Vancouver Island Marmots

The main reason behind our Canada Day long weekend getaway (besides to escape Vancouver after 5 months of quarantine) was to spot and photograph the Vancouver Island Marmot. A large ground squirrel, this particular subspecies has a distinctive chocolatey coat and measures about 65cm or so in length.

Living high up in alpine meadows, they hibernate from mid-September to early May in burrows below the frost line. In the few months a year they are awake, they graze on sedges and grasses for a few hours daily and then rest in the sun the rest of the time.

We took several hikes searching for them and eventually managed to spot the one below:

With a little patient creeping forward and a telephoto lens, we were able to get several nice photographs of this individual (#150 judging from the ear tag). Of the 15 species of marmots in the world, these are among the most endangered mammals in the world, due to their concentration entirely on Vancouver Island and several years of over predation (on the one hand, this is a species that we didn't actually hunt or directly wipe out for once, on the other hand, the over predation was doubtless a result of habitat destruction and/or impact on primary prey stocks that WAS a result of human activity.)

The recorded population plunged to as few as 30 animals in 2004 but they are currently a success story, with annual counts of 190-250 in the last few years, due to increased conservation efforts and breeding programs.

Mount Washington is not only one of the primary colonies to these animals, it is also a safe haven where young animals are given a "training year" of living in the wild before potentially being captured and relocated to a more remote area.

The popularity of Mount Washington as a downhill biking destination means that traditional marmot predators such as cougars, wolves, and golden eagles are driven away by steady human presence. This gives fresh releases an opportunity to get the hang of living in the wild without undue risk but still makes it possible to spread the population over several colonies to prevent unexpected problems from wiping the species out.

A higher concentration meant we were able to see a second marmot from the chair lift on the way down on a subsequent hike. This one was a less poised individual, huddle at the side of a bike trail and sitting on his own tail.

Local but uncommon mammals

Finding the silver lining during this pandemic, working from home gives us both a lot more opportunities to walk around Stanley Park several times a day. Increasing our presence in the area increases our odds of seeing new and interesting animals inside familiar spaces.

Starting off with this mouse. We were walking along the edge of Lost Lagoon and noticed it scurrying along the bank and frequently coming closer to the path to feed. While it was initially quite skittish of the camera shutter, it eventually got used to the noise and came close enough for a few nice pictures. There are at least 15+ species of mice in BC and I have little experience with any of them, so tips on this one's ID are appreciated.

 Stanley Park is also home to 6 if the 16 species of bat in BC and we saw this individual soaring around in broad daylight hunting insects from a small copse of trees near the aquarium. We enjoyed a very pleasant quarter hour or so watching it dart around on its hunt and managed to get a small handful of acceptable photos of it, despite its speed, size, and distance. Again, I don't know bat species well so I am inclined to guess it is a Little Brown Bat, but don't know for certain.

Luckily, we keep this species on our money AND there's only one type on the continent which makes identifying this North American Beaver a bit of a slam dunk. We have looked around the park many times for these guys and had zero luck, but just this past week there have been a pair with a convenient routine of coming out to graze between 5 and 7 most evenings, making them far more accessible for identification.

While it is nice to feel that nature is returning to the area as a result of people being less active in the last few months, beavers have been a regular mammal in the park for years and we have seen gnawed down trees on many of our walks. These beavers have a large lodge in the area, but are unlikely to build a damn. Apparently dams are more of a defense to keep unfrozen areas of deep water accessible to them in winter but since Lost Lagoon rarely freezes at all and never for long, they won't need this particular tactic here.

Grizzly Bears

 This fall we took an excellent outing from Campbell River with our friends at Discovery Marine Safaris with the intent of seeing some grizzly bears. Given that grizzly bears are not found on Vancouver Island, this may sound counter-intuitive. However, Campbell River is only a few hours by boat from Bute Inlet, home of the Homalco people, who run excellent land-based bear tours. Small buses move groups of people between several viewing spots and towers in the area, offering safety from/for wildlife and a number of chances to see animals.

