We were very fortunate to share a walk today with one of Bayshore Public School's full day kindergarten classes. There was an issue with their bus, which turned out to be a lucky break because it allowed the temperature to warm up before their arrival. This meant that the turtles would be out basking on their chosen logs.
As we were walking along the bike path at the edge of Mud Lake, we saw the colourful flash of northern flickers as they playfully chased each other from tree to tree. The combination of yellow, white, and red made them easy to identify when we returned to class to check out our field guides and the All About Birds website.
We tried to feed the chickadees, but the size of the group (over 50 people) kept them at a safe distance. As we walked along the trail, we discovered a dead snapping turtle floating in the water. Sadly, our colder than usual winter was too much for some of the snapping turtles that didn't choose a safe hibernation site and weren't able to get adequate oxygen to survive. One Canada goose emerged from Mud Lake and decided to join our group, but was persuaded to head back to the water with a little coaxing.
The Bayshore students were great partners for our grade 4s and 5s and we thank them for coming to learn more about the amazing area surrounding Mud Lake. Thanks also to Mrs. Kontogiannis for taking the pictures for the slideshow below.
As we were walking along the bike path at the edge of Mud Lake, we saw the colourful flash of northern flickers as they playfully chased each other from tree to tree. The combination of yellow, white, and red made them easy to identify when we returned to class to check out our field guides and the All About Birds website.
We tried to feed the chickadees, but the size of the group (over 50 people) kept them at a safe distance. As we walked along the trail, we discovered a dead snapping turtle floating in the water. Sadly, our colder than usual winter was too much for some of the snapping turtles that didn't choose a safe hibernation site and weren't able to get adequate oxygen to survive. One Canada goose emerged from Mud Lake and decided to join our group, but was persuaded to head back to the water with a little coaxing.
The Bayshore students were great partners for our grade 4s and 5s and we thank them for coming to learn more about the amazing area surrounding Mud Lake. Thanks also to Mrs. Kontogiannis for taking the pictures for the slideshow below.