Sometime you're forced into a situation of having limited tools and trying to come up with something worth keeping. Few weeks back I had just my compact camera and I was looking at a grizzly bear. Not having more then three time zoom on the camera, I decided to show the sense of scale of this beautiful bear to its surroundings. Other then during mating season and the odd encounters with other bears, this grizzly lives in isolation, travelling throughout the mountains.
Until next moment,
Amar
Today we had our local Christmas Bird Count, where we volunteered to see how many birds we can find in a selected area. My friend and I had the Vermilion Lakes and the Fenland Trail around the Town of Banff. It was much warmer then last year, temperature went above freezing by few degrees and the wind did not arrive until later in the day. The day started with about 76 Ravens flying overhead and we ended it by seeing several chickadees and nuthatches. All together we saw 14 species of birds, not bad for winter day in the mountains. One of the favourite highlight was watching this Clark's Nutcracker looking for dead larvae in a vacant wasp nest.
Until next moment,
Amar
Always a good way to end a hike is coming back with a picture to remember the hike. In this case the hike was the short Marsh Loop hike and the picture was of the Massive Range.
Until next moment,
Amar
Few weeks back spent a morning along the Vermilion Lakes taking pictures of a sunrise. I thought the light was going to be flat, but before long some colour shows up to help out.
Until next moment,
Amar
This deer like others are working hard to survive the winter. As it gets colder and as we get further into the winter, they get weaker, due to less nutritious food and cold weather eating up energy. If this was not hard enough to deal with, the predators get stronger during winter. Which this deer has to be vary of, as it moves around in wolves territory.
Until next moment,
Amar
Last month I across five Trumpeter Swans early in the morning. I figured the storm from the previous day had brought them down for a stop over from their travel to the south. I only got to watch them for about ten minutes, the sky was starting to open up and the swans starting bobbing their head and their vocalisation increased. Got my camera ready, as they were looking to fly, soon they did just that. They headed to a warmer place, leaving me to winter wonderland.
Until next moment,
Amar
One of the mountain I like to take pictures of again and again, Castle Mountain. The week before the river had frozen over, it was opening up, but still enough ice to make the picture interesting.
Until next moment,
Amar
For this grizzly its still not time to fall sleep. He has been working hard since early spring putting on the weight for the winter. The first cold spell is on its way, if he does not find more food, this could be the time to say good night.
Until next moment,
Amar
Middle of the night, all bundle up and standing next to open water. Could just make out the northern lights to my right and the town light coming up front of me. The northern lights were not going to spread any further, so I just went about playing with the camera's setting and kept taking pictures. Playing with the sensitivity of the sensor and taking exposures 10 to 20 seconds long. When happy with the results, it was time to head for a warm bed.
Until next moment,
Amar
This shy pup was bit hesitant to cross the road, a behaviour which will go long way in providing a long life. I stopped and waited for it to come back on the road, it waited on one side while looking both sides. After more wait it quickly crossed the road and ran into the forest, where it's father was.
Until next moment,
Amar
Days are getting shorter, providing lot of time to go out and take pictures in the night before bed time. Being cold, all you need is to throw on a few layers and grab a trusty headlamp. Oh yeah, need a camera and a tripod. Then set up the equipment, put it on manual and play with the setting until you start getting something interesting on the camera's display and go from there.
Until next moment,
Amar
Zoom lens were made for zooming. Was too far away from Mount Edith Cavell to use my landscape lens to help the mountain to stand out in the picture. So pulled out my mid-zoom lens and closed in.
Until next moment,
Amar
Bear's instinct is not just to sleep during the winter, but to survive the winter. While many bears are tucked in for the winter, but for this 650 lbs plus male grizzly there is still lot to eat and to gain weight. I caught it just in time taking a break from its elk feast, and its break involved slowly taking few steps from its food to sit and then to take a nap.
Did not notice the Bald Eagle right away, perched twenty meters from the ground on a dead Douglas fir. I was helped by the calls of a Black-billed Magpie, it was trying to harass the eagle. I tried to get a clear picture of the eagle but the branches were in the way. So I decided to wait and see if it would take off. I figured finding it in an area where there are not spotted and the harassing it was getting from the magpie, it was not going to be too long before it would take to air. So I waited and stepped back, before long it was flying.
Few nights ago I was outside looking and taking pictures of Northern Lights. They were not as bright as I have seen other nights this year, but the camera's sensor was doing its magic.
Until next moment,
Amar
I was making my way back on the trail, as I came around a turn, there front of me was a coyote to the right. It stopped as I got off the trail to the left. The coyote started moving toward me but staying on its side of the trail. As it got closer and closer, I started to take pictures of its face as I moved back. Then it decided to move away from me, creating more personal space as it continued on its journey.
Until next moment,
Amar
A picture form Jasper, taken along the Athabasca River during a sunrise. I'll have to get back there soon and take picture with the snow that has fallen recently. A beautiful area.
Until next moment,
Amar
A stone landmark or cairn called inuksuk organically built by people of the Arctic region like the Inuit, is used for navigation, marker for travel routes and for various other reasons. A similar structure that represent a human figure, is called an inunnguaq, which is better know among the non-Inuit. One was built along the shore of Moraine Lake, spotted as I looked for a place to take a picture.
I watched this bull for few minutes, it was standing looking into the distance. When it took a step, it did so with what looked like great pain. Before it slowly moved toward the river to take a drink, I saw the back of its behind. There on the back of the left leg was the injury, looked like from a another bull. After the drink, it slowly moved away into the forest.
Until next moment,
Amar
Well with the recent snowfall and more to come, here's one of the last picture before snow took over the peaks for the coming winter. A picture taken couple of weeks ago.
Until next moment,
Amar