How many eggs or clutch size varies among bird species. Depending on food and calcium availability, latitude, age of the female, weather, and time of year. The Black Swift lays just one egg, but a Wood Duck may lay 7-14 eggs per clutch. Birds incubate their eggs to keep them at the proper temperature to ensure normal development. Many songbirds begin incubation after laying all their eggs so they hatch around the same time. Common Ostriches can have about 50 eggs in a single nest, but they are laid by several females. An ostrich egg is also the heaviest, with an average weight of 1.36 kg. The Vervain Hummingbird, found in Jamaica and two nearby islets, lays an egg weighing 0.365 grams. The Mallard Duck, shown in the picture with 11 ducklings, can lay up to 13 eggs. The newly hatched birds are covered in down and are alert; they are ready to leave the nest within 13-16 hours of hatching.
Grizzly Bear
Almost a week after I had seen an adult black bear on my bird walk around the stables, I came across one of the larger local grizzly bears, M136. Initially, as I walked around the fence, listening and looking out for birds, I noticed the horses seemed more apprehensive than the previous week. They were bunched up together farther back from the fence. I thought perhaps the same bear had returned. However, as I rounded the corner and looked through the fence, I saw it was a much larger grizzly bear. The horses were giving him far more breathing space. I wasn't sure which of the larger grizzly bears it was. I kept my distance the same from him but moved away from the fence so I could have a clear look at him. He glanced toward me, and I could tell from his lighter face and from having seen him many times before, it was "Split-lip". He was given the number 136 when he was first collared several years back.
Now, this stable is not a hot bead for bear sightings unless you spend 24-7 there. I can count on one hand all the bears I have seen over the years in this area. This year, however, I happened to come across a few. Like the horses, I gave M136 more space and did not attempt to walk around him, no matter how far away I was. I knew he was going to walk through the field soon, heading east. The mating season had not yet finished, and he was still focused on that, grabbing food when he could. Soon after, while chatting with my colleague who had responded to a call about this grizzly bear sighting in the area, ensuring the bear had space as he moved through the area. We watched him make a beeline in the direction we thought he would be heading. Recently, I saw him again, now deeply focused on eating. It seems he might have found a good source of protein. He looked even more impressive than he did that morning when I saw him during my bird walk.
Western Wood-Pewee
This Western Wood-Pewee had found a perch it was content with. There were enough flies in the area for this member of the flycatcher family to take off from its perch, catch an insect, and return to the same spot. This pattern made it easier for me to capture its pictures, along with a few shots of it leaving and returning to its perch. I ended up spending about an hour there. However, the pewee wasn't the only bird I encountered. I also observed Yellow-rumped Warblers, and at least one or two of each Townsend’s, Yellow, and Wilson’s Warblers. Every few minutes, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet would join the party, while Song Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats, and a few other species could be heard contributing to the evening's symphony, though they remained out of sight. Halfway through, a Least Flycatcher made an appearance. Towards the end, a pair of Canada Geese, who I could hear, decided to enter the scene and stand in the background. You can just make them out in the image.
Black Bear
The great thing about birding is that it’s a low-risk activity. No birds to worry about. Other than the male Spruce Grouse I encountered on the trail a few years back. I still have nightmares about that encounter. It took seconds getting past it. But when you are birding in the mountains, you must be aware of all the other wildlife you can possibly encounter. Luckily, when you’re birding, the ears are working full-time and the eyes are scanning for any sorts of movement. That was the case when doing a bird count one early morning last month. I was walking around the stables when I noticed some of the horses seemed a bit nervous. Ahead, around the corner, was a black bear grazing outside the fence. The local black bear did not care about the horses, but they were staying back from the fence. I decided to use the open field to go around the black bear. Thanks to this action, I got to add two White-breasted Nuthatches to my list. I had not seen this species for a few years. The bear had a quick look toward me as I walked around it, not bothered by me at all. I called to inform Banff NP’s wildlife team of the bear sighting. Because an hour later, there were going to be several birders in the same area. I continued my bird walk, not seeing the bear again that day. I am sure this was not the first bear encounter for the horses, perhaps even seeing this same bear a few times before. As nervous as they were that morning, they were a lot more a week later. But that’s a story for another time.
