r/Airdrie • u/neurotic_chaotic • 2h ago
The Canal Biodiversity; what Keeping it Clean does to Help!
galleryMOST OF THE ANIMALS I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST TWO YEARS AROUND THESE CANALS SPECIFICALLY, ARE AS FOLLOWS:
BIRDS:
-Great Blue Herons (at least 3 spotted in 2025, none in 2026 that I've seen)
-Common Mallards (both years, ducklings in 2025 not 2026 that I've seen)
-Canada Geese (both years, no goslings either year)
-Harlequin Ducks (both years in mid spring, no ducklings)
-Red-Winged Black Birds (both years, nests in cattail areas)
-Common Grackles (both years)
-Ravens (all year round, are nesting on a 5G tower nearby)
-Crows (all year round)
-Magpies (all year round)
-Robins (mid spring)
-House Sparrows (invasive, all year round)
-Chickadees (all year round, not as common)
-Northern Flicker (once in early spring 2026)
-Owls (potentially snowies; two, very briefly, middle of winter, snowing slightly at like 3am, they were on-top of a light post and screaming)
- Arctic Turn (as fuzzily pictured above, we got at least 1 Arctic Turn who's way off course, hunting for fish in the canals. Potentially a pair with a nest nearby)
MAMMALS:
-Minks (at least two, seen both years, briefly in spring, found one deceased unfortunately)
-Beavers (both years, had dams in the canals here)
-Nutria (Either seen one a few times or multiple individuals)
-Skunk (once in early fall of 2025)
-Mice (don't know what kinds)
-Foxes (2026, have heard two, one female, one male. Saw the male near the train tracks late last night a few nights ago, a very loud and horny man lol)
-Coyotes (only heard in mid spring 2025)
AMPHIBIANS:
-Wood Frogs
INSECTS:
-Native Bumblebees
-Carpenter Bees
-Yellowjackets
-Bottle Flies
-Horse Flies
-Invasive European Honeybees
-Damselflies (in at least 3 different colour varieties)
-Dragonflies (in at least 4 different colours varieties. Red with black underbelly pictured above)
-Mosquitos (annoying but important)
-Wasps
-Ant-Mimicking Wasp
-Ichneumon Wasp
-Rock centipedes
-Ants (got a bunch of types, big mounds on either side, you can witness the crows engaging in a behavior called "anting" where they will roll around on the mounds and the ants will come up and eat the feather lice on their bodies! All feathers found have evidence of feather lice)
-Moths (mostly Native Ermine Moths, but also naturalized moths like above and a bunch of others I can't identify)
-Butterflies (many butterflies, most common are invasive Cabbage Whites but have seen plenty of native ones as well)
-Weevils (not 100% sure but likely canola-cabbage seedpod weevils or beanpod weevils)
-Ladybugs
ARACHNIDS:
-Cat-faced Orbweavers
-Fishing Spiders
-Grass Spiders
-Jumping Spiders (predominantly Zebra Jumpers but have seen at least 1 other type of jumping spider)
FISH:
-Mosquito Fish
-(A few others I cannot identify)
OTHER INVERTS:
-Isopods
-Leech
-Snails
-Slugs
-Earthworms
When it comes to flora and fungi, I don't know as much so feel free to add those in the comments and any other lil critter you've seen in our canal systems here!
Anyway, we got a garbage problem in and around our canal systems, so let this be a call to action in using your free time to help your community be cleaner and help protect this blossoming ecosystem that's in our literal backyards! If you got a canoe or kayak, I implore you to get into the water and clean up the garbage that's caught in the reeds and grasses. And that every time you walk by, you clean up just ONE piece of trash and throw it away in one of the trashcans nearby or pocket it and throw it out somewhere else that's appropriate!
By doing something little like that, we can increase the biodiversity of our ecosystems. Humans were put on this planet to aid it and its' animals, let's all do our tiny part! Go for a nature walk and see what I see. Teach your children that even the smallest life is invaluable and without them, it can cause disastrous ecological collapse and that taking care of these places and it's animals brings fulfillment, knowledge and empathy!
Thank you in advance! (And thank you for reading!)
