Sunset in the Canadian Rockies

August 2, 2016

The foreground of the photo has an interesting blur to it that I actually appreciate. Who could have guess that sunsets looked better out of a moving vehicle.

Taking photographs out of a moving vehicle can be a challenge. However, in some cases, unique photography opportunities like these create foreground blurring that proves to be aesthetically pleasing. These two photos were taken in Yoho National Park as we hurriedly approached our campground at Lake Louise, Banff National Park.

I decided not to crop this photo in. The hazy greys of the dusky sky produced a feeling more reflective of the Rocky Mountain thunderstorm that had just passed through. When this photo was taken, the roads were still wet.

The End of Columbia River Gorge Photography: Part III

If you haven't had a chance to read Parts I and II yet, you can do so by clicking the links below.

Part I

Part II

This little Anna's hummingbird stayed still long enough for me to play with the lighting and background.

They had a bird show at the museum. This unfortunate great horned owl got in an accident and wound up with a buggered eye. I tried to remove the bad red-eye effect from the owl, so it doesn't quite look like it should. 

This is the American kestrel at the show.

Isn't he gorgeous? This is the most brightly coloured raptor in North America.

Another gopher snake, and not a minute too soon! I was beginning to miss their grace and beauty (think of my sorry, deprived state now). They are the most beautiful snake, in appearance and in character, that I have ever seen. Just look at the patterns on his head! I wanted to take this one home. 

He's so photogenic! I was truly, and completely in love with this one.

Above and at left are some of the goose families at the lake by the campground. The always have such beautiful plumage, so I started clicking away with all sorts of angles. Below is another sort of family; buffleheads.

A goose family on their way back to the water after a lovely evening of feeding. Lead the way, Mom!

This beetle walked in a most curious fashion, with its abdomen angled skyward. I wonder if it is a dew-catching adaptation, like the beetle featured on Austen Steven's Namib Desert film.

Stay tuned for the last installment of The End of Columbia River Gorge Photography: Part IV

Emerald Lake - Yoho National Park

August 3, 2016 - Our first stop in Yoho National Park: Emerald Lake. The most obvious thing about the lake is the striking turquoise, dare I say emerald, waters. Although the colour of the water was interesting, I confess I was more interested in the surrounding mountains. You might say I was more interested in the frame than the painting. The camera did not do the waters justice but I've done my best to portray the same feelings I had while there.
There was no uniform emotion of the place. The tourists--excited crowds of Asians and happy, blonde northern Europeans--contrasted sharply with the tranquility of the lake. It was remarkably still, in spite of the bustle of boaters on its surface. Like an old, sleepy cat harassed by the birds, it seemed too cold and still to react to the minuscule interruptions. I was half afraid for the boaters, to be on something so ancient and unmoved, and also indignant for the lake, as if it was an old king being treated like a zoo exhibit. In any case, the evergreen trees seemed to have it right, standing on the bank in reverent silence. I followed suit until my family implored me to take some photographs.

A small bay near the lodge on the lake was more attractive to me than the lake itself. It seemed slightly more lively and, more importantly, no boats.

A hard-earned picture of the lake at rare moment absent of boats. The water is a lot more vibrant than that in the bay.

I guess I've been hating on the boaters but, of course, there's nothing wrong some family time on the water. Speaking of families, here's mine, left to right: myself, Sarah, Dad and Mom.

Places: Beaver Ridge Family Campground

For the 4th of July, many of the REU biology students (including myself) decided to go camping for the long weekend. Leaving Friday afternoon, we ventured to the campground where I did some exploring in the evening. At around 9, we left to see some fireworks.

The next day was spent primarily in Potato Creek State Park (stay tuned for more posts), but there was a surprising variety of wildlife at this farm country campground. Birds were plentiful. Some of the species I spotted were cuckoos, song sparrows, American crows, common grackles, red-winged blackbirds, yellow warblers, mourning doves, and gray catbirds, to name a few. The catbirds were particularly interesting, since they had a nest with young ones not far from where we had built a fire. I am always surprised by the simple insight of people who do not normally have an active interest in wildlife. One of the girls sitting around the fire noticed fairly quickly that the catbird sounded, well, like a cat. A young kitten, she specified, but a cat nonetheless. Of course, it suddenly became obvious to me that it did sound kind of like the mew of a cat, but I'd never really thought about it before that.

Mammals in the park were primarily noticed by sign alone. White-tailed deer and beavers, for example, left both tracks and chew marks (yes, dear leave "chew marks" when the bit the tops of tender plants). A rabbit in our site was affectionately dubbed "Paulo." Red squirrels scampered amid the pine trees near the trails. However, I think my favourite mammal encountered at Beaver Ridge were the coyotes. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, a coyote, somewhere far across the corn fields, began wailing at the hazy, moonlit sky. Not surprisingly, more joined in, yapping and howling for a minute or so. As they quieted down, only the green frogs "goinking" in the slough continued to communicate with one another. With coyotes and green frogs completing my outdoor experience for the day I drifted off to sleep.

