Elk Island National Park and my backyard were the places to be today for watching birds and wildlife.  The bison were stopping traffic on the parkway.  It's not often that the entire herd is in the Bison Loop area but it appeared that they were all there today.

An adult coyote lopped across the road in front of us.  We slowed to see if it was still in the trees.  It stopped long enough to glance back at us and then continued on its way.

A female grouse gave us a good laugh.  It was crossing from one side of the road to the other moving very slowly and stealthily as if we could not see her if she moved slowly.  As soon as she reached the tall grass in the ditch, she was gone.

We hiked the Lakeview Trail that borders Astotin Lake.  It's a short scenic trail that passes by the lake and some beaver ponds.  It continues through the forest where you can see very large spruce trees that have toppled, almost in a domino effect.  It was on one of those trees that we saw a black-backed woodpecker.  What a treat!  They are not a common bird in this area.

My favorite area on the trail is a boggy spot where numerous trees lie on the ground.  Each is covered in many different species of moss.  The variety of green textures adds color to the forest floor.

When we got back home, the birds were busy in the backyard; flying from branches to feeders.  It was close to being dark when I noticed the deer coming into the yard.  A doe and two fawns came in first.  Something scared them off.  As they were jumping the fence, I saw another large one coming straight to the feed dish.  It took me a while to realize that it was sporting some antlers!  This was the first male I noticed this year.  I went outside onto the deck to get a better look.  He glanced up at me but didn't run.  It was like he knew who filled that dish.  What a beauty!

I was surprised at the number of creatures, big and small, that I saw yesterday.  I was not the only one taking advantage of a sunny day.  There was more wildlife on this trail than my usual Elk Island trails combined.

I was about a half hour into the hike when I spied a cow moose.  She ran as soon as she caught sight of me.  I could hear her crashing through the trees.

The birds were busy and vocal.  Black capped chickadees, white breasted nuthatches, juncos and blue jays flew from branch to branch in search of food.  I could hear magpies, crows and ravens in the distance.  As I approached the lake, a choir of waterfowl calls filled the air.  A flock of cranes called from overhead. 

The wood bison were close to the trail.  My first sighting was along the lake shore.  I could see his horns and the top of his head above the tall grass.  I saw four of them grazing in an open meadow and another four came thundering across the trail.  The ground shook as they stampeded into the trees.

Squirrels were gathering mushrooms for their winter stores.  One balanced atop a snag.  It stopped long enough to give me a scolding.

There were so many butterflies visible.  All were feeding on the remaining wildflowers; flitting in front of me on the trail and then stopping to rest on the warm sand.

I counted five grouse and four more moose along the way.  The one photo that I did get was of the south end of a north bound moose. 

I took the long way home to see if there were more creatures out on the parkway.  

Two young coyotes were walking in the ditch.  I pulled over to watch them and both came lopping to my driver's side door.  They waited to see if I would give them some food.  I could tell that visitors have been feeding them.  They were not afraid.

Astotin Lake had a couple of bison visiting the picnic area.  One decided that he needed to wallow in the sand on the beach.  He used his front hooves to dig in the sand before rolling back and forth.

Yesterday was fantastic for a number of reasons; the sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, there were no flying insects to bother me and so many of the forest creatures stopped to say hello.  What a perfect day!

I had a road trip planned for today until I stepped onto the deck this morning.  It was calm and warm.  I wondered why I would waste a day like this cooped up in my vehicle.

The alternate plan was to try a new trail at Elk Island National Park.  I decided on the 16km long Wood Bison Trail.  Estimated time to walk the loop is 5 hours.  Now that is the way to spend a beautiful autumn day!

My backpack held enough snacks for the day, extra clothing and some of my camera gear.  I left home at 9:35am and was ready to hit the trail at 10:00am.  It was not as wide or as well worn as the trails that I frequent on the north side of the park.

