and behind the kit and chased it up and over the highway so it could safely join its mother.  I have to believe she was at the forest edge watching for her kit and that they found each other again.   The kit was so beautiful with a soft and richly coloured coat of fur.  It always makes me so sad to the wildlife laying at the sides of roads being the victims of vehicle traffic.  A happy ending I hope.

Back up and over the highway towards its mother.

Running back to the forest and to momma.

Enjoy!

Sharon

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

When the snow melts and the weather warms our early wildflowers start to bloom. These photos were taken in the Whiteshell at the Petroforms site area.  Above is Blue-eyed Grass which is so elegant and is one of my favourites. These were growing in open, rock and sand terrain.    Below, a Starflower which I found in shaded moist areas.

Below: Hoary Puccoon – these were growing abundantly along roadsides and forest edges.  A deep yellow/orange flower that stands out in the still brown grasses of late May.

Enjoy!

Sharon

Today some photos of the Red Fox.  Fox can become accustomed to human presence, frequent places like golf courses, cottage areas etc. and will accept handouts if people make the offer.  Not likely a good idea.  A few years back at the Pinawa Golf Course, foxes were so bold they would snatch lunches/snacks from the golf carts.  They are very cute little animals, slightly larger than a domestic cat but sometimes look bigger because of their usually bushy coat of fur.

Enjoy!

~Sharon