Beaver (North American) - 7 Photos

The sound of rain last week on the beavers' lodge was most likely a signal to the beavers that the channels interconnecting their ponds would soon be once again available for passage.

The beavers have constructed a series of dams on each of the channels so that water is held back which allows beavers, swimming access to the smaller ponds. Unfortunately, when there a long periods without rain or run-off, these channels dry up. The ponds maintain their high levels of water but without water passage, the beavers have no alternative but to travel by land (albeit short distances) to access food, building material & construction sites. 

The first beaver out navigated the waterways to one of the smaller ponds, swam the circumference and then it was a very brief walk up the bank, across a small path and back down to another pond. But before starting the evening's work, there was time to enjoy some sunshine on a grassy bank and a few minutes of grooming and oiling of beaver fur. 

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Wood Duck (& Mallard) - 10 Photos

Except for the Mallard Duck in the last photo, the following photos highlight male Wood Ducks, who are most likely the runner-ups in the Wood Duck "The Bachelorette" real reality competition.

They hang out together, eating, sleeping & relaxing (Photo #1 through Photo #5) but as frustration is always close to the surface, there is the occasional "get out of my space" (Photo #6 & Photo #7) & perhaps a one upmanship when it comes to grooming (Photo #8 and Photo #9).

And then there was an encounter with a male Mallard Duck who was initially sitting on land with his mate. When one Male Wood Duck flew in, close to where the Mallards were resting & started splashing in order to clean his feathers, the male Mallard moved into the water & chased the Wood Duck away.

So off went the Wood Duck to find his own real estate to bask & groom.  Along came the pair of Mallards & again the male Mallard moved in aggressively to move the Wood Duck along (Photo #10). Not this time, Mallard. The Wood Duck might be small in size but wasn't going to be bullied this time. To paraphrase that line from the movie, "Dirty Dancing", nobody puts Woody in the corner! 

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Coyote - 3 Photos

Chilling out watching ducks & geese doing their waterfowl thing, mid morning. And then early afternoon, now left with an empty pond, I decided to move onto another venue hoping for some more photographic action. 

Packed up my equipment, trekked up the incline, rounded the corner and took one last look back at the pond. And there directly next to the water, was a coyote just looking out of the willows. I'm talking "big" coyote. At first glance, I had a throw back to a photo I'd seen of a white wolf standing at the edge of the water on Vancouver Island, B.C. 

I knew this was a coyote but in the bright light of early afternoon, he almost appeared ghost like. And that was my next thought, "Where the heck did you come from. I've been sitting there for hours (and hidden away from view) and now you suddenly turn up?"

But this is most likely the patriarch of this particular coyote family, distinguishable by his size and that gorgeous ruff which is almost mane like. Those genes have been passed on to a least one offspring, Scarf, hence her name.

He may look a little unkempt with his thick coat but it's probably the transition from Winter to Spring attire. 

And with his mate probably now at home with puppies, he was out looking for a substantial meal to take home. This area not only has waterfowl, but pheasant, rabbits & rodents (and fish, too, if you are like Mini Coyote, another offspring who took to fishing in the shallows for carp). 

And just as reminder to dog walkers who like to let their dogs off lead (particularly in these mandatory on lead areas) and who think coyotes only hunt from dusk to dawn, the photos that follow were taken on a clear blue sky day at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon. At this time of the year, the adult females who have had puppies, are for the time being, at their dens, nursing. Their partners & other family members are out hunting even more intensely all times of the day for themselves, as well as to bring back food to the den while mothers are unable to leave.

This coyote checked out the pond and like me came to the same conclusion, "Nothing to be seen here", turned slowly around and headed back into the willows and literally disappeared.

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Beaver (North American) - 5 Photos

Having revisited the beaver pond late one evening this past weekend, I believe I have the answer to the relationship of the two beavers who were featured in the blog, "TAKEN AN AWWW MOMENT" May 4, 2025.

Again they were the first two beavers to head for the grassy bank but this time when the much larger of the two leaned out of the water to graze on the grass, it became evident that this is Mum. If you review Photo #1 through through Photo #3 , and follow her stomach line down, you can just make out a full mammary gland protruding from her fur which is proof that this is indeed the matriarch of the family. 

And it also explains the close relationship between her and the much smaller beaver, last year's offspring. One form of beaver communication has been described as a "whine" but I much prefer to call it a soft murmuring and there was definitely a great deal of that interaction. Perhaps this is the smallest of last year's kits and now with perhaps the arrival of new siblings, this youngster is looking for some additional reassurance, now no longer being the youngest. 

But just as before, both were enjoying each other's company with Mum taking the lead and heading up onto the bank for more green vegetation.

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Porcupine - 5 Photos

I spotted a porcupine last Spring who was obviously pregnant (Photo #1). Although close to delivery, she had obviously not given birth as she spent an entire day hanging out in a tree and didn't retire to her den until late in the evening. If there had been a porcupette, she would have been nursing at least sometime during the day.

Didn't see her again until late October 2024 and there was no sign of a small porcupine with her.

Kept an eye on the area over the Winter & earlier this Spring but no re-appearance, even with the tempting new buds on the trees.

And then early this month, I spotted a porcupine in a tall tree, who I thought was the female adult. Went into the woods to investigate and while watching one porcupine in a tree, another much larger one appeared in a nearby tree. Fully mature porcupines do not cohabitate. Adult males & females only get together during the mating period and then for the rest of the year, they remain solitary. The only exception is a mother & offspring.

So this definitely was Mum & her youngster, born the Spring 2024. The youngsters I've seen in the past, have spent at least 12 months with their mothers. Then they leave the area & find a home of their own.

This young porcupine stayed in his/her tree until early afternoon and then descended to a safe location, most likely to rest until past dusk (Photo #2 through Photo #6).

His/her mother, however, stayed in her tree (Photo #7) and was still there when I left just before dark. 

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Beaver (North American) - 3 Photos

Sitting along a creek downstream, waiting to see and hopefully, photograph beavers swimming by on their way to work.

The first beaver that swam downstream was fairly large and took a side trip to the bank across from where I was sitting. A few clicks of the camera and he/she quickly retreated back into the water and swam off. The camera noise is not loud but except for the Belted Kingfisher emitting that telltale mechanical rattle in flights back and forth, there were no other sounds. So an unusual isolated noise was probably enough to make the beaver head to the water. Sometimes more ambient noise is better than silence.

The second beaver who came into view was much smaller, made no stops and swam past me. But then, a little way downstream, the beaver made a u turn, swam back and across the stream (Photo#1), turned and hovered in the water, directly in front of me.

It was with great trepidation that I raised the camera and took a few photos but this time not a flinch from the beaver. There was, however, an intense stare and a blink, another blink and another blink (Photo #2 & Photo #3). And even with a camera held between us, my heart melted. (You can just make out the shadow of the beaver's tail in the shallow water.)

And then it was a slow turn back into the mainstream of the creek, and the beaver continued on to join his/her work crew for the night. 

Being so much smaller, this was most likely a young beaver not yet seasoned in the ways of the world and people. And with the curiosity that comes with youth, my presence which hadn't been there all the other evenings the beaver had been passing through, was something or someone to check out. Curiosity was satisfied and knowledge processed. 

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Porcupine - 6 Photos

Note: The following photos may induce yawning & sleepiness :)

There is nothing quite like spending a late afternoon/early evening watching a porcupine in a tree.

There is no one secret to successful porcupine watching. 

First, of course, one has to locate a porcupine. Then you find a quiet, isolated spot a safe & respectful  distance away, get comfortable and be as inconspicuous as possible. And then you wait and wait and wait. It's a stake out best done alone (except for the porcupine, of course). 

And just like people, there's a lot of tossing and turning to find the best sleeping position.

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Beaver (North American) - 4 Photos

Am not certain as to the relationship of the two beavers who appear in the photos that follow.

One was much larger so they may have been siblings, separated by a year or perhaps an adult accompanied by last year's kit.

But having swam away the lodge, they were never apart for long and when the larger of the two clambered up on a lush bank for a meal and some grooming, the other beaver followed suit (Photo #1). 

And it wasn't just a "let's hang out together". They literally leaned into each other (Photo #2) and had the equivalent of a beaver hug. I suppose with the ever increasing abundance of fresh food and a brief respite from work while the beavers try to replenish calories lost over the winter months, beaver tempers have returned to their more usual mellow state.

The photos were taken at dusk. These two were still enjoying each other's company, as I left (Photo #3 & Photo #4). As I rounded the pond, I noticed two more pairs, one much further down on the bank and another swimming together heading for the same safe refuge. So that makes at least six family members & hopefully, more at home.

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Beaver (North American) - 7 Photos

Note: Some individuals may find some of the content below disturbing.

Some years ago, I was party to a sequence of events that revolved around the removal of beavers from Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, Alberta.

I won't go into detail as to the who but trap(s) were set within the park, with the goal of removing beavers from a particular area. The reason given was that the beavers had caused serious flooding. Unfortunately, one adult beaver who was caught in a trap, escaped minus a front limb. 

It was only some time much later, that the proof of his/her survival became evident. And that evidence was the re-appearance of one beaver minus a front paw, in the same small pond where the trapping had occurred. With the assistance of family members, not only had this beaver survived but had thrived. 

Although a very dramatic story, the subsequent events that unfolded only gave credence to the power of nature and the will to survive. 

I related the above to The Fur-Bearers, a registered Canadian charity established in 1953. The Fur-Bearers' vision is "a world where humans & wild animals coexist peacefully. And their mission is "to protect fur-bearing animals through conservation, advocacy, research, and education". 

They felt the description of those events merited a Fur-Bearers' blog, the link for which appears below. The link will also direct you to their website, which I believe is well worth a read. As their mission states, they are an advocate for fur-bearing animals but using instruments such as education to achieve good outcomes for both humans & wildlife.

Although the story has a sad beginning, the remainder is uplifting. It is a testament to the power of nature and how we, as a species, can learn from all wildlife and that when we achieve co-existence, the benefits are mutual.

And in closing, what could be more appealing than a few photos of beavers relaxing and at work, during the magic hour before sunset.

https://thefurbearers.com/blog/against-all-odds-a-beaver-story-in-fish-creek-provincial-park/

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Beaver (North American) - 5 Photos

The phrase "spruce it up" has a very different meaning for beavers come Spring. 

Now they may be also be attending to their appearance by grooming and re-oiling their fur but it appears from my latest visit to their pond, that these beavers have made another trip to the near by woods to harvest a few more fresh spruce tree branches. New shoots & vegetation are most likely still in short supply.

Having shared a meal, one by one they left for other venues around the pond. The photos below are of the last beaver to leave and probably stayed the longest. Although he/she appears large, this beaver was probably one of the smallest of the four who came to feast and probably was born early last Spring.

