Close encounter of the good kind

After finding no owls NW of Calgary on 21 May 2013, I turned around and started heading for home. If one is honest, it is always a little disappointing to drive for hours and find nothing - other than a couple of Ravens : ) As I rounded the first bend in the gravel road, I caught sight of a small bird, which turned out to be a Townsend's Solitaire (and its mate). After driving further, I could see an animal's rear end way down the road. As I got closer, I realized it was a Moose! Normally, if I see a Moose, it's way off in the distance and even then, it still turns and heads off in the opposite direction. However, this one stayed just where it was, feeding on the bushes at the edge of the road. I drove closer, expecting it to disappear into the trees, but it continued feeding and even moved closer to where I had pulled over, and ended up maybe 25' away, on the opposite side of the road. These animals seem mighty big when they are close, ha, and I began to feel rather uneasy, knowing that wildlife can be unpredictable. After 10 minutes or so, it jumped over the barbed-wire fence and continued feeding. I was surprised to see white hair/fur in places, but I was told that this happens "when Moose rub up against trees to get rid of ticks and lose their guard hairs." (Thanks, Don, and Fran, too!).

www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/8879213167

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose