Grizzly

A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found  at the end of a toe or finger in most mammals, reptiles, and birds. Claws are made of a hard protein called keratin, which also makes up scales, hair, feathers, horns, hooves, and even our nails. For many predatory mammals, claws can partially retract into the animal’s paws. For example, members of the cat family (Felidae) have retractable claws. Having retractable claws helps protect them from wear and tear.

The grizzly bear has claws which are always on display, and are crucial for its survival. These claws vary in length depending on the size and age of the bear, with an average length of 5 to 10 cm, though some claws can reach up to 15 cm. The main function of the grizzly’s claws is to provide protection and aid in survival in a tough habitat. However, they also play an important role in the bear’s daily life, such as searching for food and shelter. They are excellent for digging dens and for searching for food, like roots and rodents. Long claws also help grizzly bears climb steep slopes when heading to their den or in search of food.

This picture of M136 was taken in November when he and M122 were still searching for food. Using his claws and other tools, M136 had gained enough fat to survive another winter in his den.

Common Raven

Another Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is upon us. Led by the Bow Valley Naturalists, the CBC in the Bow Valley will take place on Saturday, December 14, 2024. I usually write about the CBC a week before it happens in the Bow Valley, but I think I mixed up my chocolate intake, and here we are. The Bow Valley Naturalists have been involved with the count since 1975, so tomorrow will be the 49th count. Much has changed in recent years, let alone when looking back to 1975. The CBC counts that occur across Canada have become even more important for observing what is going on with our feathered friends.

There’s an important Citizen Science component to the CBC, but it’s also a great way to be social and active as we listen and look to find what species of birds are around us. And there are always some surprises, even if we don’t come across a Common Raven with leucism. This raven was spotted about 56 km from where we will be counting.

Animals with albinism lack melanin, the natural pigment in skin, feathers, hair, and eyes. They tend to appear pale pink or red in color. Leucism, on the other hand, is a defect in pigment cells, which causes animals to have pale or muted colors, or, as in this raven's case, patches of white. If the raven was all white, one way to tell whether the bird has albinism or leucism is by looking at the eyes. With leucism, the raven would have dark-colored eyes, rather than red or pink. Leucism, like albinism, is inherited. The muted colors and patches on an animal’s skin or feathers can vary depending on the genetics of its parents.

So, whether you’re a beginner, an advanced birder, or somewhere in between, dress for the weather and bring a few snacks—chocolate is always a good choice. Enjoy another Christmas Bird Count. And even if you’re not participating in this event, which started in 1900, the next time you see a bird, give it a look for a few extra seconds or a minute and appreciate how amazing birds are.

Grizzly

M136 ("Split-lip") is the other large grizzly bear that calls the Bow Valley its home. As for the media and public attention, it's M122 ("The Boss") who gets most of it, if not all. But unlike perhaps us humans, neither bear cares who's on the news, nor do they care what we call them.

A few years back, I was at a viewing area, watching over a large open space when a family visiting from another province stopped to have a look. I said hello, and they asked if there was any wildlife in the area. I mentioned there were a few birds around, but as far as mammals were concerned, there were just the two-week-old grizzly bear tracks below us.

They started asking questions about bears, and the next thing you know, I was giving a point talk on the two large grizzlies, M122 and M136. After listening to me for a few minutes, during which I only used their numbers to identify them, the lady said, "That's very cold, giving them numbers instead of names." I replied, "There have been no complaints from any of the bears." Then I went on to explain that naming can lead to anthropomorphizing, which can result in data and conclusions that are not objective or valid.

Even then, researchers can develop attachments to a specific bear and feel saddened when its death is not natural. For some, naming a wild animal can place a sense of value on it, which implies that humans have power over them.

Some of the reasons a bear gets tagged are for research purposes or because the bear is being monitored for public and/or its safety. Once it's decided that a bear is going to be tagged, a team will work together, with each member having specific responsibilities. Once the bear is tranquilized, the team ensures that not only is the bear collared and ear-tagged, but that necessary samples are collected and the bear's health is checked.