I just about turned back because I could hear the traffic noise from the Yellowhead Highway.  That was the last thing that I wanted to hear.  I was about 3kms in before I didn't hear the traffic anymore.  Instead, I heard woodpeckers and chickadees.  

I saw a cow moose feeding on some willow branches.  She was camera shy and took off into the trees before I could get a photo.

There was a bluebird sky overhead.  The warm sun shone down so it didn't take long for me to make a pit stop to remove the jacket I was wearing.  At 11:25am, I was at the south end of Flyingshot Lake.  I had hoped to see cranes or swans on the lake but no such luck.  The only waterfowl out there were ducks.

At the half way point, I found a log that served as the perfect bench for me to sit, take in the beauty and have lunch.  There was not a sound and not a soul out there.  It was just me and Mother Nature.

The colors were spectacular.  I was lucky to see a male ruffed grouse in full regalia.  He looked like he meant business but as I approached he flew into the trees to join a female.

The trail took me through a mix of very different landscapes.  I hiked past a lake, marsh areas, open meadows and a ravine filled with colorful larch.  There were a number of downed trees across the trail and a number of wood boardwalks to cross to get over wet areas.

At 3:25pm I arrived back at the parking lot.  I made good time considering that I was carrying a backpack, a camera bag and my tripod and that I had stopped for lunch and for many photo ops.

This was definitely the right way to spend the day.  Fresh air, sunshine, animal sightings, bird calls, the colors of autumn and crunching leaves made for a perfect outing.

Oh yes, and one more thing... NO bugs!

As I sat at the kitchen table this morning, I watched the first rays of the morning sun stream through the tree branches at the back of the yard.  I could hear the chickadees in the tree by the window.  It was then that I decided that it was a good day for a spontaneous trip to Elk Island National Park.  So at 7:30am I threw the camera gear and a backpack into my vehicle and hit the road.

The bison were out along the fence line, grazing on the last blades of green grass.  Ducks and geese were swimming in the little ponds.  There was one thing for sure, there would not be too many people at the park at that hour.

It takes only 10 minutes to get to the park gate.  The sun was a little higher in the sky; illuminating the beautiful autumn colors.  Inside the park, bison grazed along the ditches.  They are so used to the traffic that they didn't bother looking up.

I stopped at each of the ponds along the park way so I could watch the ducks and the geese.  When the window was rolled down, I could hear them calling to each other.  Such beautiful sounds in the morning!

I drove to the Astotin Lake parking lot to see what was happening at the lake.  The sun was warming the air which in turn created a low fog over a grassy meadow.  I watched as the fog moved along the top of the tall grasses.

My hike took place on the Amisk Wuche trail.  The trail itself was covered with a leaf carpet.  The dew from last night made the leaves damp.  I could smell the decaying leaves and the ripe berries on the bushes alongside the trail.

Blue jays squawked in the tree tops.  Robins ducked and dived through the tree limbs.  Ducks swam on the ponds.  The water surface was as smooth as glass.  Photographs could not do the morning scene justice.  You would have to be there in person to take in the beauty and tranquility of the perfect Alberta autumn morning.

As I made my way around the trail, the spider webs shone in the sunlight.  They looked like someone had laser beams across the trail.  It could feel them on

my face as I forged ahead.  The dragon and damsel flies flitted from twig to twig; resting now and again in the warm sunshine.

I stopped at my favorite bench that provides a view of the larger pond.  As I moved to an open area to get a better view of the waterfowl, a couple of them flew up from the reeds; scaring the rest of them into flight.

What usually is a 45 minute hike, took more than 2 hours today.  I wanted to take advantage of the morning.  The sights were colorful, the sounds were tranquil, the smells reminded me that Mother Nature is preparing for a long winter nap.  The outing was perfect.

 

This morning I was undecided as to where to hike today.  It was already almost noon when I tossed some snacks into my backpack and headed out the door.  I ended up at Elk Island on the Beaver Pond Trail.

