Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbirds are among the most abundant birds in North America. One estimate puts the global breeding population at 180 million. Most of us are more familiar with the male, which is all black with a red shoulder patch bordered by yellow. Males spend much of the day singing, defending their territory from other males and, regardless of size, chasing away predators—even pursuing them in flight.

Females, like the one pictured here, can be found lower in the vegetation, searching for food and weaving intricate nests. Red-winged Blackbirds inhabit marshes, watercourses, wet roadsides, drier meadows, old fields, and even water hazards on golf courses.

They are a highly polygynous species. In some cases, a single male may have up to 15 female mates. In certain populations, up to 90 percent of territorial males have more than one female nesting within their territories. However, studies have found that 25 to 50 percent of the nestlings are fathered by males other than the territorial one.

Mountain Bluebird

Birds with red and yellow feathers get their colours from pigments called carotenoids, which they pick up from their food. But no bird actually makes the colour blue using pigments. Instead, blue feathers look that way because of how light bounces off the structure of the feathers and the way the protein keratin is arranged in them. These keratin structures reflect light in just the right way to make our eyes see blue. Basically, they absorb all the other colours of light except blue—like in Mountain Bluebirds.

Coyote

Yesterday morning, with the camera in hand, I went for a walk to take pictures of birds. I soon ran into two friends who were gathering information to rebuild a dock at one of the small lakes I was passing by. We talked for a few minutes, and one thing led to another. Before I knew it, I was showing pictures of a grizzly bear on my phone that I had come across a few days back. It didn’t take long for the question to come up: “Did you take that picture with your phone?”

These days, most pictures are taken with a phone. A study in 2023 concluded that 92.5% of images are taken with phones, while the rest are captured by other means, such as compact cameras or high-end cameras. So, it’s not unusual for me to be asked the above question, even by my friends who don’t realize how much photography is a part of my life.

I quickly responded that the picture was not taken with my phone, but with a camera and lens that provided much greater magnification to keep both me and the wildlife at a safe distance. Not only does the equipment I use have higher magnification, but the camera also produces much larger, high-resolution images. I can crop the image in half and still maintain high quality.

There are many reasons why I need more than just a phone to take the pictures I want. One big and very important reason is safety when photographing wildlife. For most animals, it’s not just about my safety; it’s about reducing or eliminating any stress caused by me being too close to them. And for large predators or prey animals, it’s about preventing them from feeling threatened and needing to defend themselves.

But it’s not just about having the right equipment. It’s also important to have common sense when dealing with wildlife. For example, there’s a coyote and its mates that I seem to come across regularly when taking pictures or birdwatching. Most of the time, they seem to know I’m in their territory before I see them. Knowing where they’re headed, I usually give them space to continue in the direction they intended. Sometimes, I move on to give them their space.

In this particular instance, I was looking for birds when I noticed something moving in the tall, dry grass. It came out into the open, about 60 meters from me. It glanced toward me, then left the area as I stood in my spot.

Prairie Crocus

Prairie crocus is one of the first wildflowers to emerge in spring—sometimes as early as March here in the mountains. It grows in northern latitudes across much of the world. The prairie population has greatly declined due to native prairie sod being ploughed or cultivated.

The hairs on the prairie crocus help deter livestock from grazing on it. As if that weren’t enough, the plant also has poisonous properties. The poison comes in the form of an alkaloid, which is an irritant that can cause inflammation and blistering. Deer, elk, and ground squirrels tend to avoid the plant, although they may eat it in early spring before the alkaloid levels build up.

The flower emerges from a single hairy stem and is typically three to six centimetres across, with blue-violet sepals that open during the day and close at night. The sepals form a saucer shape, reflecting sunlight toward the centre and raising the internal temperature by as much as 10°C above the surrounding air. The stamens and pistils serve as both a food source and a warm shelter for pollinators.

In the attached image, I captured the flower before the sepals opened. At least with this particular flower, I find myself preferring the minimalist look of the closed sepals.

Common Merganser

A friend and I were exchanging emails, discussing what makes a good image. These days, with technology, anyone can look at images from around the world 24/7. But are the ones with the most likes really the best images? It’s not always that simple.

Take an extreme example: imagine a picture taken with the same equipment, of the same subject, at the same time—one by a private individual and the other by a well-known celebrity. The celebrity's photo will likely receive millions more likes, even if the two images look identical.