There was a pink salmon run in progress during our visit, so there were a goodly number of bears working the Orford River in anticipation of their coming winter hibernation. While there have been some scares in the news about emaciated bears in nearby Knight Inlet, the seven or so individuals that we saw all appeared to be healthy and decently fat. While people are undeniably having an impact on salmon stocks, the pinks were in good numbers and I am confident the bears will find their share.

 Evidence of this hypothesis was shown by this sleeping bear who was relaxing in what our guide rightfully called a "salmon-coma." It was perhaps 25 feet away from our stop but frustratingly concealed by some tall plants. However, once he had fully evaluated its state of lethargy, our guide offered Kathryn the chance to climb up on a fallen log nearby to get a handful of less obstructed photos for us and some other people on the tour. Although it briefly woke to survey this change in its surroundings, the bear was nonplussed and quickly went back to sleep.

The whole experience was exceptional but not cheap, so while we certainly plan to return to the Bears of Bute again in the future, its a trip that we'll have to ration out and savor every few years.

Scuba Encounters

I had 3 dives in Mexico during our visit and had several unique and exciting animal encounters to share. The first dive at Land's End was also my first dive since 2011 but any apprehension I might have had quickly evaporated when my guide Julio dug around in the sand and produced tiny sea urchins which puffer fish would swim up and take right from your fingertips. They were very gentle but certainly had tough little teeth in there for crushing and grinding up urchin shells and spines.

It can be pretty difficult to give wildlife the space it deserves while also getting a decent photograph, but I decided to err on the side of caution with this moray eel and accept that my wide-angle lens would have to be pretty generously cropped for any photo to share. Still, this was my first wild eel and I was very excited to see one.

When we did a dive at the La Paz sea lion colony this one individual was very intrigued by bubbles and rings that our guide was blowing while lying almost on the bottom and came down to investigate and be patted. At this exact moment, Kathryn was actually snorkeling in a different spot and spent 20 minutes cuddling a juvenile sea lion, but unfortunately we only had the one underwater camera so that moment can't be shared with the rest of you :(

Whirlwind House Guest en route to Oz

 My dad was passing through town on his way to Australia and stayed with us for a little over 24 hours. Luckily I had booked the day off once Kathryn suggested we have a bit more time together, so I was able to capitalize on the entire time for a visit.

 I wanted to have a hike somewhere that would be new for him, so we trekked up to North Vancouver and hiked a series of trails from the reservoir at Capilano Lake downstream through the canyon and ultimately to the salmon hatchery shown below. There were lots of Coho running and they looked to be in very good shape, so it was nice to see healthy fish returning to where they began to start the next generations. The grounds are quite informative as well and you can see into the huge tanks where they rear thousands of fry to the size where they are more likely to survive in the wild.

 We were also fortunate to have a nice close look at this little squirrel munching on some food quite fearlessly at the side of the trail. I would have taken a picture and assumed it was a red squirrel without a second thought, but dad mentioned that it might be a Douglas squirrel which is a more rare species on the west coast, and with a little internet searching low and behold it was. So a new mammal species for me to round out our walk and brief visit! :)

Forest Mammal Grab-Bag

The forest is home to many small mammals, some of which are very cautious and rare while others are quite inquisitive and common. White-nosed coatis were a common sighting across the country and always a delight. These relatives of the raccoon often occur in large social groups of females and young, while adult males tend to be solitary. They are quite bold around people and climb trees on occasion, which helps make them easier to photograph.

 Central American Agoutis are one of 11 members of a family of large guinea pig-like rodents about the size of a rabbit. They are fairly common sights and frequently grazed on hotel grounds but are shy and easily startled, but when just the pair of us were out on walks we could get quite close. We have seen them in Mexico as well, and they have a fairly extensive range throughout the Caribbean and South America.

 We also saw a single Collared Peccary at La Selva. Everyone was very preoccupied chatting or watching some Motmots, and Kathryn had to practically shout at people to get their attention to see it as it snuck by in the background. While pig-like in appearance, they are apparently fairly distant relatives and easily differentiated by their downward tusks and scent glands.

