in 1929, biologist Dewey Soper successfully completed his 6 year/30,000 mile quest for the nesting grounds of the Blue (Snow) Goose. This area is now a Migratory Bird Sanctuary. #birds

Snow Buntings do not need to wait for the white stuff to time their southern journey. The first few have arrived to blend in nicely with our autumn brown landscapes. #birds #Ab

Nicely done!

We are in the last weeks of gulls. They will be gone as soon as the weather turns really sour as the 🇨🇦 prairie is no place once winter roils. But for now, celebrate the last of our summer migrants! #birds #AB

I just spotted our first Bohemian Waxwing of the fall. Waxwings are calendar birds, not only for the pin-up looks, but their annual appearances and disappearances turn the pages of our seasons. #birds

Happy to see that our yard is being visited by both local nuthatches. Although Red-breasted and White-breasted looks pretty similar - its nice seeing their differences in attitude! #bird #AB

OHO. BIRD ART, YOU SAY?? i don't even know where to begin #art #🪶

My photo of the week - a family group of Trumpeter Swans stopping in on their southern journey. #birds #YYC

We drove the Smith-Dorrien Trail about a month ago and boy was it rough! I finally looked up who the trail & the mountain was named after - turned out he was British General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien (1858–1930).

Stan provided us with daily celebratory moments of bright optimism. His voice and his images will be missed.

This morning, I woke up to the soft hooting of our neighbourhood Great-horned Owls. Was it the celebratory call of an evening hunt, the prelude to courtship or welcoming of the rising sun? For me, it was a great way to start the day. #AB #Birds

Breaking news: James Watson, the American scientist and Nobel laureate whose part in discovering the structure of DNA — the genetic blueprint for life — has died. He was 97.

A bit odd to have these two young Tundra Swans on the river today all by themselves. Tundra Swans tend to head a bit further south for the winter, so hopefully they'll catch the next flock that flies overhead so they can finish their journey. #YYC #birds

Bear kicked out of den at popular Banff ski resort 'to ensure public safety' www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

The Prairie Provinces: Winter 2024–2025 Regional Report is out! Highlights include large numbers of Great Gray, Northern Hawk, and Northern Saw-whet owls, plus an extraordinary Sage Thrasher. Read the report here: www.aba.org/prairie-prov...

As wetlands freeze over to the north, waters that remain open will draw in migrating waterbirds. Today, our local river was a magnet for ducks, geese and grebes. #birds

The Trumpeter Swans have arrived on the open waters of the Bow River #AB #YYC. This group of seven was made up of five first year cygnets - a wonderfully productive summer if this is an intact family!

With early snow now dusting some areas of Alberta, moose are entering into their long season of discontent. With the rut over, it is about stoicism and stagnation. #mammal

What a pleasure to spend the day walking in the footsteps of a wolf pack! #AB #mammals

Today I crawled inside this large mammal den and had a peak. Originally I thought it was dug by a black bear, but it could have also been dug by wolves as both species are known from the area.

Today I was walking in the snowy footsteps of Wolves! Our paths crossed only a few hours apart. #AB #wildlife

Wildlife #Conservation signs are out there altho they are hard to recognize. This photo from the heart of #AB grasslands shows a raised smooth lower wire for pronghorn/deer passage + reflectors to prevent sage grouse collisions. The power poles have deterrents keeping raptors away from the grouse

I thought there was a chance that this cat skull that I found might be a Bobcat and a good record for S #AB. But see that tiny premolar- that makes this an unlucky House Cat that must have wandered far from the farm.

Did you ask for a bird fact? No, but you're getting one whether you like it or not. 🪶

Legendary 🇨🇦 naturalist and self-taught PhD - Dick Dekker has just released yet another book that only he could write: "Stories of Predation: 60 Years of Watching Wildlife" www.hancockhouse.com/products/sto...

This week, I watched a Red Fox trot through a pasture where the endangered Swift Fox are known to den. Red Foxes are a bit bigger than Swifts and can outcompete. Fortunately Swifts in 🇨🇦 are on the rise so these interactions will continue.

The glorious Awebo Bird :) These are willow ptarmigan. They are quite common on the tundra. You can see the various stages of transition from their summer plumage to their winter plumage. Once the snow is down, they are hard to spot. Their fluffy feet keep them warm on the snow. #birds 🌿

Look at this absolutely massive flock of waterfowl rising from Old Wives Lake, Saskatchewan, at sunrise Friday morning. #skstorm #birds

I agree with this assessment and find it unsurprising. Merlin is not yet at the stage where it can detect masked sounds accurately (i.e., identify a call in windy conditions) and smart phone microphones have a tough time with low frequencies (e.g., grouse).

Cattail bombs going off in the autumn winds.

I was down exploring #AB Sage Grouse country - but all I turned up was Sharp-tailed Grouse, time and time again. #birds #StillGood

For those wondering what they look like on the outside, this is a tundra buggy. It’s about 9 feet to the bottom of the windows, which is the highest a polar bear can reach. This particular one is an electric vehicle.

Reporting from around his #YYC yard and from around our world, Brian Keating has been generously sharing his wild adventures and enriching our community through story. His energetic contributions have greatly contributed to a #Calgary culture that grows intertwined with our natural heritage.

Common Merganser are vacating their northern nesting lakes and heading to southern open waters that contain fish. #birds

Watch: More and more raccoons are being spotted around Calgary's green spaces and nearby neighbourhoods. The critters are polarizing but photogenic. Timm Bruch has more. #yyc #calgary www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/vide...

Bighorn Sheep rams are nearing their peak - look for a thick muscular neck that will serve them well in the head bashing days ahead. #mammals

Showed ID, watched the worker manually strike my name off the list with a pen & a ruler, filled out the declaration by hand, before I could even get my 3 ballots. Was like going to the bank in 1985. Alberta government broke this, on purpose, because thier fringe base doesn't trust Scantron sheets.

My #YYC voting experience was the same. Extremely slow and inefficient process in getting your ballot as a form must be filled in by hand to include yr name and complete address.

Here’s a repost (with written descriptions) of one remarkable experience! I have also reposted the CBC segment here, describing it all. www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

The northern beaver ponds are beginning to freeze over and shut. Resident Beavers will break the thin ice in order to continue loading their storage pantries for the inevitable winter months. #mammals

With their favourite prey now hibernating away more than 1 m below the surface - it's time for American Badgers to switch to smaller rodents or to get digging for sleepy gophers! #mammals

The lovely and historic Hagen grain elevator is a classic landmark #SK.

It looks like a number of migratory #bird flocks may have landed near Finnegan to avoid flying in rain showers Friday afternoon. #abstorm

Cooler temps, fallen leaves and Rusty Blackbirds. These uncommon birds are well suited to give us birders an October surprise. #birds

Banff NP's most famous Grizzly Bear "The Boss" takes a late season stroll along one of the park's most heavily used trails. Johnson's Canyon is not far from his usual winter denning site and he deals with park visitors frequently during the summer months. #mammals #bears www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

A bit surprising to see Yellow-pine Chipmunks still up and about, given that there was snow on the ground and frost-filled nights. #AB #mammals

Fall colours + Elk harems go hand in hoof. Bulls are working overtime keeping herds together and rival males to the sidelines.

Mule & White-tailed Deer males have polished their antlers and their attitudes are starting to turn to the rut. #mammals #wildlife #nature

Welcome to Bluesky, newcomers! Need some animals and nature on your timeline? Here’s a thread with some suggestions. 🧵

It was a flicker free-for-all today in our local #YYC woodlot. Migrant and resident flickers, hybrids and classics all mingling together feeding on the chokecherry bounty! #AB #birds