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Beaver (North American) - 7 Photos

It was much like Goldilocks & The Three Bears minus Goldilocks, beavers not bears and although the beavers kept getting progressively larger, this was probably three siblings crossing the dam.

Although the last one to cross the dam was large, he/she is not the biggest by far within this beaver family. And when a beaver reaches a certain age & weight, there can be a tendency to bring our work home with us (Photo #3). 

And having burned a few calories navigating the dam, time out to enjoy some of Spring's new growth (Photo #4 through to Photo #7). 

The photos were taken during the half hour before sunset. 

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Wood Duck (Male & Female) - 6 Photos

What could be better than a Wood Duck but a Wood Duck x 2, i.e. reflected in the water.

All one needs is a Wood Duck (male or female), a still pond & some ambient light.

The last two photos are of a female Wood Duck, who I believe is often overlooked by her more flamboyant counterpart but with an understated beauty of her own. And that understatement holds her in good stead when it comes to being so camouflaged during & after nesting. 

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Great Blue Heron - 5 Photos

One Great Blue Heron and a short visit to the pond.

1. Shake out those wet feathers (Photo #1 & Photo #2)

2. Rattle from head to toe (Photo #3)

3. Roll on (Photo #4 & Photo #5)

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Pileated Woodpecker (Female) - 5 Photos

A wet cool day in the woods probably explains the fluffy feather appearance of this female Pileated Woodpecker and her attentiveness to grooming.

She seemed more pre-occupied with looking after her feathers than drilling into a tree uncovering insects or insect larvae, deep within the wood.

Her male companion was just a few doors (or trees) down and was seriously excavating the top of a tree, and was obstructed by hanging branches so no clear photos. 

A call from the female and both were off to other venues. 

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Beaver (North American) - 5 Photos

No, there is no spelling error in the title. The "fir" refers to a conifer (or evergreen) tree not the beaver's coat. 

Conifers are considered emergency food for beavers, i.e. they will eat them when other food sources are scarce. And, of course, although the ice has completely disappeared from the ponds & rivers, Spring's green bounty is yet to arrive. 

There were three or more small evergreen branches semi-floating at the edge of the beaver pond. That shoreline was the first "go to" for at least three beavers. Having nibbled away at the needles, most eventually moved along the edge of the pond to dig out shoots from underneath the grasses and mud, to eat. But during the needle nibbling exercise, there was successive face & nose rubbing. Am not certain if this was due to the sap of the fir being somewhat irritating or whether it was some type of medicinal or therapeutic cleanse.

Perhaps the firs were easy access with a minimal expenditure of calories (except for the swim from the lodge) and provided some energy to pursue the next forage, which was digging through the grasses and mud along the shoreline for succulent shoots literally rooted in the earth. And the beaver digging technique would make a badger proud. :)

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Wood Duck (Male) - 9 Photos

Male Wood Ducks are so striking in colour it's as if Nature opened her paint box and endowed the male ducks with all the iridescent colours at hand.

One would wonder how a duck so vibrant could be camouflaged and not be easily targeted by predators. The female Wood Duck's colouring is, of course, much more subtle and easily blends into grasses & shrubs or a nesting tree cavity.

The male is easily identified while in the water or on areas of land where there is minimal cover, but of course this type of terrain allows for easy detection of threats and a quick flight from danger. However, where there is dense vegetation, visibility would appear to be in a predator's favour because of the duck's bright vibrant colouring. But here is where Nature's genius comes into play.

Some years ago, I spotted a male Wood Duck in the midst of grasses & short shrubs, obvious to the human eye.  Aimed the camera, waited for that second for it to focus & it focused on everything except the Wood Duck. The camera & I practically had this pretend conversation.

Photographer: "Focus. Focus on the Wood Duck."

Camera: "I don't see any Wood Duck."

Photographer: "How could you not see the Wood Duck? It's right in front of us??? Argh!"

So what appears to be extremely apparent is, in fact, a clever disguise where overload actually is its own camouflage, blending into the various colours of the forest floor.

In the photos below, the Wood Duck was either on a small relatively bare peninsula or in the water, both areas where predator exposure would be minimal. So what better time to relax & have a stretch (Photo #4 through Photo #6). 

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Coyote - 6 Photos

The definition of a beachcomber is "a person who walks along a beach looking for valuable or interesting items" but, of course, Oxford doesn't appear to know that coyotes do this too.

Take one young coyote combing the beach, looking for valuable or interesting items to eat.

Coyotes are opportunistic predators in that they can adapt their strategy based on the availability and abundance of prey types. And they are also a member of Nature's clean-up crew, i.e. they will scavenge on dead carcasses. In November 2024, I saw a family of coyotes (together with ravens & magpies) dining on a large Mule Deer carcass, most likely the remains of a cougar kill. (See blog of December 10, 2024, "TAKE A SNOW DAY".)

But this coyote was looking for smaller fare such as rodents, pheasants, ducks & yes, even having a look along the shoreline for fish she could catch in the shallower waters.

What she lacks in size, she definitely makes up for in stealth & brain power.

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Beaver (North American) - 7 Photos

It's Spring & the beavers are beginning to appear around sunset, trying to pack on as many calories to make up for any weight lost over the winter months.

Unlike bears, they don't hibernate. Beavers do venture out during the colder months providing there is ample open water in their ponds to allow for safe passages to and from the lodge, to gather fresh trees & branches. However, depending upon the water depth, there may be long periods where they are lodge bound because of ice. And honestly, although I do get on with my family, I cannot imagine being cooped up in a small one room home with maybe five or more family members for weeks at a time. Beavers probably do sleep more during the winter months but it's no wonder when they resurface as Spring finally arrives and the pond ice has melted, tempers can be a little short. No one, including other beavers, want to test a grumpy beaver. :) 

So before that major dam and lodge repair can be started, it's time to get down & find Spring's first bounty. Over the years I've noticed that beavers exiting the ponds, head for thick mounds of dried grasses that hide thick woody shoots (Photo #4). And for beavers with long nails at the end of their front hands, digging into banks of earth like badgers, reap great rewards (Photo #5 & Photo #6).

Having temporarily fueled up, it's back to the beach and eventually back into the water. And what could be more Canadian than a beaver posing with a sprinkling of snow on our tail and body (Photo #7).

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Eastern Gray Squirrel (Red Phase) - 4 Photos

The first point to be made regarding the four photos that follow is:

1. There has been no tampering with the colouring of the squirrel during the photo developing or editing. The original photos were cropped and some minor editing performed but the colour of the squirrel is actual.

When I first spotted this squirrel jumping from tree to tree, I actually took my sunglasses off as I thought the tint in the glasses was giving a false colouring. But no, the squirrel was indeed entirely red & he/she was way too big & bulky to be a North American Red Squirrel.

It took a few visits to the same area, waiting and some stealthy maneuvering to capture decent photos of this very handsome, albeit different looking Eastern Gray Squirrel.

Because of the oddity in colour, I reached out to a highly regarded naturalist who put me onto some reading material that stated that Eastern Gray Squirrels (or Sciurus carolinensis) can have gray, black, white, reddish or albino fur and the colour of their fur can also change with the seasons.

I subsequently looked up Canadian Wildlife Federation's "Hinterland Who's Who" and their article on the Eastern Gray Squirrel. Under Description, it states, "Albino eastern grey squirrels also occur and in the United States a few small, completely white populations are found. There are rare instances of a reddish colour phase and some animals may also have a combination of colours, for example a black body with a red tail."

I've included below a link to CWF's full article.

https://www.hww.ca/wildlife/mammals/eastern-grey-squirrel/

So what we have here is a reddish Eastern Gray Squirrel who may change colour with the seasons. That small spot of white on the squirrel's face is granulated snow. But the little ear tufts extending from the top of each ear are all his/her own.

I would add that unlike the other Eastern Gray Squirrels who were present at the time, this squirrel did not spend a lot of time on the ground. He/she always quickly foraged and then retreated to the trees each time. Also, he/she did not "play well with others". :) I don't know if this was due to personality or because this squirrel was not like all the others.

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Northern Red Squirrel - 9 Photos

Using the iconic slogan for Lay's Potato Chips, "Betcha Can't Eat Just One", it appears pine nuts are to North American Red Squirrels much like potato chips are to people.

Pine nuts are the edible seeds of certain varieties of pine trees & are contained within the female cones. The seeds are located between the scales on the upper surface of the cone, with typically two seeds per scale.

This Red Squirrel was eating on a branch of a fir tree, at the base of which I discovered was the squirrel's winter pantry. (The discovery was made by watching the squirrel make repeated trips down the back of the tree, disappearing into a small cache and returning with a pinecone each time.)

And when I say repeated, I mean many trips, which is probably why I was able to capture a number of photos of one Red Squirrel indulging in a pine nut feast (Photo #1 through Photo #4). Busy is always good for photography.

And then having satisfied an appetite (at least temporarily) (Photo #5 & Photo #6), it was time for some intimate close-ups (Photo #7 through Photo #9) before changing trees and a branch higher providing better camouflage, before attending to some grooming.

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Coyote - 6 Photos

Learning from last year's youngsters, as Spring progresses, young coyotes quickly mature and gain more endurance and they become more like their parents, i.e. elusive. 

As they gain greater experience, they hunt further afield and previous hunting grounds which potentially provided easier meals (such as small rodents, etc.), are usually abandoned or visited less frequently, and replaced by areas further afield. Previous areas that were frequented before might be re-visited but most likely during the hours from dusk to dawn. These areas generally have a greater chance of potential human and dog sightings for a coyote and generally, full adults try to avoid. 

I've already seen how a few months can change the hunting patterns of three particular youngsters, i.e. Dash, Scarf & EmCee (or MC). 

At the beginning of the year, I usually came across Dash, sometimes accompanied by Scarf. And although Dash was larger (and I believe male), Scarf definitely lead the patrol. When she left, Dash usually followed. Scarf has always been the more warier of the two and in fact, she was the hardest to find close-ups for.

Then MC showed up, the first time left swiftly behind by her older brother & sister but eventually joined by one of her parents or a much older sibling. Then one day MC showed up with Dash, quickly followed by a third coyote. Again much larger and probably a parent but who left fairly quickly - probably having given strict instructions to Dash not to leave his younger sister behind this time.

And now I rarely see Dash or Scarf but have seen MC showing up on her own, with much more confidence. She has turned up in areas previously frequented by Dash & Scarf. She is definitely not as wary as Scarf. In fact, early in February, I did see both girls in the same meadow. Once I was spotted by Scarf, she was off. MC, on the other hand, continued hunting for rodents.

And now, MC, although the smallest by far, is becoming a proficient hunter, using all her knowledge to uncover new venues, such as Prussian Carp hidden in slushy streams. 

