A Snowy in another snowstorm
A couple of weeks ago I went out on the prairie looking for Snowy owls. North of Langdon, I found this owl in a familiar locale. It was a cold, blustery wind that accompanied the sunrise. The snow blew into the air throughout the morning and made it feel like we were much closer to the Arctic Circle. It was pretty dark with a bluish cast in the morning which only added to the wintry feel. At one point, the owl flew directly overhead and then around me which was a highlight for sure.
The rest of the morning was spent watching the owl sitting with making the odd hop/flight around the field. Another good morning with this Snowy owl.
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A Steller’s Jay in Lake Louise
On a snowy morning in Lake Louise, I found this Steller’s Jay up in the trees looking for breakfast along a trail that wound away from the water. This one displayed the white markings around the eye which distinguish the Rocky Mountain subspecies from the other fifteen that are present across North America.
I did not expect to see this type of bird there at this time of the year. That said, they are regular denizens of parks, public areas and other places where trees and people happen to meet. Some will migrate but it is irregular and, with the mild start to winter this year, it is not surprising that this one, and likely a few more, have chosen to stay in the area.
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Barred owl: a little curious, a lot shy
It was May of this year when I saw my first Barred owl in Bragg Creek. I’ve lived here for ten years and spent a lot of time in the forests so it was a real thrill to find a new (to me) species in the area. In late October, another one was waiting for me as I was walking in the woods along the edge of Kananaskis Country. This time, the owl watched me intently for a few seconds, scanned the ground for prey for a few more and then repeated that for a couple of minutes while I watched and snapped a few images. Eventually the owl flew a short distance away but they blend into this type of forest so well that I lost sight with the next glide that followed. A beautiful creature.
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A Pileated evening in Bragg Creek
About a month ago, I was looking for one of the Great gray owls I sometimes find along the backroads in Bragg Creek. The owl was nowhere to be found, but I did find a shock of red amidst the autumn yellows turned gold in the late afternoon.
Descending from the trees, he landed in a long abandoned pile of cut wood and set to pecking and probing for insects.
After a few minutes, he moved to a stump that was disintegrating into sawdust. Snow was hidden from the sun in the depression he was hammering and a few crystals stuck to his beak.
Whether it was a full belly, boredom or the evening’s fast approach, he jumped up on to a tree and circled the trunk while moving upwards. He pecked here and there but soon took flight through the forest and out of sight.
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A Cormorant in motion on the Bow
I spent an evening on the Bow River at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary on the weekend. It was a beautiful day, warmly lit in golden light, and I had a great time photographing the birds well into dusk. Among the birds nearby were a few Double-crested cormorants fishing and flying around. I photographed as they flew or swam by. They are exceptionally fast birds and they often fly just above the water at speed which is exciting to watch. After the sunlight had left the river, I caught sight of one of these cormorants moving upriver. Darkness was starting to settle in so I dragged my shutter in order to use the lack of light to pan with the bird as it passed me. I used a shutter speed of 1/40th of a second and it worked out pretty well.
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Eagles flying at the Mount Lorette Ponds
This year I have photographed a pair of Bald eagles who nested at the Mount Lorette Ponds. These small lakes in Kananaskis are stocked with Rainbow trout most years so these eagles have obviously found an excellent location to summer. On this morning in mid-August the day took a little while to warm up which saw both birds perch in the trees nearby. I waited for a couple of hours for a fish catching run with no luck.
The luck I did have was watching these two beautiful animals as they surveyed their land below. One eagle was more active early and flew to different trees a few times before disappearing into the forest above the water. I hiked around for a bit before returning and finding one over the water again while the other perched on the edge of that forest.
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A Great horned owl’s flyby
I found this Great horned owl and her mate flying around a long line of trees on the edge of a farm field east of High River. On this flight she flew at eye level, very close to where I had my camera and lens setup on a tripod. Too close to fit the whole bird in the frame but I was happy to get a sharp image.
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Ospreys in flight
There was a lot of flight time during the afternoon that I spent watching a pair of Ospreys last weekend. They flew along the Bow River fishing, perching and collecting branches for their nest. I enjoyed watching them and having the opportunity to photograph them flying.
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A feathered portrait
A Canada goose poses for a portrait at the Vermilion Lakes early on a misty morning in the Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.
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A phantom of the north’s flyby
I watched this Great gray owl criss-cross a field west of Bragg Creek a couple of weekends ago. I spotted him perched near a small pond in front of the forest and photographed as he flew closer to where I was on the road.
Between flights, he landed on a couple of fence posts, a branch and a driveway gate. This last landing was about 20 metres (60′) away from where I stood.
I have had owls fly close to me occasionally and it is always an intense moment. This was no exception – it was great to feel his presence as it glided past within arm’s reach.
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A hunting owl
I have photographed this Great gray owl in the same area for the past five years. When I found her hunting for field mice just off the gravel road, I set up and watched her make two successful dives from branches that hung only a couple of metres above the tall grass. I haven’t seen her or her mate over the winter so it was great to reconnect and watch the action. I particularly enjoyed watching how she flew through the open forest.
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Hawkeye
I found this juvenile Red-tailed hawk perched on a treetop west of Bragg Creek facing towards me. As always, I hoped for a launch in my direction. Sometimes it happens, this time it didn’t. I kept tracking the bird as it flew away and when it banked gently to the left I squeezed off a few frames. I was very lucky to catch this one with a clear shot of the eye which elevated it considerably. The Red-tails are returning in droves to southern Alberta now – I am looking forward to seeing them much more again.
