Playing a Bit of Catch-up

Two blog updates back-to-back!  We'll be travelling to Hazelton tomorrow for some family time and getting our Grandchildren fix so it'll be a while to my next update.

Here is a shot of Laura and I from near our camp in Mt. Robson Provincial Park.

We went to Fort St. James which is a National Historic site similar to Fort Langley.  A Hudson Bay Company outpost 200 years old.

This is the General Warehouse where all the supplies and furs were stored.

Of course, furs were what it was all about so traps were an important comodity.

Having been here before and shot the buildings I focused (no pun intended) on the 'details' this time.

On our way back Laura spotted two Moose.  The first high-tailed it into the bush as fast as it could but the second was down in this swamp away from the road so was not too concerned about me.

On a smaller note here is a Red Breasted Sapsucker that was hanging about our campsite.

On an even smaller note is this wild blue Clematis from Waterton National Park.

And an even smaller note is this little Blue Sulphur butterfly.

As I look back over my images from the past month I see many, many more that I need to edit.  These will have to wait until we get home.  Wow, what a trip!

Waterton National Park

With Internet availability limited I can only update the blog when I can.

The weather here is, shall we say, variable.  Yea, let’s go with that.  We have had a mixture of everything except snow.  We have had nice enough weather to get out for some good shooting though.

Wildlife here include Bear, Bighorn Sheep, Ground Squirrels, Foxes and Blacktail Deer.  For those on my Facebook page you've seen these foxes but I’ll post them again here.

This little ground squirrel is what the fox hunts quite successfully.  We’ve seen them a few times with one in their mouth as they head back to their den.  This squirrel is gathering food to store for the winter but is always on alert when the fox is around.

We've seen a few Rocky Mountain Bighorns both here and down in Yellowstone.  This is one from Waterton.  They’re still shedding off their winter coats so they look a tad scruffy.

We found this Blacktail Buck relaxing in the morning sun.  All the Bucks are in velvet now and by the looks of some of them will be presenting some really nice racks by summer.

We’ve seen more than a few bears but it seems I’m always on the wrong side of the light.

I’m still hoping to get a nice shot of cubs as well.  Here is a Black Boar from Waterton.

Waterton National Park shares a border with Glacier National Park in Montana.  As such there are many shared management policies.  This is a tour bus from Glacier National Park that was visiting when some people from Glacier were in Waterton.

The landscape here in Waterton is spectacular to say the least.  My favourite is Red Rock Canyon.  This small canyon was carved out by the creek and by donning gumboots I was able to hike up and down the canyon for these pictures. 

This last one shows the end of the red rock as the creek flows out of the canyon. 

 

Well, Gaye and Lee left this morning heading home to a monumental task of organizing their new house.  It was great meeting up with them and we look forward to our visit in August.

Tomorrow we head north to Banff National Park and then up to Jasper National Park.  I’m guessing our next Internet will be in Jasper.  So, I leave you with one last picture of Waterton, one which I hope can give you an idea of the scale and grandeur of the landscape here.  This is the rear of the Prince of Wales Hotel that sits on a high hill overlooking the townsite and Waterton Lake.  Behind the hotel the valley drops way down to the lake.

Last Day in Yellowstone

Our last day in Yellowstone, time to move on...NOT!  But, we have to.

Headed out and almost immediately came upon a Bear kill of an Elk calf.  Figures that we were shooting into the light so most shots were but silhouettes.  I did manage to bring this one up of one of the cubs climbing into a tree.  Still, it was exciting to watch the action!

Heading south we go over the Golden Gate Bridge.  Looks a bit different than the one I remember...

And right away you come across Rustic Falls.

Gibbon Meadow by the Ranger Station Museum.

We'll be sad to say goodbye to Yellowstone but now it's time to head north towards Canada and Waterton National Park.

Sunny in Yellowstone...

Another couple days of fun shooting.  Today, since it's sunny the geysers and sinkholes should be at their best so we're heading out that way.

Some highlights from the last couple days were the Bighorn Sheep, a Coyote, a Marmot and a myriad of gorgeous flowers.

I really love my 500 mm lens but sometimes life just throws you a curve. When you don't have enough glass shots like this never happen. But on occasion, when you finally get long glass things happen. This Coyote was too close for my 500 mm. Do you think he would move away from me? Noooo, I had to circle around my truck just to keep myself away from him! Well, I am still pleased with this portrait shot.

