Alberta | Owen Slater Photography

Category: Alberta

Go Fish!

Filed under: Alberta, American dipper, Banff National Park, Birds, Canada, Favourites, Fish — 8 Comments

March 24, 2013

About a month ago I had a great encounter with an American Dipper. It started off with me getting a shot of it looking off into the distance at something that caught its eye. Notice the ice crystals on the legs! No big deal for a dipper!

Seconds later it was diving into the frigid waters and hunting down a fish. With water droplets beading off the feathers, it surfaced and started swimming towards me to the nearest bank. The fish squirmed back and forth but couldn’t break free from the tight grip on the tail. These fish are known as sticklebacks, aptly named for the multiple sharp spines that run along their backs. This didn’t seem to deter the dipper though. It managed to avoid the spines and once to shore the fish was quickly put out of its misery.

Dipper stickleback water splashing PS SS WM

Water droplets fly as the dipper smacks the fish against the ice to kill it. Once dead, the bird took a brief break before it picked the fish up again and repeatedly smacked it against the ice. This continued for several minutes with the dipper slowly moving closer and closer to me. The only explanation I can think of for why it continued to hit the fish against the ice was that it needed to blunt the sharp large spines before it could swallow the fish whole.

At this point the dipper was a mere 5 feet from me. Almost like a house cat that brings a mouse back to show off its catch! This was the final shot before it gulped the fish down and dove back into the water for another. Such an amazing sequence to see and I continue to marvel at these unique birds!

Tags: Alberta, American dipper, Banff, Banff National Park, Birds, Canada, Dipper fishing, Feathers, Fish, frigid waters, house cat, nature, outdoors, photography, spines, Stickleback, water droplets, Wildlife

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Tongue In Beak

Filed under: Alberta, American dipper, Banff National Park, Birds, Canada — Leave a comment

February 22, 2013

A funny photo for the day. I will let you decide if the dipper was sticking its tongue out at me, for the photo, or just because it can!

Tags: Alberta, American dipper, Banff, Banff National Park, Bird watching, Birds, Canada, Humor, nature, outdoors, Parks Canada, photography, Wildlife

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A Foggy Embrace

Filed under: Alberta, Canada, North American Scenery, Waterton Lakes National Park — 2 Comments

February 12, 2013

A thick blanket of fog encircles a stand of trees on a cool morning in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Tags: Alberta, Fog, nature, North American Scenery, outdoors, Parks Canada, photography, Trees in fog, Waterton Lakes National Park

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Metropolitan Moose

Filed under: Alberta, Calgary, Canada, Mammals, Moose — 2 Comments

February 9, 2013

The New Year has not resulted in a slow down in my opportunistic backyard wildlife photography and in fact it seems to have picked up a bit! This time it was the largest cervid in North America to make an appearance and while the photo isn’t great, it is was more to document the sighting than anything!

I was enjoying the beautiful morning sunrise in Calgary while cooking breakfast when I looked out the kitchen window and noticed this cow and calf moose making their way down the path to the backyard pond! I immediately sprang into action, racing around the house throwing on warm clothes and my boots while grabbing my camera and coat hoping they would still be there when I got out the back door. Sure enough, they had stopped where I last saw them to nibble on some shoots. I walked down the small hill to the pond and managed to snap off a few photos before the mother got spooked by something and trotted across the frozen pond with her calf in tow. By this point, several cars and pedestrians had stopped along the road to take in the rare event. As everyone looked on, the moose made their way up the bank and down the sidewalk ignoring the backlog of traffic before disappearing out of sight.

Every year a few moose end up in Calgary. They make their way into the city by travelling along rivers and park systems. Thankfully, these two appeared to know their way around the neighbourhood and successfully navigated all the city traffic, houses and pedestrians on their way to more suitable habitat on the outskirts of town. Those that wander too far into the city require ‘assistance’ from the local Fish and Wildlife officers, who sometimes need to sedate and move the moose if they get stuck in someone’s backyard or wander into the downtown core.

It will be hard to top this latest backyard wildlife sighting but it left me wondering what wildlife will be next to show up at my doorstep?

Tags: Alberta, Backyard photography, Calgary, Moose, Moose in Calgary, outdoors, photography, Wildlife

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The Gold Standard of Wildlife Photography

Filed under: Alberta, Banff National Park, Canada, Favourites, Mammals, Wolves — 12 Comments

February 7, 2013

Fast forward to last week for this image (please click on the photo for the larger version).

For anyone that has had the privilege of seeing wild wolves in their natural environment, you can appreciate how fleeting the glimpses usually are. Often times they are visible for only a few seconds, usually in poor light with something obstructing the view. In these situations I often won’t even bother trying to take pictures. I will just watch them from a distance and enjoy the moment before they vanish into the forest.

Last week I was having a very unproductive morning with no good wildlife sightings to speak of so I decided to start heading back to town. I rounded a corner and my luck drastically changed. There, basking in the mid-day sun were three wolves! It is very rare to see them during the day and for them to be lying out in the open is exceptionally rare! I quickly pulled my car over to the side of the road, rolled down the window and turned the engine off in the hopes that I wouldn’t disturb them. Thankfully, within seconds they relaxed and went back to lounging in the sun!

To me nothing is more rewarding when watching wildlife then to have them be seemingly unaffected by my presence. I think this should be the gold standard for anyone that wants to watch or photograph wildlife. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, but if an effort is made to make this the first priority then it will occur a lot more often than not. In this case by keeping my distance, staying in the car and making as little movement or noise as possible I was able to watch them undisturbed for several minutes. One walked down the hill right in front of me while these two stayed on the ridge above. The two on the hill would periodically lift their heads to check on the other wolf below. The most amazing moment that illustrated that they weren’t concerned with me in the least was when they laid their heads down and closed their eyes for a few moments. To me this was the ultimate compliment.

You might be wondering how it all ended? I wish I could tell you that I left the wolves were I found them but unfortunately as is all too common these days a vehicle came around the corner, stopped behind me and the person got out of their car. In a split second the wolves on the hill leaped up, swirled around and vanished into the trees while the one of the road bolted up the hill and out of sight. Frustrating to say the least but hopefully the wolves were able to find a more secluded sunny spot to rest in for the remainder of the afternoon.

Tags: Alberta, Banff, Banff National Park, Canada, Ethical wildlife photography, nature, outdoors, photography, Wildlife, Wolf, Wolves

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Buzz off!

Filed under: Alberta, Arthropods, Canada, Favourites, Mammals, Wolves — 4 Comments

February 5, 2013

Let’s continue to ease back into the winter photography. Here is one from my bank of images taken in the summer.

The predator and prey roles are reversed when a ‘pack’ of hungry mosquitoes descends down on a wolf. They are mostly kept at bay by the thick coat, but just like when a wolf goes in for a kill, the mosquitoes hone in on the most vulnerable spots where their prey is less likely to be able to defend itself.

The wolf didn’t seem to be too bothered. I on the other hand was cursing at them under my breath. The welts that I soon developed and the itching that happened for days afterwards was a small price to pay.

It almost makes me appreciate the long mosquito free winters. Almost!

Tags: Alberta, Canada, Mosquitoes, nature, outdoors, photography, rocky mountain parks, Wildlife, Wolf, Wolves

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Fluffed Up

Filed under: Alberta, American dipper, Birds, Canada, Favourites — 4 Comments

February 1, 2013

An American Dipper takes a break from hunting to fluff its feathers. Birds will do this for a variety of reasons. In this case the dipper purposely fluffed the feathers to trap air between the different layers. This serves two main functions. One is to keep the warm air close to the body to maintain its body temperature and the other is to get enough air between the feathers to improve buoyancy when diving for food. By doing so, it easily floats back to the surface with minimal effort despite being weighed down by whatever food it manages to catch. A sick bird will also appear fluffed but this is accompanied by other signs such as lethargy, decreased alertness such as closing of the eyelids and usually thin body condition. As for the photo, it is one of my favourites because of the soft yellow tinge to the water created by the setting sun and the way the bird’s tail feathers match the angle and pattern of the splintered bark.

Tags: Alberta, American dipper, Banff, Banff National Park, Canada, Feathers, Fluffed feathers, Log, outdoors, photography, Reflection, Water, Wildlife

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Snow Swept Mountains

Filed under: Alberta, Canada, Favourites, Jasper National Park, North American Scenery — 5 Comments

January 30, 2013

One of my favourite winter mountain shots. I love the light, the shape of the mountains and the iron rock jutting out from under the snow. This would be an extreme skiers paradise, but I’m fine with enjoying the view from a distance.

Tags: Alberta, Avalanche, Canada, Jasper National Park, Light, mountains, nature, outdoors, photography, Skiing, Snow

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Bachelor Elk

Filed under: Alberta, Banff National Park, Canada, Elk, Favourites, Mammals — 3 Comments

January 27, 2013

A group of bull elk, having just gone through the rut, gather together in a meadow during a snow storm in Banff National Park. With the long, harsh winter just starting these bulls will have to use their hooves to dig down through the deep snow to find what little food remains for them. Any that become weakened will be tested by wolves and undoubtedly a few won’t make it to spring. Natural selection will favour the strong and the adaptable.

Tags: Alberta, Antlers, Banff, Banff National Park, Bull elk, Canada, Elk, Meadow, nature, outdoors, photography, Snow, Snow storm, Wildlife

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Raven Courtship Behaviours

Filed under: Alberta, Birds, Canada, Jasper National Park, Raven — 5 Comments

January 25, 2013

I’m not sure why the other photos didn’t appear in the original post but no matter…they are here now! Keeping with the Corvid theme this week, two ravens share a moment together as one gently grooms the feathers of its perspective mate.

After a few minutes of the back grooming the favour was quickly reciprocated with some delicate grooming around the face, beak and neck of the other raven.

The grooming behaviours must have been well done since it was quickly followed up by more intimate behaviours. This is known as billing, and apparently it’s not something ravens do with just any raven! The beaks of birds are very sensitive due to the many nerve endings similar to our own lips, so it isn’t much of a stretch to think that his feels good to them. Things continued to get heated, and not wanting to intrude on their developing relationship anymore than I already had, I quietly packed up and left them to their own devices.

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The Waiting Game

Filed under: Alberta, Banff National Park, Birds, Canada, Magpie, Mammals, Mule deer — 7 Comments

January 21, 2013

First let me say that this post was already in the works before today, which is why I got quite the laugh this morning when fellow blogger and wildlife photographer, Lyle Krahn awarded me the dubious distinction of the ‘Forgot to Leave’ award! Check out Lyle’s site for the full story as well as his great wildlife photos and stories!

Whenever I come across a carcass I have visions of wolves or cougars, or the even more elusive wolverine catching the scent and coming in to feed. The thought of witnessing these rarely observed animals in the wild doing things that I or few others have ever seen before keeps me out in the wilderness for hours on end. So with that optimism in mind, I hunkered down and waited. As you can probably imagine, sitting around in -15 degree Celsius temperatures is no fun. You can’t move around to keep warm since that will scare off any wildlife and the cold has a way of quickly removing any resolve that might have initially been there. But that day I was determined to give it a few hours so I waited some more. Within about an hour some magpies showed up and distracted me from the cold. In between feeding on the kill, they flew off to cash their food. Before flying back down to get more pieces of meat they perched in nearby trees and called out. This was great for me since it gave me enough time to turn the camera back on, compose the image and get my finger out of my glove to fire off the shutter. In their typical dramatic aerial flare, they swooped down to the carcass and fanned out their beautiful wings and tail feathers. I was treated to these displays for hours but eventually my resolve was broken. The tipping point was the hot packs I had placed in my boots and gloves could no longer keep my toes and fingers warm. Getting a few images like this made the surrender a little easier but as I hiked back to my car I wondered what I would have seen if I had waited a bit longer.

