I have seen my share of wildlife, each time I come across wildlife it reminds me why I live in the mountains. Getting to live in an amazing place, where the more I explore the more I want to be out there. Seeing this beautiful grizzly helps me look forward to my next outing.
Elk
In the morning I came across half a dozen elk, among them a new born calf, staying close to its mother. On the other side of elk were friends who were returning from bird watching, all getting to see a 15 to 16 kg calf, covered with spots. The mother was still licking the calf, trying to remove all sent that would give away the calf’s location to the predators. The mother was locating a secure spot for the calf, until it was ready to be able to run away from danger. Around the calving season there are more bear sighting in the area, all looking for an opportunity to locate a defenceless calf. Other predators join in as well, just minutes before this picture was taken, a female coyote was in the area, sent running by the elk. Soon after the mother took the calf into think vegetation, where the calf could rest, be nursed and kept safe.
Bighorn Sheep
I came across this young ram bottom of the valley, licking minerals off the ground. With the warmer weather, they are losing their winter coat and gaining weight with green vegetation to eat. But even with al the food warm weather brings to this and other bighorn sheeps, they still need to find minerals to stay healthy.
Black Bear
Early on morning I saw an adult back bear eating, no sign of any other bears. A tree near the bear had something different on it, on closer inspection with my camera I saw something small and black. soon to my amazement the female adult went up to wake up her cubs, who were sleeping on the tree. One by one they came down.
Common Nighthawk
Since mid April I have been getting out at 6am, birding. I was doing the same few mornings back, hoping to hear and or see something interesting. The birds were singing all around me off all sizes. Yellow, Tennessee and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Willow Flycatchers, Clay-coloured, White-crowned and Song Sparrow to name a few. I even got surprised with not one, but two Gray Catbirds, one of them was singing while the other looked for food. There was one bird song I did not recognise. It was too far for me to get a close look, as I listened to its calls in the distance, out of the grass next to the trail flew out a bird. It was moving too fast for me to get a picture of, so instead I watched it and tried to ID it. To my surprise, it landed middle of the trail just ten meters from me. It was my first sighting of a Common Nighthawk. A threatened species as of 2010, due to habitat loss and agricultural development. This nocturnal bird was most likely roosting in the grass and by chance I got too close, as soon as I took the pictures, it flew off into the bushes.
Grizzly
The big griz got right down to the food, he was hungry. There was green grass and dandelions for him to eat. Have to put on all the weight he lost during the winter and add more to his frame. He would have lost easily over 100 pounds during his deep winter sleep, waking up very hungry. Now is time to eat and eat and looking for a female to mate with for the next number of weeks.
Mount Temple
The clouds were moving in, after several summer like days in may, it looked as if rain was on its way. I was in the Lake Louise area and saw the dramatic looking sky above Mount Temple. I knew the pictures I had in mind, went to the location where I would get the picture I wanted.
Mountain Goat
he goal for the evening was to hopefully watch mountain goats on the side of the mountains. There was one adult and it was slowly making its way toward a falls that only exists during the snow melt or when there's a major rainfall. Opportunity presented itself, to take a picture of the goat and the falls. I had to be somewhat quick, did not know how long the goat was going to be there for and how close it was going to get to the water. From the valley, I framed the picture I wanted and then waited for the goat to get into the position I hoped for.
Mallard Duck
Mallard Ducks are commonly spotted, they get overlooked among the other waterfowls. With the right light, in this case the morning light, they stand out.
Wood Duck
Depending on where you go birding, there are common birds in that area, they're not so common birds and then there are the most rare. Wood Ducks fall somewhere in the middle in Banff. Every year I try to get one good picture of the Wood Duck, Particularly of the male. Why the male, well if you have seen it's colouring in the sunlight, you would know why. It's as if has gone through a Photoshop wash. I was coming from my walk when a male Wood Duck flew in the opposite direction over the Bow River, landing about 200 meters from where I was. I back tracked part of that distance and watched it coming in my direction along river. I picked a spot where I hope it would reach to get the picture I wanted. Using the willow shrubs as a blind, I then followed the bird through the camera. Keeping it in focus and waiting for it to reach the spot where the sun was shining. It was within a body length of the spot, it stopped , realising I was near and deciding what to do. Watching the male through the camera and lens, making it 12 times closer, it was lit up as it started moving away, I took the picture.
