Wildlife Blog

Willard is a Great Horned Owl who has been roosting in a large spruce tree just outside my work entrance at Lethbridge College.

It was the closest I have ever been to death…

 In February of 2008, almost 14 years ago, I came down with a severe case of pneumonia. I spent a week in semi-delirium from lack of oxygen, alone in my apartment. I had no appetite, no energy – I was out of breath with every movement.

The day started off cool, the sun barely risen over the horizon, and two wildlife junkies made their way to the small town of Waterton early in the morning.

“People don’t realize that those bears will rip you to shreds the first chance they get!’

These words rose above the steady din created by multiple conversations from surrounding tables. 

It was the cool, crisp Summer morning of August 21st – my aunt (aka Kiwi) and I made plans to explore an ‘Eagle Hotspot’, in the South-East region of Alberta. Hoping to find and photograph Bald and Golden eagles…

When I realized the racing white blur on the side of the road was a Snowshoe hare, my gut exploded with anticipation… A Snowshoe hare running along the side of the road in the middle of the day - that could only mean one thing: PREDATOR IN PURSUIT I was driving...

I have seen hundreds, perhaps thousands, of the world’s most deviously adorable mustelid (weasel) in my dreams, but I have only seen a handful of Pine Marten (aka American Marten) in ‘real life.’

WOW. This is unusual for me, but I have no words to describe 2020.

I took a stab at creating a profound message for the new year and putting words to some of these images, but I was overwhelmed. There is just too much to say.

The creature stood firm, every fibre of his being enraged, emanating an intense resolve on par with Gandalf’s infamous ‘YOU SHALL NOT PASS’ pronouncement in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. The Spruce Grouse stood on the edge of a snowy pathway, staring...

Amphibians are an indication of our dying planet. So many species have disappeared, and we humans, of course, are largely responsible.

Each tentative step produced more frenzied hopping. Toadlet after toadlet scrambled over, under and through a spider web of dew-laced grass. The closer Cherie and I got to the shoreline, the more abundant the toadlets became. Having just meet a toad couple named Nelly...

In August 2006, I poked a toad. While light and brief, my touch was enough to cause one thick, front arm to nudge slightly upward. This toad was indeed alive - that was all I needed to know. Relief and gratitude flooded my body. I am not proud of myself for poking a...