Daily life in Colorado - Part 2

Images since the last post.

Scenery

Mount Crested Butte

Arctic/alpine pollination workshop in Kluane National Park, Yukon - Part 1

Hello all, my lengthy summer travels concluded on Friday when we drove about 2,000 km from New Orleans to Peterborough, Ontario in 36 hours.  I am slowly sorting through all of my photos from my trips, starting with the workshop titled "Pollination, Climate Change and Invasive Species in Arctic and Alpine Ecosystems" in Kluane Research Station in Yukon.  There will be at least one official document reporting on the outcomes of the workshop, so I will not comment on the specifics. The general conclusion is that researchers (from both Canada and US), the Yukon government, local First Nations groups, and independent scientists all agree about the importance of climate change and pollination and the limited information currently present about Arctic and alpine regions.  Therefore, we will try to incorporate scientific communities and citizens in northern communities to start documenting zoological and botanical changes in various spatiotemporal scales.

Below are photos from the first two days of my Yukon trip (21st to 22nd).

Arriving in Whitehorse on July 21st.  The weather was miserable and rainy.

Lifers in Edmonton, Alberta

After waiting for my fellow traveler, renting a car, heading over to the motel to drop off our luggage, we drove to Elk Island National Park just outside Edmonton. It is a pretty nice park although it can be hit-or-miss if you want to see megafauna such as moose, elk, and/or bison.

The weather was very nice when we were in the car. Out of the car, however, was another story...

Snipes and Coyotes

Another bike ride to Terra Nova today. Passing the large group of Mallards and Coots.

Handsome Mallard male.

Wandering around the parks in Richmond...

The surprising but much anticipated snow finally arrived last night. This morning, the entire region is covered in the good white stuff.

After procrastinating about going out and do some wildlife-watching, I hopped on the bus in the afternoon and headed towards Richmond Nature Park. When I approached the second bus stop for the transfer to RNP, the bus drove away from me. So I slowly walked along No. 5 Road and took out my camera just in case.

Long behold, there was something walking in the snow covered field. It was a Coyote!

Haven't seen these beautiful animals in the longest time. This one looks in good condition - no mangy furs. I watched it hunt unsuccessfully a couple of times before it disappeared behind the trees.

Always expect the unexpected!

The bike ride to the dyke today was quite mundane. I think I am getting spoiled seeing Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, etc everyday. Here are some shots that I took.

Red-winged Blackbird (female). The males are certainly loud and attractive with their "shoulder badges", but I thought this female looks pretty good too.

More Snow Geese-in-flight pictures.

You get a sense of how chaotic it was having tens and hundreds of Snow Geese flying at the same time. Nothing was in sharp focus, but nothing was in poor focus either.

Then came the bike ride away from the dyke. First up, a Red-tailed Hawk, and it took off soon after. The hawk was looking at something. But what?

Then I felt someone was looking at me. Turning around, it was a lone Coyote staring at me. It was a beauty. Probably the healthy one that I saw earlier this month, but it was much closer this time, about ten, fifteen metres away.

Ignoring me transforming into a shutterbug, the Coyote went into hunting mode. That was when it suddenly leaped up!

What an athlete! But it caught nothing.

It tried again from a dead tree, giving it a better attacking angle than just from the ground. Boom!

A vole was caught. Yummy!

Then it went away from me, still in hunting mode, but it didn't catch anything for the next little while.

What a pose!

Heading back, another biker and I saw this Muskrat feeding on grasses along the ditch. What a great day!!!

Lesson learned: Never expect too much, but always expect the unexpected.
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Rare sightings...all in one

I had my first driver's lesson today to bring me up to speed for my upcoming full driver's license test in the upcoming month or two. Can't say I am a big fan of driving, but it's a necessity that we as humans can't live without. I know that. But sometimes I rather walk, bike, or take the bus than drive. The lesson went okay, although driving a smaller and lighter Toyota feels different from driving an old Chrysler mini-van - causing me to turn too quickly and drive over the lines. Oops. I hope I can get use to the instructor's car soon so that I don't have any problem passing the test. Cross my fingers!

With that finished in mid-day, I biked my way to the dyke, and today's sightings were unbelievable! I saw an American Bittern, a Muskrat, and three Coyotes all in one day!!! Amazing! Here are some of the photos I took.

This was what the afternoon started out as. Beautiful, isn't it?

And then I saw this bird hiding among the Cattails. It's an American Bittern!

What gave them away (or how I usually spot them) is usually their round bodies. The brown streaks on the neck are absolutely fantastic in avoiding being seen, but their round fat body just stands out in a field of tall, stringy Cattails. Maybe they should not be too close to the edge of the field in the first place.

My friend, the Great Blue Heron, posing for me.


Then I saw something swimming in the water. Definitely not a duck nor a snake. It's a Muskrat! I spent a good 10 to 20 minutes looking for it in the water or behind some bushes. I could never get the perfect shot! Just as I was giving up and moving on...

I saw it again. Out of the water and nibbling on grasses. A snowfall is headed our way again tonight so this is probably the reason why I am seeing this little guy again! I always see them when weather is about to turn bad. I kind of like it now.

Beautiful male Mallard feasting on the grasses in Terra Nova.

And the clouds are coming! Covering the entire region in coldness and whiteness.

As I was heading home, I heard howls and yelps in the distance. They were the Coyotes. I am pretty sure they were the ones I saw last time. Although I only saw three today, not four.

Doing its business.

This one seemed to be the pack leader, as it was followed by two others.

The "Two Others". I definitely recognize the one on the left that is infected with the mange mite. I don't understand if the Coyotes are really common or not in this area, because nobody seems to be amazed at appreciating these beautiful wild mammals literally walking beside us. I just don't understand when I am the only one getting excited seeing them when others should be too.

Sigh. Bad weather is coming. This late into Winter too?

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Coyotes on Sturgeon Bank

Here are some of the things that I observed today while out biking.

Why does this Red-winged Blackbird like to pull the fluffs off the female part of the cattail? Looking for nest-building material or food?

Came across this Great Blue Heron perched on a raptor's perch. Must be a nice resting place with a good view of the ground below.

And I also saw Coyotes today!!! First time seeing them on Sturgeon Bank. The sub-species found here on Lulu Island is the Mountain Coyote (Canis latrans lestes). More information about them is described by Huckleberry Days here. There were four individuals (in two pairs of twos) observed . They were travelling from south to north. I didn't follow them all the way, although they were quite oblivious of the dogs, walkers, and bikers (especially the two individuals that were closer to the trail), and vice versa. Except for yours truly - otherwise I couldn't tell you what I saw.

These two were further away from me.

This young-looking coyote seemed to be infected with the mange mite (explained by Rock Paper Lizard here), causing itch and loss of hair in infected areas (as seen with the furless tail).

However, this young coyote is also quite playful, and I watched it bounce several times when it is on the hunt for mice or voles. It even got a successful snack once. Yum. The other individual is quite healthy looking, but it might not be long before it is fully infected with the mite as well. Sad.

Deep down they are just like dogs (or vice versa), and butt-smelling is very important for canine communication.

Then it was time for me to head home. Before that, I saw this cool-looking young Bald Eagle with only a stripe of brown across its eyes. Cool, dude.
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