Minnewanka sheep in the snow
Just off Lake Minnewanka there was a small herd of Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) grazing along the side of the road. They were a mix of mothers, kids and young rams. All told there were less than fifteen animals stretched over a hundred or so meters. With the worsening weather, they looked to be a somber group and showed little interest beyond a few glances at much beyond the grass underfoot.
The rain had just turned to snow which bothered me more than these animals it seemed. I was hoping the storm might not be too heavy but this front edge had made me think that unlikely. For this encounter, I was happy to have the snow in the air to provide a bit of interest to the area around the sheep in some of the shots.
We watched one another for a few minutes before I headed off. The snow continued to pick up and almost a foot of snow (30cm) fell that night. This herd was smart to dine on the soon to be covered up grass along the road before the weather hit.
Superb compositions.
Really don’t want anymore snow . 😀
May 5, 2014 at 11:17 pm
They look wet-not comfortable.Good shots, though that ell a story and elicits my sympathy.
May 5, 2014 at 9:49 pm
What beautiful creatures!
Those faces are just precious.
May 5, 2014 at 3:23 pm
I like the philosophical look of the second one.
May 5, 2014 at 1:05 pm
Gorgeous animals.
May 5, 2014 at 9:20 am
The first two shots are so atmospheric – fantastic!
May 5, 2014 at 7:20 am
Great shots! Love the first one – stunning with the light blue backdrop 🙂
May 5, 2014 at 6:52 am
Great series.
May 5, 2014 at 6:22 am