Bonaparte's Gull
During winter, the Bonaparte’s Gull can be found on ocean coasts, lakes, and rivers. But these beautiful gulls breed and nest in the boreal forest, the only gull species that regularly nests in trees. They can move with tern-like agility, capturing flying insects and grabbing tiny fish from the water with ease. Around Banff, we generally get to see them during spring migration. A few weeks back, snowstorms brought several thousand waterfowl to open lakes and rivers. For a few days, we got to see Bonaparte’s Gulls throughout the Bow Valley. One late afternoon, I watched three of them spring out of the water to plunge their whole heads into the water to grab food. In this image, the Canada Goose seems to be watching this feat.
Grizzly
M122 (“the boss”) once again got the bear season started in Banff National Park, being spotted in mid-March at the bottom of the Bow Valley. It seems like a long time ago. Even with low snowfall this past winter, there was still lots of snow for him to deal with, particularly west of Castle Junction, heading toward the Lake Louise area. But he’s no stranger to dealing with winter conditions, having the habit of waking up in March in the Canadian Rockies. About three weeks later, M136 (“split-lip”) was up, seeming a few weeks earlier than his normal wake time from winter’s deep sleep. They both looked healthy, starting another bear season, with enough fat on them to wait it out until they start gaining weight from a carcass or green vegetation in early spring. With snow gone from the valley, except for the very shaded spots, both are busy covering large distances in the midst of another mating season. I came across M136 just a few days ago as I was doing my bird walk early one morning. That's a story for another time. It’s not long now before the remaining bears will be up, just in time as the dandelion season has started.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
There are believed to be around 10 quintillion individual insects alive on our favorite planet. That’s a 10 with 18 zeros behind it. Approximately 55,000 species of insects can be found in Canada; the giant water bug is most likely the biggest in our country. Around 90 percent of bird species rely on insects as food during some part of their lives. It’s believed that insectivorous birds around the world eat 400 to 500 million metric tons of beetles, flies, ants, moths, aphids, grasshoppers, crickets, and others. There are numerous places around the world where people get their protein from consuming insects as part of their overall diet. On the day I took these images, I enjoyed a few hours watching several species of birds, including the Yellow-rumped Warbler, making lunch of the insects fallen in the air and on the water.
Red-necked Grebe
Red-necked Grebes mostly breed in Canada and Alaska. Just as I witnessed several years back, they nest on shallow freshwater lakes that have some marsh vegetation around the edges. Their diet mainly consists of fish, crustaceans, and some insects. Hunting in clear water, from top to bottom, they swallow small fish whole before coming to the surface. With larger prey, they come up to the water surface before preparing their prey for swallowing. You can just make out their legs behind them. Due to their location, they would be terrible at getting around on land. Therefore, their nest is located on the surface of the water, made of floating aquatic vegetation anchored to emergent plants or piled directly on the lake bottom in shallow water. Either way, most of the nest lies underwater. Clutch sizes tend to be between 1 to 9 eggs. After hatching, the chicks will spend most of their time on the back of their parents until they are 10 to 17 days old, increasing the cuteness factor tenfold. The pairs usually separate once the young are fully fledged, at about four weeks of age. Wintering occurs at shallow water along the coastlines and at larger lakes with open water.
Fairholme Range
Things are changing fast now as spring pushes through. This sunset picture was taken just a couple of weeks ago, as I was looking for a spot with some calm water. Well before the sunset, the sky was already showing some red colour. I just needed to find a spot where the wind would be blocked off by the landscape. The ice was getting weaker, so I also had to make sure I was taking little to no risk where I stood on parts of the frozen river. Just the morning before, about a hundred meters down the river from my location, over seventy elk had crossed the river. Two days after this picture, there was not enough ice for a coyote to cross in the same area. Warmer temperatures, open water absorbing more heat, longer days and the sun getting higher up in the sky each day. All factors helped to open the river for the incoming birds from the south. Even with the three nights of low temperatures we are currently going through, other than needing an extra layer, the day’s temperature is keeping the water open. Providing more places to observe waterfowls after the sunrises.
Northern Pintail
The Northern Pintail begins nesting as soon as the ice starts to melt, breeding across the country and extending as far as the Northwest Territories. They are also found in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. For food, they dabble on the surface of the water, filtering out seeds and insects with their bills. Additionally, they feed on grain and insects at the edges of wetlands and fields. This male arrived in the Bow Valley area about two weeks ago.