There were small patches of wispy clouds in a bluebird sky.  The sun felt warm and made for a pleasant hiking day.

The bison seem to like this trail.  Each time that I walk it, there are large bison 'pies' that I have to tiptoe over.  It is rather silly that at the trail head there are doggy-doo bags provided so you can clean up after your pooch yet the pies left by the bison could fill up more than one pair of shoes.

All was quiet in the treetops.  The squirrels on the ground were the only noise makers today.  I couldn't tell if they were playing a game of tag or hard-to-get.  They would chase each other over logs, around bushes and up and down tree trunks.  A couple of them were close to running into me.

I met up with one other person today.  I think he had just stopped so his dog could do his business.  He didn't look dressed for an outing.

It's going to take awhile to melt all the snow that is tramped down on the trail.  A lot of it has melted beneath the trees and on the banks of the ponds but the trail itself has more than a foot of packed snow in some places; yet in others it is bare.  In 2013, the last of the snow melted in June and I think there was more snow this year.

The drive home is usually uneventful except for today.  I was only a couple miles away from the park gate when a front tire blew.  Thank goodness for roadside assistance and the fact that it was a nice day.  An hour later I was on the road again.  Other drivers don't like it when one travels at 80 kph on a highway where the speed limit is 110 kph but what can you do when you have a temporary little 'donut' tire for a spare.

I made it home safe and sound.  As I unpacked my vehicle, the chickadees were singing their cheeseburger songs in the trees.  The bluejays were squawking as they sat on the fence.  I could see the deer in the forest behind my yard so I knew it wouldn't be long before they came for a visit.

The first to arrive were the five amigos.  Their coats are getting darker.  The young ones are beginning to watch for danger and do the 'tail up' stance along with stomping the ground with their front feet.  They thought Spike the cat was a threat and started chasing the poor guy.  I've never seen him move that fast across the snow!  It was a good thing that he was close to the shed when they spied him.  He didn't have far to go to hide.

Something scared the deer off during the first visit.  They came back about 15 minutes later but there were more.  The two mule deer had shown up as well.  That made for quite the action in the backyard; fighting, head butting, foot stomping and rearing up.  I had my own reality nature show.

I don't usually have more than one light on in the evening but tonight I turned that one off as well to participate in Earth Hour.  I lit a couple of my favorite candles and did some internet shopping for new tires.

Hurray for Fall!

Summer is over and I'm back; on the trails and on the web.  The heat of summer and I don't get along.  I love fall and winter.  I tend to hibernate through July, August and September until the temperature cools and the mosquitoes disappear.  Don't get me wrong, I don't spend 100% of my time inside but I do spend the hottest part of the day in the house.

I managed to go camping a couple of times.  It's been a few years ago that I actually got to pull out the tent and do some 'real' camping.  The weather was great and the time away was peaceful and relaxing.

I got my front yard landscaping completed.  The nature-scaping  encouraged a number of creatures to come and live in the yard.  The largest garter snake that I have ever seen took up residence in a crack that developed in the soil bank alongside my house.  It brought friends.  I've lived in this location for 11 years and have never seen garter snakes in my yard.  This year I saw at least 6 of them, varying in size.

In addition to the snakes, the tiger salamanders and frogs checked out the front yard.  They liked hiding under the large grasses that I planted.  With all the rain that fell this summer, the growing conditions were perfect for the newly planted shrubs and grasses.  Most tripled in size providing some shady, moist locations for these creatures.

 I did go out to the trails a few times.  During fall/winter I aim for 3 to 4 times a week.  I think that was the total for the whole summer this year.  The mosquitoes were abundant and didn't care if I had repellant on.  If I missed a spot the size of a pin head, they found it.  It does not make for a pleasant hike when I'm fighting off the bugs so they don't go up my nose when I breathe in.

