Mountain Goats

It’s always easier to see what colour the mountain goats are when they are surrounded by snow. Of course, that becomes harder as you put more space between you and where the goats are. In this case, they were about a km away from me. All together, there were 15 goats on the side of the mountain. With many years of looking up with my naked eyes at the same locations, I can still tell if there are goats up there in the winter. Then I can watch them with binoculars or a zoom lens. A better way would be to use a spotting scope. The best way would be on the side of the same mountain but far enough not to bother them.

In this case, I was about a km away and I was able to get a picture with the zoom lens, crop it enough where there are still enough details to get an understanding of their winter habitat. The day the image was taken, the temperature was in the minus mid-teens. Their winter coat had no problem keeping them warm, it’s playing an even bigger role today when the temperature hit minus 41 degree Celsius. As we are all dealing with the first major deep freeze of this winter in the mountains. Life is about trade-offs. The goats must deal with extreme weather events and lower quality of food at higher elevations, but there are less predators to deal with. Over the winter with them, as with many other prey, they will not be gaining weight. It’s all about being efficient and using just enough energy to get them to spring. Another good reason for not bothering them if you happen to come across them over the winter months.

Mount Rundle

We get some crazy sunrises during the winter. They are even better when everything is covered with snow. So far, this year's winter wonderland days have been few and far between. For me, a crazy sunrise and sunset occur when it's so bright, it becomes a challenge to get the bright colours with some details in the clouds in an image. You often see this when a picture is taken of a sunrise or a sunset. Instead of the bright red colours, you get yellow and the image is lacking in details where it's the brightest. That is why it’s always easier when the mountains and the trees are covered with snow. Then the lights bounce off the snow, creating less of a brightness difference between the sky and the ground. This was a long sunrise in mid-December. The clouds went from dark red to bright red and then to bright yellow. The clouds were lit up for about 20 minutes before the light hit the north side of Mount Rundle. By then, I had stopped taking pictures and just watched the light show in front of me.

Grizzly

Now and then, I think photography would be a lot easier if I shortened my list of photography subjects that I like to take pictures of. I would have a lot less to carry if I just took landscape pictures or just flowers. Or maybe just take pictures of birds; I can find them year-round. Or how about just predators? I can spend a lot more time watching out for them and getting better pictures with more opportunities. But I would be tired of sitting on my butt while waiting.

Over the last number of years, more of my free time has been spent focusing on things close to where I live and learning even more about the nature that is found within this place. Occurring naturally as I started realizing what I wanted to read, listen to, and watch documentaries happened to be about the area and species I’m directly familiar with. In this small part of the world, which is not that small, there is so much to see and learn. Just yesterday, I started reading “Grizzly Bear Science and the Art of a Wilderness Life” by Bruce McLellan. Even after reading the first couple of chapters last evening, I learned something new about this big guy and all the other bears like him.

Life is a lot easier when you know what you like and, just as important, what you don’t. But you still want to be challenged in life, both physically and mentally. Mentally, there is so much to learn about the subjects I like to take pictures of. There is no magic camera that can replace learning. Not only do I get to challenge myself on getting better pictures of the various subjects but I also learn how they are all connected. As for the physical part, what better way to stay active and healthy than to keep getting out there to enjoy nature and get pictures of all the moments I come across.

Now, regarding this picture. Before anyone asks if this grizzly, M122, is still up. This last fall, after spending a lot of time outdoors exploring, I was able to see him soon after one of our few snowfalls. It was in the second half of November, and I think a few days later he called it a season. For the last several years in the Bow Valley, the bear season starts when he wakes up and finishes when he goes to bed. If that pattern continues, the next bear season will start in a few months.

Pine Grosbeak

Even in the mountains one can find birds to take pictures of year-round. During the winter, the opportunities and varieties of species are a fraction of what you encounter during the spring and summer seasons, but they are there. With fewer opportunities, it’s ever more important to take advantage when they come along. This is where all those years of practice and years of learning about birds become important. In the wild, when the birds are not habituated and there is no blind to cover you, the birds are ever more alert. They see us as predators and their number one priority is their survival.