Over four years ago, when I used to be on social media, I would often stare at images I found interesting—like how one might look at paintings in a museum or a book. I would try to figure out what made them so compelling. I’d study the subject, the background, the shadows, the light, and the colours.

Today, I’m inspired by nature—and by two amazing artists from the past: the photography of Ansel Adams and the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe. Ansel Adams inspires me with his use of light and shadow and how he placed his subjects within their surroundings. As for Georgia O’Keeffe, when she escaped to the desert, her use of bold colours and her larger-than-life flower paintings captured my attention and never let go. I regularly look through books featuring both of their works.

There are many great artists from the past and present. But just like with chocolate brands—once you find one you love, you can either enjoy it or keep looking for something better.

Since I get to decide what I photograph and what I keep, I’m always pushing myself to create better images. That means more than just keeping the subject in focus. I take far fewer images than I used to, and I delete a higher percentage than before. If you love the subject you're photographing, then you owe it the time and effort to make sure it stands out in the images you choose to keep. That image will then give back far more than one that was simply taken and saved without much thought.

American Robin

American Robin — or, as it’s often called by birders, “It’s just a robin.”
This phrase usually comes up when birders are trying to identify a bird and feel a bit disappointed to realize it’s a robin — simply because it’s so common across much of the country, including in Banff National Park, where it's found in large numbers.

I’ve caught myself using that  phrase a couple of times, and each time, I end up feeling a little guilty. American Robins are just as important as any other species, and I always look forward to getting a few good photos of them each year.

In Banff, sightings of robins are an early indicator of the arrival of spring. This year, I spotted my first one in early March.

Robins are capable of producing up to three successful broods per year. However, on average, only about 40% of nests successfully produce young, and just 25% of fledged juveniles survive until November. Although some robins can live up to 14 years, only about half of the robin population in any given year will survive to the next.

Life is tough for birds, even for the common birds we see often.

Cascade Mtn

Sometimes, hours before sunset, you just know the day is going to end with a bright display—a great sunset. The clouds were spread across the sky and sat high enough for the sunlight, at the end of the day to light them up with warm colours. The weather forecast called for the temperature and wind to stay fairly constant.

After deciding where I wanted to take pictures from, it becomes a waiting game. With hours to go, I went about my day-to-day routine until the show was about to begin. It started slowly, but it didn’t take long for the sky to light up in all directions. The show lasted for over 20 minutes—well worth the wait.

Elk

It wasn’t a cold winter like in the old days. Yes, we had a cold snap in February and snowstorms in March, but overall, the average temperature was above normal, and total snowfall was below average for a typical winter.

Still, it was a challenge for this elk—and others in the mountains—to survive the season. They wait for the time when they can finally start feeding on green vegetation in spring. With the warmer temperatures already arriving, new leaves are just beginning to take their first steps coming out, and green blades of grass are starting to appear in some parts of the valley.

But it wasn’t just the elk—and other members of the deer family—that had to endure another winter. They also had to face predators, including a wolf pack of over ten members. That pack had a significant impact, bringing the elk population down over the winter and continuing to do so.

This bull, like the rest, still has to wait until nutrients are once again available in abundance for another season.

Massive Range

I never had the urge to travel to far-off places. I find it very enjoyable and comfortable to explore and take pictures in my part of the Canadian Rockies, year in and year out. I would say I enjoy the place even more today, as I have a better understanding of how everything connects and works with nature. Adding to that, when I revisit these places, many great moments come back to me — from sunrises and sunsets to wildlife encounters. So, when I look at this image, what goes through my head is not just the evening when the sunset took place, but all the other moments I experienced in that area.

Great Gray Owl

Like the Northern Hawk Owl, the Great Gray Owl likes to perch and wait when it comes to hunting strategy. It perches at the edge of a woodland clearing until it hears its prey. They are able to pinpoint their prey from 100 meters away and beneath snow up to 45 cm deep. Like the Barn Owl and the Long-eared Owl, they have asymmetrical ear openings. The left ear opening is higher on the head than the right ear opening. This helps provide precise directional hearing, aiding in their success at capturing prey.

