July 29, 2010 

Summer is here,  and our Whiteshell  backyard is WILD!!!!!!!!!!!  

This is the time of year we like  to go on a hunt for jewels in the Whiteshell.  We took our kayaks to Basket Falls,  a small wayside off of highway 307,  and paddled downstream.  It wasn't long before we found the treasure we were looking for .........Ebony Jewelwings!  A large damsel fly, with an irridescent green body and chocolate brown wings.  They are very beautiful and fly in a "helter skelter" kind of way.  The river had some other surprises as well.  Bald eagles, a very large snapping turtle, some otters, deer and ducks.   All in all, a great little afternoon paddle! 

Loons call hauntingly from across the lake, and the forest resounds with birdsong.    Our personal favourite is the white throated sparrow, singing his heart-felt song from the tree tops.

Again this week our guests were thrilled to hear wolves howling back and forth from across the lake.  This is always an awe-inspiring experience which reminds us how pristine and "wild" our park remains.

In the morning, we were treated to the sight of a very long legged wolf trotting down the middle of the highway and it was a reminder to ALWAYS have your camera ready!

Hummingbirds are busy at the feeders, and the niger seed feeders attract a feeding frenzy of brilliant yellow gold finches, their bibbedy birdsong filling the air.

Very close to home, there is an eagle's  nest, and we see the eagles circling above, white tails gleaming against a clear blue sky.  Simply breath- taking.

Our resident red fox has grown very fat and healthy over the winter, and makes his rounds of the neighbourhood daily. Today we saw a beautiful "silver" version of the usual red fox, with a jet black coat and white tipped tail.

A visit to the campground down the road is enhanced by the chickadees that land on our hands to accept our  offering of sunflower seed, and we enjoy a thermos of tea at a picnic table sheltered from the wind.

At night, we drift off to sleep to the persistant and repetitive call of a whippoorwill.  It is  even more effective than counting sheep!

There is so much to observe and enjoy right now...........We invite you to come and see for yourself!!

From our "wild life" to your's,