When my main goal is to take pictures, I tend to be by myself. Because the more people approach a bird, the more likely it will fly away sooner than later. From the bird's perspective, it’s a lot easier dealing with one predator than two or more. And no quick movements or big actions, like taking your pack off your shoulder near a bird to get the camera out. Have the camera in your hands before moving closer. If you want the bird to stay calm, then you and your body need to stay calm. All this is even more important if there is more than one bird and or more than one bird species. Then you must make sure you don’t scare away any birds, because others will follow.

Even with all this effort, if you don’t come back with any pictures. You still come back with a little more knowledge to improve your chances on your next encounter. In the end, the birds are not there for us. We went outside to see them and with some work to bring back a moment with your camera.

Cascade Mountain

Most of us only know about avalanches from what we hear on the news. Usually in a negative context. Avalanches, like wildfires, are a natural process. It occurs when a layer of snow collapses and slides downhill. Four factors cause avalanches: a steep slope, snow cover, a weak layer in the snow cover and a trigger. Triggers can be caused by wildlife, skiers and various human-caused ways to reduce danger on the slopes or in a valley containing roads and or railway tracks.

 But avalanches like wildfire play a role in increasing biodiversity in the mountains. For example, studies were conducted in Austria by zoologists and entomologists. Natural avalanches tracks, particularly on the sunny south-facing slopes, are rich in butterfly species. As a result of the area being rich in plant diversity. These natural corridors, free of bushes and trees, become grassland or meadows connecting different habitats up and down the mountain.

 Its increased diversity in plants and insects on these avalanche slopes helps to attract birds that take advantage of these ecosystems. Like the Fox Sparrows, MacGillivary’s Warblers, Hermit Thrushes and Calliope Hummingbirds to name a few. As well as the larger mammals, like the bears, They can more easily move around on the avalanche slopes looking for food or looking for an easy way to go from point a to b.

Common Redpoll

Before the turn of the 20th century, hunters had a holiday tradition called the Christmas “Side Hunt”. They would choose sides and see who would have the biggest pile of kills of feathered and furred friends. At this time, conservation was just in the beginning stages, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Starting on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman proposed a new holiday tradition, the “Christmas Bird Census.” Counting the birds, instead of hunting them during the holidays. That year, 28 birders, including Chapman, held 25 Christmas Bird Counts from Toronto to Pacific Grove, California. 

Today, from December 14 through January 5, each year thousands of volunteers take part in the Christmas Bird Counts to help with conservation efforts to see the health of the bird populations. In the Bow Valley, this year’s Christmas Birds Count will take place on Saturday, December 16th. If those of you in the valley are interested in playing a role, please pop over to "https://bowvalleynaturalists.org/get-involved/citizen-science-projects/cbc/“ and click on “contact us.”

Moon

On average, the Moon’s distance from the Earth is 384, 000 kilometres. It orbits around the Earth takes 27.32 Earth days, that is also the amount of time it takes to rotate once on its axis. For that reason, we see the same side of the Moon from Earth. Even though the moon mass is about 1 percent of that of the Earth. The Moon’s gravity stops the Earth wobbling on its axis too much. Which helps to stabilize the climate on our planet. As most of us know, the Moon’s gravity causes high and low tides. Not to the same degree, the Moon’s gravity also pulls on the Earth’s crust by several centimeters. And the Moon makes any pictures look pretty.

Mount Aberdeen

We humans have already figured out how to make time go by quickly. You just have to stay busy. It feels like this picture was taken just a couple of weeks ago. But when I looked at the date, it was the start of October. I was coming down from the Big Beehive using a safer route, still above the low clouds that were in the Lake Louise area. On the way up early that morning, I heard a Northern Pygmy Owl. But there was still not enough light to explore to see if I could see it. So, descending a different route, I was not going to have a chance at possibly seeing the owl. But the great views more than made up for that. For some of the views, I just had to stop and take my camera out to get their pictures. This one was one of them. The trees in front of me and Mount Aberdeen were all covered with fresh snow. It was a winter wonderland on the morning of October 1, 2023.

