A view from Mt. Shark
Mt. Buller, Buller Pond, Kananaskis
A gathering of female Bighorn Sheep
Peninsular, Lower Kananaskis Lake
Bunchberry Meadows, Nature Conservancy
Bunchberry Meadows, Nature Conservancy of Canada
Looking towards top of Plateau Mountain
Glorious colours of fall
Larch in fall colour
Distant Larch trees in their fall colour
Peninsular area, Lower Kananaskis Lake
Fall colours at Silver Springs Botanical Gardens
Chipping Sparrow / Spizella passerina
A colourful walk through the woods
Osprey on the hunt
Two winters ago
Time for an afternoon nap
Plateau Mountain, Kananaskis
The sparkle of winter
A lone Larch in fall colour
Before the snow
Winter in Kananaskis
Kananaskis - a winter wonderland
Rose-breasted Grosbeak male / Pheucticus ludovicia…
Evening Grosbeak male
Common Raven in the sun
One of a pair
A patch of blue
A white world
Dazzling sunlight on distant peaks
When the land turns white
Trudging through the snow
Happy New Year, everyone!
Winter beauty
Clark's Nutcracker / Nucifraga columbiana
Kananaskis, through the windshield
Cedar Waxwing / Bombycilla cedrorum
Wind-blown Osprey
Osprey take-off
Juvenile Swainson's Hawk
Yesterday's summer hail
White-crowned Sparrow / Zonotrichia leucophrys
Dandelions - of course : )
One of a pair
A day in the mountains
Well camouflaged, except for those eyes
Yesterday's treat - a Great Gray Owl
Clark's Nutcracker
Avenue of trees at Baker Park
Little cabin in the woods
White-winged Crossbill / Loxia leucoptera
November in Weaselhead
White-winged Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Changing from green to white
White-winged Crossbill / Loxia leucoptera
Fence line in the fall
Foothills and distant mountains
Red Rock (Canyon) Parkway, Waterton Lakes National…
Three days in Waterton Lakes National Park
Puffed up for warmth
Signs of spring
Adventurous little owlet
Driving in a winter wonderland
Mountain splendour
Sunshine on a mighty peak
Gently falling snow
A good stretch of the legs and wing
From shadow to light
Sunlit peaks
Sunbathed mountain slopes
A place of peace and beauty
Happy New Year, everyone!
Light and darkness
Way, way up
Hybrid Yellow-rumped Warbler
Taken on a lovely spring day, ha
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Above the tree line
All three photos posted today were taken yesterday, 20 August 2016, when 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.
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 blurry shot, just for the record.
Continuing on our way north, we eventually came to Rock Glacier, a mountainside of mesozoic sandstone and shale, 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. I will add more information about these very small animals when I post a photo of one of them. Already have lots of information under previously posted Pika images. These are such difficult creatures to photograph - only six or seven inches long and the same colour as the surrounding mountain of broken rock.
"This massive deposit of rock was once a part of western slope of Mount Rae. Over thousands of years, erosion has chiseled millions of tonnes of rock from the mountain. The continual precipitation of rock debris provides a source of new rock to this slowly moving mass, or rock glacier." Information from the roadside sign.
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 going there before and we were so glad we called in. A lovely pond/lake, where we saw masses of small, green, jelly-like 'blobs' floating near the edge of the water. I tried to identify these late last night, but couldn't find anything that looked exactly the same. So, I'm not sure yet if they are insect eggs or maybe even salamander eggs. The third photo I posted today shows one of these green 'blobs', along with a couple of Water Striders standing on the top.
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.
Once back on Highway 40, we started driving back 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 perhaps 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 four Bighorn Sheep, three standing at the edge of the road and a fourth 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 this 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!
Thanks 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!
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.
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 blurry shot, just for the record.
Continuing on our way north, we eventually came to Rock Glacier, a mountainside of mesozoic sandstone and shale, 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. I will add more information about these very small animals when I post a photo of one of them. Already have lots of information under previously posted Pika images. These are such difficult creatures to photograph - only six or seven inches long and the same colour as the surrounding mountain of broken rock.
"This massive deposit of rock was once a part of western slope of Mount Rae. Over thousands of years, erosion has chiseled millions of tonnes of rock from the mountain. The continual precipitation of rock debris provides a source of new rock to this slowly moving mass, or rock glacier." Information from the roadside sign.
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 going there before and we were so glad we called in. A lovely pond/lake, where we saw masses of small, green, jelly-like 'blobs' floating near the edge of the water. I tried to identify these late last night, but couldn't find anything that looked exactly the same. So, I'm not sure yet if they are insect eggs or maybe even salamander eggs. The third photo I posted today shows one of these green 'blobs', along with a couple of Water Striders standing on the top.
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.
Once back on Highway 40, we started driving back 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 perhaps 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 four Bighorn Sheep, three standing at the edge of the road and a fourth 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 this 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!
Thanks 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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