Date: Sunday, Nov 3, 2024

Place: this was near and under the bridge where Victoria Road in Guelph crosses the Eramosa River. You can get there by walking along the path beside the river from the Boat House, or park on the other side of the bridge which is a popular dog path. See below

Time: 10:30am

Context: I was walking with my son and daughter along the river edge because my daughter wanted to show me all the recent beaver sign. The water level was lower than I have ever seen it, and there were many mudflats along the edges that at times extend out into the river. At one point we passed an island and we could see holes in the river bank that I am guessing would normally be below the water level. I think based on the size and location they were probably made by muskrat.

Muskrat tracks:

Near the bridge (Victoria Road) I found the tracks shown below.

I believe that I am seeing the smaller front tracks (4 toes) behind the larger hind tracks (5 toes) and so (at least for the tracks in the middle of the photo) the muskrat is doing an overstep walk. The tail drag is very visible.

Rock Pigeon/Dove:

Under the bridge there were many feathers like the one shown below.

The feather is very flat, so I think it is a tail feather. I think it is from the left hand side of the tail because the more narrow side would be on the outside edge, helping with aerodynamics. I know that these pigeons often live under bridges in Guelph, which also supports my identification.

Comments: This is a very short post because I’m looking after my son who is sick today. So I don’t have time to look up the details in tracking books. However, I was able to identify both observations because of recent tracking trips. We saw very similar muskrat tracks on the mudflats at Sauble Beach. And we found almost identical looking pigeon feathers under the cliffs in Beaver Valley. I like how my ‘dirt time’ begins to bear fruit.