Grizzly Bear sow - mother of two cubs
Barrier Lake, Kananaskis
Grizzly & one of her two cubs
Terrible photos - but it was a GRIZZLY : )
Beautiful Alberta - prairie, foothills and mountai…
Forgetmenot Pond
Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis
Woodland at Rod's
Wedge Pond, Kananaskis, Alberta
A favourite view in Kananaskis
Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria
Puffballs and others growing on a tree stump
Amanita muscaria
Long ago, someone's pride and joy
One of my favourite old barns
Little country church, Alberta
One of my favourite old barns
Little old Catholic church in the Badlands
Two old churches in an almost-ghost-town
Afternoon trip to the mountains
Fungi on a tree stump
Bright and beautiful
The far side of the river valley
Swainson's Hawk, immature
Old, red barn
Wilson's Snipe
Storm clouds moving in
Bighorn Sheep / Ovis canadensis
Osprey with fish
Northern Rough-winged Swallow / Stelgidopteryx ser…
Osprey with fish
Northern Rough-winged Swallow / Stelgidopteryx ser…
Mountain Bluebird male
Day 9, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Resaca de la…
Day 8, tiny Elf Owl / Micrathene whitneyi - smalle…
Wilson's Snipe / Gallinago delicata
American Goldfinch female / Spinus tristis
Rose-breasted Grosbeak male / Pheucticus ludovicia…
Western Tanager / Piranga ludoviciana
Baltimore Oriole / Icterus galbula
Baltimore Oriole / Icterus galbula
Frank Lake bird blind
Young Richardson's Ground Squirrel / Urocitellus r…
Richardson's Ground Squirrel / Urocitellus richard…
Farm dog
Day 6, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Day 6, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons
Day 6, Golden-fronted Woodpecker male / Melanerpes…
Day 6, Great-tailed Grackle male / Quiscalus mexic…
Day 6, Plain Chachalaca / Ortalis vetula
Day 6, White-tipped Dove / Leptotila verreauxi
Day 6, Plain Chachalaca / Ortalis vetula
Day 5, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, King Ranch, Nori…
Day 5, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, King Ranch
Day 5, orange tree, King Ranch, Norias Division
Day 5, Bronzed Cowbirds / Molothrus aeneus
Day 5, King Ranch, South Texas
Mountain Bluebird male / Sialia currucoides
Tree Swallow male / Tachycineta bicolor
Jackrabbit in my garden
Day 4, Aloe vera, Bishop City Park, South Texas
Day 4, Royal Terns / Thalasseus maximus, Mustang I…
Day 4, Laughing Gull / Leucophaeus atricilla, Must…
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Kananaskis
10 October 2019: temperature is -12C (windchill -14C), but is supposed to get up to 3C this afternoon. Rain is forecast for Sunday and light snow for Monday (Canadian Thanksgiving).
Having seen the weather forecast for another snow storm, I made a quick decision to get back to the mountains - I don't drive there when there is snow on the roads. It was going to be sunny, but unfortunately, it was also very windy, which gave me a lot of not-quite-sharp images. Also, much of the highway through Kananaskis is closed for the winter months, for the protection of the wildlife. There were three or four locations that I wanted to photograph with snow on the peaks. With scenic shots in my mind, I took the south route, this time avoiding the dusty, gravel back road that I love to drive. Normally, I would never do a drive like this on a weekend day - more cars and people.
Much of the drive was similar to my trip with friend, Pam, on 5 September. A little over a month ago already? The first part of my drive, before turning around and heading home, I had done before, but I had never driven myself the most northerly part. I really wanted to make sure I did this while I could, rather than have to leave it till next year, as I might have lost courage by then. Actually, this north stretch had not been in my plans, but as it was not yet noon, I decided to do it, driving further than Pam and I had gone. A couple of extra stops were added - Barrier Lake and Lorette Ponds.