Tags: Alberta, Banff, Banff National Park, Bird in flight, Birds, Canada, Carcass, Magpie in flight, nature, outdoors, photography, Wildlife

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Tuned In

Filed under: Alberta, Calgary, Canada, Favourites, Hares, Mammals — 5 Comments

January 18, 2013

Prairie hares, also known as white-tailed jackrabbits are frequent backyard visitors in Calgary neighbourhoods but since they are primarily nocturnal, getting decent photographs of them is not easy. Sometimes a bit of luck is all that is required! This photo is probably the easiest wildlife photograph I have ever taken. I didn’t even have to leave the house! I just grabbed my camera, opened the sliding door and snapped off a few photos before the last of the sunlight disappeared.

Tags: Alberta, Backyard photography, Calgary Wildlife, Canada, nature, outdoors, photography, Prairie hare, White-tailed jackrabbit, Wildlife

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Last Berries of the Season

Filed under: Alberta, Banff National Park, Canada, Grizzly bears, Mammals, North American Flora — 3 Comments

January 15, 2013

A grizzly cub appears to smile at the site of berries still available for eating in late October. This very spot is now covered in over a meter of snow and her and her family have long since found a den to comfortably sleep away the winter.

Tags: Alberta, Banff, Banff National Park, bear, bear eating, Canada, grizzly, grizzly bear, grizzly bear cub, nature, outdoors, photography, Rose hips, Wild rose, Wildlife

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Marauding Muskrat

Filed under: Alberta, Birds, Canada, Green winged teal, Mammals, Muskrat — 8 Comments

January 10, 2013

One afternoon I crouched by a small piece of shallow open water on an otherwise frozen lake trying to get some decent photos of green winged teal. Just as the ducks went bottoms up to forage for food a muskrat appeared from the bank. It immediately spotted the teals and to my surprise, swam directly towards them. The unsuspecting birds continued to dabble away at the bottom of the lake as the muskrat quickly closed the gap. Just as it was about to reach one of them, the ducks spotted him and in a burst of energy they frantically splashed and paddled away. Not to be discouraged, the muskrat picked up his pace and gained ground (or water) on them. Like a wolf separating off the weakest animal, the muskrat honed in on the slowest one. With less than a foot between them, the muskrat went into stealth mode. It dove under the water and in a burst of speed went for the underside of the duck. I’m not sure if it was successful at biting the duck or not, but the duck flew up into the air and the muskrat surfaced in its wake. Before the teal could land, the muskrat turned its attention to the others and another chase ensued. After several close calls with the other teals the muskrat took a break. It dove down, grabbed a plant and headed back to its lodge.

Seeing that the muskrat was gone the ducks resumed feeding. After no more than a few minutes the muskrat returned. This time the ducks were prepared. Seeking refuge from the marauding muskrat, some of the teals jumped out of the water and rested along the frozen shoreline. As they preened themselves the muskrat chased after the remaining teals still in the water. They quickly decided to join the others along the shoreline, which seemed to placate the muskrat. It found some more food and returned to its lodge. Some of the teals sat down on the ice while the others kept a lookout. They were soon on high alert again as the muskrat made its way back to the feeding area. With its head above water the muskrat must have spotted the ducks. It swam back and forth directly in front of them but the ducks stood their ground. That is until the muskrat launched itself out of the water and literally started running after the teals on the frozen lake! After a bit of frantic waddling the teals took flight and landed back in the open water. This only resulted in a brief reprieve. The muskrat dove back into the lake and resumed the cat and mouse chase. This cycle continued off and on for over an hour. By then the teals must have had enough and flew off, no doubt in search of a muskrat free patch of open water! I made my way back to my car, chuckling to myself along the way. Just before I was out of sight, I turned for one last look and there was the muskrat eating a plant in the middle of the water with no teals to be seen!