Mom and her spotted twins
Chipmunk with a yummy snack
A brief moment of rest
Quite a typical view
Between a rock and a hard place
Push!
Bighorn Sheep on Plateau Mountain, 2012
Light-coloured Pika
Mid-squeak!
Coyote on the hunt
It's that little guy (gal) again
One of four Moose seen yesterday
02 Two young Moose
Eye contact with a very distant Moose
A brief close encounter
Hungry little Chipmunk
Muskrat ripples
Love those little Pika feet
Confused bunny
Bighorn Sheep, number 18
Curious Moose
Two's company
Pika pose
A sweet encounter
Moose from the archives
It's Pika time - again
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Guardian of the path
Moose in the mountains
Agouti, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad
Muskrat, SW Calgary
Agouti, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad
The look that says: "Please feed me"
"Alan, Alan, Alan ...Steve, Steve!"
"They can't see me"
Beautiful Mule Deer family
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Beautiful blonde Black Bear
Bighorn Sheep, Waterton Lakes National Park
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
White-tailed Deer family
White-tailed Deer
Forever cute
My new neighbour?
Wild European Rabbit
Mule Deer doe
Licking salt off the road
Small and fast .... and adorable
Keeping watch over the herd
Waiting for the herd to descend
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel in a Pika's cave
Remember to stop and smell the .... wildflowers
On the way down
Pika, on a windy day
Freeze!
Disappearing Skunk - just for the record
Beautiful Mule Deer doe
Bighorn Sheep, mom and youngster
A Coyote's last look back
Bighorn Sheep on the slope
Learning from Mom
Sweet White-tailed doe
Licking salt from the road
Looking beautiful
A gathering of female Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn Sheep - she's a beauty
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
The cutest little furball
Unexpected closeness
Don't call me 'Gopher'
Now they can't see me
Hiding in the Canola field
They can't see me
Columbian Ground Squirrel collecting nest material
The reward for getting up early
The youngest bear cub I have ever seen
One mighty beast, Bison Paddock, Waterton N P
Mom and her new baby
Such cute little hands and feet
Bright-eyed little cutie
Pika / Ochonta princeps
Least Chipmunk
Munching on cone seeds
Least Chipmunk
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
'Hiding' in the grass
Feasting on cone seeds
Little forest muncher
Northern Pygmy-owl, one year ago
Moose cow looking for salt
Red Squirrel
Sweet little poser
Hoping for food
One of five White-tailed Deer
At the end of the day
Licking the salt
Creature of the forest
Cute as always
Pronghorn
Soaking up the sun
Happy Thanksgiving!
Resting near the Cattails
Elegant innocence
Should I stay or should I go?
Time to rest awhile
Mule Deer buck
Resting in the meadow
Changing colour ready for the winter
Hungry little Muskrat
A rare sighting
Freeze!
Looking back with a smile
Happy little muncher
Busy little Muskrat
Yesterday's highlight : )
Three out of four ain't bad
Mule Deer, Mom and baby
I'm hiding - she can't see me
Grizzly Bear with last year's cub
Least Chipmunk / Tamias minimus
Very young Mule deer
Peace and late evening sun
Moose kneeling to lick salt from the road
Moose in the late evening sun
Having fun with its reflection
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A brief moment's rest
On 20 August 2016, I was lucky enough to have the chance to try and photograph one of these absolutely adorable little creatures : ) After a while, I was beginning to despair of ever getting any decent shots at all. These tiny Pikas, also known as Rock Rabbits, hardly ever remain still and they are extremely fast! Imagine a mountain hillside covered in sharp, jagged rocks of all sizes and then try to picture how difficult it is to find in the viewfinder the single rock on which one of these Pikas might happen to sit for a second or two, lol! The fact that they are the same colour as the rocks does not help one bit! As time passed, I managed to take a few photos, though not as good as the ones I took two years ago. They are about 15 to 23 centimetres (5.9 to 9.1 in) in body length, so really are pretty small, especially when off in the distance.
A couple of short YouTube videos in case anyone wants to hear and see these cute creatures:
youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg
youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc
On this day, I went with friend, Pam, for a long day out in Kananaskis (the mountain area of the Rocky Mountains that is closest to Calgary). What a great day we had, seeing so many different things in such beautiful scenery.