Keeping a close eye on how much gas was left, it was time to turn around and go back home the same way as I had driven earlier in the morning. Lots of animals on the road - mainly cattle! I don't think I have ever seen so many cows on the road before - and, oh, what a mess they were leaving behind them, everywhere! They were as stubborn about moving off the road as the three groups of Bighorn Sheep I came across during the day. I guess cows, too, like licking salt and other minerals off the road surface.
So many people were out to go hiking and there were lots of cars parked in many places. On my return drive, I was not too impressed to see about a dozen cars lined up along the edge of the road - thinking 'hikers' and then suddenly thinking "bear?" As I drove past, I caught a glimpse of three brown shapes in the long grass. I did what I don't like doing - a U-turn and adding myself to the end of the line. My handful of highly zoomed photos were all taken through the windshield, turning them into green-tinted blurs. I have added three of them, just for the record. Not sure if I can rescue any others. I tried to read the blurry number on the pink ear tag, which may have shifted upside down, on her right ear. She was busy feeding in the long grass with her two cubs, totally oblivious of the audience. I didn't notice if many people were out of their cars - I know the female idiot (oops, I mean 'driver') of the car in front of me, got out and walked down the road in the direction of the bears, but I couldn't see where she disappeared to. Eventually, a Park ranger arrived and shooed the beautiful bear family into the trees. Such an unexpected sighting and thrill - definitely the highlight of my 440 km drive. If I am right, I think I had only ever seen two Grizzlies in Alberta in all these years - a female with one cub.
Having seen the weather forecast for another snow storm, I made a quick decision to get back to the mountains - I don't drive there when there is snow on the roads. It was going to be sunny, but unfortunately, it was also very windy, which gave me a lot of not-quite-sharp images. Also, much of the highway through Kananaskis is closed for the winter months, for the protection of the wildlife. There were three or four locations that I wanted to photograph with snow on the peaks. With scenic shots in my mind, I took the south route, this time avoiding the dusty, gravel back road that I love to drive. Normally, I would never do a drive like this on a weekend day - more cars and people.
Much of the drive was similar to my trip with friend, Pam, on 5 September. A little over a month ago already? The first part of my drive, before turning around and heading home, I had done before, but I had never driven myself the most northerly part. I really wanted to make sure I did this while I could, rather than have to leave it till next year, as I might have lost courage by then. Actually, this north stretch had not been in my plans, but as it was not yet noon, I decided to do it, driving further than Pam and I had gone. A couple of extra stops were added - Barrier Lake and Lorette Ponds.
Keeping a close eye on how much gas was left, it was time to turn around and go back home the same way as I had driven earlier in the morning. Lots of animals on the road - mainly cattle! I don't think I have ever seen so many cows on the road before - and, oh, what a mess they were leaving behind them, everywhere! They were as stubborn about moving off the road as the three groups of Bighorn Sheep I came across during the day. I guess cows, too, like licking salt and other minerals off the road surface.
So many people were out to go hiking and there were lots of cars parked in many places. On my return drive, I was not too impressed to see about a dozen cars lined up along the edge of the road - thinking 'hikers' and then suddenly thinking "bear?" As I drove past, I caught a glimpse of three brown shapes in the long grass. I did what I don't like doing - a U-turn and adding myself to the end of the line. My handful of highly zoomed photos were all taken through the windshield, turning them into green-tinted blurs. I have added three of them, just for the record. Not sure if I can rescue any others. I tried to read the blurry number on the pink ear tag, which may have shifted upside down, on her right ear. She was busy feeding in the long grass with her two cubs, totally oblivious of the audience. I didn't notice if many people were out of their cars - I know the female idiot (oops, I mean 'driver') of the car in front of me, got out and walked down the road in the direction of the bears, but I couldn't see where she disappeared to. Eventually, a Park ranger arrived and shooed the beautiful bear family into the trees. Such an unexpected sighting and thrill - definitely the highlight of my 440 km drive. If I am right, I think I had only ever seen two Grizzlies in Alberta in all these years - a female with one cub.
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