While eating lunch on the deck of Trapper’s cabin we had a visitor. The pine marten (marten Martes americana), a small predator, is a member of the weasel family, Mustelidae. It is similar in size to a small cat but has shorter legs, a more slender body, a bushy tail, and a pointed face. The fur varies from pale yellowish buff to dark blackish brown. During winter, the marten has a beautiful dark brown fur coat and a bright orange throat patch. The summer coat is lighter in colour and not nearly as thick. Males are the larger sex and weigh about 1 000 g, whereas females weigh about 650 g. The Mustelidae family also includes several other more familiar animals such as the ermine, skunk, and mink.
As this photo shows the rope is part of a pulley system used to cross the river to get to Trapper’s cabin. It is not a good idea to cross a river to confront a grizzly so we waited for about fifteen minutes while the bear worked its way along the shore. About 60 meters (200 feet) past the rope it swam across the river to our side so we got in the boat and crossed the river and took the fifteen minute walk to the cabin.
Yes this is a turkey vulture and it is a little out of place. They breed regularly on eastern and western Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the southwestern mainland coast. In September and early October, large numbers congregate on southern Vancouver Island; kettles of several hundred vultures can be seen at Sooke, Beechey Head and Rocky Point. It is possible that the entire coastal population stages there before flying southward across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This photo was taken on
August 25, 2015 so this bird should be heading to southern Vancouver Island about 400 kilometers (250 miles) distance. Instead it is sunning itself near the grizzly bear viewing platform we use on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River.
Please.
This is a great site to visit to get a “guest eye view” of a trip to our lodge.
Click on this link
http://www.masey.com.au/2010/08/dream-grizzly-trip-day-one/
Also: -if you search “You Tube” using the keyword SAILCONE you can view some videos from and about the lodge.
-and on Facebook at Grizzly Bear Lodge and Safari
To view a map of the lodge’s area and the location of each day’s itinerary”
Look to the left and scroll the sidebars to “Categories” and select “Wildlife Tour Itinerary” It is possible to navigate the map using the arrows in the upper left corner and to zoom using the + or – signs as well as changing to a satellite view in the upper right corner of the map.
It is possible to navigate the map using the arrows in the upper left corner and to zoom using the + or – signs as well as changing to a satellite view in the upper right corner of the map.
Our lodge is located in a remote area of Knight Inlet and is only accessible by float plane or boat. Many guests ask me how we get out supplies in. A lot of it is brought in by boat or plane, but larger items and fuel is delivered once a month by barge. The barge is able to pull right on to the beach and unload.
Nothing beats viewing the Grizzly Bears in their natural setting. This phot was taken on the “wild river” trip by Felix Rome. Guests on a four night trip get to spend a day in this remote setting searching for bears and taking in the scenery.
All bears in North America are excellent swimmers. Some people even consider Polar Bears a marine animal, due to the large distances that they swim. The mouth of Knight Inlet is dotted with many small islands and channels. When food becomes scarce, or competition with other bears arises these bears will simply swim to another island or the mainland. Thanks to Brien for the photo.
Black Bears are a common sight in our area. Unlike the Grizzly Bears they do not congregate in great numbers around the salmon rivers. They would if they could, but the Grizzlies are the more dominant bear and push the Black Bears out. Black Bears are smaller and have short, very sharp claws that allow them to climb trees with ease. Grizzly’s long, curved digging claws prevent them from climbing, except as young cubs.
Bald Eagles are frequently sighted in our area. At times they can be seen in large numbers. This is usually where food supplies are high. For example this could be in areas with high concentrations of baitfish or along the rivers in the fall when the salmon are spawning. They are not migratory, but do move around with the food supply. As mentioned earlier when the salmon are spawning we often see many along the rivers, while there will be fewer along the coastline. With little need for camouflage their white head and tail feathers can be spotted easily. The female is slightly larger and her white head extends down a bit farther onto the body, but it is subtle. It takes these birds 4.5 – 5 years to acquire this unique plumage. As juveniles they are a brown colour. With exceptional eyesight and the ability to view 270 degrees they are understandably often seen in high perches and in trees near points and passageways.
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