Harbour Seal - I am also known as the common seal and I can be seen along the Pacific Northwest coastlines or out in the ocean, but I don't usually travel more than 20 km from the shore. I have a fairly large head with a short body and small flippers and my skin varies in colour from black, brown, gray or tan with darker patches. We snort, sneeze bark or hiss if you come too close to us as we may feel threatened. If I am a female (cow), I give birth to a single pup who is able to crawl and swim within a few hours of birth. If I am a male (bull) I roar underwater to attract mates and we mate underwater as well. If you see one of our seal pups alone on a rocky shoreline, the mother is most likely foraging in the ocean. Please watch the pup for a 24 hour period and if the mother has not returned, or the pup seems injured or sick, you can call the Island Wildlife Ctr. on S.S.I. at 250 537-0777. You can also check out Facebook.com/sealrescue or www.sealrescue.org. We thank you in advance for caring about us.
Barred Owlet -Photo taken in 2011 at Montague Harbour Provincial Park.
I am mottled brown and white overall, with my underparts mostly marked with vertical brown bars on a white background. My wings and tail are barred brown and white. I roost quietly in forest trees, often near water,and nest in tree cavities. At night, I hunt small animals, especially rodents, and give an instantly recognizable “Who cooks for you?” call. At night, you may spot me perched on a tree branch near your campsite checking out the dead logs nearby for insects. I sometimes fly over to the lagoon and open grassy areas looking for grasshoppers, crayfish, crickets and even snakes. I could fly right past you and you would not be able to hear me, because my flight feathers are lined with tiny hairfringes that muffle my sound. I have a fairly large wingspan of 4 ft. so that I don’t use very much energy and I can fly very slowly for a long period of time, searching for prey on the ground.
Racoon - We are opportunistic and intelligent critters and are able to consume a highly varied diet that includes fruits, vegetables, insects, small rodents, fish and your garbage if left out. It would be best NOT TO FEED US or leave any food out as we will become too comfortable around your campsite and become a nuisance. We might even grab your backpack and drag it into the bushes and try to open it up as we are very curious. If we get used to eating human food (left out) and get into garbage containers (we can’t get into the new garbage facilities in the Park), we may get over-populated which will create a higher risk of disease for us and aggressive behaviour towards each other as we compete for food.
We usually den in tree cavaties and under logs and are nocturnal but we can also be seen at any time of day.
The purple sea star, ochre sea star or ochre starfish, is a common starfish found among the waters of the Pacific Ocean. This sea star can be found in great numbers on mussel beds and on wave-washed rocky shores. The juvenilles are often found in crevices and under rocks. Its depth range is from above the low-tide zone to 90 m in depth, is very durable and can tolerate a loss of 30% of its body weight in body fluids. Many sea stars live from four to six years and can live as long as twenty years. While most sea stars are purple, they can be orange, orange-ochre, yellow, reddish or brown. The tube feet have suckers on their distal ends, which allow them to attach to the rocky shorelines and live in heavily wave-swept areas.
The Red Squirrel - I have a deep reddish fur with a white underside and I am much smaller than a grey squirrel. I can live in a variety of forests, but I mostly like pine trees. I can live in areas with seasons as well as places that are cold all year round. Right now, I am living in Montague Park and I like to visit the Park Compound where I can find bird seeds. You will hear me chattering throughout the day as I travel from one branch to another searching for pine seeds and cones, insects, nuts, fruits and mushrooms and I sometimes eat mice. My curved front claws and powerful hind legs make me a very good climber and jumper! I build my nest in a treehole made of leaves, grass, moss, feathers and shredded bark and my nest is not far from my stored food. If I am a male, we sometimes chase each other around, especially in the Spring when we are mating and we can be aggressive to other males if we are wanting to take over their territory. If I am a female, I raise my young for 70 days without any help from a male and when my young ones are independent, I may give them part of my territory to live in.
Pileated Woodpecker - I am one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. I am nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look and listen as you may see and hear me whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of carpenter ants, which is my favourite food. I leave very unique rectangular holes in the wood when I am finished. These holes that I make offer shelter and nesting sites to a variety of wildlife such as swifts, owls and bats.
Barred Owl -
I am mottled brown and white overall, with my underparts mostly marked with vertical brown bars on a white background. My wings and tail are barred brown and white. I roost quietly in forest trees, often near water,and nest in tree cavities. At night, I hunt small animals, especially rodents, and give an instantly recognizable “Who cooks for you?” call. At night, you may spot me perched on a tree branch near your campsite checking out the dead logs nearby for insects. I sometimes fly over to the lagoon and open grassy areas looking for grasshoppers, crayfish, crickets and even snakes. I could fly right past you and you would not be able to hear me, because my flight feathers are lined with tiny hairfringes that muffle my sound. I have a fairly large wingspan of 4 ft. so that I don’t use very much energy and I can fly very slowly for a long period of time, searching for prey on the ground.
The Great Blue Heron - You will find me at Montague Harbour in the lagoon or up in a coniferous tree in my bulky stick nest. I like to feed in shallow water and spear fish or frogs with my long sharp bill. I am about four feet tall and have a seven foot wingspan. I am usually alone as I like my own company.