Location: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba (49.8702° N, 97.2301° W)
Day: 27-04-23
Time: 1730 – 1830
Weather: Spring, Overcast, Day after Rain
Assiniboine Park spans roughly 300 acres, located in central-west Winnipeg. It consists mostly of flat open grassland but contains patches of sparse woods. It borders the Assiniboine River to its north and the Assiniboine Zoo to its west. It contains a few streets and parking lots and is a popular attraction so human interference may be high.
My first day of observations took place at the north end of the park, near the river. I believe most of my observations will take place here, as the river seems to be a great place to see wildlife and rapid growing plants. I observed many species of animal, including an eastern grey squirrel, a few American red squirrels, a chipping sparrow, a downy woodpecker, as well as many ducks, gulls, crows, chickadees, and geese. I also located deer tracks, including footprints and scat, but did not see any on the site. There were plenty of oak, elm, and pine trees around, but I took particular interest in a Red Osier Dogwood and a fallen elm tree with a white shelf fungi and moss growing on it.
Questions:
- What methods do squirrels use to communicate? Do they have a social hierarchy?
- Do any animals search for fungi as a meal? Does the fungi gain anything from this, such as dispersal?
- How do different species move around within the space? Do they have a territory or are they always moving? Particularly looking at squirrels and deer.
Image 1-3: Field Journal
Image 4-5: Shelf Fungi and Moss growing on fallen Elm tree
Figure 6-8: Deer Scat and Tracks
Figure 9-10: Red Osier Dogwood