We met up in the city at 7:00 am and drove southwards through Millarville and took the back way from Turner Valley to Highway 40. This is exactly the route that I had planned to go when I was all set to take my daughter on 4 August. Then my car's muffler and catalytic converter died and I haven't been able to go on any long drives at all. Nothing further than maybe five or ten minutes from home, with a vehicle that sounds dreadful with its loud, broken muffler noise and the loudest rattle that sounds as if the bottom of my car is about to fall off.
Before we left the town of Turner Valley (on Highway 22), we called in for a few minutes at friend Jackie's garden to see if there were any interesting birds at all her feeders. We only saw Pine Siskins, but no doubt all sorts of other species would arrive for her during the day. The first thing we saw after Jackie's was a Swainson's Hawk perched on a fence, with a beautiful view of the distant mountains.
Our first stop along Highway 40, which is the highway that goes right through Kananaskis, giving spectacular scenic views every inch of the way, was at Highwood House. This small store/gas station, at such a convenient location, is known for its Hummingbird feeders. We were lucky enough to see either one or maybe two of these teeny birds, and I did manage to get one partly blurry shot, just for the record.
Continuing on our way north, we eventually came to Rock Glacier where we happily watched one or two little Pikas darting all over the massive scree slope, busily collecting plants to store and dry in their "caves", ready for the winter months.
Our next destination, after bumping into friend Kerri who was photographing the PIkas, was Buller's Pond, near Spray Lakes along the Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien road. I don't remember ever stopping there before and we were so glad we called in. Just before we got there, we took a drive up the mountainside road to Mt. Shark and gazed at the mountain scene before our eyes when we reached the highest parking lot. I have been up there maybe two or three times before, but in winter time.
Soon, we arrived at Buller Pond, which is a lovely pond/lake, where we saw masses of small, green, jelly-like 'blobs' floating near the edge of the water. I finally found out what I think is the correct ID for them - Ophrydium versatile.
""These blobs are made by a colonial microscopic single-celled protozoan called Ophrydium versatile. They can be found all over the world in fresh water. The individual cells line up side by side in the “blob” and attach themselves to a jelly-like substance they secrete. They are symbiotic with microscopic Chlorella algae which live inside the Ophrydium cells and give the blob its green color. " Fro the link below;
askanaturalist.com/what-are-these-green-jelly-blobs/
It was here that, while walking through the trees near the edge of the pond, I suddenly gasped and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a beautiful Spruce Grouse perched on a tree stump, with a second one lying at the base of the stump. Such a beautiful sight! I quietly called Pam to come and see what I had just found and we spent some time watching them. These two birds, with their gorgeous feathers, showed no sign of moving, allowing us plenty of time to take photos. Eventually, I saw yet another one of them moving around on the ground nearby, and then a fourth one. So, it seems that it was a mother and her three young ones. What an absolute treat to come across these spectacular birds and to be given time to really enjoy them. The next photo shows what I first saw, but I took a number of closer shots as well.
Once back on Highway 40, we started driving south on Highway 40, heading for home. We just couldn't resist calling in again at Rock Glacier, where I was able to get closer and somewhat better photos of one of the Pikas. Then, fifteen minutes later, we saw several cars pulled over at the sides of the highway. Could it finally be a bear? Unfortunately, no, it wasn't, but instead we saw a group of five Bighorn Sheep, four at the edge of the road and a fifth standing in the road as if to let us know that she owned the road and had right of way. However, she didn't move. Can't remember if it was this female or one of the others that started walking along the edge in the direction of our vehicle. She walked with determination and I was taken off guard when she came level with my window and I got a quick shot. Her focus, however, was on a photographer who was out of his car and had walked towards her, then crouched down to photograph her as she got closer and closer to him. She stopped just a matter of maybe six feet from him - we drove off now that the road was clear, so I've no idea if anything happened between the Sheep and the photographer, but he was doing everything that a photographer (or anyone) should not be doing.
Thank you so much, Pam, for enabling me to get out to the mountains! It was such a fun, enjoyable day, in beautiful weather, spectacular scenery, and much-enjoyed company!
