On a recent hike from Moraine lake in Banff National Park to Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park myself and some friends descended into a valley where there was an usual rock called Eagles Eryie (photo to come later) jutting out of the ground. This and several other Hoary marmots were using the rock formation as their home.
This moose came down to Akamina Lake both days that I visited it. She would leave her twin calves (photos to come later) in the forest while she fed on the water plants and got away from the bugs. In this photo there is a dragonfly near the ear of the moose. The dragonfly was feeding on flies that were forced to fly off the moose as she almost completely submerged in the water.
These two black bear cubs climbed up this tree while their mom slept on some of the bigger, stronger branches farther down the tree. By the time they were done they had broken off most of the branches, which fell down and were eaten by their mother who was woken up by a branch hitting her on the head.
One of three bison calves born this year in Waterton Lakes National Park.
This great horned owl fledgling flew off to join it’s sibling to feed on a ground squirrel that was delivered by their mom.
A coyote walks through the prairie in search of ground squirrels with the Prince of Wales hotel in the background.
During the night the elk make their way out from the trees to the open grasslands in Waterton. These two females where heading back into the forest as the sun was rising. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to see the elk.
While this looks like a fierce battle it was actually a mother grizzly wrestling with her 3-4 year old cub. Eventually the mother will drive her cub off as she gets ready to give birth to the next litter.
Thousands of these barnacles line the rocks along the beaches of the Pacific Rim National Park
I took this photo near the park entrance to Waterton where this and one more GHO fledgling waited for their parent to come back with ground squirrels for them to feast on.
In Waterton the bison are kept in a large paddock. This year there are three calves increasing the herd size to 14 animals.
These fawns, with their bright blue eyes were in the Waterton townsite where many mule deer are found. By staying near the town the deer have access to lots of green grass and are less likely to be predated on.
A common spider that apparently can change from yellow to white depending on what colour of flower the spider is on. This on must have been colour blind. These spiders hide under flowers until wasps or bees come to feed and then they are ambushed by the spider which bites the prey and injects venom that paralyzes the prey. (They aren’t poisonous to people)
This fledgling bluebird was quiet particular about what insects it would accept from its parents. Several times the parents would return with an insect that either the fledgling would close it’s mouth at or if it looked tasty it would take the insect, the parents would fly off and then the young bird would spit it out. I guess some insects to birds are like some vegetables to kids!
This is an ochre starfish, which will hang out beneath the mussels until the tide comes back in and then climb up and start feeding on them. Not a bad life eating mussels everyday if you ask me.
Owen Slater Photography 