Tundra Swans

Tundra Swans can take off just as easily from land or water with their necks extended straight out. Tundra Swans are North America’s most abundant swan species. They are species of low concern, being allowed to be hunted in some states and parts of Canada. But on the other hand, Trumpeter Swans are a species that is continuing its comeback after almost being decimated by the late 1800s. Thanks to its features being used in hat fashion, as writing quills and for other uses. So, the Trumpeter Swans are protected in places where Tundra Swans can be hunted. The problem we have in these places is that we birders sometimes make mistakes in identifying these two species. Let along those hunters who may have less knowledge about the different swans.

The good news about this family of Tundra Swans, one adult is in the front, followed by three juveniles and one other juvenile and adult outside the frame. All six were spotted in Banff National Park a few days ago, where no hunting is allowed. There were a few of us on the shore of the lake, enjoying watching them before they decided to move on. As they slowly make their way south where the water will stay open during the coming cold months.

Reflection

Another fall colour season is behind us in the Canadian Rockies. I got some good hiking done to see the fall colours in the valleys and higher up. As always, each hike was different. On my return from one hike from a pass to the parking lot, I encountered 315 people and 41 dogs in an hour and a half. I beat my old record of 11 dogs. Birds most spotted or heard were Pine Grosbeaks, Mountain Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets and hanging out by the trail with a bit of attitude, Spruce Grouses. The surprise bird encounter was two Bald Eagles perched on the larch trees next to a small alpine lake. Unfortunately, they saw me before I saw them. They were in the air before getting any pictures. For mammals, nothing bigger than red squirrels.

For this picture, it was a hike past Boulder Pass. A nice break from the previous well loved Lake Louise area hike. Throughout the whole hike, I saw less than 30 hikers, and one baby blanket by the side of the trail. Whose owner was quickly found. It was a cold morning, which is great for hiking. I was happy to get to the lake, the wind was just starting to pick up. I still had to take 20 to 25 seconds long exposures to get a calm water look to my side of the lake. Once the pictures were out of the way, it was time to put on a few layers and sit back to enjoy the views and my first food of the day.  Another great fall hiking season is behind me.  But I have a lot of images and the larch needles I will keep coming across in my pack and outerwear to remind me of the great hikes until next year.

Elk

Another elk rut season ended a few weeks ago. The dominant bulls, like this one, started getting much-needed rest and, even more importantly, putting on the weight they lost during the rut season. The bulls that were successful during the mating season can, on average, lose up to 30 percent of their weight during the rut. But success during the rut season can lead to a shorter life for the bull. From injuries that the bull might have sustained fighting other bulls, being more vulnerable to predators before they recover from the rut season, or the cold weather arriving soon after the rut. The dominant males also lose the protection a herd offers after the rut. They either deal with the winter on their own or they join a few other males to deal with the winter. Including males, they were fighting during the rut. All is forgiven in the elk world, or at least until the next rut.

Rainbow

Back in school in our science class, when we pointed white light toward a triangle glass prism, it came out of the prism in the form of a rainbow. Light of different colours bends, or refracts, by different amounts. This separation of colours is called dispersion, creating the rainbow colours. Not only does this occur in a prism, but dispersion is also caused by ice crystals and what we are more familiar with, water drops in the form of rain. In the last two cases, the light is coming from the sun. Helping to create much bigger rainbows, but the colours are the same. With a rainbow, the colours are in this order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Red is on the outside of the rainbow.

Under the right conditions, some of the light does not come out of the raindrops to form the primary rainbow. This light repeats the process to form a secondary rainbow. But this time the colours are reversed thanks to an extra reflection in the rain drops. Red on the inside and so on. Since more of the light came out on the first opportunity, the secondary rainbow is much fainter. By this process we can get third and fourth rainbows. But each would be fainter and harder for our eyes to see. Inside the primary rainbow where all colours come back to our eyes at the same angle, we see bright white light. Between the primary and secondary rainbows, where no light comes toward our eyes, we get darkness. And if the sun is not behind you and trillions and trillions of water droplets not in front of you, and all not at a particular angle to your eyes. Then you just see the rain.

For this rainbow, which lasted more than half an hour, I saw it forming from home. I saw where the sun was and how fast the clouds that were dropping water were moving. I thought I had a good chance of getting out and getting a better picture than the one I would get from home. But due to the location of the sun and the rainbow, I was not able to get a picture of the whole rainbow. Plus, for the middle section of the rainbow, there was not enough rain for the colours to stand out. So I decided to get a closer look at a section of the rainbow. You can still see the order of the colours of the primary rainbow and also the images show the inside is lighter than the outside area of the rainbow.