With modern technology, the collar can send a radio signal or GPS coordinates. Male bears receive their ear tag with their assigned number on the left ear, while females get theirs on the right ear. Humans do make mistakes, though. A few years ago, a male black bear was spotted in the spring with cubs from that year. The Parks Canada team realized that it had been tagged on the wrong ear. Depending on how long the collar's battery lasts, it may function for a couple of years. For example, if the collar sends out a GPS signal every minute, it will last much shorter than one that sends out a signal every hour.

M136 was last collared and ear-tagged several years ago. His collar didn't last long; it's assumed he got into a fight with another grizzly, and off came the collar. However, he still has a small ear tag in his left ear, which can't be seen in this picture. It's often assumed that only part of his tag is attached to his ear, but he was tagged with a smaller ear tag. The yellow ear tag can be easily viewed, but you'd have to zoom in or get dangerously too close to see the number on the tag. There are other ways to identify him, such as his lighter-colored face, his narrower head compared to M122, the cut on his upper lip on the left side that gave him his street name of "Split-lip," and other features.

In the end, it does not matter what the public calls him or any other bear. The far more important thing is to give this bear, and all other bears, the space they need to make a living.

Mountain Goats

In 2022, it was the International Year of Caves and Karst. These hidden worlds contain unique ecosystems. The International Year of Caves and Karst was established by a number of organizations to shine a light on the importance of caves and karst. Karst forms when soluble bedrock is dissolved by water. It starts with existing fractures and cracks in the bedrock, which become enlarged through dissolution. Given enough time, large subterranean drainage networks can develop, connecting the surface with the subsurface.

Rainwater picks up carbon dioxide from the air, and as it makes its way through the soil, it turns into weak carbonic acid. This slowly dissolves limestone, dolomite, and other types of soluble rocks along the joints, bedding planes, and fractures, which over time become enlarged enough to form caves.

This cave can be viewed from a pull-off along the road below, a few hundred meters away. It is even better seen with binoculars or a zoom lens. At parts of the year, I can see mountain goats on the slope of the mountain that this cave is part of, sometimes grazing or hanging out in front of it. On this occasion, there were six of them. I noticed one standing right away, but when I zoomed in, I could see two sitting at the entrance and three on the rocks just below. Mountain goats' habitat makes up an interesting geological world.

Copper Mtn

 I think we've all heard the phrases "be in the moment" or "just enjoy the moment." Understanding these words is easy, but living them can take years, and for some, a lifetime. This fall, more than at other times, I’ve found myself reflecting on these words. At work, on a hike, listening to the radio, and elsewhere, I've heard others compare the fall colours in the Canadian Rockies to those in the East. Lately, I’ve come to see this type of  conversation as a waste of time and energy.

A few weeks ago, in October, I was visiting family in the Toronto area, where I grew up. Every day, I would go for a long walk to a park, enjoying the fall colours on the way there and in the park. I was amazed by the beautiful colours nature can produce. Late September and early October, I once again enjoyed the fall colours in the Bow Valley and on several hikes in the mountain national parks. Again, I was amazed by the beautiful colours of nature. Not for a second did I think about or compare which area had more beautiful colours. Each time, I was simply enjoying the experience and, as always, part of me was hoping it wouldn't end.

Several weeks ago, a friend shared with me pictures and words about a great hike he and others had on a beautiful morning. I enjoyed his story and could hear the excitement in his voice, recalling the same excitement I had experienced that same morning elsewhere. Not for a second I wish I had his experience or he had mine. We all had a great morning. Life is short, and I let others worry about creating lists of things you "must do” or create a top ten list.” Life becomes fun and easy when I can find something special in each moment I encounter. 

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Times when the world seems out of control and you can’t make sense of it, nature is a great remedy. Add birding to your outing, and the mind begins to fit into nature’s rhythm. During late fall and winter, only a fraction of the species are encountered compared to spring and summer, requiring a greater effort to hear and spot them. This is even more challenging when most birds aren't calling out as they do during main birding season. That said, they still make other sounds, including this tiny songbird, the Yellow-crowned Kinglet. This was especially true when several of them were foraging for insects through the leaves. With their yellow crowns showing, they blended in perfectly among the half-dried leaves still clinging to the branches. Light rain fell as I tried to get a few good pictures while the kinglets kept moving, searching for food. In those moments, the world felt small and manageable again.

