On the Lookout - Southern Alberta

While driving down a prairie back road in Southern Alberta, my daughter noticed this little Short-tailed Weasel running along the side of the road. After he spotted us, he took off and dove into the snow. After a short while we were able to find him again. He would pop his head up out of the snow from time to time to check on us. With us both standing at the side of the road as still as possible, he became more comfortable and hung around long enough for me to take a few shots before he took off into the snow again.

Focused - Spray Lakes, Alberta

This photo is the result of countless hours of research and scouting in the Rockies over several years. As a photographer this is probably my favorite image because it represents how hard work and persistence pays off. On this day, I set out specifically to look for and photograph wild lynx in Alberta. To understand what was involved in this photograph, you must first appreciate the fact that most people will never even see a lynx in the wild, let alone have a chance to photograph them. Spotting tracks in the snow is the first part. To do this I drive up and down high altitude mountain roads and scan the ditches for any animal tracks. If they are fresh I stop and investigate. Majority of the time it is only tracks from a hare or coyote that I see. I continue on this until I can make a positive ID on lynx. Once I located a set, I set up my camera gear and snowshoes and start following them. They have a tendency to take the most difficult routes through a forest and zigzag back and forth through the trees. This is a test of patience and fitness to navigate the unforgiving terrain. I spent 7 hours following two sets through some miserable conditions on this day. After experiencing sheer exhaustion, I finally threw in the towel and had no choice but to start heading back to my car. As I made my way through the waypoints I marked on my GPS I noticed the tracks circled around me and were now heading in the same direction that I was. Just before making it back to my car I spotted my first glimpse of a cat. It was only a quick second. Simultaneously behind me the mother was sitting and studying me. I tried to take a few photos but my camera did not turn on. It turned out the battery came loose and prevented me from getting the shot. Devastated, I quickly fixed the camera and was presented with one last opportunity to get the shot. It seemed that by now the lynx and her kitten realized that I was not a threat and allowed me into their world. I spent the next 20 minutes or so jut mere feet away as they went about their hunting. This was truly a rewarding and humbling experience, one I am surely never going to forget.

Up Close and Personal - Water Valley, Alberta

Last night, I grabbed the dog, grabbed the camera and took off out of the city for the evening. I had no particular plan of where to go, or really what to do. If I didn't take a single picture, I was ok with that. It was just nice to get out and drive through the countryside and get out for a walk. As dusk fell, we found a great grey owl perched up on a fence post waiting to find its next meal. In all my years, this was the most patient owl I have ever seen. The fence post it was sitting on also had a birdhouse affixed to it. Well, a pair of swallows that called that little box home did not take kindly to their visitor and spent nearly the entire time I was there dive bombing the owl. This darn owl took hit after hit and just held its place. Eventually it decided enough was enough and flew a few hundred feet toward me and landed on the fence post next to where I was standing which was about an arm’s length away. Not something I get to experience every day. The owl sat next to me for close to a half an hour just scanning the grass below. I actually had to back up because my camera lens wouldn't focus that close. With great grey owls, they tend to show when they are stressed by puffing up the feathers around their beaks which reveals their nostrils. This owl clearly was quite comfortable with my presence, because he showed no signs of stress or fear of me.

Waxwing on a Cedar - Vancouver Island, British Columbia

This photo isn't anything to write home about but I've always liked cedar waxwings and I thought some of you might as well.

One Lucky Bug - Water Valley, Alberta

I spent an early summer evening bombing down backroads not too far from my house looking for owls. As the sun was rapidly setting, I slowly worked my way home and came upon this handsome fella perched up on a fencepost well positioned for a night of scanning the meadows for its next meal. After a few minutes of observing this great grey owl prior to grabbing my camera, I noticed it kept rapidly flinching in response to something but with the setting sun shining directly in my eyes, I couldn’t quite tell what it was. After repositioning, I realized it was a family of swallows dive bombing at the owl because it was sitting directly on the same fencepost where their nest was located. The owl took blow after blow and was stubbornly unwilling to relocate for some strange reason. I must have taken at least 50 shots of various attacks on the owl trying to capture this experience at the right moment with only one or two that worked out. The swallows were blazing fast. Eventually the owl caught on that it wasn’t welcome and decided to fly to a less bothersome fence post. Fortunately for me, it flew directly toward me and landed on the fence post right where I was standing, providing me with more opportunities to capture several close-up shots before the light faded to the point I could no longer capture anything worth using. After reviewing my photos at home, I realized in this image there is a little bug mid-flight just behind the owl. With how fast those swallows can fly, I can’t help but think this little bug is probably extremely grateful the owl happened to sit in that very spot that evening. Spending an hour with this owl during this surreal event was one of those experiences that will be hard to ever forget.