In another month, sightings of these three will probably be rare, unless I'm fortunate to catch them checking out busy beaver ponds with their waterfowl inhabitants, most likely closer to sunset. And I will wait for the new arrivals to mature enough to venture from the safety of their den & explore their surroundings.

DASH

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EmCee or MC (Mini Coyote)

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Coyote - 6 Photos

In body language a "tell" can refer to subtle body language or facial expressions that hint at a person's (or in this case wildlife's) true feeling or intentions. And the type of tell can be specific to an individual.

Last year, a young female coyote that I photographed had the "tell" of sitting for some time before continuing on to hunt. I observed her sitting so regularly on her hunting expeditions that I thought, at first, she tired easily being a young coyote. But then, watching her easily cover the ground so effortlessly, I came to the conclusion that her time spent sitting was, in fact, a period of contemplation, thinking about where & how she was going to make her next move.

That combined with her distinctive red colouring, made her much easier to identify from other coyotes.

MC (or Mini Coyote), I believe, also has a recognizable "tell". Her tell is to "stop, look up & listen". And with only human hearing, I can't detect any sound, other than bird song or human noise nor is there any movement in the trees. It can be a little unnerving watching another mammal look up towards the sky, eyes fixed and ears perked forward, obviously aware of something or someone (be it people or wildlife) out there but beyond a human's perception. I'm assuming MC is listening intently for "song" from her family members in order to identify their location.

The following photos were taken over a period of the past two months, the first two being the most recent. The last two photos did appear in a previous blog, "Training Ground", February 23rd, 2025.   

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Coyote - 3 Photos

Taken just as the sun was setting, the coyote highlighted in the photos below, came bounding down the hill, paused and then bounded back up again having spotted me.

Definitely an adult coyote, not certain of the gender but full grown with all the wariness of his/her species. No curiosity of youth here.

Reaching the top of the hill as quickly as possible, I saw that the coyote had gone just a little way off, pausing to allow for three quick photos and then in typical fashion, just jogged away. Obviously, nothing to see here for a certain canid.

Have seen this coyote two more times since in the exact same area and he/she always arrives in a bounding fashion, much like a wolf jumping through deep snow. So I've named him/her "Springer". And Springer might well be one of Dash's, Scarf's & MC's parents.

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Coyote - 7 Photos

Wolves on Vancouver Island, B.C. have been documented fishing for salmon. But this was my first time I have witnessed a coyote, particularly a youngster, "fishing" for Prussian Carp in a small stream covered with slushy ice. 

This particular wetland area has small channels or streams that connect to larger ponds. Supposedly, in Alberta,  Prussian Carp can overwinter in a body of water even if it freezes over as they have the ability to to bury themselves in the mud and go dormant. 

I am not certain whether this was indeed the case for the coyote. (This is EmCee or MC for Mini Coyote.) She may have broken through the ice and dug into the mud to retrieve fish or perhaps, the coyote had uncovered frozen dead Prussian Carp just under the ice. But I suppose the question is, "How did the coyote know there were fish under the ice?" This was definitely not a "sniff, target & pounce" manoeuvre. It was a search out, push through the ice with front feet and eventually the nose and then retrieve.

Earlier, the coyote had ventured out onto a partially frozen pond and had circled the ice, checking out the thin areas of ice devoid of snow (Photo #1). I thought this was just a matter of curiosity and held that thought until the coyote moved from pond to marshland (Photo #2). I now believe she was actually looking for movement under the ice.

The first catch was quick & hidden by the marsh grasses. I got a quick glance, saw that it was large & thought the coyote had managed to catch a duck or pheasant. She quickly retreated to the dried reeds to dine safely. Although obscured by the dried vegetation, a large Prussian Carp can be seen hanging from the coyote's mouth (Photo #7).

Quickly devoured, it was back to the frozen water for another try. This time I could obtain shots, from a distance, clear of the grasses and the shots document how the coyote managed to extricate the first fish (Photo #3 through Photo #5). And then it was another success, although this time a much smaller Carp (Photo #6).

Fishing completed for the day, other venues were calling and MC travelled on.

Note: All photos obtained with the use of the equivalent of a 900 mm lens.

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Coyote - 5 Photos

So remaking the name of "Puss in Boots" to suit a mucky footed canid, you now have a young coyote with thick mud covering her paws from hunting in a wet creek area, which hopefully helps with the traction across the ice.

This is EmCee or MC (Mini Coyote), again, so distinguishable by her very small size and her "tell", standing still with her head and eyes looking up, and her ears perked forward. I've not seen her brother or sister display this behaviour at any time that I have observed them. I'm not certain if MC is listening for a sound that is beyond human hearing or trying to catch a scent. And she generally does this posture at least once (sometimes while sitting) the times I have photographed her.

And because of MC's hunting prowess, perhaps "Xena" would have been more appropriate as a name, after the character from the American television series which ran from the late 1990's to the early 2000's, i.e. Xena: Warrior Princess. Her exploits will follow in future blogs.

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Moose - 3 Photos

You never know what wildlife you may encounter out there and you certainly don't have the option to choose what time of day.

The following photos were taken at sunset and into a thick wood which backed onto an escarpment. So basically little light.

Having tried to achieve the right white balance (or warmth) in the photos, I switched to black & white. There was little colour due to the lighting, the foliage at this time of year & of course, the moose. So black & white was a viable option because it can provide great definition & contrast.

And the choice doesn't detract from the magnificence of this female moose, who because of her choice of dining, felt secure in a densely thicketed woods, almost impenetrable by anyone other than a twig eater, another name for a moose.

And there certainly was an abundance of twigs at the perfect height for a moose, hopefully enough to keep a moose's fat reserves up until the Spring buds & foliage appear. 

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Coyote - 6 Photos

Following on from the previous blog, "MARCH BREAK" (March 9, 2025), EmCee (MC for Mini Coyote), is not a coyote who will leave any stone or rather shrub unturned.

Following her ears (and probably her nose as well), she began digging at the base of a small dried bush. It didn't take long before she popped up with "something", mixed in with a few dried grasses. 

From Photo #5 & Photo #6, there appears to be a gray tail extending from MC's mouth. My best guess is it is the appendage of perhaps a newborn pocket gopher or some type of rodent.

Hopefully it was enough to temporarily satisfy a hunger and provide some energy. MC's head almost seems a size larger (Photo #4) than her body, a sign perhaps there is much more growing to happen before she reaches complete maturity. And then MC won't be so small any more.

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Coyote - 6 Photos

With temperatures fluctuating from freezing temperatures at night to double digit temperatures during the day, combined with longer & stronger hours of sunshine, creeks & ponds are showing the signs of ice break up.

And with water levels receding, some of the ice floes have been stranded onshore.

And what better place for a young coyote, this time - EmCee (or Mini Coyote) to do some hunting. You never know what food treasures might be found hiding in the soft soil along the shoreline and under the exposed ice.

Finding what she could with a cursory patrol, EmCee returned to the grasses & shrubbery of solid ground and further hunting.

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Coyote - 6 Photos

Another week and a half later, two coyotes came down from the ridge and into the woods below. 

The larger one was definitely the coyote I've named Dash, gender male (Photo #1 through Photo #3). 

The second, much smaller, I believe to be EmCee or MC, the coyote featured in the blog, "Training Ground" of February 23, 2025 (Photo #4 through Photo #6). She (because of her diminutive size) lacks the huge, seemingly oversized ruff of her sister, Scarf, who is also small.

One may be wondering how I can differentiate one coyote from another. Coyote families, like wolves, have their own territories and they can frequent the same area where they have found good potential food sources. Dash, Scarf and EmCee are youngsters or perhaps, teenagers may be more appropriate. They haven't developed the more superior hunting skills of the adults so they tend to concentrate on smaller prey, such as squirrels, voles, pocket gophers, etc. and can return to the same areas where they have had success.

Then there is attitude & behaviour. Dash, being larger, tends to be more confident, striking out on his own but when accompanied by his younger sister, Scarf, seems to follow her lead. He is the one most likely to be caught sunning himself, alone or having a nap on a hillside. He certainly has that "Whatever" attitude. :) 

Scarf is more wary probably because of her smaller size but she is an astute hunter and all about the business of locating a meal. And because Dash has a tendency to follow her lead, hopefully she will keep him out of trouble. 

In the "Training Ground" blog, it was mentioned that Dash & Scarf charged across a meadow leaving this third much smaller coyote behind, MC (EmCee). MC must be the last of the pups born to this particular coyote family in the Spring 2024 and the last to gain some independence. She definitely is the smallest.

And unlike Scarf, MC follows Dash's lead. Keeping close and when he left the area, she followed quickly behind. 

There was an even larger coyote, who came in behind Dash & MC this particular morning and quickly left but not before giving a backward glance to the two at the bottom of the hill. Perhaps it was Mum or a much older sibling by a year, this time leaving big brother to look after his little sister until they returned home.

As Spring approaches & these youngsters gain more experience & confidence, I'll be most likely seeing them less & less as they venture out into even more remote areas, where they will be looking for larger food sources. And it will become harder to recognize them as they mature. It will be late summer/early Autumn when the new "pups" begin venturing out on their own & exploring, and I may be fortunate to capture their exploits. 

But for now, I hope to see one or more of Dash, Scarf & MC a few times more.

DASH

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Coyote - 9 Photos

And I thought they couldn't get much smaller.

From the ridge came the two adolescent coyotes, most likely the two that generally hunt & socialize together, the larger being male, the smaller - female. And then an even smaller coyote followed them down at speed. The first two charged off across the meadow, leaving the third behind to forage on her/his own. Perhaps teenagers are the same everywhere, no one wants the younger brother/sister tagging along & slowing them down.

Eventually, the third coyote, who I've named EmCee or MC for Mini Coyote, (Photo #1) moved on and across the meadow searching for mice and voles (Photo #2 through Photo #3 ).

And then came that iconic moment, when a coyote sits down & takes a few minutes to rest & evaluate the situation before moving on (Photo #4 through Photo #7). I would love to be party to the workings of a coyote's brain as to what thoughts are being processed. And I don't know what caused the coyote to look up. It may have been bird movement in a nearby tree or perhaps there was the inaudible sound by human hearing of older siblings giving notice of where they could be located.

No matter, rest time now complete, it was back to business and MC headed off in the direction where the other two had disappeared but with nose down & ears alert never losing an opportunity to score a meal (Photo #8 & Photo #9).

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Coyote - 7 Photos

When photographing wildlife in Nature, you don't get to choose the most optimal places to take your photos. It certainly makes for challenges but also provides huge rewards.

Coyotes are at home in a diversity of environments, from grasslands to forest groves and even in urban situations. With their coat colourings, they blend easily into the tall dry grasses that cover hillsides, to the point of disappearing in plain sight.

