Redpoll ROLE CALL!!

Ian and Linda have winter visitors – and they treat them like royalty!    “Redpolls on my niger seed sock .   You can clearly see the red patch on the head of the male on the top.   Redpolls are frequent visitors in winter, not so much in the summer.   Here’s a little known fact:  They have throat pouches for temporarily storing seeds.   That way they can quickly fill those pouches with seeds and then fly to a more protected, warmer spot to eat them.   And we humans thought we had invented ‘Take Out’!!

DID YOU KNOW?    It’s common to see Redpolls in winter all across Alberta.    As spring approaches, they head to their arctic breeding grounds, but some do breed in extreme northeast Alberta.    And Ian feeds them right!    Their favorite meal is niger seed or sunflower seeds.    They also eat seeds from birch trees, grasses, and other plants.

YOU HAVE TO BE QUICK WITH THE CAMERA BECAUSE SOME BACKYARD VISITORS COME AND GO IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.    CAPTURE MOTHER NATURE OR ONE OF HER CRITTERS – UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO AND WATCH FOR IT ON BT AND THIS VERY BLOG. 

Do you see what I see?

When I look at this little critter I think of the phrase:  “Only the shadow knows”.    Jerry and his trusty K9 Patch were in the Cynthia area one sunny afternoon.    “Out he scampered and stayed -  more than happy to pose for a picture.    As I had trained my own pointing dog Patch, I was quite impressed with the groundhog’s pointing position pose with his head held high and tail straight out - they call that “Style”.    Groundhogs are also known as hedgehogs and marmots and have quite a shrill whistle.   I think he may have been whistling Dixie as he took off - scampering through the grass”.

DID YOU KNOW?    Groundhog Day is a midwinter tradition that dates back to the Celtic culture.    If he sees his shadow he gets frightened, goes back into his hole, and we are in for 6 more weeks of winter.    The link between weather prediction and the day is said to have been inspired by an old Scottish saying:  “If Candlemas Day is bright and clear/ There’ll be two winters in the year.”    Candlemas is always celebrated on February 2nd – the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox.
In Alberta our prairie prognosticator is Balzac Billy-a groundhog “mascot”.
Wiarton Willie makes Wiarton, Ontario proud.
Shubenacadie Sam lives at the Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park in the town of Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia.
And the yankee’s Punxsutawney Phil comes from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

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'Nuf snow for ya?

If you are in Alberta as you read this … I might need to tell you that this is S -N-O-W.    Frozen water.    Understandable that you might not remember, but kids love to make snowmen out of it, farmers need it for winter/spring moisture, and those who live many many miles to the north – can use it to build igloos!    Rick from Tuktoyaktuk – or Tuk as the locals say – explains:  “Igloo building contest.   Here is a picture  of an entry with a seal and 2 fish.   The entrance way is covered with caribou skin.   -A skill needed in case one breaks down or runs into trouble out on the land or ice.   So as you can imagine, a valuble skill learned by the Inuvialuit“.

DID YOU KNOW?    Tuktu the caribou has long fed and clothed the people of Tuktoyaktuk.    That’s why the community is called Tuktoyaktuk, it means:  “resembling a caribou”.    Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik (a community about 100 miles away) both hold igloo-building contests for their Sunrise Festivals – to celebrate the return of the sun.    Tuktoyaktuk is only accessible by air during the summer, but in the winter you drive the ice road on the Mackenzie River.    Inuvik means:  Place of Man in the Inuvialuit language.

www.inuvik.ca               http://www.spectacularnwt.com/whattodo/events

A tale of 2 seasons

For the last day of January … I got to wonderin’ what picture would be the perfect representation of the end of one month & the beginning of another ..?    VOILA!    Murray’s Petunia is safe and warm inside – peering out the window with a layer of snow on the outside windowsill.    “This is my Petunia looking out at the frigid weather.   It is just one of several flowers I now have on my 3 year old plant.    I admit no green thumb but I do all I can so this beauty survives the winters“.

DID YOU KNOW?    Petunias will reward you with plentiful and pretty flowers but you have to do your part.    It likes it when you pinch or ‘dead-head’ so it doesn’t become gangly – and it does not like to have wet feet.    Petunias do best in full sun, but can handle partial shade.    If you are starting from seed - begin at least 10 to 12 weeks before “planting out” and keep them warm, like on top of your fridge.    And as Murray knows – wait until all danger of frost is past before planting them outside.    They like cool weather – but will not survive the frost.

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While Schroeder sleeps

Reserve your spot today!

DID YOU KNOW?    Once you have secured your spot at Schroeder Creek, you can fish, hike, bike, soak in nearby hot springs, go back in history, or take in the scenery “10 toes up”.    Click here for more on Schroeder Creek and then visit the village of Kaslo website.

http://www.schroedercreekresort.com          http://www.kaslovisitorguide.com/

NO MATTER THE SEASON – NO MATTER THE REASON, WE WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU DO IN THOSE GREAT OUTDOORS.    SNAP, SEND THEN WATCH FOR IT ON BT AND THIS VERY BLOG!

