Penthouse Suite

Bald Eagles

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A Few from the Archives

Just a few shots from the Zoo this summer.

Happy Thanks Giving!

The fox is thankful for the Spruce Grouse, I don't know what the Spruce Hen is thankful for.  I am thankful for another great weekend out in the wilds of Canada.  Fresh air, active wildlife, a healthy body, good friends, a loving family, and a job that pays the bills.  That's what I'm thankful for. What are you thankful for?  Let me know in the comments!

Black Capped Chicadee

These little guys seem quite tame. It looks like they have been fed by people. Makes for some really good up close shots. The first one is not really all that good, but I included it as this one in particular landed on my foot! He didn't stay put for long, but I am tickled that I snapped a decent shot of him before he flittered off.

White-breasted Nuthatch

From Wikipedia:

The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a small songbird of the nuthatch family which breeds in old-growth woodland across much of temperate North America. It is a stocky bird, with a large head, short tail, powerful bill and strong feet. The upperparts are pale blue-gray, and the face and underparts are white. It has a black cap and a chestnut lower belly. The nine subspecies differ mainly in the color of the body plumage.

Like other nuthatches, the White-breasted Nuthatch forages for insects on trunks and branches, and is able to move head-first down trees. Seeds form a substantial part of its winter diet, as do acorns and hickory nuts that were stored by the bird in the fall. The nest is in a hole in a tree, and the breeding pair may smear insects around the entrance as a deterrent to squirrels. Adults and young may be killed by hawks, owls and snakes, and forest clearance may lead to local habitat loss, but this is a common species with no major conservation concerns over most of its range.

Potpourri

Inuksuk

Whiskey Jack/Grey Jay

Cave/Tunnel of Mystery

Does anyone know anything about this orifice in the Banff/Jasper area?

Osprey

Peacock

Dark-eyed Junco

This little guy is quite common, but I was lucky enough to catch this one with a worm of some kind in his mouth.

Peregrine Falcon

Say hello to the world's fastest creature. These little guys can reach speeds upwards of 300 km/h. They need to move that fast because they eat other birds, amoung other things. This Winnipeg sighting was exciting for me because the Peregrine Falcon has been endangered, and is fairly rare. They were affected by the use of pesticides, such as DDT. Quite a nice sight to see. If I'm lucky I might get some better photos as time goes on.

-Edit

I am no longer certain that this is a peregrine falcon.

If anyone can help with a positive I.D. that would be great.

Fort Whyte

Who in their right mind gets up at 4:30am on a day off?  A photographer!

I took some time from work to visit Fort Whyte Alive this week.  It was a beautiful crisp autumn morning, and I was up doing some experimental photos at the Winnipeg International Airport (I arrived too late and didn't get set up before first light, so the photos didn't turn out.  UP EARLIER next time.)  So I headed over to Fort Whyte to check out the 2010 fall migration.

The star of the show as usual, is the Canadian Goose.  LOTS OF THEM!  When I first approached, I think I was one of the first visitors of the day, and the geese all scooted over to the other side of the lake.  So I hunkered down in my best stalking form and crept to the waters edge, and promptly sunk up to my ankles in wet sludge.  GREAT START.

When I pulled myself out, I found a nice comfortable spot a little higher up the bank, and settled in for a long wait.  It was still a little chilly, and I noticed my breath was visible in the warm golden sun.  Eventually the flotilla started to relax and fill up the whole width of the lake again.  Birds, as far as the eye can see.

 

I snapped some shots of smaller groups coming and going.  This was almost a constant thing.  I wonder what makes them decide now is the time.  I also wonder if they left as the same group they were when they came.  They all look the same to me, so I couldn't tell you.  If you know, let me know!

They really are spectacular, and made for some really nice, almost painting like shots.

 

I finally decided there was much more to see, so I moved up the road and came across these guys skirting around the bison field.  They were totally aware of me, and were making a hasty retreat.

On my way to see the bison, I stopped at the sod house.  No you English pervert, it's a house made out of grass.  Quite cozy.  But it's not winter yet!  What a time to live that must have been.

The bison themselves got a visit from me much later in the morning, and when I caught up with them, they were lazily milling about shooting flies and mosquitoes with their tails.  Most of them were laying in the grass.

 

As I approached the fence for a closer shot, the herd all got to their feet, and the bigger ones put themselves between me, and the young ones.

I wasn't about to argue with them.  Even though there was a fence between them and I, I was still nervous.

 

From up in the tree-house, I saw the first group of school children of the day excitedly run up to the bison watching hill to see who could be the first to look through the permanent binoculars at the top.  You could also see the giant replica stockade, representing how the natives used to hunt these giant beasts.

 

 

I could not help but admire the strange beauty of the concrete factory looming in the distance.

 

 I stopped at the prairie-dog town.  I was slightly amused at the nice little enclosure that surrounds the burrows where these little guys live.  But they have numerous "doorways" outside the gates.  I guess the fence is more to keep predators and school children out, than to keep these guys in.

I rounded out the day by watching the wee birdies flit and flutter through the trees looking for food before the snow flies.

 

 

All things considered, it was a great day off.  My foot dried off by noon, and I loaded up the car and headed home.

If you have never been out to Fort Whyte, I highly recommend the trip.  It has self guiding trails, very friendly and helpful staff, things to eat and drink, and lots to learn!  I saw a lot of it, but I didn't see it all, and I posted only a fraction of what I saw.  Check it out.