Yesterday's treat

With a weather forecast of rain for tomorrow and mixed precipitation for Tuesday and Wednesday, there were a couple of places that I thought I had better get to yesterday. The first one was Brown-Lowery, to check if there were any mushrooms. I was there recently, and only found a couple of things. Yesterday's visit was more rewarding and I found several large clusters of tiny mushrooms growing on tree stumps or at the base of trees. Also found several patches of bright orange Coral Fungi, seen in the next photo. Quite a few people were in the park, so I felt safer going a short way in. Far enough, as it turned out, to watch an adult and a juvenile Three-toed Woodpecker feeding together on a tree trunk. The young one was copying Mom or Dad, but its soft squeaking sound resulted in the adult feeding it, too.

On the way home, I decided to call in at Fish Creek Park, hoping to find a Beaver or a MInk that a friend had told me about (thanks, Phil!). Though I did see a couple of Beavers, I wasn't able to get a decent photo of them. One of them was a huge animal - this was the one that was recently found in a trap, biting off one of its front legs that was caught in the trap. Someone had been there when this was happening and she made several reports about it. Thanks, Linda, for doing this. Such a cruel way to deal with any Beaver problem! The now three-legged animal seems to be doing OK.

I was luckier with this Mink, catching it in a couple of quick shots. There were various things blocking part of my view, which is why I got pale or discoloured patches in the lower half of the image.

On the walk back to my car, I was lucky enough to see a distant doe and her two fawns. Apparently, she had three, so we were wondering if something had happened to one of them. Maybe a Coyote?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_mink

"Mink are ferocious predators that are about the size of a housecat and chocolate-brown in color. Their long, thin bodies, short legs, small eyes and ears, and sleek fur make them just the right size to fit in many holes, crevices and burrows to pursue prey. They may eat ground squirrels, rats, snakes and even birds. Mink are also semi-aquatic and their webbed feet allow them to capture frogs, clams and even fish .... They are generally shy creatures but can be very bold if their curiosity is piqued. Those who are fortunate to observe a mink’s behavior should use caution. The animals have scent glands under the skin and when they get excited or stressed, musk is released. The obnoxious odor can be just as repulsive as a skunk’s." A different website, for Alberta, states that Mink eat ducks, fish, Muskrat and other small birds and rodents.

www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifemgmt/species/mink.htm

IT TAKES UP TO 65 MINK TO MAKE JUST ONE FULL-LENGTH FUR COAT!!!