The Tuesday bird walk went to Lot Ten in Qualicum Beach. The morning was
clear and sunny with calm winds. A Black-headed Grosbeak was singing loudly when
we arrived at Lot Ten. We spotted the Grosbeak high in a tree and shortly after
another Grosbeak started singing to give us a very musical start to the
morning. American Robins were everywhere this morning. We heard Pacific-sloped
Flycatchers, Orange-crowned Warblers, Black-throated Gray Warblers, Wilson's
Warblers and Townsend’s Warblers singing all morning. We watched a Belted
Kingfisher chase an Varied Thrush up the river flying just above the water. A
Pacific-slope Flycatcher and Vaux’s Swifts gave us quick looks as they flew
over. We spotted a Pine Marten looking down at us from a small tree to add a
little more nature to our walks!
Martes americana or Pine Marten, American Sable at Lot Ten: John Purves
Photo.
Fourteen birders saw and heard the following thirty-three species:
Common Merganser
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Spotted Sandpiper
Belted Kingfisher
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Vaux’s Swift
Warbling Vireo
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Black-headed Grosbeak
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Pacific-slope Flycatcher: Ralph Hocken Photo.
The Tuesday bird walk on Tuesday May 21 will be going to Shelly Road side
of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.
Good birding
Neil Robins
Parksville
Pine Marten
The pine marten is a carnivorous member of the weasel family. The marten's
coat is characterized by soft, dense fur which varies in color from tan to dark
brown and mostly black on the feet and legs. Lighter colored martens tend to
have grayish brown tails, while darker animals have dark brown to almost black
tail fur. The fur around the muzzle varies from gray to light brown with a short
dark line running up the forehead from the corner of each eye. The marten's
throat and upper chest are a tan color.
The ears give the pine martens a cat like look.. Martens vary in body
length from 48 to 65 cm, not including the tail which can be a third of the
overall body length. They may weigh up to nearly 2 kilos. Males are larger than
females. Martens have sharp claws which they use for climbing as well as for
holding their prey.
Martens depend on voles and mice, which are their primary food source over
much of Southern Vancouver Island The second important food source is berries,
especially blueberries, followed by small birds, eggs, and vegetation. Marten
will also eat squirrels and if food is scarce enough will occasionally exhibit
cannibalism.
The Marten is a an opportunistic feeder. Carrion such as the remains of
wolf kills, dead spawning salmon remains or winter killed deer and elk are all
eaten. Although martens are suited for nocturnal foraging, they are also active
during mornings and evenings, especially during the long days of summer.
The Pine Martens of Vancouver Island are rare to see and they only inhabit
the south Island.
No comments:
Post a Comment