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Common loon cleaning

This loon had a small lake to himself a week ago. After swimming around a small island once, he decided to preen. I am used to this being a relatively short session that ends with the stretch out of the water as in the image above. This time was very different and saw the bird splash, skim, dunk and flap for 15 minutes. I’m guilty of thinking that he was having great fun during his bath time. While this is not unusual behavior for loons, it was new to me for the amount of time and the exuberance displayed.

I had a great time was watching and enjoyed looking for dynamic images that I have never had the opportunity to photograph before. The head emerging from the water, wings outstretched perpendicular to the water, surface skimming while beating droplets into a fury around him were among my favorite moments. Here are a few of the images that put a smile on my face when I reviewed them a couple of days after the encounter.

Posted by  |  May 11, 2021 | Categories: Birds, Nature, Spring, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Road warrior

After hunting along a field to the right of the road, this great gray owl flew low across to the other side. I left a few minutes later while she continued to closely watch the grasses while moving between fence post and traffic sign perches.

Posted by  |  May 7, 2021 | Categories: Birds, Owls, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Great gray owl backlit in the morning

This owl was hunting along a field and flew up to this post close to me after swallowing a vole. The sunlight shone through the extended feathers as she flared her wings to land. The intensity of the great gray owl eyes was on full display as well. A few different elements came together to make an image that I really like.

Posted by  |  May 6, 2021 | Categories: Owls, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The first hummingbird of the year

We heard a quiet buzz above our deck yesterday, looked up and saw a Rufous hummingbird hovering near our feeder. It was our first one of the year and one of the most welcome migratory birds that return to our backyard each year.

Posted by  |  May 3, 2021 | Categories: Birds, Nature, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The see saw between winter and spring has brought a full variety of weather from each. A couple of weeks ago, this storm rolled over the prairies west of Cochrane, the wind bringing rain that became snow later in the evening. At this point, a little after dinner time, the clouds seemed to be inviting the trees to dance. In my imagination, they appeared to be reaching down to touch them – extending a hand with the invitation.

Posted by  |  April 29, 2021 | Categories: Alberta, Landscapes, Weather | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Water Valley dawn

On a trip to Water Valley a couple of weeks ago, I raced to find something interesting for the sun to silhouette as it rose above the prairies. These trees, still weeks away from any leaves emerging fit the bill very nicely. It was one of the prettiest mornings I’ve enjoyed in quite a while.

My favourite version was the wider view with the deep blue of the sky above in it. However, the tighter shot with the sun just above the trees and a color palette of gold, copper and bronze was a close second.

Posted by  |  April 28, 2021 | Categories: Landscapes, Sunrise | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A night fox in motion

I found this red fox hunting in a field recently. It was well into dusk but she had no trouble maneuvering through the grass. Photographing her in motion was much more of a challenge. In this image, I dragged the shutter to 1/6th of a second and tried to capture that energy. She reminded me of my daughter, her spirit and her intelligence – as every fox that I see does.

Posted by  |  April 20, 2021 | Categories: Fox, motion blur, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

An owl in the rising sun

I went out onto the Foothills last weekend to catch the sunrise. It was beautiful but this great gray owl stole the honors for the morning to me. I loved having her backlit by the warm sunshine while she flew to hunt in the field.

Amid a number of current challenges, I enjoyed getting out for time to photograph and put energy into this passion of mine.

Posted by  |  April 20, 2021 | Categories: Birds, Nature, Owls, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Easter!

The robins have just returned to our home this weekend. It was a nice surprise from the Easter bunny to see and hear them in the backyard again.

Desirée thought the image above suggested the bird centre in the sunlight was the hope of spring emerging from darkness of winter. I liked that a lot. She has a beautiful way of seeing things.

Posted by  |  April 4, 2021 | Categories: Birds, Nature, Spring, Wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Equinox aurora revisited

Last weekend, I shared one photograph of the Northern Lights from the geomagnetic storm that hit earth in the early morning of the spring equinox. The aurora rippled high into the northern sky for a few hours. Desirée and I watched them for much of that time. Here are a few more images from an incredible night.

After leaving Bragg Creek to see the sunrise at Ghost Lake, the aurora faded into the brightening horizon. This last photograph of the rolling hills north of the lake suggested an echo of the Northern Lights. I’m not sure if they were there still or if it was more my imagination.

Posted by  |  March 29, 2021 | Categories: Aurora Borealis, Landscapes, Nature, Night Photography, Spring | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Sunrise at Ghost Lake

A man sitting on a park bench is silhouetted by a fiery cloud during sunrise at Ghost Lake, east of Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. Photographed on March 20, 2021.

After an incredible Northern Lights display in the early hours of March 20th, I drove west of Cochrane to watch the morning arrive. Ice still covers the lake though large cracks and variety in the surface color and texture indicate spring is loosening the frozen grip.

I arrived in darkness with a dim glow on on the eastern horizon. The glow brightened steadily and soon I was watching the fiery clouds catching the earliest light and waiting for the sun to jump into the sky.

The long night fled as the sun rose and I used the time to think about the cycles of the seasons, life and family. Good thoughts, I believe, for the Spring Equinox.

Posted by  |  March 22, 2021 | Categories: Alberta, Landscapes, Nature, Sunrise | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Spring Equinox and the Aurora Borealis

The northern hemisphere’s Spring Equinox was welcomed by an incredible performance by the Northern Lights last night. Desirée and I went out early this morning and watched them dance along high in the sky for hours. It was one of the most beautiful displays that I have seen. It’s made for a slow start in daylight today but was wonderfully worthwhile!

Spaceweather.com has a great article today about auroras and equinoxes which I found really interesting. From their front page, “Around the beginning of spring and fall,  cracks open in Earth’s magnetic field–a phenomenon called “the Russell-McPherron effect.” Solar wind pours in to fuel geomagnetic storms.” I didn’t know about that effect – very cool!

Posted by  |  March 20, 2021 | Categories: Aurora Borealis, Landscapes, long exposure, Night Photography | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

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