Welcome to April's issue of the Dereila Nature Inn newsletter.
The new growth on a Black Spruce, Picea mariana, tells us that spring is here. |
Greetings
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Hello everybody, and welcome to another issue of Whispers, the newsletter of the Dereila Nature Inn - your virtual nature centre. In this issue we have some new additions to the Inn to tell you about as well as some more terrific photographs that have been submitted. We've also got the usual trivia, tips and a joke about a crafty wolf. We'd like to thank you for subscribing. We really appreciate your support!  Please join us on Facebook where we welcome your comments and feedback. |
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Trivia Time
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From which duck are domesticated ducks descended?
You'll find the answer at the end of the newsletter. |
What's This? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you know what this cropped close-up photograph is?
We've got an easy one for you this month.
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| New Features at the Inn
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Here are the latest additions at the Inn. Just click on the images and you'll be taken straight to the page. Tree Trivia 1 - The Conifers
If you've ever wondered what the differences are between firs, spruces and pines, wonder
no more as the answers are on this page of notes, facts and trivia about conifers.
 The Colours of the House Finch
It appears that there's quite a variation in the colours of this wonderful little bird. 
Close-ups in Nature #16
Here's another selection of mystery pictures for you to try and identify.
Find the latest additions on the news/updates page. |
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Contributed by...
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Every month we are delighted with the photographs submitted to us for this section.
We hope you'll enjoy this month's amazing selection.
This lazy-looking Green Tree Frog comes to us from Marilyn Flanagan, Florida.  Louis Fiorino, Tecumseh, Ontario, submitted this super shot of a screeching Cooper's Hawk.
This really cute American Goldfinch
was sent in by Joyce Nolan, Lancaster, Ohio.
This hawk was contributed for us all to enjoy by Herman
Veenendall, St. Mary's, Ontario.
Sandra and Frank Horvath, Grimsby, Ontario,
spotted these pretty Trout Lilies.
Rosemary O'Connell, Ottawa,Ontario, had some Cedar Waxwings visit
her crab apple trees and snapped this great photograph.
Many thanks to everyone for your wonderful photographs!
We really appreciate you taking the time to send them in to us.
If you would like to see your nature images in our members' section,
simply send us an e-mail. We'd love to hear from you.
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| Monthly Selections
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Here are this month's choices:
Bug - Striped Meadowhawk Dragonfly; Wildflower - Northern Bedstraw; Bird - Bufflehead
Simply click on the images to visit the pages.
You can also check out the archives as they're just a click away:
Wildflower Archives | Bug Archives | Bird Archives
OUR MONTHLY PAGE
This month's highlighted page has a selection of photo tips that we hope you'll find interesting. Just click here and scroll half-way down the page.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee Photographer
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| The Wandering Image
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This month we take a walk in the spring sunshine.  This ladybird seems to have found something delicious on a young Queen Anne's Lace flower head. |
| Caption This!
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What do you think this American Dipper is saying?
We welcome your caption ideas and have supplied two to get you thinking.
Number one: "Hello! Anyone down there?"
Number two: "Yoo hoo, little fishes."
If this month's photo inspires you, please send us an e-mail. We'd love to hear from you and add your caption to our collection. You can visit the rest of the collections at the Inn: The Mammals| The Birds | The Insects |
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Snippets in Nature
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One of our favourite destinations is Utah's astounding Bryce Canyon National Park. This is a place of dazzling colours and overwhelming vistas of sculptured landforms. Wind and water have worked over time to erode and sculpt the land. To take a virtual tour of Bryce Canyon National Park, click here. If you think you have a suitable nature photograph for this section please send us an e-mail along with a brief explanation. We look forward to your submissions. |
Behind the Name
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Bunchberry or Dwarf Dogwood as it is sometimes called, has the scientific name Cornus canadensis. The wood of some plants in this genus is very hard and this is reflected in the genus name, Cornus, which is Latin for "antler" or "horn." The species name, canadensis, is a Latin reference to Canada, acknowledging the fact that this plant is found in a large variety of environments across Canada. |
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Joke of the Month ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One afternoon, a wealthy wolf was riding in his limousine when he saw two pathetic-looking coyotes by the side of the road eating grass. He stopped and got out to investigate.
