Maybe we will go to Maberly

Maberly was first named “Maberley” in 1865 by the Canadian Post Office Department Secretary, William Dawson LeSueur, in honour of his counterpart in the British Post Office, Lt-Col William Leader Maberly. “Maberley” became  “Maberly” in 1976 to make it consistent with the spelling used by our former Canadian Pacific Railway. 

Maberly straddles the Trans-Canada Highway, some 25km from Perth, about an hour’s drive from Ottawa, and twenty five minutes from Newboro! Highway 7 slices thorough this area of granite outcrops, creeks, streams, lakes, swamps, and forests. That is why we thought we would go to Maberly.  Alanagh, Molly, and I, thought we might find a variety of water conditions, life, and lighting, on this brilliant December 30th 2014, on our way to Maberly.

We headed out later than normal, and I think we paid the price, seeing scant birdlife, however, a small muskrat that looked to me to be "August vintage" entertained us.

Muskrat mating occurs immediately following spring break-up in March, April, or May. Muskrat pairs do not form lasting relationships; instead they appear to have many mates. The birth of five to 10 young occurs less than a month after the pair has mated. The same female normally has another litter a month after the first, and sometimes yet another a month after the second. 

Breeding continues throughout the summer, with the last litters born about August. There is lots of food during the summer and the young grow rapidly (like mice). They are basically large field mice with large hind feet that act as paddles as they  swim. 

Today our little one was foraging along  “Creek 32”. We watched it partially submerged under ice, fully submerged under water than rise again on the other side of the bridge swimming hard against the current.  Today’s food-hunt was much easier than sometimes under a metre of ice and snow, in almost total darkness, as they are known to do in severe winter conditions. 

One of the neat things, I think, about muskrats is their teeth.  Their teeth grow ahead of their cheeks and lips and this allows them to chew on stems and roots underwater with their mouth closed! How cool is that?

Large beaver lodge in frozen pond

Midmorning long shadows across the creek

Open water sounded like music

Waiting for the skates: Westport