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Home»Canadian Nature

Visitors 1045
Modified 17-Apr-24
Created 1-Jun-12
94 photos
This female Red-breasted Nuthatch carefully decides which seed is the best. Hand-feeding birds in Calgary's Weaselhead Natural area is an amazing winter activity.Pine Martens are one of the larger members of the weasel family and quite inquisitive. They look really slender in the summer compared to when they have their winter coat. This one was near Banff.Wandering Garter Snakes aren't very colorful, but they have intricate patterns on their bodies which make up for that.Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep look very majestic in the winter when they have a thick coat of fur. This Ram has one of the most impressive set of horns I've ever seen.Pikas are the cutest of all the alpine creatures in the Rockies. Their "EEP!" warning call can be heard for quite a distance.Cliff Swallows have always fascinated me with their mud nests and crazy aerial manoevers. This female pokes her head out of the opening of one of the nests.Pileated Woodpeckers are more often heard than seen, so I felt very privelaged to see this one so close. It was eating carpenter ants out of dead trees on the forest floor.Richardson's Ground Squirrels (aka "Gophers") are shot and poisoned more than any other animal I know despite their cuteness. The huge networks of holes they dig is what gets them the bad wrap.Boreal Chorus Frogs are one of the loudest creatures despite being only 3 cm long. This little guy is on my daughter Amy's wrist.Rocky Mountain Wood Ticks are one of the creepiest creatures you have to deal with while hiking in the mountains. Their bite can cause spotted fever or tick paralysis.Calypso Orchids have blooms that are only a few centimetres across, but if you take the time to kneel down and look at them they are one of the most beautiful in Canada.Eastern Kingbird's are a fearless bird that sit on an open perch waiting to fly out and catch insects right out of the air.American Avocets are extremely elegant shorebirds and a personal favorite of mine. I am pretty sure that this one is a male because of the less pronounced curve in the bill.This Cedar Waxwing shows the aspect of its plumage from which it received its name. I always thought that the blending of their colors makes them look "airbrushed."During breeding season Eared Grebes have the most vividly red eyes of any species of waterfowl I can think of. They also have a fascinating courtship display on top of the water.Common Gaillardia are an extremely showy flower when they are at their prime. This one was in Calgary's Weaselhead Natural Area.I believe this is a type of Braconid Wasp. I found it strange that it was on the snow.Barn Swallows really caught my attention as a child not only because of their beauty, but also because I kept seeing their little mud cup nests in strange places like above front doors of houses.This Goldenrod Spider has just caught a fly by waiting motionless in the centre of a Sticky Purple Geranium. These spiders can change their color to white over the period of two days.Juvenile Snowy Owls are a frequent visitor to the prairies west of Calgary during winter.
© Calvin Damen
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