I did get it walking towards me when we first spotted it but then it got way too close for comfort.

I was shooting the wildflowers and heard a whistle so I knew Marmots were around. As I was only shooting flowers I just had my small lens with me. I turned around and noticed this guy on the rock right in front of me watching what I was doing. I figured he was a Nikon guy because he let me walk right up to him to get this shot at only 85 mm focal length.

Yellow Bellied Marmot.

One difference between coastal weather and well...pretty much everywhere else...is the way the weather changes before your eyes. I love being able to see the weather moving towards you from a distance. Here in the mountains these systems come and go with nice sun or heavy wind in between. Certainly a lot of drama!

While shooting flowers I noticed our truck trying to hide in the sage.  The canoe gave it away though...

Once things slow down a bit I ...may...have time to process some of the flowers and Bighorn shots.  Still hoping for a Bighorn ram and Pronghorn babies.

I Really Must Apologize...

It's really, really hard to find time to update this blog while we're here...

The last couple days have been really exciting with many personal firsts in wildlife sightings.

First, Laura spotted an Elk calf up a steep hill.  After quickly finding a place for the truck after a hasty Y-turn (yes, a Y-turn is different than a U-turn; you can look it up) we noticed the very wobbly legs and thin body.  With the mother doing frequent checks and licks we realized that it was only hours old.  We spent some time shooting and witnessed the calf nursing and trying to master the art of walking on uneven terrain.

The next day we found yet another calf.

OK, OK.  With a high cuteness quotient I'll give you another one...

And adding to the Disney feel here in Mother and Baby.

While the Elk are calving now the Pronghorns are just beginning.  I have yet to find a baby but there's still time.  In the meantime here are a couple adults.

Another first is the Red Fox.  These guys move fast and this one had just been chased away by a Pronghorn, probably because it was after a newborn though we did not see any babies.  The fox was skittish running all over the place but we did manage a shot before he high-tailed it into the sage never to be seen again, at least by us.

And this evening Lee spotted a Badger den.  This is another first for me and what a first!  Look at the size of those claws!

Well, that's enough for now.  I could add Blacktail Deer to this list but perhaps next time.  And the flowers...so many wildflowers in bloom right now that I may have to spend time just shooting those...and the Geysers.. and the Landscapes and the...How many more days are we here?

Weather's Getting Better!

We did a mixture of shooting over the past couple days.  The Bison babies are our main focus right now but we'll be moving up to Gardiner tomorrow so we'll shift to other wildlife hopefully.

This is at the base of Roaring Mountain.  Steam comes out of the ground all over which makes it very easy to believe that you're in the caldera of a massive volcano.

This sinkhole is on the Firehole Lake loop and is one of my personal favourites.  It's hard to tell how deep they are but it takes a long while for bubbles to come up from the bottom and hit the surface.

In the same area I shot this through the steam from the other side of Firehole Lake.

We spun past the Fishing Bridge and had a look out over Yellowstone Lake.  

Today we went for a drive down to Jackson Hole through the Grand Teton National Park.  This is at the Mormon Barns with a view of the Tetons behind.

Our 'ride'.

We drove back through Idaho where we found this elevator in an area that reminded us more of the prairies than the mountainous country we're visiting.  From where we are staying we travel in three states, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, all in less than 15 minutes just to get into Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone National Park

Well, a rainy day here so we came back to camp early.  Not so bad as I did get some cute Bison baby shots and a Coyote.  And, as you see here, I finally have a chance to update my blog!

I had to start with my 'Disney' shot of course!  Here's a little one chasing the birds.  Children are the same across species, they love to play!

But later they get hungry of course.

This little guy got himself into a bind.  Figured it out eventually...just climb over the top!

The old boys are shedding off their winter coats. 

This guy crossed the edge of the meadow keeping a sharp eye on the herd.  Coyotes don't normally bother the Bison but they'll take on a sick calve if the opportunity became available.

We met up with our friends Jan and James whom we'll meet with again after we move up to the Gardiner area later.  Fingers crossed that the weather will improve.  We even had some sleet on our way back to camp!

Homemade Chicken Noodle soup for dinner tonight with Gaye and Lee and a visit with the 'pups'!