Fabulous Philippines

To South-east Asia we go to see the white stone lions on guard.    Colleen walked by lions and dragons, incredible acrchitecture and lush foliage:  I was in the Philippines in March.   Many sights!   In Cebu City – the oldest city in the Philippines – this was a statue we passed climbing a set of stairs to the Taoist temple.

DID YOU KNOW?    The Cebu Taoist Temple was built in 1972 by Cebu’s  Chinese community.    Taoism is a religion which follows the teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tze.    On Wednesdays and Sundays, worshippers climb the 81 steps (representing the 81 chapters of Taoism scriptures) to light joss sticks and have their fortune read by the monks.    Tourists are welcome!

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See you tomorrow ...

Alberta’s sky is legendary.    It’s big, bold and overwhelms the horizon, something Shane knows all too well:  ”Check out this Alberta sunset.   I just wanted to share this one near Fort Saskatchewan”.    I love how Shane has the tree line in silhouette and how the snow is illuminated in the stubble field.

DID YOU KNOW?    As farmers know, there are benefits to leaving standing stubble in the field.    It can trap snow, minimize water and wind erosion, and helps to return valuable nutrients to the soil.    Trapped snow acts as an insulator.    Four inches of the fallen white stuff will normally provide sufficient insulation to ensure over-winter survival.    Organic matter from straw, stubble and chaff works to bind soil particles, and that means good soil structure.    & good ”soil structure” is what it’s all about – for a better yield and healthier crops!

DO YOU HAVE A PHOTO THAT ALSO SHOWS BIG SKY COUNTRY?    HOW ABOUT A VACATION HAPPY PLACE?    FLIP THROUGH YOUR PHOTOS AND SEND US YOUR BEST – WE OF THE FRESH AIR PHOTO NATION NEED YOU.    UPLOAD YOUR PICTURE TODAY!

Scottish countryside

The land of incredible history, rich culture, tartans, kilts, a wee dram of scotch, and for some time last summer – Radka!    ”I was in Scotland at the end of July-beginning of August visiting friends.    They  live on the east coast north of Edinburgh, in the Kingdom of Fife.   Lots of gorgeous countryside and small fishing villages~truly a  magical place!”

DID YOU KNOW?    January 25th is Robbie Burns Day.    Robert Burns is regarded as the national poet of Scotland who was born on January 25th, 1759 and died 37 years later in 1796.    Today, his birthday is celebrated around the world.    Suppers feature bagpipes, tasting of the haggis(which is a traditional Scottish dish), Scotch whisky and readings of Burns’ poetry.    You may not know this, but when you belt out Auld Lang Syne on New Year’s Eve – you are singing a Robert Burns original!    He wrote Auld Lang Syne when he was 29 years old.

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Quit Grousing!

Many people have cabins tucked away in the woods far from telephones, traffic and tension.    Mick & Candy have an escape about as far north as you can go in Alberta:  ”Check out this Spruce Grouse that was hanging out near our cabin on North Leland Lake“.    I wonder if it was the red comb over her eye that caught Mick and Candy’s eye.

DID YOU KNOW?    The Spruce Grouse is a large chicken-like bird.    The male has mostly black feathers – leading me to believe that this is a Ms. Spruce Grouse (say THAT 5 times fast).    And here’s something really cool:  to help them walk in the snow they grow “snow shoes” in the fall.    They are short extensions that increase the surface area of their toes.    They shed their little ’shoes’ in the spring.    As you can see – they have camouflage down to a fine art.    When they sense danger – they can stay incredibly still for a lonnnng time, and then all of a sudden take off!    That behavior has earned them the nickname “fool hen”.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spruce_Grouse/id/ac

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M-u-s-t get in to the feeder!!!

Those of you who have bird feeders in the backyard might grumble a bit when the furry fiends start stealing seeds.    Paul witnessed a bit of a crime himself:  ”While at Hawrelak Park in early January, I took a cool photo of a little bandit trying to break in to the bird food”.    Most times squirrels are a welcome addition to your backyard, but not when they scare or chase birds away from their birdy-buffet.    One expert tells me to feed the birds suet blocks and safflower seeds because squirrels don’t eat either.    Below, I have included some things you should not do (but might be tempted to do) – when it comes to repelling the little rodents.

DID YOU KNOW?    DO NOT:

•Hunt:  Shooting squirrels is illegal in many areas, and you might injure birds when aiming for squirrels.
•Poison:  Poisoning seed or setting poisoned bait for squirrels could kill birds(& other creatures) that sample the bait.
•Cats:  Do not release a cat to hunt squirrels.  The cats are as much of a threat to the neighbourhood birds as they are to your feeder guests.
•Grease:  Adding grease to a pole or hanger to make it too slippery is ineffective.  It can also coat the animals’ (& birds’ feathers)–causing illness and vulnerability to predators.

For more info click here:  http://birding.about.com/od/birdfeeders/a/squirrelprooffeeder.htm