Just like people who need a break from living in the snow and cold, I figure my blog needs a break from the same! Here is a photo from a recent trip down to sunny, warm southern California! The sunset was spectacular that night. From surfers to people combing the beach for hidden treasures, everyone seemed to stop and take in the amazing colours.
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.
On one of the recent cold snaps in Calgary, a light dusting of snow covered the branches of the aspen trees in my backyard, creating a beautiful winter wonderland. I’m sure in a few months I will be longing for a tropical retreat, but for now I’m enjoying winter!
Happy New Year! Thanks for stopping by and for those returning, thanks for your support in 2012! It was my best year to date with visits from over 110 different countries! I had several amazing wildlife experiences resulting in a few of the photos you see here. It will be hard to top 2012, but I’m looking forward to seeing what develops in 2013 and sharing my photos and stories with you here.
On one of my recent trips to the mountains I watched a pack of wolves slowly wander along a frozen river and took in a beautiful sunrise as the moon set over the mountains. I also came across these two bull moose in a large meadow surrounded by mountains. Moose in the Bow Valley ecosystem are the hardest of the ungulates to find and it’s even more rare to see more than one adult together at a time. However, this past year I have seen more moose than ever before and there is evidence to suggest that their numbers will steadily increase in the park over the next decade (as long as rail and vehicles strikes can be minimized).
These two large males just came through the rutting season. Just before the start of the rut, their testosterone levels surge and they essentially become the human equivalent of an Olympic caliber athlete on performance enhancing drugs. For over a month they battled other males, wander large distances to find reproductively active females and hardly eat a thing, all for the opportunity to breed. The end of the season is marked by a gradual decrease in their testosterone levels. They no longer view each other as competition but instead, periodically seek out the company of other males and forage together. These two spent the day trying to replenish their energy reserves by eating and resting together in a large meadow. The mountain in the background is known as Castle Mountain, which on its own is one of my favourite mountains to photograph in Banff National Park. Add in a sunny day with clear skies, a great vantage point and a couple of moose and it was the perfect recipe for getting a good photograph.
A green winged teal creates ripples in the water as the sun sets in Banff National Park
Enough of the winter photographs from Alberta for this week. Back in California I took this photo near the lighthouse at Point Reyes. The dominant plant in the landscape is known as ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), which was originally introduced from South Africa to prevent soil and sand erosion. However, the plant has become invasive, strangling out other native species. Making matters worse, since the plant has a shallow root system when it rains the leaves engorge with water, get too heavy and actually cause entire slopes to collapse when the roots can no longer support the weight of the plant. Efforts are ongoing to remove it from much of the coastline to restore the landscape to its original form. Complicating efforts is its appeal with local gardeners for the bright red colour that the leaves turn in the fall.
PS. Too all the Boardwalk Empire fans out there…sorry that your favourite character was killed off in the TV series. However, thanks for checking out my site!
As the fog lifts over the Pacific ocean, a fisherman casts into the waters off the coast of Northern California. Shortly afterwards he reeled in what he initially thought was a big fish, only to find a tangled mess of dead seaweed on the end of his hook.
A wonderfully warm fall weekend in the park last week, with many of the aspens reaching their peak colours. Only a few days later we got our first significant snowfall of the season! Thankfully, it has warmed up again, the snow has melted and it will be a nice warm Thanksgiving weekend.
For a plant to eek out a living in the rockies requires a lot of adaptations. With cold temperatures and harsh winds throughout much of the year, they must find suitable micro-climates that can support them. The winds bring with it just enough dust that settles out over time in any nook, including rock crevices. This creates a foothold for the shallow roots, while the small lip in the rock shelters the plant from the harsh winds, radiates the heat from the sun back onto the plant and funnels water to the roots. A perfect spot for a miniature plant.
A beautiful day in K-country. Big blue skies, amazing mountains and a herd of big horn sheep near the Highwood Pass.
With the shorter days and colder nights, the poplar leaves are rapidly changing colour, creating beautiful mountain scenery in Sheep River Provincial Park
Well, at least it can look that way, but if you were to jump into this water you would likely be jumping out just as quickly! These turquoise waters are glacier fed which results in a fine silt reflecting the blues and greens that give them their distinct colour.
Just as I was packing up from photographing osprey one evening I looked up and it was almost like the clouds had formed their own river coursing through the sky that mirrored the bow river below. Add in the beautiful sunset and it was a spectacular sight.
Owen Slater Photography 