DOES FLEABANE BAN FLEAS? I always do a bit of a double-take when I see fleabanes ( Erigeron ) in bloom in June. Because they resemble the asters that brighten up the fall woods, they are a somewhat unwelcome reminder of just how short the Manitoba summer can be. They are distinguished from asters by the much larger number of fine rays around the yellow ce...

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A RARE BIRD After seeing the recently posted photo on the MNS website, I decided to give the Harlequin Duck a try this evening. After a little searching of the exposed rock at Whitemouth Falls (the rapids at the mouth of the Whitemouth River near Seven Sisters Falls), I picked it out, resting at the water's edge on the upstream side of the falls, towards ...

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LADIES OF THE LAKE A fall oddity in Manitoba is the appearance of large numbers of lady beetles (also known as ladybugs or ladybirds) along the beaches of large lakes. I took this photo of a bedraggled group on the shore of Lake Winnipeg near Riverton on Saturday October 7th. They appear to be European seven-spotted ladybirds, a species that spread rapid...

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A TINY SURPRISE On November 1st, I glanced out the window and saw a tiny animal struggling over the deer tracks in the new carpet of snow. Not really expecting a photo op, I grabbed the camera anyway and went outside to check. By this time the animal had stopped underneath our neighbour's feeder and was nibbling on some fallen seeds. I was able to grab a ...

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WINTER FINCHES #3: EVENING GROSBEAK A few years ago you could walk around Pinawa on a winter morning and nearly always be within earshot of a flock of Evening Grosbeaks. Their numbers have declined in recent years, as they have in much of their North American range, but they are still a familiar sight at feeders and boulevard trees around town. I like to ...

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TWO KINDS OF NUTHATCH Nuthatches are regular visitors to many bird feeders in the Pinawa area. The White-breasted Nuthatch is found year-round in mature deciduous woods, especially oak, and its numbers are quite stable from year to year. The slightly smaller Red-breasted Nuthatch prefers coniferous woods, and its numbers fluctuate from year to year, due a...

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WINTER ARRIVALS While fall migration mostly means birds disappearing for the winter, a special few species arrive from points farther north to spend the winter with us. One of these species is the Snow Bunting, which breeds on the Arctic tundra and winters across southern Canada and the northern U.S.A. Small flocks of Snow Buntings are a common sight on r...

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DOUBLE GOLD ON PR211 Next time you're driving along PR211 near the rifle range in the town of Pinawa, Manitoba, keep an eye on the yellow line but spare a glance at the strips of brilliant yellow flowers on either side of the road. There are mostly wild sunflowers on the south side and goldenrods on the north. This display is...

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11th Annual Backyard Bird Count AND The Final Tally Is... Last year participants in Pinawa reported 612 birds of 18 species. Instructions, bird watching tips, and checklists specific to your area are available on the GBBC web site www.birdcount.org . You can compare results from different towns or regions as checklists are submitted. There are bird photos...

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If it slithers or crawls, most of us have only two one of two reactions. You both shudder and exclaim your disgust, or cool is whispered in an awed voice. I fall firmly into the second category. I love all reptiles. They amaze me; prehistoric ageless eyes and the seemingly ability to take everything the modern world throws at them. Snakes, Turtle, and Lizar...

Read more: If It Slithers Or Crawls, Reptiles Of Whiteshell Provincial Park...