Tamanduas

 Costa Rica is home to a single species of medium-sized anteater and we were incredibly lucky to see them twice. The first sighting was up in a tree in the forest at Carara, where we were able to watch this one trundle around and scratch for quite awhile. Their eyesight is very poor so they rely primarily on smell and sound to find their food, and we were apparently quiet enough that it was not too concerned by our presence.

 Despite their comedic look, they can be dangerous when cornered, and are know for injuring overly curious dogs that get too close. Since they are equipped with enormous claws for tearing open termite mounds, they can cause quite a bit of damage if provoked. This one looks pretty relaxed and mildly embarrassed by such talk as he scratches his head with his back leg.

Rounding out our set of three, here is the best look we had, as one stopped to drink from a stream in Corcovado. You can really see the peculiar colouration of their body which makes it look like they are wearing either pyjamas or a life-jacket. This one continued to showcase their poor eyesight by walking directly towards us and passing within a few meters of us after his drink.

White-Faced Capuchins

 Of the four species of monkey we saw in Costa Rica, the white-faced capuchin were simultaneously the most bold, the most common, and the most expressive. We saw them on both coasts in sizeable troops that are more then eager to test the limits of what they can get away with around humans and hopefully steal a few bananas in the process.

 Being very curious and fearless around people, they would frequently come down to eye level to look for unattended picnics, which made them excellent subjects for portrait photos. At Manuel Antonio beach, where all of these pictures were taken, they were such a problem that our guide Mario spent the entire time we were there just keeping an eye on our bags to make sure we left with everything we had arrived with.

 Like many primates, they have developed some rudimentary tool use, including throwing stones or swinging sticks as weapons against snakes as well as using seasonal plants for medicinal purposes to repel insects and for antiseptic needs. Similar to people, all this thinking can leave them knackered out in the hot Costa Rican sun and in need of a nap like this guy.

Howler Monkeys

 Howler monkeys were the first of four species of monkeys we saw in Costa Rica. While we were fortunate enough to see them several times, they are very dark in color and almost always moving quickly about in the forest canopy against a bright sky. This makes them a bit of a nightmare to photograph since they are tricky for both exposure AND focus, but we got a nice handful of pictures of them. The picture below may appear that we are on the same level, but it was actually peering down towards us from the canopy.

 They earn the "howler" part of their name with a very distinctive call. Every time I hear it, I wonder what it must have been like to be the first people hearing it, not knowing it was a 7kg monkey but thinking it was some enormous forest demon. They often start calling early in the morning and the sound carries for miles across the countryside.

 Like all monkeys, gravity is simply someone else's problem rather than a constraint on their daily lives. In Cahuita we saw a troop moving through the trees, which included a 30-foot vertical leap between branches. This same leap was also done by a mother with a baby clinging to its back, so they certainly learn how to get around from an early age.

Unexpected High-Altitude Nocturnal Mammals of the Caribbean

 The title of this post might sound overly specific, but Cahuita was crawling with strange mammals late at night. Starting off, the kinkajou is not only a catching tune from 1927 but also a strange raccoon variant, because Costa Rica LOVES weird variations of raccoons. They are solitary and shy with a prehensile tail to move around in the tops of trees. This was the only one we saw, but the species was high on my list so I was glad for the chance.

 Literally 15 minutes before the kinkajou and even in the exact same tree we also saw this common opossum. They ALSO like to climb trees at night with their prehensile tails. While conventional lore tells you that opossums will play dead when in danger, our guidebook says that this species elects to twirl around spraying feces when threatened, so bring a zoom lens and don't try to get too close!

 We talked about sloths just a few weeks ago, but I thought this picture was a nice addition to round out the set. Although we only saw the one, it is not uncommon to see sloths moving about on the powerlines of Costa Rica, and so long as they only touch one at a time they do just fine (the same way birds can perch without danger). The problem comes if they switch from one line to another at a post and suddenly become an unexpected conductor. Sloths are surprisingly resilient and often survive such a shock (there are several rescues that take in electrocuted sloths) but it can't be good for them overall and many are killed each year from this unfortunate situation.

