FOLLOW THE TRACK ...

The tracking activity held on 9 February was a great success. Thanks to the expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm of Carolyn Cahill, a member of the Friends of Gatineau Park, we learned more about animals that are active in winter by identifying and following their tracks in different areas of Deschênes Park. Here is a testimonial from Hélène, one of the participants:

"I have always been intrigued by the tracks left in the snow by wild animals in the forest. I thought I could easily recognise dog tracks. Can they be confused with those of a fox? Well, no, because foxes leave a fairly linear, i.e. straight, trail. Dogs, on the other hand, sniff around everywhere, leaving tracks in all directions. They don't have a specific goal when they go for a walk in the forest, other than to find something to eat for the day!

I was surprised to see that the wood mouse can leave very different tracks behind. This animal left three rather different tracks in the snow. You have to trace its tiny tail in the snow to identify it more easily. What's more, it is an architect of small tunnels. Its trail starts at a spot where, on closer inspection, you can see a small hole, then continues until it stops abruptly at another small, well-hidden hole. Red squirrels are also tunnel builders, but their tunnels are larger and more visible.

A grey squirrel trail suddenly stopped in front of a tree, leading to the following conclusion: the skilled climber had an urgent need to climb. Perhaps to build an imposing, easily recognisable nest, since it is made of tree leaves. This type of nest is easily visible in the trees in our neighbourhoods in winter.

All of our observations of animal behaviour in winter have enriched our knowledge by allowing us to take a fresh look at wildlife activities in winter. And it's not just animals that enjoy the park. On the edge of Lamoureux Marsh, we spotted numerous cross-country ski and snowshoe tracks. 

(Trans. : BA)