Mount Outram

 It was my second attempt this winter to capture a sunrise picture with Mt. Wilson dominating the image. The mountain is located north of Saskatchewan Crossing, east of Highway 93 North, with the ice on the Saskatchewan River in the foreground. Windy mornings are quite common there, I find, and this morning was no exception. I was ready for that and actually enjoyed the wind as it blew loose snow over the ice in front of me. But the first morning light never reached the mountain or the clouds above Mt. Wilson. However, when I looked west toward Mt. Outram, about 15 km away, there was a beautiful warm pinkish glow. The sun’s light had made a long journey through the atmosphere, where shorter wavelengths, like that of blue, get scattered, while colours with longer wavelengths, like red and pink, are allowed to reach my eyes. And Mt. Outram, with Mt. Forbes just to the back right, provided the winter landscape. Another winter morning was enjoyed.

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwings tend to breed in open evergreen and mixed forests near lakes, ponds, or streams in northern North America and Eurasia. During the non-breeding season, they roam through open woodlands, urban areas, roadsides, and parks in search of any fruits they can find. During the breeding season, they eat insects and some fruits, but it's all fruits during the non-breeding season. They pick fruits from trees and shrubs, swallowing them whole. They eat just about any fruits they come across and consume dried fruits during the winter. Since these dried fruits have a high level of sugar, they regularly need to drink water or consume snow when it's not available, all to help with the digestion of the dried fruits. Here, they are consuming juniper berries.

Northern River Otter

For a number of decades, northern river otters were not spotted in the Bow Valley around the town of Banff. I saw my first otter several years ago. Since then, there have been more and more sightings. Last month in this same area, within 24 hours, I saw five otters and evidence of two more. It is very likely that there are far more than seven. This could be in large part due to the increase in the beaver population in the same area over the last several years, providing more wetland habitat.

It has been noted that if beavers are trapped out of an area, otter numbers tend to drop. Otters are found near waterways, swamps, marshes, bogs, lake shores, and marine coasts across much of North America. Their top swimming speed is 11 km/h, whereas on land, they can run at speeds between 24-29 km/h, either running or running and sliding.

They can use a variety of temporary dens within their home range, created by other species, often beavers, muskrats, foxes, and other mammals. Alternatively, they use natural sites that are adapted by otters, such as rock crevices, caves, logjams, undercut riverbanks, cavities in tree roots, and fallen wood debris. It is rare for otters to create their own burrows. Their preferred den sites typically have a submerged entrance, such as bank burrows or abandoned beaver lodges. Birthing dens tend to be a safe distance from the water to avoid the danger of flooding. During winter, snow cavities can also be used as den sites.

Townsend's Solitaire

 I think if any bird were to swear, it would definitely be the Townsend’s Solitaire. In winter, when they move to lower elevations to feed on juniper berries, they do not like to share—no matter if it’s a small patch or a much larger area covered in juniper. And it doesn't seem to matter if the other birds are members of its own species. In the mountains, if you want to locate this thrush, go to an area with juniper berries, or if you come across Bohemian Waxwings away from urban areas, there’s a good chance there are juniper berries nearby—and one very ticked-off Townsend’s Solitaire. It will be calling out, making aggressive gestures with its wings and tail feathers, and going after individual waxwings as they try to eat the berries. Just last week, I could see and hear several hundred waxwings, but I could also hear one very agitated solitaire.

In the picture with the solitaire, its territory includes two patches of juniper berries. One is above the road, out in the open, which it has to defend from the waxwings. But this evening, toward the end of the day, it was feeding on berries hidden by the woods. When it needed a break, it would perch on one of three spruce trees while light snow fell. With an overcast sky and lack of light, I was able to get this picture with a blue-grey cast. 

Moose

Relatively speaking, moose are a new species to North America, from a geological timescale perspective. They crossed from Asia to Alaska via the Bering land bridge about 15,000 years ago. Researchers, through carbon dating and collecting DNA from both ancient moose fossils and modern moose from around the world, have helped pinpoint where the species originated and how it spread. The modern moose shares a common ancestor thought to have existed in East Asia around 85,000 years ago. As the climate started to warm, moose began moving north, following the vegetation they fed on and continue to feed on today.

Bow Lake

It was great to be back up at 93 North—always a fantastic place to explore and find photography opportunities. It was also wonderful to see more snow than around home. While the snowpack is nowhere near its normal amount for this time of year, it still felt like the middle of winter while exploring the various areas. Normally, I would have needed my snowshoes to handle the snow, but this winter, I managed to get by without them every day. During one of my visits in the last few weeks, I aimed to capture sunrise pictures at Bow Lake. Bundled up, I still had time to find a spot and set up the camera before the sky began to light up. The sunrise did not disappoint.