Sloths

 Sloths are quite common in Costa Rica, but can be surprisingly difficult to spot. Since they spend so much time nearly motionless it can be tricky to locate them, and the forests are full of termite mounds and clumps of leaves that look very similar to resting sloths. There are 2 species in the country, including the Hoffman's Two-Toed Sloth shown below. These are allegedly the rarer of the two species, but we saw many more of them by far.

 The three-toed sloth (fun fact, all sloths have 3 toes, but the Hoffman's has 2 claws on its arms and old naming conventions die hard) was less common in our sightings and very distinctively different with its face mask, darker fur, and stripes on the back of the male. There are a surprising number of taxonomic differences between the two species, including the very strange exception that Hoffman's have 5-7 neck vertebra while the three-toed has 8-9. Funnily enough, they are the only mammals on Earth (along with the manatee...?) to have more than 7 neck vertebrae. Humans, blue whales, and giraffes? 7 each.

 Other fun facts about sloths:

• they have a symbiotic relationship with both an algae that lives in their fur and a species of moth which spends its entire life cycle with the sloth.
• despite having a low energy-output lifestyle, they only sleep 9-10 hours a day
• they only come down from the trees to defecate in a hole which they dig with their butt and cover afterwards.
• they are ridiculously adorable when they're babies.

Swarms of Dolphins

One last blog post for 2016 as Kathryn and I head off on our first big adventure in far too long.
This summer we made our annual visit to Telegraph Cove and had a delightful encounter with a HUGE pod of pacific white-sided dolphins. Long-time readers may recall (with some prompting) that we have had pretty amazing sightings of these animals in the past, but this time put all others to shame.

 There were an estimated 500 or so individuals (common rule of thumb is there are 4-5 animals underwater for every one you can see at the surface at a given time) and they were VERY interested in our boat and playing in our wake. Large groups of them were playing at the front and back and a few Dahl's porpoises even joined in the fun to race past them and shame everyone with their speed.

 Not only were they following along and playing, but they were constantly leaping out of the water so close to our boat that I actually had to switch cameras because my telephoto lens was too tight to capture the whole animal. They followed along with us for a good 10-15 minutes before flocking off to their next point of interest.

Big thanks again to our dear friend Roger for taking us out and sharing the incredible beauty of his part of the island with us. If you're ever in the Telegraph Cove area, we strongly recommend an outing with his company Stubb's Island Whale Watching.

Happy New Year and we'll have lots of new photos and stories to share in 2017!

A Few More Animal Encounters

 The Kangaroo Creek Farm had quite a few non-marsupial animals which you could spend time with depending on your comfort levels. Being a very tactile person who wants to experience everything, Kathryn waded through a scrum of children in order to be covered in birds for a few minutes. The grey parrot in the left of frame was particularly friendly and started nuzzling up to her right after this picture.

 A slightly more confusing encounter occurred shortly thereafter when this juvenile emu took a fancy to our friend Jared and began assuming a mating position. Apparently many emus go through a curiosity phase where they are more attracted to people that other emus. While its a pretty funny situation in hindsight, being pursued by an amorous 4 foot bird is a bit alarming at the time. Maybe its for the best that the dinosaurs are all extinct...

 Rounding out or visit with the most relaxed animal you could ask for, I was able to check an item off my bucket list and spent a bit of time patting a capybara. For those of you who are unfamiliar, they are the largest rodent in the world, hail from Patagonia, and feel quite a bit like a bristly inner tube.

Hands-on with Marsupials

 On our way through the Okanagan on our way back from the wedding, we stopped in Lake Country at the Kangaroo Creek Farm for some one-on-one time with a variety of marsupials and other oddities. Based on advice from both my boss and the people at the gate, we started immediately with the line to hold baby kangaroos. There were about 6 which ranged from 3 to 5 months of age since first coming out of their mothers pouch. They come wrapped in little blankets as shown, and are just about the cutest things you can imagine.

 Kathryn also had the chance to hold a sugar glider, which is another tiny marsupial similar to a flying squirrel. We learned quite a bit about them, the good pets they make, the long lives they have, and the trouble they can have at the vet (since their veins are too small to treat in any way). They are also ridiculously soft and very patient with the number of people holding and cooing over them.