Golden Larches

The larches are coniferous trees, like pine trees, as they have needles instead of leaves, and their seeds grow in cones. However, unlike evergreen trees, larch needles are deciduous. Come fall, the larches turn golden. To save nutrients for later use, as temperatures cool and days become shorter, the chemical components in the needles that photosynthesize—specifically, those that create sugars from carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight—begin to break down. These chemicals, mostly nitrogen, are stored elsewhere in the tree. It is during this process that the needles of the larch trees become golden-coloured, a transformation that lasts two to three weeks, depending on the weather.

Northern Lights

A coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the active sunspot AR3842 on October 1st. On the 3rd, it was reported that the sunspot AR3842 had exploded again, and now two CMEs were headed for Earth. The forecast predicted that the first CME would strike Earth on October 4th and the second on October 6th. Geomagnetic storms were expected to arrive on the weekend of October 5th and 6th, bringing with them the northern lights.

The news improved when smaller CMEs were also observed heading for Earth. However, forecasting weather with 100 percent accuracy on Earth is challenging enough, let alone predicting the northern lights when something is arriving from the Sun that’s 150 million kilometers away.

The lights started slowly, becoming visible on the night of the 6th, but the big show began in the mountains as soon as it got dark on October 7th. The intensity of the lights seemed to increase four separate times that night, revealing colours beyond just green to our naked eyes. As we enjoyed the northern lights, the sunspot AR3842 was not done yet. A bigger explosion occurred on the 7th, and a more powerful CME was on its way, striking on the night of October 10th. But that’s a story for another time.

Lake O'Hara

We all have our reasons for hiking, and I certainly have mine. It's important to have more than one reason. If my only goal, for example, were to get the perfect picture, I would likely be disappointed most of the time.

More importantly than getting the picture, I find that being active is key, and I find hiking in nature to be very mentally relaxing. So, before I even captured this image, I already felt accomplished that day. The sky was supposed to be partially cloudy that morning, but as I got closer to Lake O’Hara, the clear sky began to disappear. When I reached the lake, it seemed that the first morning light wouldn't break through the clouds. Still, I continued to the spot I wanted to reach, ready to see what would unfold before me.

Half an hour later, I arrived at my location, put my backpack down, and layered up. I had my first food of the day as I waited patiently. I felt relaxed while I waited for the sky to open up. I became a sort of trail greeter, standing or sometimes sitting by the trail, chatting with other hikers who were now making their way up the same route. Their hikes had started at the lake below me. We exchanged a few words; they might take pictures, and then they continued on. This repeated several times with different hikers.

I think I waited in that general spot for about 90 minutes before I was satisfied with the picture and then made my way down to the lake for a stroll before heading home. For this image, I didn’t have to think outside the box. I was already content with my hike and feeling relaxed. Capturing the photo was just a bonus as I enjoyed the views while the sky slowly opened to reveal the shot I wanted. After that, I made a quick descent to the lake, followed by a walk around it. With the water being calm compared to just a few hours earlier, I was able to capture a few more keepers. Another bonus that morning was seeing a few familiar faces on my way down to the lake and while walking around it.

A picture like this is not just about the view it presents. But also, all the experience before and after that came about one beautiful fall morning.

Herbert Lake

No matter how many sunrises and sunsets I have experienced, they remain one of nature’s wonders to watch. Now, with shorter days, I’m back to looking out for sunrises and sunsets to enjoy, and, when time allows, to take pictures of. Most of the time, I prefer having clouds in the sky, ideally high enough for the sun to light them up. If the picture is taken near any body of water, little to no wind enhances the quality of the image. In the end, when we take a picture, it’s a personal preference, as we try to capture the feelings we experience while watching what is happening in front of us. After taking thousands of pictures of sunrises and sunsets, I still find that images fall short compared to the experience in real time. However, the images I keep provide enough memory of the moments to go out again and again. 

Mountain Goat

I can still recall a school field trip as a child when we were looking at lichen on a rock. Lichen can tell us how healthy the quality of air is since they get the food they need to survive directly from it. In the U.S., scientists in the Forest Service and Park Service use lichen to assess the quality of the air. When the air has too many pollutants, like sulphur, heavy metals, or nitrogen, it can be deadly to lichen.

