Animals of the Alphabet A to D

Back in May, I joined an Animals of the Alphabet swap project on www.atcsforall.com . So far, we are up to G, and I've been enjoying some pretty exciting returns from around the world, including cards from England, New Zealand, and United States! For each swap, I draw four animals that start with the assigned letter, and receive three in return from different artists (the fourth card is a gift for the host).

Here are a few of the animals that I have drawn for A to D.

A is for Andean Short Faced Bear by smallgirl
Watercolour pencils on bamboo paper
The Andean Short Faced Bear, also known as the Spectacled Bear, is a small bear that lives in South America

B is for Black Bear by smallgirl
Watercolour pencils on bamboo paper
The black bear is a familiar sight here on the West Coast, but can be found throughout much of North America.

C is for Cuban tody by smallgirl
Watercolour pencils on textured paper
The Cuban tody is a small insect eating bird that lives in Cuba.
 

D is for Dall's porpoise by smallgirl
Watercolour pencils on textured paper
The Dall's porpoise is another familar West Coast creature that frequents our waters. Appallingly, this intelligent dolphin relative is slaughtered for food in Japan.

I will continue to post about this project, as well as some of my returns. In the meantime, if you like animals, check out my youngest cousin's new blog, CRAZY AMAZING ANIMALS!!

West Coast Creature Feature-The Curious Whiskey Jack

Adult whiskey jack by smallgirl

Juvenile whiskey jack by smallgirl

Also known as the Canada Jay or Gray Jay, the Whiskey Jack is a friendly mountain corvid that I frequently encounter while hiking on the local mountains. There are many subspecies spread across North America; the one pictured here is  the West Coast subspecies, P. c. griseus, found in southwestern BC and Vancouver Island, and parts of Coastal Washington and Oregon and mountains in Californa. They mate for life and usually have an assistant/helper bird while caring for hatchlings.

A friendly whiskey jack consuming seeds

These medium sized gray birds are curious and friendly. They have many nicknames, including camprobber, meat-bird, and lumberjack, due to their tendency to try to take food, or willingly accept food, from humans. They cache their food and retrieve it from memory. Foods include: insects, seeds, carrion, fruit, occasionally small birds/mammals. They also rob nests.

About the feeding photo...I have very strong mixed feelings about feeding wildlife. I am absolutely against feeding wild mammals (safety for the animals and the people), but I have read credible research supporting backyard bird feeders with appropriate seeds. Obviously me feeding seeds to this whiskey jack by hand in a wild space where there is food readily available does not qualify as backyard bird feeding. In this photo, I am continuing to contribute to this bird's habituation to humans (it is at a very well-attended alpine lake). Will this action make the bird forget its evolved instincts? Will this action help the bird cache more food for the winter? I don't know the answers, but I (selfishly?) cherish the moments when I can bond with a wild thing.

West Coast Creature Feature- The Breathtaking Western Tanager

Male Western Tanager by Smallgirl

This flashy bird migrates between Mexico, Costa Rica, and the West Coast. This year, we were lucky enough to have this beauty visit our garden for a few days.

West Coast Creature Feature-The Beautiful Banana Slug

On May 24, I spent about 20 minutes watching urban elementary school students interact with this banana slug. It was amazing, because half an hour before meeting the slug, the students were afraid to leave the path for fear of getting "dirty"
by smallgirl

Yes, banana slugs are beautiful!! These fabulous friends of the forest can be found in West Coast rainforests, and are the largest slug species native to the area. A banana slug is a "decomposer," meaning that it helps break down organic materials on the forest floor. These amazing creatures have no legs, so rely on slime to propel themselves across the forest floor. They actually move quite fast and are very friendly! I love picking up banana slugs and introducing them to children, who are fascinated by their tentacles (used to sense light) and sliminess.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Weekly Bear #10- "Remembear" that a baby bear is a baby bear!

It's Spring and on the West Coast that means that baby black bears and grizzly bears are emerging with their parents. They are soooo fluffy, and soooo cute, and soooo totally still BEARS!

Grizzly bear cub by smallgirl
Black bear cub by smallgirl

Cute as they are, bears are wild animals and should not be fed, pet, touched, or interacted with in any way by people. Each year, many black bears are destroyed here on the West Coast because of negative interactions with humans. We can all live together safely if we follow a few basic precautions like: if you live in bear country, store your trash and pet food properly, clean up and pick fruit from fruit trees quickly, leash your pets when hiking, and travel in areas known to have bears in groups and with caution.

