***Unfortunately found this guy dead same location three days after these photos were taken.
This muskrat was hanging around the same area for a few days. Saw it a few times munching away on cattails. Seemed healthy enough the day before found dead. It was unusually tame and very approachable, not seeming to be bothered by people coming close. Not sure what happened to it. Foul play or natural causes?
Smaller then the other ~300 Canada Geese in area. Stubbier bill and steeper forehead. Body striping seemed more emphasized.
Spotted today at 1:17 pm.
2024.02.20 9-10 am., request all bird spotters to assist with location and observations. Until Toronto Wildlife Centre arrives to assist. At Rouge National Urban Park, Rouge Beach. Trumpeter Swan wing tag N45 has a fishing hook in it and bleeding. What a day for the Great Backyard Bird Count.
2024.02.20
Rescued today by the fantastic Toronto Wildlife Center team. Fishing hook was right through its tongue, and could not be removed on site. Further due to the blood lost observed yesterday, it was taken into care for treatment. A good two days of birding and happy ending. Monitor and support the Toronto Wildlife Center, for the rest of the story.
And they need your help too help more animals.
2024 02 21 from broncolane
Hi Gary,
N45 is a male that hatched in 2020 and was tagged/banded in March 2023 at Rouge Beach Park, Pickering. As it was an adult at time of banding we do not know who it's parents were.
It has traveled around a number of locations between the Lake Ontario shoreline and Sturgeon Bay area near Midland/Port Severn.
Cheers, Gary
from TWC,
found a second fishhook in its foot. Both removed and doing fine. Maybe released tomorrow.
The North American Bird Banding Program - Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge - Bird Banding Laboratory
Dear gary james,
Thank you for reporting Band #: 1959-03445
Date 03/07/2023
Species Trumpeter Swan
Age HATCHED IN 2021 OR EARLIER
Sex MALE
Location NEAR PICKERING, ONTARIO, CANADA
2024 02 26. Sausage aka as N45 was released back at the Marsh with his friends, looking for his mate. Let me know if you see him paired up again.
The East Don Parkland Trail nest. 34 Hatchling are now safely in the East Don River. Well maybe not that safe in the river. Thank you Bayview Village residence for helping our team and protecting the two nests this season. Our turtle nest protector cage worked again for the fourth year.
First time seeing this plant. Growing in a meadow with probably NJ clay soil. It was fuzzy. As per Floraquest of the Northeast this plant's native range is central US, which I'm seeing a lot of observations in. So must be introduced here.
I think this species. The plant is really hairy. It was attracting a lot of pollinators.
Sorry about the missing location.
Just north off the Martin Goodman Trail