Lichen are made up of three layers. The outer layer is fungus, the middle layer is algae, and the lower layer helps it stick to surfaces. When it comes to surfaces that lichen adhere to, it can attach to nearly any surface, including rocks, trees, soil, and even glass and metal. Lichens can grow in extreme conditions where most other life forms cannot. The algae layer produces food using photosynthesis, the outer layer protects it from too much sun, and filters water down for the algae layer to thrive. They are quite self-sufficient and can survive without water for a long time; this feature is important in extreme or barren habitats. They can reproduce sexually, asexually, or both, and some lichens can live up to 4,000 years.

Lichens play a role in the first step of weathering the rocks on which they live by creating tiny crevasses into which water’s freezing and thawing action can occur. The rock disintegration provides the raw material for soil building. In these cryptobiotic soils, lichens bind soil particles together. This crusty soil will trap blowing dust, preventing erosion and adding nutrients. The decay of dead lichens adds nitrogen to the soil.

Mammals such as caribou, mule deer, mountain goats, moose, and pronghorn forage on lichen, particularly in winter. Birds, including hummingbirds, use them in their nest building. Lichens have been used to make dyes and are used in perfume. Lichen growth patterns can also be used for dating stone structures.

During my hike a few weeks back, I was watching a two-year-old mountain goat grazing for a while before moving over the rocks. For just a few seconds, it stopped on rocks covered by lichens. I quickly got my camera, pointing it at the goat and making sure I zoomed out to include the lichens as well. Just a note: the goats do not feed on the lichens shown in the picture; they instead feed what is called white foam (or snow) lichen.

Northern Harrier and Common Raven

I wanted to talk about the birds, but I think you might be more interested in what is going on in the image and how I got this picture. Perhaps another time I can discuss the Northern Harrier, which has a face that is owl-like, allowing it to hear voles and mice underneath the vegetation. I would also have talked about how this long-tailed hawk glides over the marsh or grassland while hunting for its prey. How they primarily hunt small mammals and birds, but they are also capable of taking larger prey like rabbits and ducks. I guess I will talk about this beautiful bird another day.

I also wanted to discuss the Common Raven. While the harrier is found across North America, ravens are found throughout North America and around the world in the Northern Hemisphere. They have followed people for centuries, for a chance at a quick meal. I would have liked to talk about how they are one of the most intelligent birds. Young ravens enjoy playing, often dropping sticks and diving to catch them. And how they work together to distract adult incubating birds at seabird colonies while another raven grabs an egg or a chick. They have also learned that the sound of a gunshot may mean a carcass nearby, providing an opportunity for food. They are excellent flyers; one bird was even seen flying upside down for nearly a kilometer.

But for now let’s talk about how this picture came about. If you haven’t guessed by looking at the image, there is only one raven and one harrier represented. I was taking pictures of the harrier when the raven flew into the frame. Ravens never miss a chance to mob eagles, owls, and hawks. While I was photographing the harrier, this raven was perched on a nearby tree, calling out. Then it flew in from the back right, going over the hawk and out the front left. By using continuous shooting mode, I was able to capture several images of the raven’s flyby. To avoid overlapping of the raven, I chose five images of it and one of the harrier, then layered them together using an application. With the background having the same exposure, I digitally created one image from six.

Cattail

The day before, I was able to do a long hike, covering both elevation and distance. But this morning, the plan was to walk a certain distance near home before the forecasted rain arrived. I walked along a road to a short looping trail. I kept my pace while listening to the birds that had no plans of going south for the winter. they were  too far to take the camera out for, but there was a picture to be had around the loop. Not of wildlife, but of the fall colours I was seeing in the cattail leaves. I slowed down to look at the leaves at different stages of fall colours, my eyes searching for the picture I wanted to take. I continued walking, thinking about what I saw and how I wanted the picture to look. On my second walk around the loop, I slowed down even more, considering what the background would look like. The picture was starting to take shape. But I was determined to cover a certain distance that morning, so a third walk around the loop was needed. Now two pictures were coming to mind from this one small area with cattail plants. During the  final lap, I stopped and put my pack on the ground. Out came the camera, and I zoomed in to take a picture of a small section of the leaves standing in the calm air. But it was the second picture that ended up being my favourite that morning: the cattail flower surrounded by summer-green leaves, with the background green broken up by out-of-focus fall-colored cattail leaves.

