Wedge Pond, Kananaskis
Mold on a fungus?
Fungus
Mushrooms
Mushroom growing on a log
Yellow mushroom
Fungus
Mushroom cluster
Fungus
Large, white mushrooms
Mushrooms
Grizzly Bear sow - mother of two cubs
Sheep River Provincial Park
Bighorn Sheep female
Is this an Alfalfa Looper moth / Autographa califo…
Opal Range erosion in Kananaskis
The meadow, Kananaskis
Kananaskis
Bighorn Sheep
Barrier Lake, Kananaskis
Wedge Pond in fading fall colours
Grizzly female (#152) and cubs
Kananaskis 'winter'
Bighorn Sheep female
Grizzly & one of her two cubs
Bighorn curiosity
Terrible photos - but it was a GRIZZLY : )
Beautiful Alberta - prairie, foothills and mountai…
Honey Mushrooms / Armillaria mellea
Puffballs on a rotting log
Woodland at Rod's
Hooded False Morel / Gyromitra infula – poisonous
Buller Pond, Kananaskis
Bighorn Sheep, Kananaskis
Wedge Pond, Kananaskis, Alberta
Black Bear, Kananaskis
Bighorn Sheep / Ovis canadensis, Kananaskis
American Pika
Brown Cup & Golden Pluteus / Pluteus chrysophlebiu…
Amanita muscaria, with insects (mosquitoes?)
A favourite view in Kananaskis
Late September in Kananaskis, 2019
Old cars in Kananaskis
September snow in Kananaskis
Tiny mushrooms on a rotting log
A favourite road
Kananaskis on a mixed-weather day
Shaggy Mane / Inky Cap
Orange False Dandelion
Old log cabin/barn seen through the trees
An unexpected find - Shaggy Manes / Inky caps
Fall colour in Kananaskis
A usual pose of an American Pika
Mushroom with guttation droplets - Soap Tricholoma…
Not "The Sickener"
Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepi…
Bolete
Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepi…
Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepi…
Highlight of my day - Fly agaric / Amanita muscari…
Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria
Mushroom growing on top of a tall tree stump
Our leader for fungi walks, Karel Bergmann
Puffballs and others growing on a tree stump
Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria
Amanita muscaria
Fungi family - and slime mold?
Fungi on a tree stump
White Admiral
False Solomon's Seal
White Admiral
Purple/Water Avens / Geum rivale
Fungus guttation droplets
Bee on Tall Larkspur / Delphinium exaltatum
Canon SX60 'artistry'
Red-winged Blackbird male / Agelaius phoeniceus
Wilson's Snipe
A new find
Red-winged Blackbird displaying
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153 visits
Bighorn Sheep licking salt off the highway
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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