Green frogs weren't the only amphibians encountered around the slough. I also heard the odd bullfrog. Around the edges of this slough in the evening, there were manny juvenile amphibians. Having metamorphosed from their tadpole form, wood frogs and American toads climbed the hills and spread out into the forest.
As for reptiles, I caught one eastern garter snake. However, it was a special moment. Once the snake calmed down, I was able to carry it over to the campsites and allow people to touch and hold the snake as they pleased. Thankfully the snake remained calm and it was much needed good publicity for a group of animals that have an unjust reputation.
There were plenty of harvestmen (arachnids) in the campground, some of which carried mites. The fireflies, unlike anything we get in the northwest, are truly magical. In forests at dusk, it is amazing to see the multitude of blinking lights. Amazing.

Of course, there were fireworks for the 4th of July. No the one above is not a horrible explosion amid a stupefied crowd. Wait... that's kind of what fireworks are. Beautiful, horrible explosions. It's actually quite difficult to get good photos of fireworks. All these were taken on manual and, with the exception of cropping, are unedited. I think they turned out pretty good. When I have access to the right resources, I'll put up the full stop-motion of the grand finale.

Sorry. Couldn't help but end on a natural note. The moon, even in its plain grey costume, seems to have a unique beauty that surpasses that of fireworks.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: California Bighorn Sheep

They were the first Ovis canadensis I'd seen in the wild. It was May 12, 2012 and a herd was moving adjacent to a highway in Oregon. There were many bulls in the herd and this fellow meandered close enough to make a nice photo in the high light of the mid-day sun. Readers will be glad to know that I have arrived back home in Canada. That being said, I now have access to my old photo archives so pictures can go far back. This one is just from last year.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Hoary Marmot

This little guy was standing at the roadside near Columbia River Gorge on May 12, 2013. It was growing dark, as dusk deepened, and he appeared to be fairly young and inexperienced, even lacking a normal dose of fear for man. When we stopped the car and started chattering at him, he merely wiggled his nose and blinked. Sometimes I wonder if they operate more on instinct than free-will. Marmota caligata is the largest of the marmot species and has a decent range throughout the northwest. Another name for this species is "whistle pig," for which the town of Whistler in British Columbia is named.

The End of Columbia River Gorge Photography: Part I

With time running out, I will just have to throw some of the photos from our trip out there, with little text. Hope you enjoy the beauty of nature.

Getting up before everyone else at about 6:00am has its perks. I just swagger about the countryside stopping at what I please and noticing the corners of the canyon were the dawn shows through. Below, I took some photographs of the wildflowers. As usual, I am tormented by the fact that I have no idea of knowing what species they are. Any comments on that would be helpful. You might be wondering about that whitish stuff int he middle photo. It's poop. Maybe a coyote or some other carnivore I think. It was just before some real thick brush and it seemed to contain hair.

Kingfisher nest holes. I could hear the chicks inside one of them. 

The kingfisher carrying a crawdad back to its nest. It kept swooping close to my head, but I think I was too close to its nest, so it never did land to feed its young while I was there. I chattered its disapproval at my presence, which probably goes to show I was too close. Next time, I'll keep my distance since it seems to be a more easily disturbed species. 

This might be a better picture than the one above, simply for the kingfisher's sake, but it doesn't quite illustrate the unusual plains-type habitat that the bird was inhabiting.

I love flower longhorn beetles. My previous post had more great shots like this and a bit of biology on the beetle. 

Talus slope. The true meaning of the word.

I'm a big fan of black specks in grey abyss. Actually, this one is an osprey with a catch of fish. I saw another one fly by the next morning dropping bits of down from its fluttering catch. I wasn't aware that ospreys catch ducks... 

"Scorpions love their mothers..." Sometimes just the sight of an animal will make one burst into song. Thanks John Acorn. Don't you just love 'em? I'm not sure what species this is, but a bit of research might reveal the answer. Bellow, is another shot of that drop-dead-gorgeous scorpion and, on the right, me, with that "gloating grin that these beautiful reptiles usually elicit from naturalists," as Alan St. John put it in Reptiles of the Northwest. 

There's the beauty. What keen eyes! Snakes aren't often credited with being among the most intelligent animals but, sometimes, it is more of a mind game, predicting what the other will do, which determines who gets captured- me or the snake. This one had no intention of biting me, anyways, but he outwitted me the first morning. They certainly think and calculate there next move, considering their options and reevaluating based on my movements. 

He thinks my camera looks suspiciously like a predatory bird, like a crow. I noticed that placid snakes would often turn aggressive when I aimed my lens at them.

If you enjoyed this post, check out Part II and Part III. You can follow this link to part II, or skip ahead to part III here.