Boreal Owl

At night, the Boreal Owl becomes active in the spruce and fir forests, hunting for small mammals and birds with its talons. If you're out there, you might hear its hooting sounds from late winter through spring. Boreal Owls spend the entire year in the boreal forest, only migrating south when food is scarce. Like other owl species, the female is larger than the male, but with Boreal Owls, the size difference is especially pronounced. Sometimes the female can be twice as heavy as the male. Additionally, Boreal Owls have asymmetrical ear openings, with one opening positioned higher than the other. This asymmetry helps the owl better determine the direction of sounds, which is crucial for hunting.

Boreal Owls tend to be solitary. Even during the breeding season, mated pairs do not roost together and only come together at the nest site during courtship and feeding. The male courts the female with food and calls, feeding her for up to three months before nesting, and continues to bring food throughout the nesting period. Due to their nocturnal habits, Boreal Owls are not commonly encountered, making it a special occasion when I spotted one a few months ago.

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly

A few weeks back, I did a morning hike to reach the alpine region. With the goal of seeing the wildflowers and the insects that are attracted to them. On an open slope meadow, just below the tree line, I ended up spending a couple of hours taking pictures of flowers and butterflies. Of course, if I could capture both together, that was even better. Movement had to be slow to avoid scaring away the butterflies I wanted to photograph.

This butterfly in the picture landed on an arnica flower. I got on my knees to get close, but it took to the air. However it did not go far, it ended up landing on top of a fireweed flower a meter away from me. I started taking its pictures, slowly moving closer until I zoomed all the way in and did not need to crop the image later. Once I got the picture I wanted, it was just as important to move back slowly without startling the butterfly. I got back on my feet and started looking for and photographing other flowers and butterflies. A relaxing way to spend the morning.

Calliope Hummingbird

There are 360 species of hummingbirds in the world, and their colour palette is just amazing. The iridescent rainbow of colours found on hummingbirds exceeds that of all other bird species combined—by 56 percent when hummingbird colours are added to the existing inventory of other bird colours. Hummingbirds create these amazing colours by capturing, bending, and reflecting beams of sunlight using tiny structures built into their feathers. Feathers alone are limited in their ability to produce colour pigments.

Hummingbirds have what are called barbules, tiny structures on the outermost part of their feathers. They help create shiny, reflective iridescence. Hummingbirds have flat barbules, which contain layer after layer of flattened, air-filled discs called melanosomes, stacked on top of each other. When light hits the top layers of melanosomes, some light is reflected and some passes through, refracting as it goes. This process is repeated as the light passes through the other layers. When the waves of light from these reflections align, we get the brilliant colours. The colours are amplified when the peaks and valleys of the light waves are aligned.

This male Calliope Hummingbird is not as colorful as other hummingbirds, but it is still worth the wait to see its magenta rays light up.

Coyote

When it comes to being misunderstood and hated animals, the coyote would be at the top of the list if we consider how this species has been treated in North America. In the United States, a lab called the Eradication Methods Laboratory was created to work on various types of poisons to eliminate coyotes from the continent. This organization persuaded Congress to pass a bill in 1931, which allocated $10 million to continue their work. From 1947 to 1946, this agency killed 6.5 million coyotes in the American West. This figure does not even account for the numbers killed privately and in Canada during the same period. In November 2009, the Saskatchewan government ran a program for four months that resulted in the killing of 71,000 coyotes. Hundreds of thousands of coyotes are still killed every year in North America. The reasons for this are varied, but the main factors are misunderstanding their role in nature and mismanagement.

However, coyotes have a way of fighting back. They can function as pack predators or as singles and pairs. When attacked by humans using guns or poison campaigns, they abandon the pack strategy and spread out across the landscape as singles and pairs. Additionally, when their populations are suppressed, their litter size increases from 5 to 6 pups to as many as 12 to 16 pups. So, if their population is reduced by 70 percent in a certain area, it will be back to or near its previous size by the following summer. To gauge their population in an area, coyotes use their howls and yips. If their howls are not answered, it triggers a response to produce larger litters.

