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.

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.

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).

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.

A Face Only A mother Can Love - Spokane, Washington

A turkey vulture adjusts its wings in the plains of Washington state near a carcass it was feeding on.

Stare Down - Millarville, Alberta

Every evening emerging from deep in the forest canopy, Great Gray Owls such as this one come out to open meadows to hunt for meadow voles. During the twenty or so minutes I observed this owl, it had already caught and consumed three voles. It had no reservations with my presence.

Intensity - Spray Lakes, Alberta

Serpentine - Florence, Oregon

Holding a flattened pose, this brilliant coloured common garter snake kept a watchful eye on me while I took a moment to photograph it. This little guy may look blind in the one eye; it will only be temporary, as it is actually just getting ready to shed its skin. The trails along the Oregon Coast have no shortage of these slithery serpents. I would regularly see dozens of snakes rush back into the brush after each step while hiking through the grassy clearings in the forest.

Snow Angel - Carbon, Alberta

Searching for its next meal, a magpie glides effortlessly over fresh snow in the Alberta prairies.

Arachnid - Kofa Wildlife Refuge, Arizona

A Desert Blonde tarantula roams near its burrow in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. As a nocturnal species, they rarely are seen in sunlight except during mating season in the fall or after a rainfall, which was the case for this encounter.