A couple of short YouTube videos in case anyone wants to hear and see these cute creatures:
youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg
youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc
On this day, I went with friend, Pam, for a long day out in Kananaskis (the mountain area of the Rocky Mountains that is closest to Calgary). What a great day we had, seeing so many different things in such beautiful scenery.
We met up in the city at 7:00 am and drove southwards through Millarville and took the back way from Turner Valley to Highway 40. This is exactly the route that I had planned to go when I was all set to take my daughter on 4 August. Then my car's muffler and catalytic converter died and I haven't been able to go on any long drives at all. Nothing further than maybe five or ten minutes from home, with a vehicle that sounds dreadful with its loud, broken muffler noise and the loudest rattle that sounds as if the bottom of my car is about to fall off.
Before we left the town of Turner Valley (on Highway 22), we called in for a few minutes at friend Jackie's garden to see if there were any interesting birds at all her feeders. We only saw Pine Siskins, but no doubt all sorts of other species would arrive for her during the day. The first thing we saw after Jackie's was a Swainson's Hawk perched on a fence, with a beautiful view of the distant mountains.
Our first stop along Highway 40, which is the highway that goes right through Kananaskis, giving spectacular scenic views every inch of the way, was at Highwood House. This small store/gas station, at such a convenient location, is known for its Hummingbird feeders. We were lucky enough to see either one or maybe two of these teeny birds, and I did manage to get one partly blurry shot, just for the record.
Continuing on our way north, we eventually came to Rock Glacier where we happily watched one or two little Pikas darting all over the massive scree slope, busily collecting plants to store and dry in their "caves", ready for the winter months.
Our next destination, after bumping into friend Kerri who was photographing the PIkas, was Buller's Pond, near Spray Lakes along the Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien road. I don't remember ever stopping there before and we were so glad we called in. Just before we got there, we took a drive up the mountainside road to Mt. Shark and gazed at the mountain scene before our eyes when we reached the highest parking lot. I have been up there maybe two or three times before, but in winter time.
Soon, we arrived at Buller Pond, which is a lovely pond/lake, where we saw masses of small, green, jelly-like 'blobs' floating near the edge of the water. I finally found out what I think is the correct ID for them - Ophrydium versatile.
""These blobs are made by a colonial microscopic single-celled protozoan called Ophrydium versatile. They can be found all over the world in fresh water. The individual cells line up side by side in the “blob” and attach themselves to a jelly-like substance they secrete. They are symbiotic with microscopic Chlorella algae which live inside the Ophrydium cells and give the blob its green color. " Fro the link below;
askanaturalist.com/what-are-these-green-jelly-blobs/
It was here that, while walking through the trees near the edge of the pond, I suddenly gasped and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a beautiful Spruce Grouse perched on a tree stump, with a second one lying at the base of the stump. Such a beautiful sight! I quietly called Pam to come and see what I had just found and we spent some time watching them. These two birds, with their gorgeous feathers, showed no sign of moving, allowing us plenty of time to take photos. Eventually, I saw yet another one of them moving around on the ground nearby, and then a fourth one. So, it seems that it was a mother and her three young ones. What an absolute treat to come across these spectacular birds and to be given time to really enjoy them. The next photo shows what I first saw, but I took a number of closer shots as well.
Once back on Highway 40, we started driving south on Highway 40, heading for home. We just couldn't resist calling in again at Rock Glacier, where I was able to get closer and somewhat better photos of one of the Pikas. Then, fifteen minutes later, we saw several cars pulled over at the sides of the highway. Could it finally be a bear? Unfortunately, no, it wasn't, but instead we saw a group of five Bighorn Sheep, four at the edge of the road and a fifth standing in the road as if to let us know that she owned the road and had right of way. However, she didn't move. Can't remember if it was this female or one of the others that started walking along the edge in the direction of our vehicle. She walked with determination and I was taken off guard when she came level with my window and I got a quick shot. Her focus, however, was on a photographer who was out of his car and had walked towards her, then crouched down to photograph her as she got closer and closer to him. She stopped just a matter of maybe six feet from him - we drove off now that the road was clear, so I've no idea if anything happened between the Sheep and the photographer, but he was doing everything that a photographer (or anyone) should not be doing.
Thank you so much, Pam, for enabling me to get out to the mountains! It was such a fun, enjoyable day, in beautiful weather, spectacular scenery, and much-enjoyed company!
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