Spring migration started in mid-March; raptors were spotted coming up north a few weeks ago, waterfowls are making use of any open pool of water, and Varied Thrushes, American Robins, and others can be heard on land. This drake, dressed as if for a formal occasion, was hanging out with other members of its species, along with mallards and wigeons. With just the right amount of light filtering through, the conditions were perfect for capturing a few good pictures.
Moose
Over the winter, I have been seeing this cow and her calf’s tracks. I came across where they have been eating, resting and at times, running from something. Perhaps related to the wolf pack or its members that go through their home range. I’m sure they have tried to go after the calf a few times. But the mother has been able to keep her calf safe. I have come across them two times, the last time was two weeks ago. I walked through the deep snow on varied terrain to see how both were doing. Keeping my distance, I was able to see both. The calf, as expected, was the more nervous one. In this picture, it's just behind its mother. You can just make out part of the head with one eye looking toward me. I could have moved around and possibly gotten both in one image, but there was a chance of scarring one or both from the area. They were feeding on willow. There are still a few weeks to go before they start feeding on something green. Until then, the cow will keep working on staying one step ahead of the wolves and I will keep looking out for their tracks.
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagles main source of food is fish and carrion. But they will prey on various waterfowl, other birds, rabbits and other small animals. They have been known to kill animals as large as deer. And some have preyed on domestic sheep and goats, mostly young lambs, and kids. But when larger kills or carrion, they would have to feed at the site. With their two-meter wingspan, their wings must support a 4 to 6 kg bird. That leaves them with a lifting power of 2 to 3 kg. An eagle can carry more when flying in snatching prey and continue flying away. Using their momentum. But they must carry less, when taking off from a dead stop position. Lift is not only dependent on the wing size but also on airspeed. The faster the bird is flying, the greater the lift potential it has. The average speed of an eagle flying in to catch a fish is 30 to 50 km/h. Adult eagles who are experienced are less likely to make a mistake like a young eagle, who through trials and errors and testing their limits, to become more successful hunters.
This eagle was off to check out what the ravens were up to, across the lake from its nest. With no coyotes in the area, it would jump in front of the line if any food was waiting for it there.
Mount Fairview
When I’m out to take pictures of wildlife, I’m hoping for clear weather with good lighting. But under the same weather for landscape photography, the camera stays in the bag. You do not just want to take pictures of the mountains, but also the mood created by the combination of the landscape, clouds, shadows, and light. The more time you spend taking pictures, the more refined your style becomes. I’m finding it now, particularly when it comes to landscape photography. Well, even when it comes to flora and fauna, certain conditions must be met before the camera comes out. Photography is like any other skill in life. Over time, you start getting a better sense of what the final image is going to look like before you even take the picture. If you know the image will be good, you take the picture. And if you are unsure, you might take the image. For the rest of the situations, the camera stays put and you keep moving. Otherwise, you are not going to get far on a hike.
White-tailed Deer
End of February, the snow fell and more followed the day after. Yesterday, after helping the team move snow with a break in the middle of the day to look after the paperwork and emails. I had just enough energy to walk home. Everything looked beautiful, all covered with fresh snow. And the wet snow that fell in the middle of the day covered all the tree trucks facing west. With no wind, it was a relaxing walk surrounded by trees and not being concerned about snow falling on me. It looked as if I was walking through a black and white landscape. Until I looked to my right, staring right back at me were four white-tailed deer. Three of them were perfectly set for an image. Tired as I was, I just had to take the camera out and take their picture surrounded by snow. Then I quickly moved on so they could head over to the thermal springs for some green treats. Thanks to the warm water. It’s always a good way to end the day by walking through the woods. Until this morning, heading to work but with a lot more snow.
American Dipper
Out of the five dipper species in the world, only one is found in North America. The American Dipper. The only true North America’s aquatic songbird. Dippers do not fly south for the winter, just to an area with open moving water. Some of the features that help them survive the cold waters in the winter are their low metabolic rate, extra oxygen-carrying capacity in their blood and their extra thick coat of features. They even have feathered eyelids. Since they feed on aquatic invertebrates, and fish. They can stay underwater by stretching out their wings against the current, this action helps push them downward and keep them submerged. They can also hold on to stones to prevent being swept off. As well, they have specialized flaps over their nostrils to prevent water from entering. One of the few species of birds that we can watch during the cold days of winter. As long as we have our down feathers.