 This albino wallaby was a little strung out from being followed around by small children most of the day and was quite happy to relax with me and have its ears scratched for a few minutes. It actually leaned against me and had a little snuggle before the next batch of jam-covered urchins started chasing it around again.

 Fun fact: kangaroos often have a life-long obsession with pouches, such that grown adults will try to get into baby carriages and juvenile animals will eat my ratty pants at the knee trying to make room to climb in.

Pinawa Wildlife

We spent a few days in our recent Manitoba visit back in Pinawa, and while it's too early in the year to see many of the insects or amphibians that live in the area, there are a few iconic mammals and birds which are either easy to find or striking enough that I thought we should share a few pictures. First off, there are white-tailed deer EVERYWHERE in town, much like this little fellow wandering along the ice by the beach. These guys seem to know very well where they can and can't be hunted, and subsequently congregate in town where they eat people's gardens and generally wreck havoc in the most adorable way possible.

 Great grey owls are very striking and impressive birds, despite the fact that a sizeable proportion of that bulk is made up of fluff and feathers when compared to smaller owls such as the great horned. Regardless, they are often obliging birds that perch out on telephone poles at conveniently observable heights. This fellow was out during a snow flurry so we didn't get as much time to watch it was we would have liked, but it was a great sighting all the same.

 Rounding out our set with admittedly a bit of a cop-out, Kathryn and I always enjoy seeing my parents cat Darwin. He's a very friendly little fellow, and while he has his own heap of weird kitty quirks, he is very good about being picked up or having his feet patted. Every time we visit, we make sure to get our kitty feet fix before returning to our own reprehensible animal who in no way tolerates such things.

And apologies to anyone who has noticed our 6 week gap in posts lately. I have had a particularly punishing tax course lately which ends in 10 days and took up a disproportionate amount of my time. Regular weekly posts to resume shortly for both of our loyal readers ;)

Salt Spring Free Range

 Salt Spring Island is dotted with small family-run farms which produce small amounts of dairy, poultry and produce for local consumption. The cows below were at a small dairy we visited and I was very pleased to know that our cheese came from "those cows right over there" as it is easy to have a disconnect between a food source and our plates.

 Our bed and breakfast had several dozen chickens scratching around the grounds and one morning we were treated to free-range eggs laid that very morning. I also got a pretty nice portrait of the rooster, which I think gives an air of majesty which poultry is rarely considered to possess.

 Our bed and breakfast also had a number of sheep, and while these individuals were more for the entertainment of guests as part of the hobby farm, we did pass several fields where quite a few sheep were out grazing, and sheepskin was for sale at the Saturday market.

 

 Not shown here, but worth mentioning, Salt Spring Island has dozens of small produce stands along the roads. Running on an honor system, farmers will leave their surplus eggs, fruits, and vegetables in wooden stands along the roads and passersby can help themselves and leave the appropriate payment.

In Vancouver, such a system would be quickly looted and vandalized, and while I'm sure there are some problems with that on Salt Spring, there was enough of it going on that its clearly a reasonably profitable venture without too much of a cost.

Checking in on Chester

 I had intended for this to be a follow-up, but we never previously covered Kathryn's work with the false killer whale calf "Chester" who was taken in by the Marine Mammal Rescue last summer (2014). Kathyrn spent many shifts monitoring and tending to him when he was first brought in but in time he outgrew the tanks available and was moved to Vancouver Aquarium.

 

Chester is currently sharing the dolphin tank with Helen, the last of their wounded Pacific White Sided dolphins, and is much larger than he was when Kathryn was looking after him. While we know that cetaceans in captivity is a touchy subject these days, we were saddened to hear interpreters at the aquarium explaining his drooping fin as a natural part of their design when it has a 0% incidence in the wild, and has been proven to be a direct result of tanks that are not large or deep enough to allow the animals room to properly dive and exercise.

 That aside, he is a very curious and inquisitive animal, and came over to visit us at one of the windows for a few minutes. He was very enrapt by the pair of us, and while we both very much want to believe it was because he remembered Kathryn and her efforts, it could just as easily have been light reflecting out of my camera lens that caught his eye as something new.