Fish Creek Park 2

A photo that I guess I forgot to post a few months ago : ) Though it looks like this little Black-capped Chickadee is at a feeder, it was in fact down in the park. A slight, cool breeze was ruffling its tiny feathers.

I was so excited that I had seen this little Long-tailed Weasel that I didn't take the time to go through all the photos I took of it before chosing and posting my favourites. Thought I would post these four extra images, as they all show different behaviour and poses. It kept disappearing into burrows and then would pop up again and take another look at me. The cutest little thing. Also, I may never seen it again, so I'd better make the most of it. We have had a little more snow since this sighting and when I went to the park again this afternoon, I thought how difficult it would be to spot this animal in its winter coat against the snow.

I was so lucky this morning to see two Northern Pygmy-owls (rare to uncommon), one at each of two different locations in the park. I started out with my usual group, but ended up staying at the second location with several photographers that I had met up with. The birds were high up and quite a distance away, but I am posting my photos because the two birds are in different surroundings compared to various previous images of these teeny owls. Remember that they are only the size of a popcan, so when they are far away, that blob of brown is VERY small, LOL! Often, I can't really even see which way the bird is facing, so it is rather hit and miss as far as photos are concerned.

These are two of the pack of four Coyotes that I watched yesterday in a local park. Unfortunately, the light was beginning to fade. As you can see, these animals have no fear of being close to a residential area.

Yesterday afternoon, I called in at my local park and searched for the two Great Horned Owlets. When I went down in the pouring rain the day before, all I could find was Dad, but no sign of Mom or the young ones. I had the feeling that the babies had fledged and become branchlings, but could see no sign of them. Photographer Phil told me that he had seen them out of the nest the day before (or was it the day before that?), so my gut feeling was correct. I was about to go home yesterday, after a fruitless - or should I say, owless? - search, when my eyes caught sight of two very fluffy "behinds", LOL! They were perched way, way up in a tall tree, motionless (asleep, I suspect). After a while, they began to move and I managed to get a few distant photos. They must be around six weeks old, I think. Very unsteady on their feet when moving along the branch and I witnessed a few balance problems. The wind was blowing and I let out a very loud gasp when this young one lost its balance! Such beautiful wings! Very cute to see. Needless to say, a cropped image : )

One of the Mule Deer I saw in the parking lot when I arrived at Bebo Grove recently to go for a bitterly cold walk. Their fur always looks so soft.

A friend took me for a walk this afternoon to one of his favourite areas of the park. We climbed a clay bank looking for Tiger Beetles and came across about eight snakes. Both kinds were seen; the Wandering Garter Snake and the Red-sided Garter Snake. This one is a Red-sided - quite beautiful, really. I can tell you that a steep, crumbling cliff is not the ideal place to walk for someone who has a fear of snakes and of heights, LOL! It is good, though, to know that there seems to be a healthy number of these reptiles already. Thanks, D, for showing these to me : )

The devastating floods of June 2005 washed away a bridge that used to cross the creek right here.

Even though this is a rather distant photo and somewhat blurry, it is one of my favourites. I was just driving down the small road that leads into my local park when I spotted this gorgeous creature near the edge of the road. I slowed down and stopped and watched as it searched, stalked and POUNCED! It caught a little meadow vole or similar and I watched as it ate it. This is the expression (almost sly) on the Coyote's face immediately after it had eaten - there is still a piece of dead grass hanging from its mouth. I always enjoy seeing Coyotes but some people are quite afraid of them. Usually when they see a human being, they will turn and quietly slip away in the opposite direction.