Incoming! - Kananaskis, Alberta

By no means is this a stellar photo from a technical standpoint. While out hiking I had such a cool experience I had to at least share this image. While hiking up on a mountain ridge this juvenile golden eagle flew right below me, then proceeded to fly up and around me for a few minutes before moving on. I snapped a couple pictures by hand as quick as I could.

Proving Ground - Banff National Park, Alberta

Fall is a great time to visit Banff National Park. The air is cool and crisp, crowds have thinned out, and the golden larches ignite the mountain slopes. The elk rut also kicks off during the fall season. From mid September to mid October, in an attempt to win the hearts of the females in the herd, bull elk square off to prove their dominance. Locking antlers and using brute force they take turns forcing one another into submission.

Spotted - Beiseker, Alberta

The snowy owl is one of the most fascinating birds to me. It has the ability to hear a mouse beneath two feet of snow. It can also turn its head up to 270 degrees. It can also fly silently through the air due to special feathers that act to silence wind noise as air moves over the wings. The stealth bomber even incorporated designs based from this unique feature that is only found in owls.

Early Bird - Airdrie, Alberta

For several years now I have noticed while driving to work a heron occupies the same spot on Nose Creek each morning. The efficiency of these birds is astounding. In fifteen minutes it captured three small fish for breakfast.

Open Season - Point Reyes National Seashore, California

A young buck scans the open meadow on the lookout for predators in California's Point Reyes National Seashore.

Goodbye Blue - Airdrie, Alberta

When I take my daughter to school, I have been seeing this heron standing in this same spot every morning in the pond across our street. I always tell myself that I should grab my camera, but for some reason or another it never seems to happen. As the fall colours started to set in I knew I wouldn’t have many more shots at photographing him, so I finally got around to snapping a few shots in his direction. I am glad I did too, this was the last day I saw him or any heron for that matter this year. It’s safe to assume by this point the year he is well along on the southern migration. I just love seeing these majestic giants when they return every year, and sad to see them go.

Through the Mist - Kananaskis, Alberta

Originally I was planning on stopping by this little pond for an early morning landscape shoot but upon arrival the morning mist over the water was so thick I couldn’t even see across to the other side. The shot I had in mind was not going to work out since the mountain backdrop was lost in the fog. As I was about to leave I noticed a faint little speck in the middle of the pond moving ever so slowly. I sat back and watched as a common loon inched its way closer toward me. It would continuously dive beneath the surface leaving only a trail of bubbles on the water revealing where it had swam. Nearly every dive it would come up with a small fish in its beak. It is actually quite impressive how effective these birds are at fishing. Not realizing my presence, it spent the better part of twenty minutes fishing right in front of me within a matter of feet. I sat tight against the shrubbery along the bank and took the occasional photo, but mostly just enjoyed the fresh morning air of the mountains while immersed in nature. Sometimes when a plan doesn’t work out, we are blessed with something better. Spending the morning watching this loon in its natural environment was far greater than the plan I originally had.

Morning Glow II - Beiseker, Alberta

With the glow of the morning sun cresting over the horizon, a soft warm light is cast over the frosty winter prairies. Perched on a fencepost, a male snowy owl scans the surrounding fields for its next meal.

A Morning Swim - Kananaskis, Alberta

On a cool autumn morning a common loon swims past me in the Canadian Rockies as it constantly dives in search of a morning meal of smal fish.

Oh, Hi! - Southern, Alberta

A curious prairie rattlesnake peers out at me while emerging from its wintering den in the middle of the Canadian prairies.

My Wife's Angry Stare - Turner Valley, Alberta

The peiercing look this wet great grey owl is demonstrating sends shivers down me shins. It is the exact sme look my wife gives me when I am in trouble.

Morning Glow - Beiseker, Alberta

With the glow of the morning sun cresting over the horizon, a soft warm light is cast over the frosty winter prairies. Perched on a fencepost, a male snowy owl scans the surrounding fields for its next meal.