Above the Clouds

One thing about hiking, scrambling, or climbing is that you need to make sure you not only reach your destination safely but also come back safely as well. Sometimes that means turning back before reaching your goal. This was on my mind when my original hiking plans changed a couple of weeks ago. I had instead decided to head up to the Big Beehive above Lake Louise. It had snowed the day before, and I would be encountering snow and ice on the trails as I got higher. The lake’s elevation is 1,731 meters, and the Big Beehive viewpoint is 2,164 meters. There were low clouds covering the valley, and my hope was to be above them to enjoy the views. But the first goal was to reach Lake Agnes for the sunrise and then deal with the possible tricky and exposed switchbacks back of the lake to the Big Beehive in the morning light. Two-thirds of the way up, I started encountering snow and some ice on the trail. The ice was thin and broke up as I stepped on it. I reached Agnes easily in time to set up for the sunrise. I was in the upper part of the low clouds, it cleared up enough to see the peaks in the back and the setting moon was as well. I started chatting with two friends who were visiting from Oregon as the clouds rolled back in. They were visiting the Rockies for a few days.

We talked about the local area and Banff NP before I packed up and said goodbye. I headed for the back of the lake to see if I was going to make it to the Big Beehive viewpoint. Before I even got to the switchbacks, there was more snow on the trail and thicker ice. That area does not get too much direct sunlight at this time of the year. The switchbacks were good for ascending but looked risky for the return trip. I started going up, deciding I would go down on the least used, longer, and safer trail located on the south side. As hoped, the viewpoint was above the clouds and the views were great. I stuck around there for half an hour or more, enjoying the sights, taking pictures, and having a snack while preventing two Clark’s Nutcrackers from taking my food from my hands. Much of the ground and the trees were covered with snow, it was a winter wonderland at the top, with larches showing their fall colours under the snow. As expected, no problems while coming down. As well, part way down, I was also able to get a nice black and white picture of the peaks on the other side of Lake Louise. Perhaps something to share in the future. While walking along the shores of Lake Louise, I was thinking about doing another short hike in the area. But after seeing the day before "Christmas shopping" like crowd, I decided I would spend my energy somewhere else.

Yellow_rumped Warbler

The fall migration of birds started in late August. Many species have moved on to their winter homes, some are on their way and others will start that journey soon. Timing depends on the food they require on their journey, how far they must go and how cold weather they can stand. Last week I saw an Orange-crowned Warbler and a few days ago, a Wilson’s Warbler. But the warbler I’m more likely to see around this is the Yellow-rumped Warbler. They are not as common as they are during late spring and summer, but with a little effort I’ll come across one or two. Just yesterday I heard its familiar chipping sound. One was moving among the branches of a balsam poplar, looking for insects to feed on. Not a lot of live insects around this time of the year, but many dead ones are stuck to the branches. When I got this picture, there were several birds, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Mountain Chickadees and at least one Ruby-crowned Kinglet that almost made a complete call that we are used to hearing during spring and summer. Probably a juvenile that was practicing for a later time. And this being the fall colour season, I had to try getting some of the colours in the background.

Elk

We are midway through the elk breeding season, or as it’s most often called the rut. As the days start getting shorter, it affects the melatonin levels in the elk.  Melatonin is a hormone that the brain produces in response to darkness. It helps with our internal clock and with sleep. This in turn causes hormone changes in both bulls and cows. For the males at the start of the rut, the antlers mineralize and they shed the velvet. The males will start rubbing trees, to get rid of the velvet. They become more aggressive thanks to the higher testosterone levels during the rut and will start sparring with other males, against trees, shrubs and more.

This is why it’s even more important to be a safe distance from bulls during the rut season. By mid October, the bull’s testosterone level will go back to normal and once again the males will start hanging out with other males to pass the winter. This large bull was making sure I got home safe after work as he watched me through the woods.

