Posts Tagged With: environment

Very Varied Cute Birds!

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Very Varied Cute Birds!

We decided to go birding today! We were on the lookout for the Varied Thrush. Luckily after wandering around the for a while we finally spotted our bird!

Date: 11/10

Location: Pacific northeast temperate rainforest

Varied thrushes are song birds.
You can often hear them long before they are seen.
Varied thrushes forage on the ground.

Females incubate the eggs, but both parents help feed the chicks.

We enjoyed listening to these gorgeous song birds while we walked the woods. We loved their bright orange coloration. They are often compared to robins, the plump song birds we have near HQs. We love robins, but these varied thrush are much brighter!

Categories: Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, birds, children, conservation, education, environment, nature, science, wildlife | Leave a comment

Meeting Moose!

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Meeting Moose

We have some dear friends who are moose! They live in the UK and they are wild bunch! But we had never meet some wild Canadian moose. We headed up the coast into Canada to meet some moose!

Date: 11/9

Location: Canada Temperate Rainforest

Moose are the largest member of the deer species.
Moose can eat up to 70lbs of food a day. As the winter comes that drops down.
Only male moose have antlers. Sometimes those antlers are called paddles. They can weigh up to 40 lbs!
Like other deer species, they shed their antlers in the winter.
Like their cousins the Roosevelt elk, they are excellent swimmers.

Each moose have a flap of skin under their chin that is called a bell.
They are crepuscular-most active at dawn and dusk.
Most moose are solitary, except during mating season.

We had a great day, watching these wild moose forage for food. The name the Algonquin tribe have for moose means “twig eater”. Hehehe- we do love to nibble on some grasses and maybe a piece of bark too. Good thing there was plenty to snack on in the forest!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, environment, mammals, nature, science, wildlife | 1 Comment

Tree Frog Fun!

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Tree Frog Fun!

We headed out with our night vision goggles the day after spotting elk. We had to wait and listen to find the tree dwelling amphibians we were in search for! We spotted those cute little frogs and learned more about them.

Date: 11/8

Location: Pacific Norhtwest

Pacific Tree Frogs vary in color, from brown to tan to grey.
Individual frogs can even change color, when they are threatened.
Pacific tree frogs have sticky pads on their toes to help them climb. These frogs do tend to spend more time on the ground though.
These frogs are famous for their call. If you hear a frog call on tv on in the movies, it is most likely that of a pacific tree frog.

The pacific tree frog is the state frog in Washington state.
Male pacific tree frogs have dark throat pouches.
They are nocturnal.

We had fun sitting in the forest listening to the frogs sing. It is so peaceful. Edmond even dozed off while we sat there! Hehehehe!

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: adventure, amphibians, animals, children, conservation, education, environment, nature, science, wildlife | Leave a comment

An Elk Named Roosevelt

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

An Elk Named Roosevelt

Today we went looking for one of the largest members of the North American elk family. It’s a great time of year to find these great animals, as it is mating season. We could hear them call in the mist in the morning. Did you know that males coat themselves in urine to attract the ladies? Eeeeewww…

Date: 11/7

Location: Pacific Northwest

Roosevelt elks were named after President Teddy Roosevelt.
They have large antlers with three point tips on each one. Those are called crowns. Only the males have antlers.
Like other animals with antlers, they shed them during the fall and winter.

Some herds of elk migrate, while others do not. It all depends on food supply throughout the year.
Elk have two large canine teeth made of ivory. They are the only animal with antlers to have such teeth. It is believed to be a remnant of their extinct ancestors.
Adult male elks are called bulls. They are solitary or live in bachelor groups.
Elk are very vocal.

We had such a great time in the forest watching the elk graze on ferns and moss. We found a few more males and goodness did they stink! We sure are glad lady elks (cows) enjoy that smell. Mating season is called The Rut- neat!

We Call a Spade a Spadefoot!

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

We Call A Spade A Spadefoot!

We slept in after looking for great horned owls. During the day we met a herpetologist and we went looking for frogs and toads. We found the cutest little toads- called the Great Basin Spadefoot.

Date 11/3

Location: Pacific Northwest

Great Basin Spadefoots have warty skin.
They produce a toxin and it is used to ward off predators.
Great basin spadefoots can vary from brown to grey to olive in color.

Great basin spadefoots have spade on their front feet to help them dig in the ground.
They come out at night to absorb moisture from the air.
They are dormant in the fall and winter.

We were lucky to spot some toads as fall is setting in and these amphibians are heading in their dens for the season. They live off their fat stores while they are their! NEAT!

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: adventure, amphibians, children, conservation, education, environment, nature, science, wildlife | Leave a comment

Whoooooo Did We Spot?

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Whoooooo Did We Spot?

We spent our first night in a cabin in the forest. The trees are so big and tall. We hope to learn more about the trees while we are here, not just the animals. It is definitely chilly, but we sat on the back porch so that we could listen and look for this animal. And man did we hear them and we did spot one with our night vision goggles! We found the great horned owl.

Great horned owls have feathery tufts on their heads.
They are the most abundant owl in the Americas.

They have been known to predate on falcons, other owls and even scorpions.
Great horned owls are nocturnal.
Male great horned owls are smaller than the females.
Great horned owls are known to mate for life. You can often hear pairs call to each other.
They have bright amazing yellow eyes.

We could have stayed up all night to listen to the owls calling each other! Take a listen to their haunting calls. These amazing raptors can be found all over North America, but it sure was neat to spot them on our first night in the temperate rainforest!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, birds, children, conservation, education, environment, nature, science, wildlife | Leave a comment

Off We Go Again…

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Off We Go Again…

We’re off to our 3 stop on our world trip this year. We started off in September in the Amazon Rainforest and then we spent most of October in the Galapagos Islands. Now we are packing up the raincoats, warm boots and gloves and heading up the Pacific Northwest to discover the wonders of the temperate rainforest! That’s right, most people know all about the tropical rainforests and their amazing animals, but there are temperate rainforests too.

Let’s learn some basics about the temperate rainforest:

They can be found in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Australia and North & South America.
Temperate rainforest do receive much less rain than tropical rainforests. They get around 60-100″ in a year.
Tropical rainforest have no seasons. Temperate rainforests have seasons, from hot summers to freezing winters. They also have a dry season and a wet season.
The Pacific Northwest region the U.S. & Canada is the largest temperate rainforest in the world!
The temperate rainforest is home to tall trees, mosses, birds, mammals and slugs!

We’ll be meeting many of the residents of these amazing forests and we hope you’ll love sharing in November’s adventure!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, environment, nature, science, wildlife | Leave a comment

The Ghost Bear Hugger – A Halloween Poem

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

We have a little Halloween poem for you to share tonight on this All Hallows Eve!

The Ghost Bear Hugger

Creeping & crawling in the dead of night,

the ghost bear hugger keeps you in his sight.

He looks for campers to hug with all his might.

He’s ghost bear hugger of the Salamander woods.

He dips & he dives behind the trees,

the ghost bear hugger doesn’t want to be seen.

He sneaks up behind you, but he’s not mean.