Across from Upper Wateron Lake the elk have started grouping up into small herds of 10 or so females with a bull elk trying to isolate the females for mating. As usual the elk headed into the trees for the day before emerging at night to feed.
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About an hour after taking the picture of the elk I made my way to Akamina Lake hoping to find some moose in the morning fog. When I got out of my car and was getting my equipment together I could hear a moose calling to her calf and I knew I was going to have more good luck. Sure enough, by the time I hiked down to the lake the calf had joined her mom and was standing along the shore as the mom fed from the vegetation on the bottom of the lake.
When I was walking around Akamina Lake in Waterton searching for moose I almost stepped on this spruce grouse chick and her mother. These birds will often sit along trails and only at the last instant will they fly off and usually not too far which makes them great photography subjects, but you have to wonder how smart they are!
I took this picture a few months ago from Pyramid Lake in Jasper National Park.
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.
The following three photographs were taken in Waterton during the August long weekend. I almost didn’t get this picture as I had figured all the good light was gone for the day and so I decided to treat myself to an ice cream cone. I was walking along the lake shore in the townsite when I saw this scene. I quickly went back to my car and grabbed my gear. Thankfully I got this photo and was still able to eat my ice cream in between pictures!
Wall lake is in British Columbia and easily accessed from Waterton along the Akamina pass trail. It is a spectacular lake with the turquoise waters surrounded by wildflowers and a large glacier at the very tip of the lake. The eastern section of the lake is surrounded by a very steep mountain which is how the lake got it’s name
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.
A lichen covered bolder sitting in the open prairie overlooking Waterton Lakes National Park.
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.
Owen Slater Photography 