What is Project 366? Read more here! After the false alarm with the Giant Hogweed lookalike Cow Parsnip I have been seeing lots of these sheep in wolve’s clothing all over the place. The other day, as I spotted another specimen down at the Whitemud Ravine, I noticed that the inflorescence was busy with what…
What is Project 366? Read more here! Common Goldeneyes have a distance appearance as adults. Females having a chocolate brown head, yellow eyes and males have a distinct white cheek patch. When I spotted this fella chugging through the pond in Hawrelak park my initial hunch was that its overall shape reminded me of a…
What is Project 366? Read more here! One of the most common sounds in the forest along the Whitemud Ravine is the distinct chattering noise made by the Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). Red Squirrels are solitary and territorial rodents that use their vocalization to announce their presence and defend their territory. In the fall they…
What is Project 366? Read more here! Mixed in with the mallards in the Hawrelak pond were a few ducks that looked different. They were clearly females in their modest drabness, but they did not look like mallard females. These were American Wigeons. Last time we encountered these we were at Coal Lake during our…
What is Project 366? Read more here! The benefits of visiting city parks is that the wildlife is accustomed to human presence and is far less likely to be wary of humans. Case in point, as we were circumambulating the pond in Hawrelak Park we came across this female mallard with a single duckling sitting…
What is Project 366? Read more here! Another hot day and another mid-day birding walk, this time in Hawrelak Park. The Ring-billed Gulls were out in full force. We had a picnic lunch in the shade of a tree and as soon as we were done our eating the gulls arrived for their eating. A…
What is Project 366? Read more here! The sun was out today and by noon is was getting quite hot. Going birding at noon on a hot day is probably not the best timing, but sometimes you just have to take what you get. As we were about to enter the shaded forest around the…
What is Project 366? Read more here! This time of year, middle of summer by central Alberta standards, any open meadow at the Whitemud Ravine has lots of Red Clover (Trifolum pratense) covering it. The bumble bees seem to like it and apparently all parts of the plant are edible, but can cause bloating and…
What is Project 366? Read more here! As we were approaching the parking lot at the Savage Centre by the Whitemud Ravine my teen suddenly said “That looks like a Giant Hogweed”. His words made me stop in in my tracks. The statement was remarkable in the first place? How would a run of the…
What is Project 366? Read more here! As we made our way along the Whitemud Creek I was struck by how much everything everything has changed since the last time I was here, about six weeks ago. Edmonton has received lots of rain over the last month and the vegetation has grown like crazy. Locations…