A CARIBOU WORLD

I have been reading Greenpeace's Boreal Alarm.(2013).

On page 27 ( of 32) I came upon a very strange statement attributed to Caribou Scientists from a 2008 Environment Canada credit:

"...a woodland caribou population range must stay intact (without natural or human disturbance) for the species to have a 70% likelihood of survival over 100 years."

Oh, to live in a world that never changes.

POSTCARD FROM RESOLUTE

Resolute Forest Products
 President and Chief Executive Officer,
Richard Garneau,
 sent out the following Post Card this past week.

"WE PLANT OVER 60 MILLION SEEDLINGS A YEAR"


"WE'VE CERITFIED 100% OF THE WOODLANDS WE MANAGE TO INTERNATIONALLY - RECOGNIZED SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT STANDARDS."

"We're committed to not only meeting, but exceeding world-class environmental standards. To date, we've planted over a billion trees in Northern Ontario alone."

"We protect and preserve the natural resources in our care and fully support our other valuable resources - our employees and the communities where we live and work."

"To learn more, visit:"

www.resolutefp.com/sustainability

WHITE-TAILED DEER ADVANCING

MONDAY MORNING

January 21, 2013

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS BLOG

WELCOME

If you are new to this Blog, most of the "essays " are in the 2011 - to winter of 2012.

They deal with the conflict between forestry and Environmental non-government groups that now call themselves Civil Societies. ( I am on the side of forestry) Caribou is a recurring topic within the essays. "ECO Echo" is the first Post  and covers the Caribou "problem" .
"Biodiversity " shows up in a few Posts
 I also reprint some historical forestry operations and opinions. "The Romance of Paper " is a popular Post.
I followed the recovery of some "Winter burn" trees .
I do a series of  Posts featuring the Nipigon River, its history  and Dam Constructions.

Then I got a new camera.

 Spring and Summer of 2012 is full of Butterflies, Moths, Wildflowers and Sedges and a few wild animals show up, crowned by the late arrival of the Lynx. I was planning an index of my Posts but the Lynx distracted me.

So, please, enjoy the reading or just look at the "Boreal Flora and Fauna".

EVIDENCE

While I saw the Lynx this week, it walked through too fast to get the camera, however -

We had new snow on the 16th.

It did make a nice impression on my step.
Rounded print.
No claws.
Not a full-grown Lynx.

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT 2012

December 15, 2012
Nipigon

1 Common Merganzer
32 Ruffed Grouse
7 Bald Eagles
1 Northern Goshawk
4 Herring Gulls
366 Rock Pigeons
1 Barred Owl
1 Great Gray Owl
32 Downy Woodpeckers
14 Hairy Woodpeckers
1 Northern Shrike
39 Gray Jays
66 Blue Jays
13 American Crows
544 Common Raven
504 Black-capped Chickadee
18 Boreal Chickadee
40 Red-breasted Nuthatch
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
177 European Starling
1 Cedar Waxwing
6 Waxwing Sp.
285 Pine Grosbeaks
3 White-winged Crossbill
209 Common Redpoll
3 Hoary Redpoll
14 Pine Siskin
60 Evening Grosbeaks
77 House Sparrow

Total 2,532

Species Total 30

BLUE JAY

Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata

Size 12 inches.

Omnivorous

Stores food by burying.
It kept a wary eye on the Barred Owl, but didn't harass it.
January 13, 2013

BARRED OWL AGAIN

The sun was shining on this chilly morning.

January 13, 2013.
 Barred Owl.
 It was actually hard to see amongst the Old Man's Beard lichen.
Apart from the Raven later the only bird to annoy it was the Canada Jay.

It took time to preen its feathers. I missed a photo of it scratching its ear.

It didn't go un-noticed.
 I am beginning to wonder at a red squirrel's sanity.

There is a squirrel in the dark area of the trunk.

Centre - squirrel

It made a few trips into this tree.

Squirrel on right.

Squirrel on right.

The ravens spooked it from the other perch.

This is picture perfect for the Barred Owl identification.
It is now getting dark so its eyes are open wider.
It was in our yard for about five hours today.

BARRED OWL

Just when the wildlife was getting a break from the daily appearance of the Lynx, this shows up. I was wondering what was giving the Ruffed Grouse the willies...feathers up and tail flicking and cowering under the spruce.

 I looked up.

Way up in a poplar -

Barred Owl
Strix varia

How ironic.  The Barred Owl Habitat is : moist woods
Today, January 11, 2013 it is raining!

"Often seen by day, particularly if cloudy"  Fits to a tee.

"Yellow bill and dark eyes"

It stayed about fifteen minutes and then left. Then all the birds returned to the feeders, too.

MONDAY LYNX

RELAXING IN THE SUN

It was a sunny day today. Jan. 7, 2013

Every now and then it would walk around the house
and do some stretching exercises.

I call this a Rene Magritte pose.

STEPPING LYNX

THE END

LYNX PORTRAITS

This location is now called "Kitty Corner"

Raspberry cane tickling the nose.

Sometimes it looks so small.

It was getting dark, but this Lynx looks familiar
 ...check out "Seeing Double" post.

Two LYNX

January 4, 2013

Two Lynx out my window, January 4, 2013

This is a dried flower not blood.

Tempting Again

From a look into Picasa web albums:
 I was able to upload from my computer to Picasa and from Picasa to the Blog
It may cramp the spontaneity of my Posts.

Leading a charmed life, January 4, 2013

It came and saw and got away

Too close for action.

Not Getting a BROWSE option

As of last night I can't get a Browse option to upload photos on either of my Blogs. A 'search" notes it is a problem. I tried offing the Pop-up blocker, Updating Java - no luck. I still use Internet  Explorer that was the latest in  Spring 2012.  Copy and paste will not work in the Post. If this problem persists for another day I may try updating my laptop Explorer.
January 4, 2013
January 5, worked through Picasa Web Album and got photos up.

February 21, Browse Option Back - Yeah!

CONSOLATION

There was a squirrel.

But it got away.

A shoulder to cry on.
It ran right over for a hug.

LYNX-EYED

The Webster's Dictionary defines a Lynx as a keen sighted animal and Lynx- eyed as quick- sighted.

My camera eye needs to learn that. On automatic it tends to pick up the first thing it sees.

This is not the Lynx but it made me wonder what IT saw.

The branch got all the attention. 3.1.13

This is January 3, 2013

Returning to its ambush location.

Hard to get the two close together walking.

From here they wandered off, did a loop around the neighbourhood
 and came back to take up positions about thirty feet apart .
 One under the bird feeder and one napping in the sunshine.
Jan 3, 13