My goal was to hit the trails on a regular basis again on October 1st; rain or shine.  I started at the Strathcona Wilderness Center and ended at Elk Island National Park.  What a fantastic morning.  The wind rustled through the tree tops creating a shower of colorful leaves that danced across the hiking trails.  

At the SWC, the blue jays were busy hiding stores of food in the cracks of the tree bark or underneath the carpet of fallen leaves.  An owl swooped overhead from a colorful old poplar.  The squirrels nattered and the grouse were putting on a regal display. 

When I left the SWC, a large bull moose crossed the road in front of me.  It's hunting season and it was headed into a safe area where hunting is not allowed.


Elk Island Park did not disappoint either.  The bison were out, grazing on the last of the green grass along the roadside.  The colors were amazing; yellows, oranges, reds.  I intended to try a new trail today.  The Shoreline Trail runs alongside Astotin Lake.  I didn't get to hike the entire trail.  There was a roadblock.  A very large male bison approached from the opposite direction.  I tried waiting it out, hoping that he would turn around but he wasn't moving so that meant it was me that had to turn around. 

I'm looking forward to my regular outings again.  My nose will be pressed against the window as I watch and wait for the first snowflakes to fall.  Until that happens, I will enjoy the sounds and smells when I head out to explore.  Autumn means that life slows down.  The air becomes crisp and the sunrises brilliant. The wood box is full for those chilly days when the stove will be lit.  It feels so good to be back outside!

 





 

A Perfect Ending

My little evening road trip took me to Elk Island National Park.  I pulled into the Astotin parking lot and found numerous bison grazing there.  They paid no mind to me as I set up my camera gear.

As I waited for the sun to go down, the bison slowly moved closer to the campground.  Two Canada geese stood atop the old Ukrainian thatched roof house.  Their honking echoed across the lake.  I heard the lonely calls of some coyotes in the distance. 

As the sun set, brilliant shades of orange and yellow reflected off the clouds; providing a beautiful backdrop for the tree silhouettes on the island.  

The animals did not disappoint me either.  The day itself was filled with wildlife sightings that began on the way to work this morning.

A young moose was munching on willow branches along the roadside.  I felt sorry for it.  There were big bare patches of skin where the hair was rubbed off.  I could tell that the little guy was suffering from a bad case of ticks.  I saw the same moose on the way home from work; tucked into a cozy indent that it made for itself in the snow.


On the way to the park I saw numerous white tailed deer and bison; both plains and wood bison.  Six elk were grazing together on a hillside.  They glanced up as I stopped to watch them.  In three separate locations I saw moose in willow thickets, grabbing a late evening snack.  A fourth one was feeding along the highway on the way home.  A herd of about 25 elk were gathered along the fence line where most of the snow had melted.  Fantastic!

The fresh air, the colorful sunset and the numerous wildlife sightings made for the perfect ending to the day.  I am so grateful to have such beauty so close to home.

 

Oh Happy Day!

What a glorious day!  Clear blue sky, sunshine and warm temperatures!  I watched the sun rise this morning as I sat at the kitchen table; the brilliant colors peeking through the trees.

The birds were chirping in my neighbor's willow tree as they waited their turn for a spot at the feeder.  It sure does not take long for them to carry away all the nuts that I put out.

I was trying to decide where to trek today.  It didn't really matter.  I just knew I wanted to be outside.  Something or 'someone' was motivating me to head to Elk Island.  I was so glad that I listened to that little 'voice'.

I didn't even make it to the park gate and had to pull over on the side of the highway.  I witnessed another first!  This winter I saw a pileated and a hairy woodpecker side by side on the same tree and a blue jay and a hairy woodpecker side by side at the tray feeder in the backyard.  Today's first was amazing to say the least; numerous white tailed deer and bison grazing on the same hill.  What a sight!  I was the only one that stopped to view that spectacle.  Traffic just kept zooming right on by.  It was too bad that everyone was in such a hurry.