A young coyote came running down a hill, took a few minutes to check out the flat area below and then headed back up, where he/she disappeared. At that point, a second much larger coyote appeared from the meadow to the south and headed up the same hill but further east. Probably due to size & stature, it was much easier to follow & spot the second coyote (Photo #7).

I've put the photos in reverse order as believe it is much easier to follow & distinguish the two in and behind the tall dry prairie grasses (Photo #1 & Photo #2). 

It took a few seconds to realize that the youngster had actually met up with the adult (Photo #5 & Photo #6), who I believe to be a female and could potentially be "Mum" or at the very least, a much older female sibling. The clue to gender determination can, I believe, be seen in Photo #3 & Photo #4. The smaller coyote is probing & licking the jaw area of the adult, encouraging her to open and potentially regurgitate some food, a learned behaviour as a pup.

But "pup" no more and as this was most likely an expedition of a youngster, accompanied by an adult to learn the "how's" of successful hunting, it was back over the ridge, followed shortly by her guardian.

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Coyote - 4 Photos

Anyone who undertakes some type of physical exercise, whether it be running, skiing, hiking or even just walking or gardening, knows the importance of stretching out those muscles & tendons before and after undertaking any activity.

And that isn't any different for a coyote, having rested for a short period, made that full body stretch before undertaking a jog through the deep snow to look for a potential meal.

This is one of several young coyotes belonging to a particular family. The full back stretch probably felt great having sat in the sun for some time and was a great preparation for any coyote activity that might be required in the hours that followed.

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Coyote - 11 Photos

Have been photographing these two young coyotes for almost two months now. 

Have seen them separately & together on many occasions. You can't miss that leggy, lanky look of youth and the female is particularly small, probably the youngest of her sibling(s). 

Their behaviour also speaks of youth. Still extremely wary of people, but more willing to push the envelope a little more than adults by getting caught up in a hunt or search for food and ignoring distractions.

The adult coyotes I have seen are more likely to be out between sunset and sunrise or are in the midst of courtship during the early part of the year. There have also been a few occasions where adults have been spotted with their offspring either out hunting larger prey (a good training experience for the younger coyotes) or taking advantage of the remains of a carcass, left by a larger predator.

The small female I've named "Scarf" because of her large neck ruff (Photo #1). Although the smaller of the two, she appears to be more of the leader when the two are together, foraging on and encouraging her companion to keep up. And she definitely is much more cautious, most likely as she is aware of her size.

Her companion, is probably male due to his large size & strong independence, willing to venture out boldly with a strong attitude. I've named him "Dash", because of his dashingly good looks (Photo #2).

This particular morning the two were out together, hunting for food. Dash eventually headed up the hill, where he decided to have a dog nap. Scarf eventually followed and having briefly scouted the surrounding area, returned to where her brother was resting and provided opportunities to document, what I believe, to be some very intimate & touching moments between two coyote siblings. The coyote standing is Scarf (Photo #3 through to Photo #9).

And then Scarf headed to the top of the hill (Photo #10), looked back to see if Dash was coming & continued over and out of sight. Dash waited (I think expecting his sister to return) and when that didn't happen, slowly roused himself (Photo #11) and followed his sister to the other side of the ridge.

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Pileated Woodpecker - 7 Photos

Knock on wood and let the chips fall where they may.

Words that woodpeckers, including Pileated Woodpeckers, live by. And for a Pileated, who doesn't care where the chips fall, what really matters is what lies in the excavated cavity, i.e. insects.

Drill a few holes, excavate, use that long tongue to probe for insects & grubs and repeat.

And then it's a flight to another wooded grove for more construction or rather excavation.

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Coyote - 5 Photos

In some indigenous legends, witches known as "skinwalkers" were able to turn themselves into animals such as coyotes, foxes, cougars, wolves, etc., seen at times walking on two legs. 

I've been fortunate to see coyotes at work, doing their jump from a standing posture, transitioning into a complete airborne move and to quote a gymnastic term, "sticking" the landing, i.e. executing a landing with correct technique & no movement of the feet.

I'm not certain whether this young coyote tired after her first & second try at the "jump, fly and land" with no meal success and therefore decided to try a different approach. Or whether this was just another technique in her repertoire. 

So the third time around, facing directly towards me, she stood on her two hind legs for probably 10 seconds (Photo #1 & Photo #2) before folding (Photo #3) and allowing herself to drop with force on the target (Photo #4).  So no jump but what I believe, is an incredible feat of strength and balance for a four legged mammal. 

Unfortunately, no successes again (Photo #5) but her movements will be forever captured with photography, providing a testament to this young coyote's skill, strength & agility.

And if one was ever passing by and saw a coyote standing tall on two hind legs for a period of time, they might think supernatural. But it's not supernatural - IT'S SUPERNATURE. 
 

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Coyote - 4 Photos

The start to my Wednesday morning: -

Got up, looked at the weather forecast, which said current weather "partly cloudy". Opened the blinds & it was very overcast & snowing.

So swore under my breath, looked to the left which is a green space (now white, of course), and up the path came two young coyotes.

You could tell from the very long legs & seemingly oversized bodies, they were probably born Spring 2024, out looking for breakfast.

First thought, camera downstairs. Ran downstairs, grabbed the camera. Briefly thought to try from the porch outside. Hmmm - in my pajamas & it's -34 degrees Celsius outside with the wind chill & snowing. Probably not the best idea, particularly with the neighbours. 

So ran back upstairs, went to the bathroom window & there were the two coyotes standing near the fence line, one had already moved close to the road but I managed to grab some quick photos of "her sibling" (Photo #1 through Photo #4 - the slow turn). 

This youngster looks like she put on a much older sibling's oversized overcoat this morning.

When I moved into my house over 20 years ago, the community was a new build, close to the edge of the city limits. And almost every night when I went to bed, I would be serenaded by the song of the nearby coyotes, something I hear only very occasionally now.

So welcome home & please be safe. (The pair were very cautious of waiting for the traffic to clear when navigating the road. Luckily the area is near a school/playground zone, with very few people walking due to the cold weather.)

I named her "Bridy". Probably will never recognize her again, even if I spot another local coyote. But Bridy is a girl's name with Irish roots & means "power", "strength", "virtue" and my favourite "the exalted one".

And for all those cat owners out there in Calgary, where cats are required to be licensed & kept within their home & backyards, beware. There have been numerous occasions (sometimes when the weather was equally foul) where there has been a cat wandering into my backyard, with a collar & well fed. Definitely not a stray. For any cats allowed to experience their wild side (albeit briefly), they may not be returning home. :(

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Coyote - 8 Photos

Not the song, but the "song dog"! :) 

The coyote featured in the photos below is probably the smallest young adult coyote I've ever encountered. Most likely the youngest of her siblings born in Spring 2024. She appeared in a previous blog, "Scarf - January 9, 2025" and I had based her gender on her delicate features & size but now having photos that show her lower underbelly, I can say almost 100% certain, Scarf is female.

So that takes care of the "Tiny" portion of the title. Onto the "Dancer" part.

I had seen Scarf enter a meadow so I followed a parallel path hoping to catch sight of her before she completely disappeared. Much to my surprise, on just the other side of the path, she had stopped to hunt close to a small thicket. And she had obviously had caught the sound/scent of a rodent under the snow. 

Scarf may be small in size but she definitely makes up for that in attitude & determination. She tried not once, not twice but three times doing the stand, jump & pounce manoeuvre. In the end, she tried to simply dig under the snow & excavate but to both of our disappointments, no meal.

Like foxes, coyotes can jump straight up in the air and plunge headfirst into the snow with their mouths wide open ready for a catch. If successful, they will emerge with a rodent. Because of a coyote's larger size, that jump can be higher, longer & more dramatic than that of a fox's. 

The hunting technique is worthy of choreography found in classical dance, incorporating balance, strength and grace, only lasting seconds. Hence, the "dancer" portion of the blog's title.

But as with all wildlife, there is no holding onto the past. There is only the now and what other possible prospects there might be in other locations. It was a quick expedition down a bank and along the creek (Photo #7) and then onto hopefully more lucrative hunting successes.

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Coyote - 5 Photos

Note: All photography is done from a safe distance & location. The wildlife' s welfare is paramount.

Lighting and landscape can play an intricate part in any type of photography and of course, it is entirely at Nature's discretion in the natural world.

As wildlife travels in his/her home environment, the eco-system may change.  Depending upon the species, that change can be from grassland to forest within a short distance. Coyotes can live in so many areas because they are generalists, i.e. they are able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources.

So within a distance of less than half a kilometre, the coyote left a grassland area (Photo #4 & Photo #5) to enter a small boreal forest (Photo #1 through to Photo #3) and there's nothing like a fallen tree to lie behind & perhaps find a meal.

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White-Tailed Deer - 7 Photos

A cold and foggy morning & the dry winter vegetation is now partially covered in frozen snow.

So what better way to spend some time but having a meal with friends & family and spending a little together time. 

There were probably four to five deer in this small herd and I couldn't determine from size and demeanor whether these two were siblings, mother & youngster or relatives but they certainly were enjoying a mutual grooming session. And a friend or relative is a great resource in satisfying those hard to reach places in a thick winter coat.

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Coyote - 8 Photos

Note: All photography is done from a safe distance & location. The wildlife's welfare is paramount.

So is that "Morning, Sunshine!", i.e. a nickname or "Morning Sunshine!", i.e. the celestial entity at dawn? No matter which, it was a wonderful morning.

Any day, any time of the day, any weather condition - provide an opportunity for a coyote photo and I'm there. :)

But if you have a handsome coyote, lots of sunshine & a lengthy hunting expedition, it really doesn't get any better. 

Believe this is the same coyote featured in the blog, "THE PAWS IN TIME (January 27, 2025)", the young male returning to the same area frequented the day before. And without his small female sibling, he hunted the area at his leisure, giving ample opportunities for photography. 

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Coyote - 7 Photos

NOTE: All photography is done from a safe distance & location. The wildlife's welfare is paramount. 

The coyote featured in the photographs below was most likely born in the Spring 2024. He appears to be the larger brother of the small young female featured in the blog "Scarf (January 9, 2025)".

I had spotted the small female coming into a small wooded area from the ravine & as I began to take some photos, I saw her larger sibling coming in from behind.

I believe her sibling to be male because of size (although lanky & leggy) and his more relaxed attitude. While his sister took to to the lead and was only interested in moving along & hunting for a meal, he seemed to have more confidence in taking his time, pausing for a scratch or two (a future blog) and having a more laid back attitude of "no worries, I'll catch you up", which he eventually did (but in no great hurry). The two proceeded back to the top of the ridge and out of sight.