Mount Inglismaldie
If I could only give one reason why I go out in nature, it would be to feel better. No matter what my mood was before I stepped out, I always feel better after a walk on the trails. And I am sure many of you can relate to that. Studies are starting to back this up. Including one indicating the nature's colours green and blue reduces stress, improves our moods, brings us with positive emotions and brings down our anxiety levels. One study found that even after 40 seconds of looking at a green roof, we make fewer mistakes in a test. And in my case, making sure I can calculate the exact change for my chocolate purchase. These were just some of the things covered in November by The Guardian article titled: “The nature cure: how time outdoors transforms our memory, imagination and logic.”
Various indigenous communities across the world have learned there are many plants that can be used as medicine, and more is being discovered through research today. But one of the best cures is a simple walk in the park.
Elk
This bull elk looked better when this picture was taken of him compared to the week before. He was still favoring his back right leg, but not as heavily as the previous week. With a lack of food during the winter, it's harder to recover from injuries than during the season of plenty. As well, even during this mild winter, the bull does not have a lot of energy to spare to heal. If this male, along with the four bachelors he was hanging out with, came across a wolf pack. All the bulls will show strength by standing tall, trying to look as big as they can, so they are not the ones to get attacked by the pack. And if everyone started running, each would again physically show strength, each one hoping not to be attacked. Even if our eyes can’t pick up any weakness between one elk compared to others, the wolves can. Sensing weakness through visual cues and through hearing and scent. In our homes our canine friends can use similar abilities to tell when we’re sick and, in some cases, before we become sick. For the wolves, their success rate in capturing prey is nowhere close to 100 percent. Depending on the location and type of prey, it can be less than 20 percent. So being able to pick the week from the strong increases their chances of having a meal sooner rather than later.
Nature's Moments
It’s that time of the year again, slideshow time. Two weeks from tomorrow, I will be again doing a two-hour slide show, “Nature’s Moments”. A chance to not only share images taken over the years but also the stories to go with them. Being able to share just some of the events that take place in the mountains goes a long way toward appreciating nature and how important it is to have our national parks. For those of you who are interested and able to come, here are the details for the one and only show. All tickets will be sold starting half an hour before the show begins.
Nature’s Moments Slideshow
Location: Cave and Basin NHS
Date: Saturday, February 17, 2024
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Price: $16.50 per person
Fairholme Range
I rarely have people in nature pictures I take. When I do, other than at work or social gatherings, they are there naturally and are not aware they are getting their picture taken. It’s always in a public setting, and they are always looking away from the camera. Just like the pictures I take of nature, I let the events occur naturally and take pictures when the event in front of me becomes interesting. I think this would be my fourth picture I’m sharing as a “moment” with a person. I could have easily removed the person during post-processing. But I decided to leave the person in, like the trees and shrubs, the person gives a sense of scale to the picture. I was about 150 meters from the person who was also taking pictures of the sunrise, and the mountain range is about 14.5 kilometers from us. The lens tends to compress the space. There are many ways to take the picture, each photographer having their style and or personal preferences. As for having myself in the pictures I take. What can I say, I take a look at myself in the mirror in the morning, and I’m good for the day.
Rusty Blackbird
This male Rusty Blackbird, in its non-breeding colours can be spotted at times in open water in the mountains. In this case, near a cold spring. They are not being spotted as often as they were in the past. One of the bird species that had a major decline in its population. Between 1966 and 2019, there was a 75 percent decline in their population. Scientists are working to get a better idea of the full reasoning behind this. Their low densities and remote breeding habitat make it a challenge.
They primarily eat insects and plant matter but rare, they will sometimes attack and eat birds. Examples include sparrows, robins, snipes, and others. In this case, this one and its buddy were looking for insects in the water. Both were shy when I came across them. So, I stayed in one place, using shrubs as a blind. Before long, one was in full view of me, providing me with enough time to get a few pictures. I like their non-breeding plumage; they look like they are wearing a mask.
