Carolina Wren / Thryothorus ludovicianus

Carolina Wrens

The Carolina wren is an adaptable dweller of forestlands, swamps, farms, and tree-filled human communities, they are usually found in pairs, and are very fond of warm weather so stay in southern areas. 

These large wrens feed on insects, larvae, and spiders but also eat berries and fruit. They forage on or near the ground and hop along far more often than they fly. They use their bills to poke about and search for hidden meals and try to remain close to brush in which they can hide.

These birds are mammals and live for 6 years approximately. A single, captive male Carolina wren reportedly sang some 3,000 times in one day.

They are found as far north as the Great Lakes, and warm winters spur them to extend their range northward. However, when colder years arrive, many northern birds are unable to survive and fringe populations plummet.

Size relative to a cup:

Females lay about four eggs and incubate them for two weeks while their mates bring them food. Both parents feed their chicks for an additional two weeks before they gain independence.

The video above is a lovely wren singing.

Caribou / Rangifer tarandus

The Caribou

Caribou, also called reindeer, are found in northern regions of North America, Europe, Asia, and Greenland, as summer approaches, caribou herds head north in one of the world's great large-animal migrations.

During migration, herds of cows (female caribou) leave several weeks before the males, who follow with yearling calves from the previous birthing season.

These beautiful mammals are herbivores and live up to 15 years.

Caribou have large hooves that are useful tools for life in the harsh north-lands. They are big enough to support the animal's bulk on snow and to paddle it efficiently through the water. The hoof's underside is hollowed out like a scoop and used for digging through the snow in search of food. Its sharp edges give the animal good purchase on rocks or ice.

Caribou are the only deer in which male and females both have antlers—though only some females have them. Cows have one calf each year, which can stand after only a few minutes and move on with its mother by the next day!

Size relative to man:

Sadly these creatures are endangered,Caribou are traditionally vital to indigenous northern people throughout much of their range.

 

This 'big' guy is a nasty man, what does he do with the caribou... eat them ?

Canvasback / Aythya valisineria

The Canvasback

Canvasbacks might have been named for the rough texture of their pale backs—or for the canvas bags in which Chesapeake Bay duck carcasses were once shipped to restaurants. 

Canvasbacks are diver ducks well equipped with their own form of flippers—large webbed feet that make them smooth and graceful swimmers. They spend much of their time in the water and use their long bills to feed by digging through bottom sediments in search of aquatic plant stems and roots, or submerged insects, crustaceans, and clams. 

They are omnivores and in a group they are called a flock.

Canvasbacks are traditionally popular with hunters. By the late 1980s and early 1990s their numbers had been dramatically decreased by hunting pressure, lead poisoning from ingestion of lead shot, and the gradual loss of both suitable breeding and wintering habitats.

Size relative to man:

It is most likely that the whiter duck may be the female and the other the male. They are also a little weird as they have red eyes!

Thank you for reading my blog, hope you have all had lovely Easters.

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Cane Toad / Bufo marinus

Cane Toad

The much maligned venomous cane toads earned their bad reputation shortly after being released into the Australian ecology in 1935 with the hope that they would control the destructive cane beetle population. They turned out to be failures at controlling beetles, but remarkably successful at reproducing and spreading themselves, this all may sound surreal like a movie but it is true!

About 3,000 cane toads were released in the sugar-cane plantations of north Queensland in 1935. They now number well into the millions, and their still expanding range, they cover hundreds of miles.

Cane toads are large, stocky amphibians with dry, warted skin, they are amphibians and can live for up to 

5-10 years. In a group they are named a knot or a nest. 

they have thrived in Australia because there are few natural predators, they breed easily, and they have abundant food, including pet food, which they steal from feeding bowls left outside of homes.

Cane toad venom is a mix of toxins that primarily affects the functioning of the heart. It is present throughout their bodies and is secreted as a milky liquid from the parotoid glands located over the toad's shoulders.

Humans still die from eating cane toads and their eggs! 

Size relative to a cup:

Note: This frog is not the toad that closes up and rolls, that is the rock toad.

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE!

       

All of the above does look very sweet and how Easter normally looks, but really Easter is about a special sacrifice.... the sacrifice of Jesus.

But Easter is also about new life and new starts, that is why chicks, eggs, rabbits, swans, sheep/lamb, and others are represented as new life because of the new life, and we have just entered spring.

Happy Easter though, this is my favourite picture of the day...

Canada Goose / Branta canadensis

The Canada Goose

Canada goose is one of the best known birds in North America. It is found in every contiguous U.S. state and Canadian province at one time of the year or another.

Canada geese are adaptable to many habitats and may thrive wherever grasses, grains, or berries are available,  Typically, the birds summered in northern North America and flew south when cold weather arrived. This cycle endures, but some northern populations have shortened their flight to traditional wintering grounds in the southern U.S. and Mexico.

 Canada geese have become permanent residents of parks, golf courses, suburban sub-developments, and other human habitats across much of North America, these herbivores live up to 24 years and a normally in flocks with any other birds in the water, such as Moore hens, ducks, sea gulls and others.

They are quite small, they can peck quite hard too if they want to because they have small teeth!

Size relative to man:

Thank you for reading Happy Easter for tomorrow.