#RavensNest

#RavensNest

A new nest has been located about 2 km from here by observing activities nearby. And that nest has been built on an approximately 60° sidewall at about 50' from the ground on the far West mountain range.

At this moment the nest is completely uncovered and can easily be spotted by predators but for Ravens, it's part of the game. I've been observing Raven's nests for years now and I know that Ravens around here prefer to build in deciduous trees. Eventually growing leaves will produce fresh air while protecting the nest against bad weather. Also youngsters don't have much feathers and sunshine will keep them warm while parents are away looking for food. Coniferous trees would simply create too much heat with no air while sap would damaged their feathers that later would not be useful for their first flight lesson.

Anyway, their nesting period has started in mid-March which now makes more than 21 days of brooding so far; meaning eggs have hatched and we're about to see some serious activities up there. Also meaning 4 to 7 new Ravens in the valley.

#MorningSelfie

Good day folks, hope everything's going well for everyone. It is Spring Season but not around here. At 6:15am the temperature is at -11°C with a windsheild of -20°C so, it pretty much feels like it's still Winter. And it means that I don't have to worry about shaving myself because either way, in the SV or the Cabin, I'll be alone with Basco the entire day.

Also that I'll have plenty of time to get familiar with my new Camera and all the equipment bought with it. The old one has been exposed too long to bad weather conditions.

So after all. It's going to be a magnificent day.

#SurvivalInstinct

…just a quick résumé over here guys while on my way to the Foresters cabin this morning; the Fox Squirrel is the largest native Squirrel species in the mountainous part of the Northern Hemisphere (Canada). And they are well known for being a group who proactively is prepared for all kind of emergencies situations, such as natural disasters. So they own a personal large instinct of survival.

And frequently Fox Squirrels will interbreed with Grey Squirrels to expand Squirrels population which will end up with little Black Squirrels offspring (they are black due to a unique gene from the Gray one). And that's how hybrid Squirrels are born. So far so good.

Now this is not a high quality video. It was early in the morning and they were approximately at 40' high on a dead spruce. But anyway.

So I caught on video this Black Squirrel copulating with a Fox Squirrel while the Black Squirrel is already the result from the Grey with the Fox one. And now I'm not too sure what kind of result we can expect here from this interbreeding session in a near future…

And good morning.

#MigratingBirds

In Canada, Disturbing Peace of Migrating Birds can be costly.

Daily I see many bloggers that photograph animals most of them, birds. Disturbing peace/habits of migrating birds can cost a lot in Canada.

Some bloggers are willing to go way too far to get very nice clichés of birds for their blog admirers. The ECCC who works to protect wild species in their habitats in Canada, and to make sure law is respected, have caught one of these photographers who was abusing of pre-recording bird’s song to attract them in front of his camera to get better photography. This kind of practice in Québec, Canada, is not tolerated. Birds who are resting in their nest are disturbed by the sound and at the same time are more expose to potentially predators.

This kind of bad behavior has been observed twice from that same photographer in two National Reserve Fauna Parks and the man, who plead guilty, has received a much more salty fine.

#RavensFamilyTree

Nobody's around yet.

It is still the nesting period but soon this tree will be invaded with many youngsters who will enjoy a big bonanza feast with parents, right in the middle of the valley.

Then will sleep all together on it the entire night with a full stomach.

#NorthernRaven

…with this persistent Winter that just finally starting to go away, while most wildlife have not much to eat, a little hand with a slice of fresh pork meat to feed the youngsters, cannot hurt.

Kids got to eat something to be quiet otherwise they will attract all kinds of predators snooping down the valley.