Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel

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We don't see these guys as often as the Richardson's, they don't tend to colonize near people.  But they are awfully cool!  Sometimes when I first see them, I think they are wee lizards, the way they put their little heads down and scuttle along!

Yeah, just like that!

Photographed at Beaudry Provincial Park, May 18, 2008



Of course, they stand up too.  They're probably only about half the size of a Richardson's, and blend in with the grass really well!

Look at those teeny-tiny little forelegs!

Photographed at the Alexander-Griswold marsh, April 25, 2010

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Red Tailed... Squirrel??

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Well, this is a new one for me.  We have a LOT of Gray Squirrels around here.  Once had one with white patches.  Whether it was pinto-spotted or white from injuries, I don't know. 

But this clairol-touched fella isn't like anything I've seen before!!

Sorry about the cut-off nose, but I include this picture to show the extent of the red coloration.

I found some google references to melanistic (black) Grey Squirrels having red tails, but couldn't find any pictures, nor any reference to a normal grey-phase having a red tail.


Anyone?
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Animals that aren't birds

Most people aren't too excited with bird sightings.  They can only identify a dozen or two, and most are types, rather than species.  "Gull", "Woodpecker", "Sparrow", possibly getting as specific as "Robin" or "Crow".  

Sighting a mammal is more exciting to these poor non-birders.  Mind you, it's also exciting to birders!  I love it when our birding trips also turn up animal sightings, they're much more rare to see than birds! 

Here's the moose I mentioned earlier, at Hecla, May 2005 (you can see the profile of her head in that patch of yellow grass).  Thought I had a better photo, but I couldn't find any!  Maybe we snagged her with the video camera.  

Eastern Cottontail (I think) in the English Garden at Assiniboine Park, July of 2004.  

 

That's a badger!  Only time I've seen one, too! Near Glenboro, July 2004. 
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Up or down?

There was a "for better or for worse" cartoon a number of years back, where the daughter is visiting rural Winnipeg from Ontario, and makes a comment about the lack of scenery.  Her cousin replies that it all depends on where you're looking.

near Hartney, July 2005

near Brandon, July 2005

near Carman, August 2005

near Deloraine, August 2005

near Oak Hammock Marsh, July 2005

I could spend a LOT of time on this particular subject!
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What you've been waiting for

The obligatory llamas-in-the-mist shot.

You didn't know you were waiting for it?

Well, glad to fulfill a need you didn't know existed!

Photographed July 31, 2005, near Hartney

Brief December Trip

Hadn't taken a trip in months, and Christmas offers the perfect excuse - visiting!  So it was that we left Winnipeg on the 27th.  Had wanted to leave Boxing Day, but the snow was a bit scary, especially when the plan is to travel rarely-used roads in a 19-year old car!  Our first day was for driving and visiting, no birding officially done, although we did see a Snowy Owl and a Black-Billed Magpie while coasting down the Trans-Canada!

We headed down to the Souris area for our birding.  I was hoping for Snow Buntings!  Alas, no such luck.  There were two flocks of small birds that we saw from too far a distance that could have been such, but no good enough looks.  We did get some good views of a flock of Starlings at the Souris dump, but it wasn't quite the same!

We tried to turn this into a Fox Squirrel, but I'm thinking it's a Gray...

At one of the marshes in the area, we could see a bird hanging out on top of a duck nest.  Tried to get closer, and the bird apparently scooted inside!  Much too far to make out any detail.  Darn it!

Yup. 

We made up for our bad luck with two other Snowy Owls:  One far away,

And one not so far away!

We also had a bonus Red Fox.

All in all a nice trip, it's always good to get out of the city!

Trip Report - Thanksgiving 2008

Our most recent birding trip. We don't often take trips during winter, so figured this would be the last one for a while. Sightings are light, partly because of the time of year, and weather during the weekend, partly because I'm relying on memory here!

Plan: Drive around Westman.

Destinations: Oak Lake, Virden, Whitewater Lake

Weather forecast: Cloudy and/or rainy

Day 1 (October 10) Winnipeg to Brandon: Didn't leave Winnipeg til mid afternoon. Took the road north of Assiniboia Downs to get out of town. Some nice fall color to be seen. Weather remains cloudy, but patches of blue sky are seen, so optimism is high! Surely it wouldn't be cloudy for three whole days!

Farmland, north of Headingley, October 10, 2008

Clouds and farmland along Number 1 Highway, October 10, 2008

Oops! Rather than heading right back out on the roads after getting to Brandon, shopping and supper took up the rest of the daylight. Hoping for greater motivation tomorrow!

Day two (Brandon to Souris to Oak Lake to Souris): Oops! Slept in (way in!) and didn't leave town til mid afternoon again. Headed for Oak Lake, conditions still cloudy. Still some fall color to be seen around here as well.

Trees, Oak Lake, October 11, 2008

Distracted by a small group of horses - thought this was one was the prettiest!

Horse in pasture, Oak Lake, October 11, 2008

Not many birds to be seen, and evening approaching quickly. Got to the first marsh along PR254. Lots of birds in the water, but too dark for ID. White bird-shaped blobs, pelicans? Snow Geese? Swans? Made it to the resort and took some photos of the lake. Better luck tomorrow?

Oak Lake, October 11, 2008

Day Three (Souris to Oak Lake to Virden to Coulter to Whitewater Lake to Souris): Weather has changed. No longer cloudy. Now rainy. Determination remains high, however! Goal: head back to Oak Lake to identify our white bird-shaped blobs. First, town security watched us leave.

Wild Turkeys in Souris, October 12, 2008

Daylight (of a sort) showed us some of the color we missed the night before.

Farmland, Oak Lake, October 12, 2008

A mammal sighting! We usually see many more birds than mammals on these trips, this one has been close to an exception! (Pardon the barbed wire)

Coyote, Oak Lake, October 12, 2008

Made it to the marsh! Our birds are swans! Rain increasing, visibility decreasing, but non-goose like necks are apparent, even in long-distance, no-light, blurry-as-all-get-out photos.

Tundra Swans and unidentified ducks, Oak Lake, October 12, 2008

Flocks of Snow Geese were seen on the way out from Oak Lake, most uncharacteristically not concerned with our presence.

Snow Geese, Oak Lake, October 12, 2008

Leaving Virden produced more flocks of Snow Geese (Click on photo to enlarge)

Snow Geese, Virden, October 12, 2008

And some other birds. "What are those?" "Canada Geese." "No, they're not..."

Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes, Virden, October 12, 2008

I'd only seen Sandhill Cranes a few other times, with the greatest number at once being around six. This was amazing! (Click on photo to enlarge)

Sandhill Cranes, Virden, October 12, 2008

Photos aren't the clearest, but for these shots, I kind of like the misty, dreamy effect.

Travelled to Coulter, Sourisford and Waskada. Animal sightings were short, but lots to see, including grain elevators and burial mounds. We did add Horned Lark and Ring-Necked Pheasant. On to Deloraine and Whitewater Lake!

Distracted by a misty cow...

Cow on pasture, Deloraine, October 12, 2008

And some misty horses...

Horses at pasture, Deloraine, October 12, 2008

The road was A-W-F-U-L. It had been raining all day, and the car was struggling! The roads to Whitewater Lake are often difficult, but on this day, they were impassable for our poor little Volvo. Shortly after this photo, we turned around and almost got stuck. This was taken as a sign that it was time to head back!

The Snow Geese around Whitewater Lake are much more suspicious of people and cars.

Snow Geese, Deloraine, October 12, 2008

Final bird tally not available (no list created at time of trip, and memory prone to failure). A good time was had by all!