Grizzly Bear sow - mother of two cubs
Bighorn Sheep female
Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn Sheep
Grizzly female (#152) and cubs
Bighorn Sheep female
Grizzly & one of her two cubs
Bighorn curiosity
Terrible photos - but it was a GRIZZLY : )
Bighorn Sheep, Kananaskis
American Goldfinch on Sunflower
Domestic Goose female, Akesi Farms
Ruddy Duck female and ducklings
Bighorn Sheep / Ovis canadensis
Bighorn Sheep / Ovis canadensis
Common Merganser female
Ruddy Duck female
Yellow Warbler female
Mountain Bluebird with Red-winged Grasshopper
Mallard family swimming on the river
Brown-headed Cowbird / Molothrus ater
Osprey pair harassed by Red-winged Blackbird
Mountain Bluebird female / Sialia currucoides
American Goldfinch female / Spinus tristis
Mountain Bluebird female
Day 6, female Northern Cardinal / Cardinalis cardi…
Day 6, Cardinal female / Cardinalis cardinalis
Day 5, Painted Lichen Moth, King Ranch, Norias Div…
Day 10, American Goldfinch female
Day 7 afternoon, Surf Scoters off Tadoussac
Day 10, American Goldfinch female, Tadoussac
Day 4, Red-winged Blackbird, Pt Pelee
Mama Turkey (domestic)
Day 2, female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Rondeau PP
Spooked by a barking dog
Thirsty Bighorn Sheep
Ferruginous Hawks - now safely grown and gone
Himalayan Monal female
A beautiful catch
The start of a great day
Yellow Warbler female, Pt Pelee, Ontario
American Robin, Pt Pelee, Ontario
That's quite the nest, at Pt Pelee, Ontario
Wild Turkey, Pt Pelee, Ontario
Eared Grebes in their mating dance
Ferruginous Hawk / Buteo regalis
Western Grebes paired up
Mountain Bluebird female
Green Honeycreeper female, Trinidad
Togetherness
On a rainy day in Trinidad
Black-throated Mango, Asa Wright, Trinidad
White-necked Jacobin female, Trinidad
A touch of blue
White-lined Tanager, Asa Wright, Trinidad
Common Redpoll
Bighorn Sheep mom and youngster
White-lined Tanager female, Trinidad
Green Honeycreeper female, Trinidad
Purple Honeycreeper female, Trinidad
Common Redpoll female
A friendly moment
A lucky Moose day
Purple Honeycreeper female, Trinidad
Why names just don't suit the bird
See also...
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152 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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