Moose

Moose - Alces americanus

This year marks the seventh summer that I have regularly hiked the area along the Elbow River behind my home. A few winters ago I started to notice Moose prints in fresh snow and occasional Moose poop. Last year I saw lots of prints and poop and I wondered if a Moose was resident in the area. This year I saw so many tracks I knew there was a resident Moose, and today, finally, I saw the male Moose from about 200 meters.

This spring I saw new tracks every week. The regular rain created fresh mud that is as good as fresh snow for tracking. The dewclaw marks were often present. His tracks extended over the entire range of my usual hike. A Moose home range can vary from 2.2 to 17 square kilometers. 

A month ago I happened upon a glade in the center of a thick forested area that was filled with Moose poop. I presume this is home base for the Moose. I heard a snort from this area during one hike but a close criss-cross search did not reveal the animal. Yesterday I came across some "steaming fresh" poop.  I knew spotting the Moose was only a matter of time. 

Today, from Creek Watch, I decided to scan the far bank, which courtesy of the flood is now about two football fields away, and the Moose was browsing along the flooded shoreline.  

Moose are the largest deer in the world. An adult male can weigh up to 770 kg and the rack alone can weigh up to 35 kg!








The antlers on this Moose confirm his gender. Antler growth begins in April and the horns remain in velvet until August or September. Most males cast their antlers in December or early January, but sub adult males might carry the antlers until February or even March. 

Moose in Western Canada favor Dogwood and Willow, which are very common in this area. His home base is surrounded by Willow.

References

Gadd, Ben. Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Corax Press. Jasper, Alberta. 1986. 

Naughton, Donna. The Natural History of Canadian Mammals. UofT Press. Toronto, Ontario. 2012. 

White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys

The species name means "white eyebrow," which is apt. The white eyebrow is shared by the White-throated Sparrow, which has also has some yellow at the forward edge of the white stripe.

This White-crowned Sparrow was singing from a perch on a bush behind my garden. These sparrows are regular visitors to the feeding areas in my garden. They feed only on the ground and use their feet to scratch up the surface to reveal sunflower seeds that might be buried under leaves or other debris.

White-crowned Sparrows sing a lot and they likely nest in the shrubs on the hill behind my home. Later in the season I will see lots of newly fledged White-crowned Sparrows at the feeding stations. 

The song of the White-throated Sparrow has been studied more than any other bird. Juvenile males learn songs from their father and also from other males in the vicinity of the nest ("aural environment").

The young male memorizes the song and practices until the song is a precise copy of the model. Then the bird adds novel elements which might or might not remain.

Eventually the bird settles on one (rarely two) song in a personal repertoire. The song usually conforms to the songs in the aural environment.

The dialects in a neighbourhood are shared and become a cultural trait that is passed through generations.

White-crowned Sparrows that nest in areas on the border of two dialects might become "bilingual." 

References

The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.

Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.

Beadle D, Rising J. Sparrows of the United States and Canada. Princeton UP. 2003. 

Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.

Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.

Tudge Colin. The Bird. Crown Publishers. New York. 2008.

More Merganser Chicks

Common Merganser Chicks

For the second time this week, I was in the bush and heard the Common Merganser alarm call, and made my way to the River in time to see a Mother and chicks. This time there were four chicks. 

The mother earlier this week took her solitary chick downstream. This mother took her four chicks upstream. Perhaps the difference in avoidance strategy is because the chicks today are older and therefore stronger swimmers than the solitary chick I saw earlier in the week. 

Robin's Nest

Robin's Nest - Turdus migratorius

The Elbow Valley Constructed Wetland includes an information shelter. Today when I walked into the shelter, a Robin flew away from the rafters. Turning, I spotted the nest. I walk through the shelter several times a week and this is the first time a Robin has been in the shelter, so the nest, or at least the eggs, must be recent. 

Robins choose a variety of nesting situations and in urban areas, ledges are a common location. The nest is a messy collection of twigs and grass with a mud layer that lines the cavity. 

A typical nest holds 4 eggs with a range of 3 to 5 eggs. I climbed up and peeked into the nest and noted two blue eggs. There might be a third egg out of my vision, but there could not be four. Perhaps the Mother is still laying eggs?

Robins are usually double brooded and the Mother reuses the nest. Since I have not noticed the Robin or the nest before in the shelter, this is likely the first brood. 

Goslings Getting Bigger

Goslings Getting Bigger

The goslings are getting bigger and they are starting to take the shape and colouring of an adult. 

The three photos above were taken on June 4th, 2013. 

The second set of three photos were taken on June 16th. These are two different families, the first set with three goslings and the second with four. 

I first spotted goslings on the river on May 11th, 2013. Likely the majority of the goslings in the area hatched during the first two weeks of May, perhaps as early as the last week of April. If so, the more mature-looking goslings in the second set of photos are about 6 weeks old. 

Goslings fly at 9 weeks, so the next few weeks of life should result in more noticeable wing development.