They appear to have a bond, which would make sense if they are siblings, but not the close bond that I've seen in siblings from other families when the two youngsters are both sisters of the same age. 

Later in the afternoon, he returned to the same wooded area for a quick meal or two and then retired slightly up the ridge for some R & R (Rest & Relaxation). He must have been there just chilling out for at least 20 minutes before rousing himself and heading back up the ridge. Last year when I had repeated sightings of three young coyotes (two female, one male), I had seen them on a few occasions finding a safe refuge on a hill in the tall prairie grasses and napping for a similar length of time. 

I have yet to see large mature adult coyotes indulge in napping during the day at such length so perhaps this is something the youngsters need or like to do to replenish their energy and work on their endurance.

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Bald Eagle (Adult) - 7 Photos

The photos that follow were taken over a period of approximately one hour. 

Same tree, same eagle but a changing sky. The morning began overcast, then changed to breaking clouds with the sunlight pushing through (Photo #1 through to Photo #4) and finally a completely clear blue sky (Photo #5 through to Photo #7). Alberta, Canada certainly has its share of almost shocking blue skies, particularly on crisp cold Winter mornings.

Am not certain if this eagle is male or female. Without his/her mate nearby, it's difficult to judge size but am thinking the eagle is male, as on his own, he seems to be on the small side.

A relaxing time for a bird of prey and a somewhat relaxing morning for me. I say somewhat relaxing as the eagle knows what his agenda is but I had to keep the camera aimed & ready, with a finger on the camera's shutter, waiting for that change in movement.

And after some grooming & surveying of the landscape, there was a period of stretching & clenching & unclenching of talons, before the eventual departure.

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Coyote - 7 Photos

This is a follow up to the blog of January 13, 2025, "They Haven't Moved Into Our Neighbourhoods, We've Moved Into Theirs" and features the same coyote.

Having exhausted the hunting possibilities along the fence line & tired of being harassed by the Black-billed Magpies, the coyote exited the meadow and headed back to "where the wild ones are" (Photo #1 through Photo #3).

He/she had to pass by some outbuildings before moving into more of a wilderness area but although not exactly what I would prefer for a backdrop, it did provide some stark contrasting for the coyote as he/she moved across (Photo #4 through Photo #7).

And then a return to an area which would hopefully provide more food success and perhaps, a meet up with other family members.

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WE'VE MOVED INTO THEIRS" 

Coyote - 5 Photos

The photos that follow were taken where a natural area meets a residential area. 

I've recently seen & take exception to several reports from local news media of wildlife (eg. cougars, etc.) approaching homes inaccurately in the Calgary area. In fact, many of these reported sightings are in areas between 35 to 45 kilometres from The City of Calgary. The same news reports actually name, later on in those articles,  the specific towns where the sightings took place and they are in the vicinity of natural/wilderness areas close to or in the foothills of the mountains.

Now I'm assuming many of the individuals who move to these areas are looking for a refuge "in nature" from city living's hustle & bustle. However, some appear to bring their ideas of the city to the outskirts and are shocked when they encounter wildlife in their backyards. What they fail to appreciate is the fact that the wildlife is not entering their backyards but actually, we have moved into wildlife's neighbourhoods. As we continue to build more communities in these wild spaces, we push wildlife further out and into ever shrinking natural habitats.

As a wildlife photographer, I am envious of these sightings, particularly if they could be seen from the comfort of a living room. So although one might have to modify some habits (such as letting your pets out in the backyard now with supervision), I believe the rewards of watching wildlife in their natural habitat could far exceed the inconvenience.

The coyote had been close to the road that enters to the park. He/she crossed the road, did a quick reconnaissance of the area and then returned to the woods where he/she had originated. 

I followed the path along where the coyote had disappeared but soon realized that with the thickness of fir trees, location was going to be difficult. 

But then I heard the magpies close-by, followed the sound and yep, there was the coyote hunting in the clearing along the fence line. I actually like magpies. I once heard them referred to as "Alberta Parrots" as they are quite colourful. And yes, they can be very chatty but I use magpies as my "C.I.'s" or Confidential Informants. They like to follow coyotes looking for a chance of a free meal (albeit leftovers) and they are not shy of a quick peck with their beaks either for a tease or protection of a nest.

I find Photo #2 particularly amusing as it appears as if the magpie in the left corner of the photo is trying to move away as discreetly as possible, with a nonchalant attitude of "Wasn't me that informed on you". 

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Coyote - 7 Photos

Now why would a blog featuring coyotes be titled "Scarf"?

It's not about the winter accessory but more of the appearance of the coyote.

This coyote is probably the smallest I've ever encountered, most likely the smallest of the pups born to this particular family, the Spring 2024. And because of the size of the head, body & shorter legs, I'm going to go with female gender. (The coyote who I photographed earlier this month, "Now You See The Coyote, Now You Don't" - Jan 3, 2025, because of the closeness in location to this smaller one, is probably a sibling.) These coyotes belong to a new family for me, in a totally different area.

So why "scarf"? Having walked along the path, the little coyote took to the edge of the woods and I thought had proceeded down the long hill, from where she had come up. So I turned back & was just about to move on when from behind the woods, up popped, "Scarf". Coyote out thinks & out manoeuvres human again.  I managed to capture two face on shots (Photo #1 & Photo #2). It's her ruff (the "collar" of fur & skin that bunches round the throat) that is almost triangular in shape and resembles a scarf tied around the neck.

And although intent on checking out the surrounding fir trees & area for potential food (with magpies hot on her heels), she remained alert but cautious & wary, all very good traits which will be beneficial for this young coyote as she matures (Photo #4 through Photo #7).

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Bald Eagle - 6 Photos

Bald eagles achieve their white heads & full adult plumage at approximately 5 to 5 1/2 years of age and the eagle highlighted in the photos below is just on the cusp, most likely 4 1/2 years old.

His/her head almost appears to be slightly soiled with a muddy like streak from the eyes to the back of the head, so we are almost there.

Bald eagles may mate at the age of 4 years so perhaps this bird of prey has or is looking to court a partner. It will be a long & lifetime partnership if it is successful so hopefully he/she will choose well. :) 

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Coyote - 6 Photos

The photos below may appear to have been developed with a "vignette effect" (a photograph which fades into its background without a definite border). 

However, in this instance, the vignette is, in fact, created by the camera focusing on the subject (the coyote) with the surrounding foliage blurring into the background.

Was walking along on a path looking for Bald Eagles, when surveying the areas something just seemed to be "one of these things just isn't like the others". Only in this case, one of those things wasn't a thing but a mammal, a coyote.

I took a closer look and there was the coyote peering out from behind the dried grasses & shrubs. You could almost see the "darn - busted" expression (Photo #5). Managed to move along the path so I could get a clearer less obstructed view and watched a very relaxed coyote, sit down, have a scratch or two and survey the area (Photo #1 through 5). 

And then it became more evident of what or who the coyote was looking for, when two of family members came along behind. As everyone well knows, wildlife does not take directorial suggestions & a whispered "down in front" fell on deaf ears. So Photo #6 is a photo of the two coyotes entering the area, with a blurred outline of the third coyote; hence the title "The Trilogy".

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PHOTO #6 - "DOWN IN FRONT, PLEASE!"

Red Squirrel - 7 Photos

I have found that the smallest of wildlife have some of the biggest attitudes. The Long-Tailed Weasel & the Mink come immediately to mind. If they do take the time to pause & look at you, it's that look, "Yeah, want to make something of it!"

I found the Red Squirrel that I had photographed in a previous blog (Dec 8, 2024 - "Are You A Morning Person") on the same tree. Red Squirrels are extremely territorial so I knew it had to be the same one.  I had been walking along, thinking I had not seen much all day, including the usual chickadees, etc., when up popped "Red", who immediately disappeared into the fir tree.

And perhaps it was because he/she thought it was a safe refuge so spent a few minutes, grooming, scratching & looking squirrel cute. Then it was a quick jump over to a neighbouring tree.

Red Squirrels are not only territorial but have been described as feisty so as I proceeded along, I heard for the first time that unmistakable sound of squirrel scolding. "Now hang on a minute - I've been here for a short time now and now you are giving me the scolding! It's a bit late now to warn everyone of intruders."

And then I thought, "Maybe it wasn't a warning but a send -off." Perhaps in Red Squirrel speak it was, "You've got your photos, now get lost!!" :)

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Coyote - 5 Photos

If you ever wondered why one minute, you see a coyote in the landscape & the next minute, the coyote has totally disappeared, the photos below may explain why.

The coyote was first spotted heading across a meadow and I assumed he/she was aiming for the hill not far away. I thought I might be able to get some photos if I got to the bottom of the incline before the coyote proceeded up the steep slope.

So I quickly walked up to the woods edging the bottom all the while looking up, when suddenly from within the woods, the coyote shied away and began to make a quick stage left.  My initial reaction to spooking wildlife is to apologize. They may not understand the words but hopefully they comprehend the tone, and can defer that no harm is intended.

So for once it worked and the coyote stopped and turned to resume his/her original path but not before pausing in a small clearing, providing an opportunity for a clear shot (Photo #1).

And then it was back to making his/her way up the ridge through the prairie grasses (Photo #2 through Photo #5), where from a distance, the coyote would blend into the surroundings, donning that wildlife cloak of invisibility. 

And then it was up across the top where he/she disappeared out of sight, this time legitimately. 

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Coyote - 7 Photos

So carrying on from the "Christmas Coyote" blog (December 28th, 2024), the second coyote having briefly scouted the area for her sibling (Photo #1), turned and made her way to a small clearing.

And what does one do when you are waiting for someone, well you take the weight off and sit down (Photo #2 through Photo #5).

She obviously expected her sibling to return shortly as there she sat for at least five minutes. I know one shouldn't anthropomorphize, but all that is missing in Photo #6 is the quivering lip. There's nothing sadder than being left behind. :) :(

And then she got up and moved on (Photo #7) and yes, I did see them paired again some time later from a distance.

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Coyote - 8 Photos

An opportunity to photograph a young coyote in his/her natural environment would have been on my Christmas wish list if I thought that it could be possible.

But wishes sometimes can come true.

Christmas morning I spotted a coyote hidden mostly by dried marsh grasses & bulrushes, hunting on a frozen pond. Walked quickly around the pond to where I thought the coyote would exit. From a safe distance, I had just started to adjust my camera settings, when up from the pond & out of the trees, exploded a White-Tailed deer doe at full speed. Wait for it and less than five seconds later, the doe was followed by the coyote. The coyote's exit, like the deer's, was so quick, I didn't have any opportunity to take a shot.