Check out this amazing video for more information about why bears are deserving of our respect:
http://vimeo.com/65780506

Long Time No Teddy Forest!

Happy Spring from Teddy Forest

Hello from Teddy Forest! Although there has been a lot of beauty, fun, and bears going on lately, there has also been some fear, sadness, and general turmoil, which has prevented me and the bears from sharing lately and has stalled the Weekly Bear ATC project. Hopefully things will get back on track soon! In the meantime, I leave you with some shots of spring so far.

Ensatina by smallgirl

Mallard and ducklings by smallgirl

West Coast Black Bear by smallgirl

Keep it joyful, and see you soon :)

West Coast Creature Feature-The Elegant Northern Pintail

Northern pintail by smallgirl

I've had the fantastic privledge of being able to observe a pair of these beautiful ducks at a pond within walking distance of my home. Alhough it is in an urban area, the entire coast is part of the Pacific Flyway, which migratory birds use to travel up and down the continent.

The Northern Pintail is a very worldly bird- although it often winters on the West Coast, its range extends across North America, northern Europe and Asian, and it nests in Central America and north central Africa.

Happy World Wetlands Day!

Here at Teddy Forest, the bears and I love wetlands...bogs, lakes, streams, you name it! Wetlands are some of the most biodiverse places on earth and are home to thousands of unique species. Support your local wetlands by putting litter in its place, adding organic food items to your meals, leaving the car at home, and leashing your dog.

frog, by smallgirl
(I think it might be an invasive European green frog, but beautiful nonetheless)

Snowy Owl overwintering on local flats by smallgirl

Great Blue Herons in summer by smallgirl

Raccoons by smallgirl

Love your wetlands today!!

West Coast Creature Feature- The Sweet Little Northern Saw-whet Owl

Snoopy, the northern saw-whet owl by smallgirl

The northern saw-whet owl is a wee little owl that lives in West Coast forests. This little fella was hit by a car and could not be released back to the wild by the wildlife rehabilitation group that found it, so he is now used to educate people about owls. Litter along roadsides attracts mice and rats, which in turn attracts owls, results in hundreds of owls being hit by car each year, so don't throw stuff out of your car windows folks!

Northern saw-whet owl ATC painted by smallgirl

West Coast Creature Feature- Beautiful Barrow's Goldeneye



Barrow's goldeneye by smallgirl-apologies for the blurriness-it was raining

Walking in the rain by the sea is more fun than it sounds. One of my favourite winter activities is birding along the seashore, mostly to observe these guys.

Barrow's goldeneye overwinter on the West Coast. It brings me such pleasure to go down to the sea and observe them, swimming and hunting in huge rafts. You can identify this threatened species from common goldeneye by looking at the patch on the male's cheek: if it is a crescent (as opposed to a coin) you are looking at Barrow's goldeneye.

A simple thing that people can do to protect Barrow's goldeneye overwintering on the coast is to not run their dogs down the beach, or into the water, as it takes a lot of precious energy for the birds to get up and fly away.

Happy birding!

West Coast Creature Feature-The Funny American Coot

American Coot, by smallgirl-really sad I couldn't get a better view of the funny feet

Here on the West Coast, the American Coot is a year-round resident, although I have noticed an increase in coots in fall and winter, probably as they migrate here from somewhere else. I think these birds are super funny for a couple of reasons. First, they have these enormous green feet that look more like dinosaur feet and don't really resemble typical water bird feet at all. Also, they make this really funny honking sound something between a sneeze and hoot. Finally, they have such ruby red eyes and black feathers, that they look a little mischevious. Anyways, I'm a huge fan of the cute coot, and I hope you will be too!

West Coast Creature Feature-The Ubiquitous but Adorable Raccoon

 

raccoon family, by smallgirl

I love raccoons. I know a lot of people dislike their wiley-sneaking-fruit-and-crop-stealing-garbage-rooting-asking-for-free-hand-outs-cat-eating-hissing-in-the-night ways, but every time I look into a raccoon's eyes, it melts my heart.

raccoons at the pond by smallgirl

Raccoons are highly intelligent, well-adapted forest and urban dwelling mammals. While typically nocturnal unless ill, where I live, healthy raccoons can also be observed in urban areas because they have learned to beg for food from humans. Feeding raccoons is a bad, bad idea folks! They are smart enough to get their own food, yet also smart enough to know that they don't have to when people are around. At the local forest (natural food like banana slugs, fish, clams, frogs, small mammals, berries, and mushrooms are abundant here), young children have been bitten and hissed at where I have observed people feeding raccoons unnatural foods such as chocolate, brussells sprouts, bread, and dog biscuits. Once, when I refused a raccoon food, it started tugging at my pant legs with its paws and tapping my shoes. Negative encounters lead to conflict and possibly deadly concequences for the raccoons.