As I turned into the park entrance, a small herd of bison greeted me today.  Most were content to be laying in the snow, soaking up the sunshine.  They didn't appear to care that a crazy lady with a camera was taking their picture!

There were no vehicles in sight so I traveled at a leisurely pace along the parkway.  The snow has melted a visible amount.  All the bison 'fertilizer' is now visible on the snowbanks; having been removed from the road by the snowplow through the winter.  It's no wonder the grass in the ditches grows as tall as it does!

 It was great to be able to drive slowly through the park without having vehicles pull up behind.  I was able to notice a coyote plodding through the trees just a short distance from the road.  It didn't even stop to glance up at me when I pulled over.  I was hoping that it would stop in the open area but it was on a mission.

There were a number of small herds of bison alongside the park highway.  I'm sure that today had the greatest number that I've seen this winter.  One of the park rangers was out with his meter stick taking measurements of the snow pack in the trees alongside the road.  The bison paid no mind to him either.

Astotin Lake is only one stop away from the trail head that I was going to so I decided to drive into the parking lot area adjacent to the lake.  There were no vehicles yet but there was a lonely bison beside one of the picnic tables.  This was also a first for me.  In all the years that I've been visiting this park, I've never seen the bison in that picnic area.  I stopped there again after my hike and there were a few people milling around and the bison was headed to a quieter spot.

 I was undecided as to what to wear; snowshoes or hiking cleats.  I opted for the cleats and was happy with the choice.  The sun had not yet softened the snow so it was a pretty easy hike.  There is at least two feet of packed snow on the trail.  It will be July before the snow is melted in the treed areas.

The birds were very vocal.  Blue jays, crows, ravens, chickadees, and magpies could be heard in the distance.  I stopped at my favorite area where many large spruce can be found.  Their branches reach over the trail on either side, creating a tunnel that you have to walk through.  I heard a bird call that I had not heard before so I stood still and listened; hoping to hear it again.  

As if on cue, the little feathered friend flew to a nearby branch and sang for me.  It was a chickadee that I had not seen before.  I'm going to put my bird book and binoculars in my backpack for the next outing.  I had to wait until I got home to find out that it was a boreal chickadee.  Yey!  I had another first today!

I stood underneath the canopy and listened to those sweet sounds of mother nature.  The little chickadee sang.  A slight breeze was causing the loose bark on the nearby birch trees to flap back and forth.  A blue jay called from an evergreen stand in the distance.  I could smell the sap from the spruce boughs.  What a relaxing spot!  If only that moment could be bottled and shared with those who don't have the time to take in what mother nature offers.

I continued on my way back to the trail head.  The air was warming up nicely and the water was beginning to flow in the parking lot.  After I made my way out the rutted up driveway, I headed back to Astotin Lake to see if the bison was still there.  Just before I got to the turn off, I noticed a number of mule deer under the trees along the edge of the campground.  It was certainly a great day for wildlife sightings!

On my way home, I noticed that the bison herd had moved but the deer remained grazing on the sunny hill.  I also noticed that the vehicles on the highway kept whizzing by; probably oblivious to the fact that there were 8 deer right beside the road.  Many of those people may not have cared.

As long as I can remember, I've had an appreciation for nature and a love for being outside.  The farm that I grew up on has a creek that runs through it.  It flows in the spring when the snow melts.  I spent countless hours building rafts from tree branches and then filling my boots with water as I tried to set sail.  It was exciting to see the first marsh marigolds show their yellow blooms in the sloughs.  I watched for the first pussy willows to break through their hard coverings.  I recall the look on my mother's face on the day that I was going to sleep under the stars by the fire pit behind the house.  For some reason she kept mentioning the skunk that was in the yard the night before.

My love of nature has not changed.  My appreciation of the great outdoors has grown.  I find solace and peace in the forest after a hectic week at work.  Today is my birthday and I could think of no better place to spend the day.  My forest friends came out of the woods and the sunshine and warm temperature was spirit-lifting.  Oh happy day!