Wild animals of Alberta 2

This cute little guy/gal came out of its pile of lichen-covered rocks to check me out. I had been walking ahead of my two friends on Sunday, when we were on Plateau Mountain again. They had stopped to check for mosses and lichens on the ridge we were climbing, when I caught sight of this little Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel. The deep green bokeh is from the spruce (?) trees on a distant mountain side. This was the only wildlife I saw, other than a group of maybe a dozen Mountain Sheep on the distant slope below the actual flat top of Plateau Mountain. I've only ever once been on the flat top and that was about 30 years ago! It's just too far for me to walk to get from the meadows to the flat top, unfortunately. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-mantled_ground_squirrel Thunderstorm Watch for Calgary - and it looks like it is about to happen any moment now - just when I have to go out to meet a friend for an early supper, ha. And, here comes the rain and the thunder! Quite welcome, though it would have been nice to have had it overnight instead : )

Definitely not the best light for catching this little Common Muskrat having a snack - just love those tiny hands : ) When several of us were doing the Priddis area May Species Count all day Sunday, we pulled up alongside two of these little creatures in a ditch.

These rare wild animals are so beautiful. Dug into my archives for this image - back to 26th May 2009. Seen in Weaselhead. Makes our common Richardson's Ground Squirrels look so plain : ) Obviously, the information below is now outdated, but still of interest. Just makes me feel even luckier than ever : ) It was the sweetest little thing. "The Thirteen-lined or Striped Ground Squirrel, if it still exists here, may be the rarest mammal in the Calgary area today...... Calgary sightings: The only known location in Calgary where this species has been sighted is in South Glenmore Park, to the northwest of the park building. It was last reported on 28 April 2002 and 6 June 2002. A population occurs near Millarville (south of Calgary), where one was reported on 17 April 2005. " From the talkaboutwildlife website. talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=562

When I arrived at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary on July 24th, the meeting place for our day of botanizing at and around the Medicine River Wildlife Centre, I noticed this rabbit hopping near the main entrance to the Sanctuary. He was also digging a hole in the soil next to the door : ) I wasn't sure if it was a native rabbit or someone's escaped or unwanted pet.

Rather harsh lighting, but we were lucky to see several Mountain Sheep on August 1st, when Flickr friends Ron and Trish invited me to go with them for a wonderful drive as far as Field, B.C. (British Columbia). This was taken out of the car window - no steep mountain sides for me to climb on this day, just the luxury of being driven and a few short walks : )

These Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels are the cutest litle things, but they move so fast. I managed to get just this one, almost sharp image : ) Photographed at Kananaskis Lakes, in Kananaskis Country, on August 7th. A typical adult ranges from 23–30 cm (9–12 inches) in length. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-mantled_ground_squirrel

A really bad photo, but I wanted to add it to my Wild Animals of Alberta set. I was taken by great surprise when I saw this Skunk zig-zagging through the long grass south of Highway 22X. I had pulled over to take a scenery photo and suddenly saw a black and white tail moving away from me. Couldn't believe it was a Skunk! The only other time I have seen a Skunk in the "wild" was a young one that was hanging around outside the Medicine River Wildlife Centre, north of Calgary, last year. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk

This little Ground Squirrel came over to see us when we were hiking up to Arethusa Cirque, Kananaskis, on July 30th. "The golden-mantled ground squirrel is a type of ground squirrel found in mountainous areas of western North America. It eats seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and underground fungi. It is preyed upon by hawks, jays, weasels, foxes, bobcats, and coyotes. A typical adult ranges from 23–30 cm (9–12 inches) in length ... They dig shallow burrows up to 30m (100 ft) in length with the openings hidden in a hollow log or under tree roots or a boulder. The female gives birth to a single litter of 4–6 young each summer." Can you imagine, a comedy about birding, lol? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-mantled_ground_squirrel For you bird lovers out there, Cornell Lab of Ornithology added the following link to their Facebook page. Apparently, there's a movie about birding coming out this fall, called The Big Year, starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black. youtu.be/JCBAP2wId5M

A group of us had the privilege of being allowed to visit the Calgary Zoo Ranch, just south of the city, two days ago. It is not open to the public, but we have the chance to go once a year. This pair of majestic Elk were just two of several species that were there. Tremendous work is being done there to breed several very endangered species, especially the fascinating Whooping Crane. These birds are kept in enclosures and any interaction with the staff is done using white "Crane costumes". The Whooping Crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild. Many thanks to Crane Keeper, Dwight Knapik for showing us around for the afternoon and filling us with interesting information. In 1985, the Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre (DWCC) opened. Known as the "Zoo Ranch," this land south of Calgary is home to the breeding facilities for the endangered Whooping Cranes, Vancouver Island Marmots, Przwalksi wild horses and Zebra. "The only remaining flock of wild Whooping Cranes, the wintering population in coastal Texas, reached a low of 15 birds in the winter of 1941-42, and hovered between the low 20s and mid 30s over the next two decades. Efforts to locate the flock's breeding grounds intensified following World War II. Evidence of breeding was first reported in 1954, when several adults and pre-fledged juveniles were observed in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in Northwest Territories, Canada. Researchers were able to locate the first nests the following year. The inaccessibility of the breeding grounds, protection of the wintering grounds, and extensive public education campaigns have contributed to the population's increase to its current level." www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/cranes/grusamer.htm www.bringbackthecranes.org/recovery/recv2009.html#Captive www.whoopingcrane.com/FLOCKSTATUS.HTM