Loons of Anglin Lake
Two weeks ago I had a chance to photograph Common Loons on Anglin Lake in northern Saskatchewan. A good friend of mine, Bradley Muir has been conducting loon surveys for the last 4 years as part of the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey. Bird Studies Canada is coordinating the surveys, and also analyzes and reports on the collected data. Brad invited me to join him and try to photograph the loons in his part of the woods. There is something special about loons of Anglin Lake. Many Canadian lakes host Common Loons and you can hear their characteristic call throughout the country. However, according...
Read MoreHorse in pasture with sagebrush, Val Marie PFRA Community Pasture
I spent several hours photographing a group on horses near the Val Marie PFRA community pasture headquarters. This horse decided to run through a field of sagebrush to catch up with his buddies. Val Marie PFRA is the largest community pasture in Saskatchewan, containing over 41,256 hectares (101,946 acres) of magnificent native prairie. Frenchman River flows through the pasture, with rugged valley slopes adding to it’s photographic appeal. Together with the adjacent Beaver Valley PFRA pasture, there are over 200,000 acres (80,000 hectares) of un-interrupted native prairie. Something...
Read MoreMale Northern Shoveler, Wanuskewin Park
Male Northern Shoveler displaying, Wanuskewin Park. This dabbling duck species is unmistakable due to its large spoon-like bill. They feed by dabbling for plant food, often by swinging its bill from side to side and using the bill to strain food from the water. Small, comb-like structures on the edge of the bill act like sieves, allowing the bird to filter the food particle from the water surface. Males are very colourful, with iridescent dark green head and brightly red coloured body. I observed this male occasionally flapping its wings and waited for a right moment to capture the image....
Read MoreSolitary Canada Goose at Wanuskewin
Solitary Canada Goose on the banks of Opimihaw Creek. Canada Geese nest in the vicinity of Wanuskewin and can be seen almost all year round (except in the middle of winter when any open water and South Saskatchewan River are frozen solid) . I photographed this goose in early May along the Opimihaw creek running through the park. Vegetation was still brown and I like how brown shoots of grass frame the bird. Back to the Wanuskewin Heritage Park photo gallery.
Read MoreRichardson’s ground squirrel at Wanuskewin
Richardson ground squirrel at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Saskatoon Better known under the common name ‘gopher’, ground squirrels were named after the Scottish naturalist Sir John Richardson. They prefer prairie habitat with short grass so they can betters see predators. And there are many: coyotes, foxes, hawks. This fellow had a burrow right beside the Wanuskewing Park interpretive centre. I placed my tripod downhill from where the animal was grazing, to be able to take the image at the same level. When photographing small critters, whether they are animals or children, they look...
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