Storm Mountain
Storm Mountain being exposed as the cloud parted during the morning. Most of the pictures are taken of Castle Mtn across the valley, but when I see good light, it's hard not to take pictures of storm.
Fairholme Range
Last week I was back at the Vermilion Lakes taking pictures of Mount Rundle and Fairholme Range toward the end of the day. The water was slowly rising and some shaded areas still had some snow and or ice. But spring is here and everyday there is less snow and ice.
Northern-pygmy Owl
For many, this last winter was tough, same for wildlife. Number of owls did not survive the winter, high level of snow and the snow staying on the ground for a longer period of time were the main factors. The smaller and the larger owls were not able to find the food they needed to survive, some were spotted around urban centres starving. Even those who were taken to wildlife centres, help was too late But one thing wildlife is good at, is bouncing back, as long as they have a place to call home they will do the rest.
Mount Rundle
I took this picture this evening, it was a beautiful end to the day. Hard to tell from this picture, but a Bald Eagle is perched on a tree, elk are grazing and near me two Canada Geese are hanging out in the water. I watched all this as the Sun set.
Grizzly
Still weeks before most, if not all the bears will be up from their deep sleep. It's all about food, if they had food year around they would be no reason to sleep the winter away. Since in the mountains there is little to no food from late fall to spring, then sleeping is a great adaptation for surviving the winter. The big males are the first one to get up, the female with cubs and young bears are the last, the rest spread out in the middle. This big male who looks to be near or just under 600 pounds, looked like could still use more sleep when I saw him recently.
Crowfoot Glacier
Winter is not complete without a few pictures of the Crowfoot Glacier, this year even in April the nights are like winter. My favourite season is winter. Now, no one gets upset at me. The bonus winter we're getting into the mountains is out of my control, all I can do is enjoy it. Even with lots of snow remaining in the valley, I have been out hiking as if it's spring like conditions. It was a few weeks back, I last got to see the Crowfoot Glacier, I was the only one out there as the sunlight started making contact with the mountain. I zoomed in with my camera, looking at the composition that would give me the best picture. There's something about the rock, snow and ice, it has a calm, peaceful effect, the way they work together to form nature's art.
Bighorn Sheep
Spring is here but so is winter, during the longer days snow is melting and providing support to many animals dealing with the outdoors. For last several days, the nights have been cold, but by midday there is some warmth, enough to remove some snow and opening up hidden vegetation for the wildlife.
Mount Rundle
Nature photography is lot about timing, always looking for the right combination of light and shadow. I was around the Vermilion Lakes, still a couple of hours before the Sun would be setting, when the golden light would be hitting the peaks. But I noticed the clouds were moving in from the west, they would soon block direct light to the peaks. I looked at the scenery before me, thanks to the broken up clouds, the combination of light and shadow was appealing and as an added bonus, the water was still. I took the picture and converted into a black and white for the added drama effect
Crowfoot Glacier
Another picture from one of my visit to 93 North. Spent much of the first half of the day taking pictures of various locations before going for a hike.
Cascade Mountain
I got this picture when it still felt like winter, the morning Sun was hitting the south side of Cascade Mtn.. Now I have to wait until next winter to get a similar picture as Earth changes it relationship toward the Sun. The Sun, the clouds and other weather factors play a big role determining what the picture I'll get and what it will look like. As so often said by photographers, you can never get the same picture twice. Even the mountain is changing, might be hard to see from a distance, unless something dramatic happens like it did in 2013 when large amounts of rain fell and at the same time heavy snow pack melted. Get close enough to Cascade Mtn or sit on top of it and listen to the sound of small rocks and sometimes larger rocks making their way down the mountain every now and then. Nature is dynamic, at smaller and at large scale.
