We found these turtles sunning themselves on a small pond.
The Western Painted Turtle is named after the bright yellow stripes on its head, neck, tail and legs, and the glowing red on its plastron (shell covering the belly) and under-edge of its carapace (shell covering the back).
Most adult Painted Turtles spend the winter hibernating in the mud at the bottom of ponds and lakes. Once temperatures warm up and the ice leaves the water, Painted Turtle courtship begins.
In B.C., Painted Turtles are found in pockets throughout the southern interior, as far north as Golden. This includes the Okanagan Valley, Kamloops Lake, Shuswap Lake, and the Creston and Nelson Area.
At present, the Western Painted Turtle is on the provincial blue list. This means they are considered vulnerable to habitat loss, and susceptible to human and natural disturbances. Habitat is being lost because of pollution and waterway interference due to damming, agriculture, and urbanization of waterfronts.
The Wild Clematis was the first delicate flower we came upon. This one is mauve, but apparently there are also yellow ones. They grow in predominantly shaded areas in the forest, using other trees for structure. They do not have tendrils like most vines.
Canada has one desert. It's located in the South Okanagan region of British Columbia. It's considered a 'pocket desert' one of North America’s most fragile and endangered ecosystems. Despite its small size, it is home to an exceptional array of desert plants and animals, some found nowhere else in Canada, many on the brink of extinction. It is here, that's we filmed the osprey's on April 13, 2012.
They're often call fish hawks . . .
Osprey's eat fish which they can see from great heights as they fly over bodies of water, when they spot the prey they hover by flapping their wings and then if all things go right, meaning the fish don't spook, the osprey dives into the water with talons stretched out and catches the fish.
The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), sometimes known as the sea hawk, fish eagle or fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts, with a black eye patch and wings.
Food source?
As the common name suggests, the Osprey's diet consists almost exclusively of fish. It possesses specialised physical characteristics and exhibits unique behaviour to assist in hunting and catching prey. As a result of these unique characteristics, it has been given its own taxonomic genus, Pandion and family, Pandionidae. Four subspecies are usually recognised. Despite its propensity to nest near water, the Osprey is not a sea-eagle
Migratory?
Osprey's are migratory birds. We have seen and filmed them in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico in the winter months.The Osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant.
music is by 01 - zero-project - 01 - Land of legends
Well almost, ducks on a path and a squirrel in the tree isn't really wildlife but it's still fun filming them and you never know what your going to catch. I especially like the ducks waddling off at the end of the video...
There's really no secret to filming nature and wildlife, find a spot and stake it out and just wait.
It's still dull, grey and brown where we live but soon spring will be here . . . I look forward to the sunshine & the new green, the flowers and the little critters that share the earth with us. :)
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5--13 cm (3--5 in) range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird.
They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12--80 times per second (depending on the species). They are also the only group of birds able to fly backwards.
These are Christina Lake, BC Hummingbirds. These little birds are going to be facing eminent danger. British Columbia mountains are rapidly being stripped of forests for raw log exports to the USA & China. In addition to this, there is colossal devastation of our forests from the Pine Tree Beetles kill. Millions and millions of acres of pines trees, entire mountains - dead trees. These forests are the feeding grounds of these amazing little travelers. I so fear for their future.