"Why are you eating grass and not meat?" he asked.
"We don't have any money for meat," they replied.
"Then you must come with me to my house," insisted the wolf.
"But, sir, I have a wife and three cubs here," said one of the coyotes.
"Bring them along!" replied the wolf.
The second coyote explained, "I have a wife and six cubs!"
"Bring them along, too!" the wolf proclaimed.
And so they all climbed into the luxurious car.
"Sir, you are too kind," said the first coyote. "Thank you for taking all of us with you.
The wolf replied, "No trouble at all. You'll love the place! The grass is almost a foot tall."
"That will save me having to get the lawn mower out." |
| Notes, News and Tips from Around the Inn
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Facebook
 We invite you to post comments on our Facebook page. To visit, just click on the logo or here.
A Little Reminder
With nesting time approaching, it's time to help our friends a little. Gather any nesting materials you can find, like hair or laundry lint, and stuff them all into a suet cake cage or something similar. You can see how this cage was made by clicking here.
Tips from the Inn
Throw away your technology for a while and try keeping
track of your bird visitors using these simple things:
a lined writing pad; a ruler; a knife and a pencil.
Place some cardboard in between the last page of the writing pad
and the cardboard backing. This is so you don't cut all the way through
the writing pad. Cut through all the pages about 1.5 inches from the edge.
You need enough space to write the names of birds.
When you have cut through all the pages, glue one of the strips
back onto the cardboard backing. And that's just about it!
 Now set up your handy bird tracker. Write the month across the top. Divide the page up into columns and label each column for each date.
Down the left side, list the birds you see, checking them off as you spot them.
You can then add up each day's column for a daily tally.
A Big Thank-you We were very pleased with the responses we received for the missing mammal images we needed for our official state/provincial mammals page. Marilyn Flanagan sent us the Florida Panther and Margaret Straley provided us with the Gray Fox. Thank you, ladies!
We are still looking for a Right Whale (Massachusetts and Georgia) as well as an Eastern Timber Wolf (Minnesota). If you can help us out, please send us a note.
Picture of the Week 
Be sure to drop by the Inn every week to see the latest Picture of the Week. You can also do so by clicking on the image to the left or by clicking here.
Past Issues
We upload past issues of Whispers as new ones are issued. You can view them all with a simple click here.
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Celebrating Nature
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Canada will be celebrating National Wildlife Week this month
from April 8-14. Click here for more information.
Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22.
This is a special time at the Dereila Nature Inn because for the last
few years we have asked for nature photographs to be sent in for
our annual photographic extravaganza and we're doing it again for
Earth Day 2013. For more information and to see links to previous
celebrations, please click here.
For details and links about Earth Day itself, click here.
Arbor Day is celebrated in the United States on April 26 this year.
This is a great time to appreciate the trees around us and perhaps
even plant one! Click here for more details.
And coming up in May, mark your calendars for
International Migratory Bird Day on May 11.
May 22 is the International Day of Biodiversity.
More about May's events next month. |
Did You Know...
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Did you know that female Harbour Seals live in the wild for some
30-35 years, which is some 10 years more than the males? |
| State and Provincial Symbols
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Florida has chosen the Zebra Longwing Butterfly, Heliconius charithonia,
as its official state insect. Not all states have chosen official insects,
and only one Canadian province has done so. You can see our collection here. |
| Trivia Answer
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Most domestic ducks are descended from the familiar Mallard (above) except for Muscovy Ducks (below). |
| What's This?
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Our mystery image is a Dusky Grouse, Dendragapus obscurus. |
| Nature Notes
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Spread the Word ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We hope you've enjoyed our newsletter for this month and that you'll forward it on to your nature-loving friends. Until next month may you enjoy many wonderful encounters of nature.
Watch for the next issue of Whispers in your inbox during the first week of May. See you then! |
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