Mount Temple

You do all the planning to go for a hike, with the hopes of coming back with a few good pictures.  Load up the camera equipment, a few extra layers, food and water, first aid kit and some odds and ends. You get an early start to the hike. But once you get there, as often happens, the weather has other plans. The hike was great but no pictures were worth saving. Then there are those days when the hike starts late due to weather. On your way to the trailhead you see the fog start to burn off as the light starts coming through the clouds. And then the right parts of the mountains light up to get the pictures you want to keep before you even start the hike. Once again, nature decides when to put on the show and you just have to be ready to click. 

Grizzly

Out here in the west, where black and grizzly bears live on the same landscape. Trying to tell them apart from the fur colour, when you have never seen them or perhaps just a few times can be challenging. Particularly if you’re thinking black bears are black and grizzly (brown) bears are brown. About 70 percent of the black bears are black, in the Rockies, 50 percent are black. They can be white, blonde, cinnamon, light brown, chocolate brown or black. And the fur colour of grizzly bears varies as well, from white to blond to almost black.

So, in the Rockies, you might have to use other physical characteristics of the bears to figure out if it’s a black or grizzly bear. One can easily get that information on the internet. This dark eight-month-old grizzly cub was hanging out with its mom and her brown-coloured sibling. When someone asked out loud, "what is a black bear doing with two grizzly bears?" They got a quick answer with the correct information, leaving them with more knowledge than when they arrived. Giving them greater appreciation for bears.

Bald Eagle

Out of the two eagles that we can see in the Canadian Rockies, most of us will see the Bald Eagle. To see the Golden Eagle, you must spend a lot of time at higher altitudes. Bald Eagles can live 20 to 30 years in the wild, with some weighing near 6 kg and having a wingspan of 2 meters or more. They are impressive birds to see up close. The same can be said about their nest. The largest Bald Eagle nest on record was 2.9 meters in diameter and just over 6 meters tall. And the weight was almost 2 metric tons. That’s around 4409.25 pounds. 

Several years back, a nest that was being used by a mating pair stopped being used. They started using a new nest they built. The eagles knew something was up because it was long after the tree holding the nest came down. Even with the old nest spread out from the fall, it still came up to my waist. I can still recall looking at all the branches they had gathered over the years lying on the ground.

This mating pair was done with the nesting for the season and were hanging out last month. For a couple of hours, I watched them through my binoculars, every now and then pulling out the camera. Together, the called out several times, watching them react to other birds, including a close flyby of an Osprey. It’s not too often you get to watch a pair of Bald Eagles from forty meters away in the Rockies. Time just flew by.

Sundance Range

After taking pictures in the direction of the sunrise, the sun was still rising behind the mountain range to the east. I did a 180 and looked toward the Sundance Range. There it was, a picture of a light blue sky, clouds covered with warm morning light and mountain range lit by the reflective light. The sunrise I hoped for. After taking the pictures, the camera was put away. All bundled up from the cold air, with the exception of the face feeling the cold wind passing by. I spent some time watching the surroundings wake up to the rising sun, before deciding to head down.

Grizzly

Last year, in May, F142 came out of her den with her second set of cubs, three of them. A rare sight, to see a grizzly with three cubs. But the large family was not going to last. A month later, a large male grizzly, M136, tracked her down at Lake Louise. Popped out in the open where you rent the canoes, swam across the lake and chased the cubs below Lake Agnes. When the dust had settled, F142 had made her way to the back of Lake Louise, only to be joined by just one of her cubs. It is easier to raise one cub than two or three.  But this female now not only has to show the cub where to find food and how to be safe. But also be a playmate to its cub. The female would be spending time playing with all her cubs, but would get a break when the siblings play among themselves. Also, the cubs are less likely to get hurt when playing with someone in their weight class. No major injuries are likely to occur, just cuts and bruises that heal fast. Play fighting is an important part of a cub’s life. It gets them ready when the fights are no longer part of the play.

This picture was taken in the middle of June, when both were taking it easy. Enjoying all the dandelions they could eat. She, while eating in a small meadow, first smelled and then saw a large male grizzly approaching them. She wasn’t taking any chances. They both ran for cover in the nearby woodland. For a mother grizzly, rest never lasts too long. Always must be on the move to be safe in the wilderness.