So as I turned to try to find where the coyote had gone, coming down the path was a second coyote, obviously intent on following her sibling. I say "her" because I've seen these two before and like the two (from a different family) I photographed earlier in the year, they appear to have a special bond. Where there is one, the other is usually not far away. From their size & leggy looks, they are most likely this year's youngsters.

Another blog will shortly follow, highlighting photos of this same coyote and documenting what happened next.

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Bald Eagles - 8 Photos

Yep, that time of the year has rolled around again.

No, I'm not talking about Christmas and the holiday period. :)  It's that time when eagles court & confirm their partnerships for hopefully another success of egg laying & rearing of chicks.

Having spotted an eagle in a tree, from a distance I thought that this was one extremely large eagle, particularly lengthwise. As I got close, I realized that it was not one eagle but two adult Bald Eagles, one directly behind the other. The second eagle was on a slightly lower branch, which gave the illusion of the extraordinary length. 

At first, there were only quick glimpses of the second eagle from behind his/her partner, so I concentrated on the eagle directly in front (Photo # 1). (The back view would have provided a better sighting of the second eagle but unfortunately, it was obscured by branches & shooting would have been directly into the sun.) Finally the second eagle began grooming and leaned out from the back (Photo #2). 

And then their vocalizations began. If you have never heard the courtship of two adult eagles, do a web search. It has to be one of the most endearing, if not unexpected sounds in Nature.

As always, it was too brief but Photo #3 to Photo #6 show the body language of the eagles as they exchange their "vows". I believe this to be a mature pair so for them it was a re-affirmation of their commitment to each other. The "pairing" ended with the departure of the first eagle (Photo #7 & Photo #8). 

So fingers crossed, come Spring another eagle nest will be full of new arrivals.

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Porcupine - 4 Photos

Porcupines can move faster than one might think, particularly if they are on the forest floor & trying to navigate to the safety of the next tree.

Then there is the pause in tall grasses at the bottom of tree, where there is no distinguishing from vegetation and quills, before literally hustling across open ground.

And finally there is the slow motion action of a porcupine moving across a tree branch from the base of the trunk to a spot further away from the tree but more conducive to napping (Photo #1 through Photo #4).

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Bald Eagle (Adult) - 7 Photos

From a distance, I could see what looked like an eagle in a tree, close to the river. Checked with the camera's viewfinder & thought I could make out two heads.

A decision then was made to make the 20 minute trek across the snow to reach the tree, all the while hoping that the eagles remained perched. 5 minutes in, one of the eagles flew from the tree, across the meadow and disappeared, but not before I caught sight of that distinctive white head.

With one eagle remaining, I tried not to get my hopes up and kept on walking, managed to reach the tree & there sitting on a clear branch, was another adult. So this had been a pair and with courtship season quickly approaching, the two most likely had been exchanging conversation.

But luckily, the remaining eagle was quite content for half an hour to survey the waterfowl before flying down river. At no time was there any grooming, so I assume hunting for food was on the agenda.

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Coyote - 7 Photos

WARNING: Some individuals may find the following content disturbing.

PLEASE NOTE ALL PHOTOS WERE TAKEN FROM A SAFE DISTANCE & LOCATION USING A 900 MM LENS EQUIVALENT.

When humans take a snow day, it generally means taking a day off from work or school because of heavy snow conditions.

When a snow day presents itself to a coyote, it's a day to take advantage of the conditions in the pursuit of food, whether that be solo or with other family members.

I saw the first coyote on my initial foray into the meadow. In fact, we actually arrived at the same time just by different routes. And it was a quick stage right for the coyote as he/she acknowledged my presence (Photo #1). 

So I sat down on a fallen tree, in hopes that the coyote (or any coyote would return). Well no coyote returned to that area but eventually I saw not one but two coyotes coming down from the back ridge. And then I noticed a large number of magpies heading in the same direction. I like to call magpies my "CI's" or my Confidential Informants. When a large number gather and become excited, it can mean there is a predator like an owl or a weasel in the vicinity or even a coyote who has caught a meal and the magpies want a share.

So I trekked back to where I had seen the coyotes heading and there in the far part of the meadow, close to the ridge, hidden in the grasses were four coyotes standing over a dead mule deer. In the tree close to the footpath, were at least 11 magpies. Every so often a magpie would fly from the tree, across the meadow to harass the coyotes and try to grab some of the meal. 

I have included only one photo of one of the coyotes with the magpies and the unfortunate dead mule deer (which you can only just make out through the grasses) - Photo #7. Eventually, all coyotes left except one. When the final coyote left, he/she was carrying (if anyone is squeamish, stop reading here) a deer head, probably back to a den where a coyote could eat in peace.

It was at this stage that it dawned on me that the deer kill was most likely the result of a cougar attack. Even a family of coyotes would have difficulty severing the head of a large deer. There have been cougar sightings in this and other areas. So the cougar having had his/her fill, the remains were left for the clean-up crew, including the coyotes.

So although a very sad day for this doe mule deer, nothing goes wasted with wildlife, from the largest to the smallest, everyone would have had full stomachs that day.

Photo #2 through Photo #6 are of the second to last coyote to return to the woods that day. And although, he/she returned empty handed, the evidence of the meal is in the slightly red tinge around the coyote's head & jaw. And although the light was extremely flat and the day overcast, the magnificence of this canid pushes through.

Nature is a hard task master for both prey & predator but there is always balance. For every successful hunt, there are many more instances where the hunted escapes unscathed. 

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Red Squirrel - 7 Photos

Some of us are morning people and some of us, just aren't and a late start to the day is preferable. 

I saw this little Red Squirrel earlier in the morning and although he/she was in close proximity, was just not interested in pausing long enough to have a photo or two taken.

So having spent most of the morning & part of the afternoon trying to track down a Long-Tailed Weasel that I had very briefly seen (unsuccessful), I returned to the area where I had seen the squirrel earlier. And yes, there he/she was on the same tree but obviously had tended to his/her previous business and was much more willing to take time out for some photo opportunities.

And if one is in any doubt that Nature has a heart, look carefully at the small tree stump to the left of the squirrel in Photo #7. Now it may just be the angle or a trick of the light, but that looks like a small heart naturally appearing in the bark. The shape was mostly likely created by a natural shedding of bark. (The stump is accessible by only wildlife so that eliminates the human element.)

And as for that squirrel, I suppose this particular one is best approached later in the day if photography is on the agenda.

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Coyote - 10 Photos

The coyote is also known as the American Jackal, along with Bush Wolf or Prairie Wolf.

It was late afternoon when the following photos were taken. Although I would prefer a side or frontal view of the hunting sequence, the photos from behind give a different perspective to the athletic ability of the coyote. 

Like the fox, there is a sequence of the freeze while the coyote pinpoints the exact location under the snow of the vole/mouse (Photo #1), the stand (Photo #2), the take-off (Photo #3) and then the subsequent curl (Photo #4 through Photo #6) before landing and yes, the success (Photo #7 through Photo #9). (That is a rodent's tail extending from the coyote's mouth in Photo #8). 

And for reference purposes, Photo #10 is a photo taken several years ago, when I was fortunate to capture a frontal view of a coyote's take-off.

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Muskrat - 6 Photos

Have used the title of the book for young children by P.D. Eastman, "Are You My Mother" but there's probably no doubt here that these interactions in the photos below are of a mother muskrat & her offspring.

Usually there is a challenge over log space among members of a muskrat family, generally one giving way for the other. With the exception of males in the Spring fighting for females, muskrats appear to prefer to give way or "go with the flow". (I've included a photo (Photo #6) taken Spring 2023 of two (I assume) male muskrats going at it face to face, with teeth displayed, over mating rights. Although small in stature, you definitely would not want to provoke a muskrat who decided to take the fight over flight action.)

But Photo #1 through Photo #5 only show a gentleness of a youngster trying to gain his/her mother's attention. You can see the difference in sizes & colourings, even in the photo taken just at sunset (Photo #5). And mother/offspring relationship aside, when it comes to food, there is no sharing when little ones are big enough to find their own. 

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Coyote - 6 Photos

In one day's snowfall with over 20 cm of snow, Autumn became Winter overnight, even though it has not yet "officially" arrived. December 21st, 2024 marks the Winter Solstice and the beginning of Winter.

So with the landscape completed covered in deep snow, the ground becomes a blank white canvas, with the exception of some small protruding grasses/branches and one coyote who having made his/her way down the ridge, decided to take a short time-out from hunting. 

And the pause developed into a sitting position, giving opportunities for the coyote to survey the landscape & tend to an itch or two. And then it was back to the task at paw and a disappearance into the surrounding woods.

The coyote in the following photos looks particularly striking as he/she provides the only colour and definitive shape. At first glance, one might even think the canid has been photoshopped into the shots but literally what you see is what was actually there, including the few meagre grasses popping through the snow cover.

Nature definitely believed in the old adage, "less is more" in this instance when painting her canvas.

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Great Horned Owl - 7 Photos

All owls have amazing camouflage and the Great Horned Owl is no exception.

This owl was perched in a tree on a branch not more than 25 feet from the ground and the tree itself right next to a paved path. Albeit surrounded by branches from the rear side of the owl, the owl's profile was clear from the opposite side. 

Now the human traffic along the path was not heavy but of those who passed by, perhaps less than 1% actually spotted the owl. 

I took two sets of photos, one set in the morning & one in the afternoon and quickly left for more isolated locations in both instances for other wildlife viewing, avoiding any people interactions. I checked back closer to sunset and the owl had left for other destinations.

Perhaps, it was a case of not being able to clearly see from the back side, unless you knew what to look for and from the front side, the owl was hidden because of a slight bend and once you rounded that bend, one was too close to see the owl directly above.

So one magnificent Great Horned Owl hidden in plain view.

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Muskrat - 7 Photos

I lost track of who was who in the muskrat traffic and the ongoing disputes over log space but needless to say, how cute is any muskrat in the stages of grooming?

With their tiny front hands, they can take on the appearance of shyness or meditation or reflection (Photo #1 through Photo #4).

Their back feet are so useful in reaching those hard to get places to satisfy an itch or finish a grooming (Photo #5 through Photo #6).

And then there is that pose which just demands the caption, "I'm just so darn adorable", (Photo #7). Like the beaver, the muskrat is a member of the rodent family but that can be all forgotten when viewing muskrats close up.

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Mule Deer (Immature) - 6 Photos

The twin fawns in the photos below have been featured in two previous blogs, "IF YOU ARE SEEING DOUBLE WITH SPOTS" (Aug 29, 2024) & "SPOTS, SPOTS & MORE SPOTS" (Aug 1, 2024). 