Hopping Along - Waterton National Park, Alberta

I have sat with these photos on my hard drive for over a year now. Every time I open each file I just cant seem to anything with it that I am happy with. Technically these photos are not the best, which is a direct result of me just blindly holding the shutter button down on my camera as this little guy crossed the road. I rarely operate with the spray and pray method but I was not prepared for the shot and I took what I could get. While cleaning up my hard drive I saw each file sitting next to one another and finally figured out how to give this little fluff ball the attention he deserves. This little yearling and momma were just one of five bears I saw that morning while exploring Waterton Lakes National Park for the first time. The abundance of wildlife that park has to offer is incredible.

Two Owls - Calgary, Alberta

Two great horned owls intently watch me as they huddle into the hollow of a fallen tree. There are actually two babies, however momma is standing in front of the second one. The father always stayed in a tree nearby and kept a watchful eye on any visitors.

Canada Lynx - Spray Lakes, Alberta

This photo is the result of countless hours of research and scouting in the Rockies over several years. As a photographer this is probably my favorite image because it represents how hard work and persistence pays off. On this day, I set out specifically to look for and photograph wild lynx in Alberta. To understand what was involved in this photograph, you must first appreciate the fact that most people will never even see a lynx in the wild, let alone have a chance to photograph them. Spotting tracks in the snow is the first part. To do this I drive up and down high altitude mountain roads and scan the ditches for any animal tracks. If they are fresh I stop and investigate. Majority of the time it is only tracks from a hare or coyote that I see. I continue on this until I can make a positive ID on lynx. Once I located a set, I set up my camera gear and snowshoes and start following them. They have a tendency to take the most difficult routes through a forest and zigzag back and forth through the trees. This is a test of patience and fitness to navigate the unforgiving terrain. I spent 7 hours following two sets through some miserable conditions on this day. After experiencing sheer exhaustion, I finally threw in the towel and had no choice but to start heading back to my car. As I made my way through the waypoints I marked on my GPS I noticed the tracks circled around me and were now heading in the same direction that I was. Just before making it back to my car I spotted my first glimpse of a cat. It was only a quick second. Simultaneously behind me the mother was sitting and studying me. I tried to take a few photos but my camera did not turn on. It turned out the battery came loose and prevented me from getting the shot. Devastated, I quickly fixed the camera and was presented with one last opportunity to get the shot. It seemed that by now the lynx and her kitten realized that I was not a threat and allowed me into their world. I spent the next 20 minutes or so jut mere feet away as they went about their hunting. This was truly a rewarding and humbling experience, one I am surely never going to forget.

A Grey Day - Water Valley, Alberta

Every now and then, I head out in the early morning to search for owls along the Grand Valley Road north of Cochrane. This Great Grey Owl was the first of many I found that morning. I was able to observe it hunting for nearly half an hour before it silently slipped away into the forest. In that time, it was able to successfully capture three voles out of five attempts. In this photo, the owl has spotted a vole and has locked its eyes on the target while waiting for the right moment to dive down on it. The attempt that followed seconds later was one of the failed attacks.

Blacktail - Bumblebee, Arizona

I found this little fella right next to my foot while photographing some cactus in the Southern Arizona Desert. It's amazing how camouflage rattlesnakes are, and its equally amazing how docile they can be as well. This snake never even buzzed its tail or showed any aggression towards me. I am thankful for that, since I was wearing shorts and flip-flops (perhaps I will reconsider my clothing choices next time).

A Special Encounter - Water Valley, Alberta

Like people, every owl I come across seems to have a unique personality that drastically varies from bird to bird. Some owls seem to be very shy and skittish, while others are much calmer around people. Habituation? Perhaps. However, I feel it has more to do with the personality of each animal. This great grey owl had the calmest demeanor I have ever witnessed. It was the house cat of owls. It flew right toward me and landed on the fence post right in front of where I was standing, within an arm’s reach! I then spent nearly a half an hour photographing it from that spot and it didn’t seem phased by my presence. Experiences like this are what I love about nature and wildlife. Having the pleasure to stand within feet of such a magnificent animal and observe it going about its normal activities as if I was not there is such an incredible experience.

On the Lookout - Southern Alberta

While driving down a prairie back road in Southern Alberta, my daughter noticed this little Short-tailed Weasel running along the side of the road. After he spotted us, he took off and dove into the snow. After a short while we were able to find him again. He would pop his head up out of the snow from time to time to check on us. With us both standing at the side of the road as still as possible, he became more comfortable and hung around long enough for me to take a few shots before he took off into the snow again.