Moreover, coyotes’ range has expanded due to settlers hunting wolves to extinction in many parts of North America. Unlike other predators, coyotes have expanded and thrived over the past 150 years. Moving into farm areas and cities, their diet has also broadened. Coyotes in eastern North America are larger than their counterparts elsewhere due to the wolf genes inherited from their ancestors through interbreeding. They now have the ability to bring down adult deer. I always have a soft spot for any species in nature that fights back.

Sun

Yesterday morning, I was able to look toward the rising sun without any negative effects on my eyes. As a matter of fact, I was able to look directly at it and take a picture with my camera without any side effects, which is not normally the case. But when it comes to weather, the new norms are here. With shorter, warmer winters and longer, warmer summers, the fire season now plays a dangerous role. Every summer, we wait to see which community will be affected by the fire season, all while wondering if it will be our turn this year. We learned about Jasper and its community being devastated by powerful winds that blew the wildfire into the town. Our hearts went out to the people. After evacuating, they, like everyone else, learned about and saw the devastation caused by the out-of-control wildfire.

Yesterday afternoon in Banff, as rain arrived after a few weeks of above-normal temperatures, we were happy with the moisture but worried about the lightning that accompanied it. We were reassured by the helicopter taking to the air after the lightning passed, ready to catch any wildfire that might have started. This would give time to prepare and fight it if needed.

This is also the new norm that goes through our minds, alongside the new norms for weather. Living in the mountains, the topic of wildfires is always on our minds and is a frequent topic of discussion. Trails that used to be an escape from a troubled mind and a troubled world are now also a reminder of what is happening to the environment around us.

I took these pictures while ashes were falling on me from a wildfire far away. The Sun, which has been around for five billion years, has changed very little on the surface. Earth, which has been around for 4.5 billion years, has. And it's changing even faster today. But, like the Sun rising in this picture behind all the smoke, once the wildfires are gone, the heart of Jasper and its people will rise and rebuild, as we humans have done so many times before. And I hope to visit soon after on one of the most beautiful drives in the world.

Moose

The way this July is going, it may surpass July 2023, which was recorded as the warmest July. Moose are one species looking for cooler days. Climate change is causing concern for their population and harvest dynamics in parts of the United States and Canada. Warmer temperatures and decreasing snowpack favour white-tailed deer, while stressing moose physically and exposing them to diseases spread by the increasing deer population and changes in food sources. Moose in the Midwestern United States have seen their numbers drastically decline in recent decades. In Michigan and Minnesota, moose are considered species of special concern.

However, climate change might provide positive signs north of the moose’s range. Rising temperatures and shorter winters have helped moose move into new stretches of territory in Alaska and Canada. Foraging animals are finding more food in the tundra region. Studies have shown increasing vegetation due to the warming Arctic, in the form of alder, willow, and birch plants. But, as always, when looking at the southern range of moose, there are positives and negatives for species of flora and fauna. The same goes for flora and fauna in their expanding northern range. For example, ptarmigans once had a little bit of shrub life to themselves. Now they will have to contend with 450-kilogram herbivores, as well as predators like red foxes and lynx moving into their territory.

Glacier Lily

It was only a few days ago that I went for an early morning hike. I wanted to be back in the parking lot before the temperature rose too high. The forecast called for clear weather with temperatures reaching up to 31 degrees Celsius. I’m a fan of cooler weather hiking but need to keep my legs in shape for fall weather hikes. Being a morning person, it was pretty easy to start the hike just before sunrise. I was looking forward to seeing the glacier lilies and perhaps coming back with a few good images. This past winter, we did not get our normal snowpack, but during spring, it snowed a number of times at higher elevations. Snow was still lingering in shaded areas, including at the Healy Pass I was hiking to. With cooler temperatures, bugs were not a problem. It was still cool in the open, and I ended up spending about 45 minutes taking pictures of the wildflowers, going up and down the trail looking for opportunities. Being up there early, I wasn't getting in anyone’s way. I had the whole beautiful place to myself until I made my way down. I think I missed the prime time for the glacier lilies by a few days; I would have rated what I saw six out of ten chocolate bars. That's still a lot of chocolate. When I got back to my car, the temperature had just reached 24 degrees Celsius. I spent the rest of the day taking it easy and going over the flower pictures while eating chocolate ice cream.