Colourful Lichen
He's a little beauty
Like a streak of lightning
Rough-legged Hawk
White-tailed doe in late fall
Downy Woodpecker
It's the little white guy again
Late fall on the prairies
The art of ice
Hairy Woodpecker
Long-tailed Weasel with Meadow Vole
Poppy seedpod
A splash of much-needed colour
Livery Barn, Rowley, Alberta
Pika storing food for the winter in its cave
The Bison Paddock, Waterton Lakes National Park, A…
A brief moment of curiosity
Through the branches
Sleepy Lioness
Aging sentinel of the Badlands
More snow is on its way
Watch out for the Weasel, little Meadow Vole!
Flamingo pink
Snowy peaks, Chinook Arch, golden stubble - who ne…
Outside looking in
A barn with a difference
The silent stalker
Snow + red barn = a happy day
A quick fix
Return of the Famous Five
Alpaca
Bison in winter
Talk about a lucky shot
It's that time of year
Classic pose of the White-breasted Nuthatch
Rusty Blackbird - the leaf flipper
Nap-time for two old ladies
Southern Bald Ibis
Just one thing missing ....
Thoughts of spring
Tree Swallow in April
Deep in thought
Banded Orange / Dryadula phaetusa
Red barn on a cold, foggy, snowy day
LEST WE FORGET
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208 visits
A favourite spot


We are having such amazing, sunny weather at the moment - so different from the recent Arctic blast that hit us hard. So, having missed almost all the birding walks with friends in the spring and fall, I pushed myself out the front door yesterday, 17 November 2014, and joined them for a leisurely walk in Fish Creek Park.
I left them shortly before the end of the walk and called in to see if there was any sign of the little Long-tailed Weasel that I had seen three days earlier, on 13 November. A few friends had the same idea, so it was nice to have people to talk to while we watched and waited. We were lucky enough to see the little Weasel and I was able to get a few shots. The first time the Weasel appeared, my camera wouldn't function at all and I missed some good chances. Thankfully, I discovered that I had accidentally moved a small lever on the side of the camera to a different position - so easily done at any time, but especially so when wearing a pair of fleece winter gloves over a pair of thin knitted gloves! The local Black-capped Chickadees and this little White-breasted Nuthatch kept us company while we stood and waited.
"Counting its tail, a large Long-tailed Weasel male, the largest of the three species in Canada, stretches nearly half a metre (20 in) in length, yet can slip into a hole just 3 cm (1.25 in) across. This enables it to enter small rodent tunnels used by mice and voles. In summer, it enters ground squirrels burrows in search of its favourite food. Average males measure 406 mm (16 in), their tail is 135 mm (5.25) long and they weigh 225 g (12.6 oz). Males are approximately 25 per cent larger than females, which on average weigh only 102 g (5.7 oz).
When winter approaches, within 30 days it grows a coat of white, giving it perfect camouflage against the snow -- all except for the tip of its tail, which stays black. A hungry predator, such as a hawk or owl, aims for that black tip, enabling the weasel to escape. Towards spring, between late February and April, in only 25 days, it reverses the process, acquiring the cinnamon-brown topcoat it will use all summer. This includes brown feet, unlike the other two species which retain white feet. The underside is usually buff-coloured." (Taken from the old weaselhead.org website).
I left them shortly before the end of the walk and called in to see if there was any sign of the little Long-tailed Weasel that I had seen three days earlier, on 13 November. A few friends had the same idea, so it was nice to have people to talk to while we watched and waited. We were lucky enough to see the little Weasel and I was able to get a few shots. The first time the Weasel appeared, my camera wouldn't function at all and I missed some good chances. Thankfully, I discovered that I had accidentally moved a small lever on the side of the camera to a different position - so easily done at any time, but especially so when wearing a pair of fleece winter gloves over a pair of thin knitted gloves! The local Black-capped Chickadees and this little White-breasted Nuthatch kept us company while we stood and waited.
"Counting its tail, a large Long-tailed Weasel male, the largest of the three species in Canada, stretches nearly half a metre (20 in) in length, yet can slip into a hole just 3 cm (1.25 in) across. This enables it to enter small rodent tunnels used by mice and voles. In summer, it enters ground squirrels burrows in search of its favourite food. Average males measure 406 mm (16 in), their tail is 135 mm (5.25) long and they weigh 225 g (12.6 oz). Males are approximately 25 per cent larger than females, which on average weigh only 102 g (5.7 oz).
When winter approaches, within 30 days it grows a coat of white, giving it perfect camouflage against the snow -- all except for the tip of its tail, which stays black. A hungry predator, such as a hawk or owl, aims for that black tip, enabling the weasel to escape. Towards spring, between late February and April, in only 25 days, it reverses the process, acquiring the cinnamon-brown topcoat it will use all summer. This includes brown feet, unlike the other two species which retain white feet. The underside is usually buff-coloured." (Taken from the old weaselhead.org website).
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