One may wonder how a person could identify this particular two & their mother from other deer families. This family is consistently in the same area at the same time and until recently with the re-appearance of the bucks, they are generally on their own. I was somewhat concerned when I first saw the mother doe in early Summer, that although energetic & always available to her fawns for a milk feed, she was quite thin. She appears to be quite a mature doe, which probably explains the twin birth and which is most likely the reason for her condition. First there would have been the duration of the pregnancy & carrying twins, followed by the feeding of two youngsters. Even with the lush vegetation of Summer, all that nutrition would have been passed onto her fawns.

But now it is November and the fawns are eating adult food or at least should be and their mother is a healthy weight. Unfortunately, it happened within seconds so the following couldn't be caught on camera. The female fawn spotted her mother across the creek. She jumped over, ran up to her mother's side and immediately tried to feed at the milk bar. Her brother, although a fair distance away, like all siblings, wasn't going to miss out on such an opportunity. If his sister was going to partake, so was he and bounded across the meadow to reach his mother's other side. But Mum wasn't going to have any of that so she half jumped, half crawled over her youngsters and set them straight. Naughty children!

Reviewing the photos, one can now see not only the size difference in male & female fawns, but also "himself" is now showing the beginning of the crown where his antler set will eventually rest and tiny little antler buds appearing (Photo #3 through to Photo #5). His sister definitely has a softer and more refined face of a doe (Photo #1 & Photo #2).

And bad news, children, your mother has already been courted by one of the largest mule deer bucks and most likely next year, there will be at least one, if not more fawns, occupying your mother's attention.

I have included in the last photo (Photo #6) for comparisons, the shot taken in early August 2024 of the two youngsters, already showing a size difference and of course, all decked out in their spots.

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Red Squirrel - 6 Photos

So it was a warm Autumn afternoon, watching muskrats and then this Red Squirrel came down from a tree top and scampered over to a semi-submerged log in the creek.

He/she hesitated for a few moments and then ran down to the end of the log and the creek, thought better of it and ran/flew back to a a suitable platform for contemplation (Photo #2). 

For all of those who remember the cartoon, "Rocky & Bullwinkle", featuring Rocky the Flying Squirrel & his companion, Bullwinkle the Moose, yes squirrels can indeed fly (Photo #1).

The squirrel sat still for at least a minute and then proceeded down the log and after a few seconds of hesitation, stepped into the water and swam across the creek to the meadow on the far side (Photo #3 through to Photo #6). Like most mammals, squirrels can swim but it certainly was a moment of "are you kidding me". There is an area of land close to where the creek ends, not that far away and could easily be navigated by a small squirrel.

And about half an hour later, I saw the squirrel return to the original tree, this time by the dry land at the creek's end. I suppose one cold dip on an Autumn day was enough for any Red Squirrel. :)

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Mink (North American) - 4 Photos

"Get your skates on" is mainly a British saying, which basically means "hurry up".

The mink was bouncing back and forth between open water & the ice covered creek. The ice shelf allowed for some quick photo shots, before it was back to business (i.e. fishing) for the mink and disappearing into the grassy shore.

With much colder temperatures, it definitely is a matter of "hurry up", mink, before the entire creek freezes over & it's a return to the cold waters of the Bow River for fishing expeditions.

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Mule Deer - 7 Photos

Note: Some blog content may not be suitable for all readers.

It's early November and love is definitely in the air for the Mule Deer in Alberta.

Although barely visible through the thickets & shrubbery, there were two mature male bucks resting & digesting at opposite ends of the meadow, each with his own doe. 

As the afternoon drew in, one doe roused to her feet & began grazing, but not before relieving herself close to her buck. It was somewhat amusing seeing the buck turn to watch the doe & then after a few seconds and with a bit of straining, rose to his feet, walked over and sniffed the wet patch of grass. There was a lift of the head, a lip curl & obviously a "no go" as the buck returned to his reclining position (Photo #1 & Photo #2). 

In rut, male deer will curl back their top lips to expose what is commonly referred to as the "Jacobson's organ", situated in the roof of their mouths. The retracting of the top lip allows for the transportation of the female's pheromones into the Jacobson's organ for determination by the buck as to whether the female is ready to mate.

For this buck, it seemed to be a question of "I don't think so but I suppose I should check it out just in case" and then "false alarm". But no matter, where the doe goes the buck will sure to follow. And across the meadow, over the creek and into the adjacent meadow, there was more lip curling (Photo #3 through Photo #7), some chasing off of much younger males (probably 2 to 3 year olds). The boldness & foolishness of youth. And finally a return to reclining in the grass for the pair.

There still is time and opportunity, although female deer are only in heat for approximately 30 hours. The fact that the doe ties herself closely to the buck demonstrates an amicable arrangement. In fact, last year I did witness an actual mating. Just prior to the buck taking "the position", having pursued the doe into the meadow, the doe turned, nuzzled the buck and took some time to check out his "underparts" before consummating the joining. Thus demonstrating a consensual relationship. The doe will not breed until she is ready.

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Porcupine (North American) - 5 Photos

The photos that follow were taken on the same day, from mid-morning to late afternoon, i.e. after sunrise and just before sunset.

When I locate a porcupine, in order for me to capture some of his/her more intimate moments, I prefer to hunker down nearby into the woods, under the cover of grasses & shrubbery and spend a quiet day just watching & observing. 

This particular day I did have a few feathered visitors, a White-Breasted Nuthatch & a few Black-Capped Chickadees, who repeatedly flew in at the beginning of the day and landed on very nearby tree branches and gave me the once over each time. I was not eating at the time & I do not feed any wildlife so I wondered if they were wondering what a "two-legged" was doing lying in the grass. "Not something you see everyday", they must have thought.:)

Although the forecast was for a cloudy day, the clouds soon dispersed resulting in a mostly sunny day. I wonder how the porcupine knew it was going to be a good day for sun basking?

So it was a day of napping, scratching/grooming & finally napping again (for the porcupine). With regard to Photo #4, I only wish I was that flexible, i.e. able to place my leg behind my ear. There is a position in yoga, called "downward dog". How about "downward porcupine" for another variation???

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Coyote - 7 Photos

At first glance, I was unsure as to which member of this particular family of coyotes this might have been.

Definitely wasn't one of the newest members - not leggy & lanky enough.

The following photos were taken mid-morning but later in the afternoon, the coyote returned to the same area and fortunately, took up a posture that I recognized. Foxy (named for her striking red colouring), a female coyote born in Spring 2023 has a unique habit of working an area and then sitting several times mid-hunt. Having first seen this, I thought she might have been tired or resting from a long hunt but having watched her on hunts with her other siblings, where she definitely had not trouble keeping up, it dawned on me. Foxy is a thinker. The pauses aren't that long but you can see her surveying the surrounding landscape prior to launching her next strategy.

Her scouting/hunting technique that morning, where she circled the woods several times investigating for potential prey, crossing the creek at the dam (something I've noticed that only Foxy executes) together with an attitude of indifference secured the identification. (For the record, this coyote isn't bold, far from it but while maintaining a safe & respectful distance, she goes on with her search with a certain intenseness.) 

(See earlier blog "The Crossing" of March 26, 2024 for photos of Foxy's previous dam crossing.)

More confident & a little heavier, this young coyote has weathered her first year and now appears to be more than able to meet her second Winter head on.

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Wandering Garter Snake & Prussian Carp - 9 Photos

Snake versus fish - Assume there are many out there (particularly those who have a fear of snakes) who would rally behind the fish but snakes are often maligned. History has depicted them as evil and slippery; hence the term "slippery as a snake" which means to be devious, scheming and untrustworthy (Photo #1 through Photo #5). 

But the good in this blog refers to the Wandering Garter Snake, a native species & the bad & ugly, the invasive Prussian Carp, a wild goldfish that was introduced into Alberta in the early 2000's (Photo #6 through Photo #9).  

DAY ONE

The Bad & Ugly - The Prussian Carp is a harmful invasive species that invades eco-systems and poses severe threats to aquatic habitats & native fish populations. They can spawn up to 3 times a year & the females can reproduce asexually by using the sperm of other fish species to activate egg development, which is why they have become so prolific in such a short time in Alberta's waterways. 

And the Carp were back in the business of spawning, dozens of them, settling into the small pools among the rocks. Where there was no way through, fish jumped up from the gap between the rocks and eventually made their way back down again. Some did try to make futile attempts to re-enter the pond from where they came. One can only hope that their journey downstream to the Bow River through the system of storm ponds & beaver dams would be unsuccessful, perhaps with some help from predators (mink, herons, etc.).  

DAY TWO

The Good - The Wandering Garter Snake, is a native Albertan and considered a sensitive species. They consume a variety of prey from slugs, leeches to tadpoles, frogs and small fish, etc. 

I was walking on a small grassy footpath next to a creek & as I am a bit of a klutz, I kept a close watch on the path ahead of me. And there he/she was right in the middle of this walk through. At first because of his/her stillness, my heart sank & I thought the snake had expired, but a gentle touch with a small twig brought a flicker of the snake's tongue. So I sat down some distance away and both of us warmed up in the bright sunshine. I assume due to the length of time the snake was willing to bask in the sun, the reptile had been chilled by the 0 degree Celsius temperatures in the morning.

Although the trail is not a main path, it is frequented by walkers (some with dogs) and cyclists. I knew that when I left there was a significant chance that the snake could come to harm so I plucked up courage and gently moved the little reptile to a flat rock nestled in the grass and warmed from the sun, less than a couple of feet from the trail but on a small downward slope. Once placed on the rock, the snake slithered away into the surrounding grass. 

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Mink (North American) - 5 Photos

If not grooming, this busy mink was fishing in the pond trying to catch that great score.

Although there appeared to be a great deal of fish activity (fish bubbles & brief surface appearances) and multiple mink dives & resurfaces, the mink repeatedly came up empty handed (Photo #1 through Photo #3).

And then finally, up popped the mink with a large prize in his mouth (Photo #4). Although fish shaped (it even has a "tail") and would have had similar movement under the water because of currents,  the mink quickly realized (as I eventually did) that this, unfortunately, was not the fish catch of the day but a submerged piece of tree bark. 

One would wonder how such a successful predator could make such an error but to give the mink his dues, the water in the pond is quite murky and with the shape of the bark & the illusion of swimming due to water movement, any fisherman probably would have been fooled.

But as this is not recreational fishing and food is the end game, the mink went back to it. A few more unsuccessful attempts and then it was upstream to the river (Photo #5), where hopefully fish were more easily caught.

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Mink (North American) - 9 Photos

The small cousin of the otter and also a member of the mustelid family, this is not an otter but a large mink caught in the act of grooming his fur. I say "he" because of the mink's size and bravado.

Although very intent on catching fish (a future blog), there was definitely some time spent out of the water, grooming and re-oiling fur, involving a great deal of rubbing (Photo #6) and smoothing to maintain a healthy and waterproof coat. Like the eagle & her feathers ("Good Housekeeping - September 25, 2024 blog), the mink's coat is a valuable asset in being able to hunt/fish successfully, waterproofing being just one of the coat's attributes.

