Chickadee Photo Art » Rocky Mountains

Mule Deer

Sharon — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:00:40 +0000

Mule deer are found in the Western portion of North America – the Rocky Mountain regions and get their name from their large “mule like” ears. They are more grey in colour than their cousin the White Tailed Deer. The mule deer’s tail is black-tipped, whereas the whitetail’s is not. Mule deer forage and mate in the fall as do others in the deer family with fawns being born in the spring. Humans and automobiles top the list of enemies but their natural enemies would be mountain lions, coyotes and also bears. They are always alert and rely on speed to avoid harm. These photos were taken in Alberta near Jasper.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Reflections

Sharon — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:00:30 +0000

When waters are still I like trying to shoot reflection photos. Below are some of my favourite reflections.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

David Thompson Highway – Alberta Vacation

Sharon — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:00:27 +0000

Perhaps you will decide to visit Alberta this summer and if you do a great road to travel is Highway 11 – the David Thompson Highway. There are many sights and attractions along this route. From Red Deer, this highway will take you to Rocky Mountain House, Nordegg and will end at the Saskatchewan Crossing where it meets the Icefields Highway. You can then go either direction to Banff and Lake Louise area or to Jasper. The Columbia Icefields are found here also. Today, a few photos from the Nordegg area along the David Thompson route. The enormity and beauty of the Canadian Rockies cannot be put into words and the colours of the mountain lakes are spectacular. We stayed at Aurum Lodge, an eco-friendly lodge overlooking Abraham lake – very peaceful and relaxing location away from the high tourist zones.

Below: Abraham Lake

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Columbian Ground Squirrel

Sharon — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:48:16 +0000

As I was reviewing my Alberta Wildlife section I noticed this cute little Columbian Ground Squirrel was omitted. Mostly grey with some golden/brown highlights here and there. These gopher sized ground squirrels were hanging out along a walking path to a waterfall and gratefully accepting handouts from passersby. Easy to take photos of as they did not duck under cover at all. This one turned its back on me however, so I guess I have been officially “dissed” by a ground squirrel !

Enjoy!

Sharon

JAYS: Blue, Gray + a Nutcracker

Sharon — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:56 +0000

Ever been stared down by a Blue Jay ?

Jays are beautiful birds that remain with us throughout the year enduring harsh prairie winters along with some other hardy birds such as sparrows, nuthatches, siskins, redpolls, chickadees and grosbeaks. The Blue Jay is one of my favourites because of its brilliant blue feathers. I once saw a Blue Jay stealing a robin chick from a nest – this was hard to watch so in spite of admiring their beauty I also see them as a predatory bird. Blue Jays and Gray Jays are common in Manitoba. Gray Jays are one of the boldest birds I have come across. They have no problem swooping down beside you and stealing a snack – very opportunistic birds. The Clark’s Nutracker which is also featured in today’s posting (last 2 photos) is classified in the section of Jays and Crows. I saw these birds in Alberta this past summer and was pleased to get some photos of them.

Below: Gray Jay in Winter

Below: Clark’s Nutcracker (not native to Manitoba – take in Alberta near Columbia Icefield)

Enjoy!
~Sharon

Bighorn Sheep

Sharon — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:27 +0000

It is almost certain that you have seen the Bighorn Sheep if you have visited Jasper National Park or Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. They frequent mineral deposits and can be found alongside roads and sometimes in the middle of roads. The mature rams can also be seen but I have found they are a little more elusive than the females and young. They are beautiful sure-footed animals that have no trouble scaling rather steep mountain sides. I would not consider a trip to the mountains complete without a sighting of the Bighorn Sheep.

Enjoy!
~Sharon

Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel

Sharon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:00:42 +0000

Another variety of ground squirrel in the Alberta Rockies is this Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel. At a glance, it looks like a chipmunk because of its striping and colour but it is much larger. Most squirrels are longer than wide but the Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel is quite rounded. These ground squirrels were living on the same rocky slope that the Pikas were on. I don’t recall seeing this ground squirrel before until this summer’s trip to Alberta.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Spirit of the West goes on

Sharon — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:00:22 +0000

Call them what you like . . . Cowboys, Mountain Men, Horsemen but the Spirit of the West truly lives in Alberta. I met up with these two men who were heading out and up into the mountains on a six day pack trip with their horses. For a brief moment, I thought I was on location of a John Wayne movie, being called “Mam” and all. I found out that one of the pack horses was carrying food for the horses, the other had food for the men who stated they could get by on little but it was important that their horses had feed during the trip. They were just doing the final checks before heading down into the canyon and deeper into the mountains. The photo of them heading down into the canyon is one of my favourites from the Alberta vacation. There is something very peaceful about it.

There are ranches in Alberta that offer “horse” vacations where you ride and tent in the mountains. I only went on a partial day Canyon Ride and it was absolutely beautiful. I am thinking the 4-6 day vacation would be spectacular !

~Sharon

American Pika

Sharon — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:00:19 +0000

The Pika is a real cutie! I had a blast watching these little characters hopping around the rocky slopes, each time carrying grasses and leaves in their mouths. Sometimes they would sit for a brief moment and eat, other times stash the greens in rock crevasses. The Pikas hardly sat still for any length of time so getting some photos proved to be a challenge. They are about the size of a small guinea pig, have furry broad feet and rounded ears. Their fur is chinchilla like and I saw some that were brownish and others that were more grey.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Rocky Mountains

Sharon — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:00:33 +0000

This summer I once again visited the Province of Alberta and, of course, Jasper, Banff and Yoho National Parks. Every few years I try to make a trip out that way as there is something about our Canadian Rockies that always leaves a mark on one’s soul. I’ll be posting a some photos from the trip which includes wildlife, mountains, lakes and glaciers during the next few weeks. Although we had beautiful clear and sunny days there was a smokey haze in the air from the B.C. forrest fires. Today’s photos highlight the beautiful colours of the late day sun on the mountains.

Enjoy!

~Sharon