 

young raccoon, by smallgirl

So, have a fun look-but-don't-feed-the-raccoons weekend!



West Coast Creature Feature- The Friendly White Crowned Sparrow

white crowned sparrow, photographed by smallgirl

The white crowned sparrow is present all over North America in winter, but lives year round on the West Coast. Researchers have documented that white crowned sparrows have a different song on the West Coast than in other parts of North America. These friendly birds are curious ground feeders; I have noticed in my experience that they are less likely to fly away when approached.

What are you up to today?
White crowned sparrow, photographed by smallgirl

Try to spot one of these cuties sometime. Happy birding!

West Coast Creature Feature-The Somewhat Intimidating Sandhill Crane

Sandhill crane family, photographed by smallgirl

This month's West Coast Creature feature is the Sandhill Crane, a bird that I find a bit intimidating. The first time I saw one, it scared me because I rounded the corner on a local nature trail and BAM there it was, with its huge beak and yellow eyes. I wasn't expecting to see one and I'm rather petite, and it came up to at least my chest level. In my area, the resident sandhill cranes are known to be aggressive sometimes, which is understandable if nature nerds like me pop out of nowhere and surprise them. Anyways, the sandhill crane is beautiful, majestic, and can be found in wetlands all over North America, if you are lucky to spot one.

Happy birding!

West Coast Creature Feature-The Beautiful Barn Swallow

barn swallows in nest, photographed by smallgirl

While not strictly a "west coast" animal, as they are found all over the world, the barn swallow is a beautiful sight here on the West Coast. Although common, its numbers have declined in Washington state and is "blue-listed" (special concern) in British Columbia. These wonderful birds help farmers and the wider population by controlling insects, so thank a barn swallow today!

Fly high and have a lovely day today!

West Coast Creature Feature- The Adorable Douglas Squirrel

Douglas Squirrell by smallgirl

These adorable little fellows inhabit west coast old growth forests from California to Alaska. They feast on the seeds in the cones of Douglas-fir, devour delicious mushrooms that thrive in the damp rainforest, and enjoy salmonberries in the spring and summer. Watching them frolicking in the forest is delightful and amusing.

West Coast Creature Feature-The Fabulous Ensatina

Ensatina by smallgirl

This is one of my most favourite animals, not only in beautiful Teddy Forest, but in the whole wide world! It is the incredible ensatina salamander, sometimes called a red salamander (Ensatina escholtzii). These wonderful creatures are special because they are "lungless" amphibians that breathe throught their skin. Unlike most amphibians, ensatinas spend their whole lives on land, enjoying the woody debris of moist, cool rainforests. If you go into the rainforest and hope to find one, gently move a log or piece of bark to see if there is an ensatina beneath. Since ensatinas love woody debris so much, it's best not to jump on or put your whole weight on logs, bark, and other woody debris on the forest floor.
Have a super-salamander day!

Happy World Migratory Bird Day!

We're so excited in Teddy Forest for World Migratory Bird Day! This is a UN initiative to raise awareness around the world about the importance of migratory birds and their habitats around the world. Since we live on the Pacific Flyway, we're so lucky to see so many species of birds here. So, get outside today!

Great Blue Heron, White crowned Sparrow, and Anna's Hummingbird by smallgirl

Visit: http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/

West Coast Creature Feature- The Spectacular Anna's Hummingbird

Here at Teddy Forest, the bears and I are very interested in local ecology, so we have decided to add a West Coast Creature Feature. At least once a month, we will feature a fantastical creature that lives in our wonderful rainforest!

We'll start with the spectacular Anna's Hummingbird.

Photo by smallgirl, April 30 2012

This 4-inch hummingbird lives on the Pacific Coast from California to British Columbia. It emits a high-pitch squeek and can often be seen chirping at the tops of twiggy trees, shining like a tiny green or red jewel. The female is green while the male is green with a red head. This particular Anna's hummingbird is well camouflaged in her tiny nest. I was so excited when I found her that I thought I might faint! This is the first nest I've ever seen, although Anna's hummingbirds are numerous in the rainforest. Do you ever see hummingbirds?