In the mountains prairie crocus is the first wild flowers I tend to take pictures of in the spring, and this year it was no different. Beautiful little flower, providing little bit of colour before the warmer weather brings more.
Until next moment,
Amar
The Canada Geese are back in the mountains, now they wait for snow and ice to disappear so they can spread out, build a nest and start a family.
Until next moment,
Amar
A study that has been going on for 50 years at Isle Royale National Park on an island in Lake Superior has lead to some conclusion regarding wolf pack formation. Ravens are often found at a wolf kill, a biologists John Vucetich did some calculations, that a single Raven can eat and stash twice its body weight of meat a kill site, which works out to 4 pounds per bird. Now there is never just one Raven at a kill site. So all together the Ravens can put away lot of meat form a wolf kill, a conservative estimate indicated 40 pounds per day. Vucetich's math indicated ravens could take half the meat from two wolves, where a single wolf could only consume 13 pounds of meat per day. With four wolves in a pack, easier to keep the Ravens back and as well net them more meat per each wolf. Glad this theory does not apply to the two legged wolf consuming chocolate.
Until next moment,
Amar
This coyote look as if he approaching upon a prey, but he was just moving trough the valley when I spotted it. Slowly moved in and out of the forest, stopped every now and then to sniff and mark.
Until next moment,
Amar
Couple of evening ago I was making my way home, looking at the setting light on Sundance Range. I just had to find a place along the Bow River to take a picture.
Until next moment,
Amar
Was out again during the night taking pictures of the night sky, always helped by having some clouds in the sky and in this case also helped with light coming from the rising moon behind the clouds.
Until next moment,
Amar
This and the other elk don't have too long to wait when they will be back to feeding on green grass and not on the less nutritious foods like the pine needles. By then most of them will have survived the winter and it will time to start gaining weight they have lost. This was a mild winter, but longer and harsher the winter, the weaker they get and more prone to be taken out by the weather and or predators, even more so for the young and old. Already on the Bow Valley bottom and on the south facing lower slopes green vegetation is popping up, attracting the herbivores.
Until next moment,
Amar
One never know who is going to drop by during bird migration, does not happen every spring, but this spring I saw many as 10 Trumpeter Swans. Here is one of them who was grooming few mornings back. Trumpeters are the largest bird seen Banff National Park.
Until next moment,
Amar
The birds are making their way back to the mountains. As for the Bald Eagles, one or two can be spotted over the winter, even more this warm winter. But those who did leave for warmer waters are returning, I have been spotting them through out the valley, including this one at the Vermilion Lakes.
Until next moment,
Amar
I had my fingers crossed there would be a half decent sunrise, in the end there were just enough clouds to add colour to the sky and the ice reflecting some of that light.
Until next moment,
Amar
There are three members of the canidae family, wolves, coyotes and foxes that can be found in the mountains here, but unlike the other two, coyotes don't seem to get same attention when spotted. I have been shown my shares of pictures where the photographer is excited thinking they have taken a picture of a wolf, only to be disappointed when it's pointed out the animal in the picture is actually a coyote. Perhaps it just comes down to seeing something that is common compared to something we see on a rare occasion. The common coyote is one of the success story, expansion of civilization has not affected their number and the studies indicate climate change will not have a negative effect on them as well. In the end common or rare, all species have a role to play in the ecosystem.
Until next moment,
Amar
This picture was taken about a month ago, a moose standing in a meadow, The bull took a break from eating and seemed to be staring out in a distance. He would have soon lost his antlers and soon after the process starts of him growing a new set. By the time the rut rolls in the fall, they will be fully grown.
Until next moment,
Amar
It was a calm night, not too cold, stayed out there for over an hour watching the night sky and taking pictures. After the eyes became accustomed to the darkness, that's when the sky lights up with the stars.
Until next moment,
Amar
It's always easier to get an interesting pictures when the subject is close and dominates the frame. The challenge increases when the landscape dominates the picture and the subject is small part of it, as in this case with the wolf pack. I felt there was a picture waiting to be taken, I just had to find it. I was watching rest of the pack make their way to the alpha female. The wolves did all the work for me, they were spread out, following each others tracks, my eyes lead from one wolf to another, right to the female. I just had wait until they were all visible among the fallen and standing dead trees, before taking the picture.
Until next moment,
Amar
These three coyotes were crossing a partially frozen lake. Coyotes do stay in packs, have a alpha male and a female and can have pups form current and previous year. The mating pair are generally monogamous, a bond which can last for several years.
Until next moment,
Amar
It was a cold morning when I came across these two young wolves. Two siblings living in the Bow Valley with three other members of their pack. I enjoy seeing them anytime of the year, but more so in the winter when they have the full winter coat. They had some frost highlights on the coats, easier spotted on the black wolf, caused by their breathing. The morning I saw them, they were very playful and it was a joy to watch them.
Until next moment,
Amar
Landscapes used to be my main subject for photography, before adding flora, fauna and the night skies to the list. Over the winter with short days and work, weeks can quickly pass not getting sunset and or sunrise pictures. So for the last few weeks I have been making up for it. I was back at it again, this time at the Vermilion Lakes. The warm colours did not last too long, the clouds were moving in from the west, it ended up being a very overcast day. But before that took place I needed to get the reflection of the mountains in the small pool of water front of me. Got the camera to the ground, bent over to frame the image and then pressed the shutter.
Until next moment,
Amar
Still lot of ice on and as well on the shores of Lake Minnewanka. I was out there few days ago taking pictures of the sunrise with big chunk of ice front of me. The way the large ice pieces were pilled on top of each other, they seem to be mirroring the mountains in the background.
Until next moment,
Amar
I spent very little time in 2015 taking pictures of the sunrises and sunsets from the Vermilion Lakes, 2016 is about making up that time. This pictures of a sunset from few days ago.
Until next moment,
Amar
I had just arrived and I was setting my equipment to take pictures. Just then a man comes out in the open and says, "You are too late?". Thinking he must be talking about the light on Castle Mtn, so I point toward it and said, "too late?" He replied "yes, it was much brighter earlier". I then replied back, "it's never too late to take pictures". As I was saying that I turned around and focused on what I need to do. Once my gear was set I started taking pictures, moving left and right to get the right angle and the reflection I wanted in the water front of me. I had quickly forgotten about the man, I tend to listen to my inner voice when it comes to taking pictures. We all need at least one thing in life where no one is telling us what to do, for me its photography.
Until next moment,
Amar