White-tailed Ptarmigan

 The White-tailed Ptarmigan in summer makes its home mostly in terrain above the tree line, at elevations that can exceed 4,000 meters. Their range extends from Alaska to New Mexico, with habitats that are mostly treeless at the higher elevations of their range. Vegetation, due to heavy winds, tends to be 36 cm high or less. Trees, if present, tend to be stunted and molded by the high winds. At the lower part of the ptarmigan's elevational range, spruce, subalpine fir, and white fir may be found in small clusters in alpine meadows.

White-tailed Ptarmigans often forage in small, narrow spaces or openings that have formed due to freezing and thawing on steep slopes, where small plants have enough moisture and shelter to grow. They can also be found near streams or at the edges of melting snowfields. When snowstorms begin in autumn, ptarmigans move downslope to more sheltered areas, where willow, alder, and birch grow around meadows with sedges and grasses. As the weather turns severe in winter, some ptarmigans move below the tree line into forests.

During the summer and early fall hiking season, I try to seek them out as I make my way up to, and explore, alpine meadows and higher slopes. During the winter months, at lower elevations where shrubs like willow poke above the deep snowpack. This year, due to below-normal snowpack, half of the height of the willow was above the snow. I came across four White-tailed Ptarmigans resting after their morning consumption of willow buds. They blend in nicely with their surroundings, but with some time and effort, they can be spotted. And on some occasions, when they are close enough, I'm able to get a few good pictures.

Red Fox

Four species of foxes from the Canidae family can be found in Canada. The swift fox, the smallest of Canadian foxes, was historically found from southern Alberta to southwestern Manitoba but was thought to be extirpated from Canada by 1970. However, with help from captive populations and those obtained from Colorado, swift foxes were released in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. Since then, there have been records of breeding in the wild. Swift foxes are listed as Threatened in Canada’s Species at Risk Act. The first record of one being found in Banff National Park was in 2012. It was assumed to have traveled some 400 kilometers to get there. Unfortunately, it was run over and killed on the Trans-Canada Highway.

Grey foxes, similar in size to red foxes but slimmer, have slightly rounded ears, a black back stripe, and speckled grey sides. Their undersides are off-white, and their neck, the backs of their ears, and their legs are yellowish. They are found in the very southern parts of Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. They are also listed as Threatened in Canada’s Species at Risk Act.

Arctic foxes are small with white fur in the winter and dark brownish fur during the summer. Like red foxes, they have a circumpolar distribution, meaning their range spans a wide range of longitudes around the North Pole. Both species are listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, due to climate change, red foxes are increasingly pushing north. Not only are they expanding their range into arctic fox territories, but they are also hunting them.

Red foxes are the largest species of fox in Canada, weighing between 2.5 and 6.5 kg. They have a wide range across North America, Europe, North Africa, and Asia, and they have also been introduced to Australia. One of the few species that has adapted well to human presence, the red fox thrives in areas of farmland, large cities, suburbs, and other urban ecosystems. This red fox mainly spends her time in the wild, but her range does include some human-populated areas. When she was spotted early in the morning, she was busy searching for voles.

Cascade Mtn

 With all things being equal, the best light for photography in the Northern Hemisphere tends to be in winter. Even if we are only looking at the light at the start and end of the day, there's not only better light but also a longer window during which this light exists. This is due to the Sun being lower in the sky during winter. The lower angle of the Sun in winter better illuminates the features of the mountains compared to the summer light. Also, in winter, when snow is present, more light is reflected, reducing the chance of harsh shadows. This also means that if you like someone, you should be careful taking their picture in the middle of a sunny summer afternoon, when the Sun is more likely to cast harsh, dark shadows on their face.

Common Redpoll

The Common Redpoll is one of the bird species that calls Banff National Park home during the winter. Winter is when most of us get to see them in Canada and in the central or southern United States, as they search for seeds. They breed in the northern latitudes, among scattered shrubs and trees such as willow, birch, or alder in areas of tundra. Common Redpolls primarily eat seeds in winter, particularly birch and alder seeds. The redpoll in the picture was feeding on seeds from birch catkins, along with several of its buddies. They will also probe for insects. This winter has not been particularly cold, but nonetheless, some redpolls will tunnel into the snow to stay warm during the cold nights. These tunnels are about 30 cm long and approximately 12 cm under the insulating snow.