Wildlife February 2012

[fredg]

More from today's constitutional.

1.        Canada goose
2. 3. 4. Greylag goose
5. 6. 7. Tufted duck

All these new since my last visit, the Mandarins have disappeared  

[illingworth]

In the last two days of February we have had a pine marten visiting the fat feeders that I put out for the birds. This is the first one I have seen in the almost 37 years we have lived here,  so I was quite excited. I grabbed my camera and took several pictures through the kitchen window.  My son informs me that the name has changed from pine marten to American martin, but I am sticking with "pine".  This one is a Canadian, after all.   
It was around this morning too, so Rob got to see it before he left for work.
There are more pictures on our Flickr site.
Sharon

[Lori S.]

Wow!  Excellent waterfowl photos, Fred, and absolutely superb pine marten photo, Sharon!  I've only ever seen one pine marten, which was when staying at a hostel in the mountains in the winter... a feisty little critter who hid under the cabin foundation and snarled at us!

[Armin]

I concur Lori's comment - excellent images!

[Anthony Darby]

Pine martens love peanut butter, which, in our house, would be its only use, supposing we lived in an area where it is found.

[Maggi Young]

In the last two days of February we have had a pine marten visiting the fat feeders that I put out for the birds. This is the first one I have seen in the almost 37 years we have lived here,  so I was quite excited. I grabbed my camera and took several pictures through the kitchen window.  My son informs me that the name has changed from pine marten to American martin, but I am sticking with "pine".  This one is a Canadian, after all.  
It was around this morning too, so Rob got to see it before he left for work.
There are more pictures on our Flickr site.
Sharon

Wow! What a great experience to get these photos.  Look at the size of those furry feet!  
Please Folks, go to Sharon's flickr site and see more photos of this beautiful animal.

[johnw]

In the last two days of February we have had a pine marten visiting the fat feeders that I put out for the birds. This is the first one I have seen in the almost 37 years we have lived here,  so I was quite excited. I grabbed my camera and took several pictures through the kitchen window.  My son informs me that the name has changed from pine marten to American martin, but I am sticking with "pine".  This one is a Canadian, after all.   
It was around this morning too, so Rob got to see it before he left for work.
There are more pictures on our Flickr site.Sharon

This is fantastic Sharon. They have tried several times to re-introduce the pine marten to Nova Scotia.  No one has ever seen one to my knowledge, yet I hope.  The porcupine population is out of control here and has been for years and this is their only known predator.

johnw

[illingworth]

I didn't know that about porcupines.  Luckily we don't have too many around here.  We have had two dogs that tangled with them - a nasty experience. Would much rather have martens, if only to keep the squirrel and vole population under control. 
Anthony, I also put out a mix of oatmeal and peanut butter for the birds - I haven't seen the marten taking that on yet, but he might, if I run out of fat.
Sharon

[fredg]

Wow!  Excellent waterfowl photos, Fred

I concur Lori's comment - excellent images!

Thank you, I just wish I had a Pine Martin to take pictures of.

As my post of lichens drew such a wave of apathy  
Here's another  

[Peter Maguire]

Not apathetic Fred, just been having fun trying to identify them - that wasted a good ten minutes looking through an old field guide when I should have been doing something productive. 

I'll stick my neck out and call the first two (yellow) lichens Xanthoria parietina, the third one enveloping the rock Parmelia sp, possibly P subreducta, and the final one Parmelia sulcata. Any real experts out there prepared to correct my poor lichen i-d skills?

[Lesley Cox]

Beautiful animal and bird pictures everyone, and the lichens are lovely too Fred. Our Marley would look quite like a pine marten if he were slimmer and his ears sat up. Up does stand on his hind feet when wanting something. His tail is more fox-like.

[mark smyth]

Two bumblebees on Daphne mezereum yesterday - too flighty for photos