And it certainly doesn't hurt that all that grooming promotes good looks.

All lighting and background supplied by Nature at her discretion (i.e. changes from some sun to cloudy conditions). 

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PHOTO #6 - Using the log as a rough brush

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Beaver (North American) - 12 Photos

The following photos were taken on two different days. 

Day 1

The first day, when the beaver arrived at the stream, there was one cut log lying perpendicular to the water, with one end almost at the edge of the stream and the remainder lying upright almost to the top of the incline and close to a small thicket.

After some evaluating of how best to tackle the job and get into the best position, the beaver opted for a technique I've used myself for negotiating a somewhat steep but small incline, the two step, side step, i.e. going down sideways (Photo #4 & 5). Now I don't feel such a coward for being cautious on downhill slopes.

And in true lumberjack style, "we" hauled up the log uphill using teeth, jaw & shoulders with some assistance from front & back legs. Loggers used to use cant hooks or hooked pikes to turn floating logs over in the river but for beavers, all equipment is built in. 

And then to negotiate from one side of the log to the other, the beaver executed a somewhat undignified manoeuvre of pulling himself across, best seen from the back view (Photo #7). Again, thank you Beavers for not making me feel so inadequate as a human. I've also used this technique to negotiate large fallen trees in the woods, using my hands as pivots.

Day 2

I'm assuming this is the same beaver as the previous day as the notch on his tail is identical to the one the previous day. He/she is, definitely, is an overachiever. 

There was no side stepping this time, just straight down the incline into the stream. Then a quick swim upstream, grabbed a small branch with leaves and headed back. But returning to the lodge with such a small token would be too easy. At the bottom of the incline was another partial log, of equal if not bigger size, than the one from the day before.

So "we" rearranged the grip on the small branch to accommodate a hold on the log and proceeded up the hill, both bounties in mouth. There were a few time outs while the beaver paused to catch his/her breath & rest and then it was into the pond and back to the lodge.

DAY 1

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PHOTO #7 - A similar undignified technique used by myself to cross over fallen trees

DAY 2

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Mink (North American) - 5 Photos

So just after lunch and before the initial torrential rain shower (hmmm - it was supposed to be drizzle at 5:00 p.m.), this little mink ran downstream & into the cover of the rocks. Don't blink, there goes the mink!

Waited a few minutes, a little head appeared followed by that long body. I say "long" but even by mink standards this is a very small mink, so I'm assuming a young female born this Spring and on one of her first solo fishing expeditions.

And cautious is the right approach as these are probably some of her first interactions within a huge landscape, with potential predators in the air & on land. This area is part of the range of a family of coyotes, who also have youngsters out and about, exploring & honing their hunting skills.

And then just a couple of minutes (if that) of pausing, there was scooting along the shoreline, where she disappeared into the wetland and better cover.

Because of her diminutive size & manner of travelling, I've named her "Vespa" after the iconic Italian small scooter. Generally, minks turn up in the same location for a few weeks as they perfect their hunting patterns so hopefully Vespa will make another appearance and for a little longer this time.

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Bald Eagle - 7 Photos

When your life is totally dependent upon your feathers, time is well spent preening, cleaning & fluffing.

Having done some brief research, Bald Eagles have 7,000 feathers or more. Of course, they do molt and they molt in patches, taking approximately half a year to replace lost feathers.

And the feathers certainly were flying as this adult eagle did a complete body clean & preen, removing any old feathers (Photo #2 & Photo #3) and smoothing all those that remain.

This eagle must have eaten well early in the morning as the entire process took the best part of three and a half hours before heading down river mid-afternoon, with feathers all in good working order.

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Pika - 9 Photos

Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada

Pikas may be small & stout but they are hugely photogenic, if they stay in one spot long enough for the camera to focus.

And now that Autumn is here, there is some final scurrying to harvest the remaining grasses, seeds and "hay" to keep the Pika in food supplies for the mountain winter. Like beavers, Pikas do not hibernate through the Winter. They actually traverse the terrain through a series of tunnels under the rocks & snow. 

And in between all that shopping, there is the occasional pause to satisfy the odd itch (Photo #1). 

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Pika - 6 Photos

Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada

From that first sighting, the little Pika is unmistakable, with its short stout body and big round ears (Photo #1). Without movement, however, they can be at times, difficult to spot among the rocks & shale because of their camouflage blending in, effortlessly in the rocky terrain.

However, take a Pika who is desperate to reach the top of a dried plant for its remaining seed cache and it's a whole different scenario. That short stout body has unrolled into a long thin shape, standing on tippy toes making that giant effort to gain access to the bounty.

Firstly I would like to say I can relate to the Pika's dilemma. Just being under 5 foot, 3 inches myself in height, there have been too many times when I have had to adopt almost the same technique to try to reach the top shelf for a particular product at the local grocery store. Unlike the Pika, however, I have not tried to use flat rocks to stand on for extra inches (Photo #5 and Photo #6). 

And to give some perspective to the Pika's world, that dried plant was probably only just a little more than 2 feet in height. Obviously, the "lower hanging fruit" had already been harvested being so late in the season, which left  only the hard to reach parts remaining.

And yes, after a great deal of positioning and tapping into his/her contortionist skills, the Pika did finally manage to reap the fruits of his/her labour.

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Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel - 5 Photos

Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada

There are probably many people out there who remember the animated Disney chipmunks, Chip and Dale.

The following photos may resemble a chipmunk (or perhaps, a chipmunk who had an encounter with a red squirrel), but the subject is a Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel. A very long & eloquent name for such a tiny mammal.

And what this little Ground Squirrel lacks in size, he more than makes up in personality. And I said "he" because of his dark red mantle.

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Coyote - 7 Photos

Was surveying the surrounding terrain for wildlife when I caught something out of the corner of my eye. Thoughts went from dog, to off leash dog to finally coyote.

This gorgeous youngster is the second pup I've seen, most likely born this Spring to one particular family of coyotes. Her (and I'm going by body size & more delicate facial attributes to determine gender) sibling was spotted in late July 2024 in the same area. (See Blog of July 30th, 2024, "Song Dog Days of Summer".) She definitely is much smaller and not so leggy as the first young coyote seen. However, what she lacks in stature, she more than makes up in facial expression with those piercing eyes.

All coyotes have those intense yellow eyes but hers rarely narrow and the stare although hypnotic is in no way aggressive. In fact, she seems to view the entire world with eyes wide open, including a beaver in a nearby pond. Unfortunately, there were no photo opportunities as I wanted to maintain a safe distance and the path was obscured by tall grasses & shrubbery.

I could make out the coyote at the bottom of the path, just at the entrance of the pond, making eye contact with the beaver. I could see the beaver staring right back almost daring the coyote to come into the water and into the beaver realm. And like most youngsters, as there was no quick reward, the youngster went off to more potentially rewarding endeavours.

Her older sibling had managed to come almost nose to tail with the beaver on land. (See Blog of July 31st, 2024, "Summer School".) That would be coyote nose, beaver tail but a quick exit by the beaver into the water ended that episode. I wonder if he had brought back tales of his exploit to the other "pups" with a description of this strange mammal he had seen. "Really, it was brown & furry, hands with nails and webbed feet and it swam and dove under water for long periods." :)

So I suppose seeing is believing for this young coyote, with those "Bette Davis eyes". 

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Beaver (North American) - 5 Photos

So what is the difference between a lumberjack and a logger?

Lumberjack is generally considered a historical term and refers to a logger before the invention and use of chain saws and other modern logging equipment. 

So I'm going to go with lumberjack to describe beavers while they are harvesting trees and other woody plants for food & lodging, as what could be more historical than a North American beaver.

Now some people lament over the felling of trees in a woods due to beaver activity. Beavers use every part of the trees, etc. that they fell, whatever is not eaten or stripped of bark is used on their lodges. Nothing is wasted. And their precision harvesting makes way for new growth, including new tree species and improved eco-systems. And we must not forget that thousands of hectares of forests are cut down every year by people for use in building our homes and our furniture. And unlike the areas logged by beavers, these hectares can lay waste for many many years.

So let's give a "paws up" for the original lumberjack in the North American landscape (minus the plaid shirt, of course). :)

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Bald Eagle - 9 Photos

The title was inspired by Photo #1, in which sunbeams broke through the trees enveloping the Bald Eagle.

Sunbeams are areas where light from the sun is reflecting off small particles, such as dust or water vapour suspended in the air. In this instance, it was probably a combination of dust particles from the air & from feathers that the eagle had just shaken and some morning condensation. 

Perhaps it's because this eagle has been so generous in providing such amazing photo opportunities or maybe it's because she is so regal in stature & demeanour, that brought those words to mind. 

I suspect this eagle to be a female of some maturity, well beyond the five years that it takes to achieve the white head feathers. Not only does she appear to be extremely large but from Photo #5, the bottoms of her foot pads appear to be quite "weathered" and tough. Perhaps it's due to her age and experience, that she has produced two magnificent youngsters, also both female I believe.

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Beaver (North American) - 5 Photos

It takes a village (or at least a multi-generation beaver family) to raise a young beaver.

This, I believe, is one of three young beavers born this Spring. (This is based on some intel received from a reliable individual who at dusk, spotted three very small beavers near the lodge late July.) It probably is the oldest of the three and has already joined the workforce, bringing tiny branches, etc. back home.

However, early this particular evening, the youngster was in among the bulrushes, taking time to choose just the right treat (Photo #1). There was a much larger beaver out in the woods (Photo #2), who subsequently returned to the stream and was immediately greeted with soft murmuring by the little one (Photo #3 through Photo #5).

I don't believe this larger beaver was a parent as although bigger, it is definitely not the largest by far in the family. Probably, he/she was an older sibling by a year or so.

This bulrush area is also a favourite eating spot for the other beavers. Although it can be reached entirely through a system of ponds & creeks, all in water, it is a bit of a trek and can present some vulnerability in accessing. Once reached, however, it provides superb protection from predators with its thick cover of rushes.

I, unfortunately, was not there to witness the trip by this young beaver, who I assume completed it under the accompaniment of an older beaver. But having reached their destination, it probably made for the perfect "Baby Beaver Daycare". Woods for building material is just a quick beaver trip from water to land and a return to keep an eye on a younger sibling just a minute or so away.

And the quick reunion to share a meal together generally seems to be a happy one.

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Mule Deer (Fawns) - 5 Photos

And you are out in the woods, this might be the reason.

And if it is the reason, the spots will eventually fade and as one fawn becomes bolder, the double will become two singles.

One fawn is always a joy but twin fawns are twice as joyful. But probably twice as much work for their mother.

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