Connection to Wildlife

Canadians are so favoured to have a vast array of wildlife.
Canadian Wildlife Federation encourages all Canadians to enjoy activities like canoeing...bird watching...gardening...hiking...fishing...or just appreciating Nature. The CWF encourages Canadians to cherish their time outdoors to conserve this lifestyle as well as the wonderful wildlife that call the Canadian landscape “ Home.”

Being one of the charities I yearly support, the CWF sends me a yearly calendar with Reflections of Nature photographs submitted by its readers. Accompanying each month is a brief description of its biography.

January, 2020: The Canada Lynx comes equipped to withstand the harshest winters. It has large feet that are covered in thick fur and act as snowshoes, allowing the Canada Lynx to walk over snow.

February: A photo of three American Black Ducks who may spend the winter resting in areas like bays, ponds and marshes where they will feel protected from the elements and predators. Some American Black Ducks have wintered in farmers’ fields and beaver ponds too.

March: A cute Snowshoe Hare dons a white coat during the winter. When danger lurks nearby, the hare will become quite still with the hopes of fooling a predator into thinking it’s part of the snowy landscape or it may flee. Its fur coat is also 3 layers thick to keep it winter warm.

April: This Spotted Sandpiper is most likely being raised by the male. After a female Spotted Sandpiper lays a clutch of eggs, the male typically takes over by keeping the eggs warm and raising the young.

May: The Two-Spotted Bumble Bee is an important pollinator. To collect pollen while they are maneuvering from one flower to another, bumble bees have long hairs on their hind legs that curve toward heir bodies which act as a sort of basket that collects pollen.

June: Humpback whales regularly jump out of the water and land with a resounding crash.
It is thought this may be a form of communication as the resulting sounds travel long distances.

July: Moose cools off during the summer months with a long soak. It is also a remarkably powerful swimmer and can dive over five metres to reach plants on a lake bottom.

August: Painted Lady Butterfly is the most widely distributed butterfly in the world, found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. It undertakes an impressive migration from Mexico to Canada where it can be found in gardens fuelling up on nectar from flowers such as sunflowers, asters

and Joe-pye weeds.

September: The At-risk Blanding’s Turtle will sprawl out on a log or rock and bask in the sun for hours. This is how all fresh-water turtles regulate their body temperatures and give their metabolisms a helpful boost.

October: The Red Fox begins to stake out a spot to seek shelter for the cold winter months in autumn.
It will usually opt to make it through the coldest weather and snow storms in heavy bush and thickets.

November: Snowy Owl can spend hours perched on utility poles, fence posts, buildings and trees to keep an eye on the landscape below. Once it spots its prey (small mammals in their winter range such as deer mice and Meadow Voles) it will take up the hunt!

December: The Varied Thrush happily feed on nuts and berries over the winter months, although it will also eat seeds from ground feeders. Some of its favourite fruit-bearing shrubs are snowberry, dogwood, blueberry, huckleberry and thimbleberry,

Compiled by MBK...September 14, 2020
Comments always welcome: mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca