Pincushion Blooms

Pincushion Blooms

Apr 19, 2021 | Plants, Mosses & Lichens, Wildflowers

These flowers, from the Pincushion Cacti (Escobaria vivipara), found in the southwestern part of Alberta, only last for a day or two before they fade away. What’s even more exciting is that they always bloom a couple of days after a good rainstorm blew through the prairies. They aren’t big, the flowers are only about the size of your thumb, but talk about vibrantly pink!

Taken at the Mattheis Research Ranch (University of Alberta’s Rangeland Research Institute) near Brooks, AB, Canada on June 19, 2014, with my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR camera with a Canon EF 100 mm f/2.8 IS USM macro lens.

A Porcupine

A Porcupine

Apr 19, 2021 | Wild Herbivores, Wildlife

I never thought porcupines could look so cute. Okay, so I’m a sucker for animals, but honestly the folding of the paws, and just that look on his face…

​Actually, he startled me when I was walking on the trails of J.J. Collette Natural Area a few years ago. He (I call him a “he” even though I’ve no idea if it is a “he” or even a “she”) was probably no more than ten or 15 yards from the trail, just eating away at the new shoots of grasses just starting to coming up. I guess he was getting tired of eating tree bark all winter… Golly if you were a porcupine you probably would too!

Taken at the J.J. Collett Natural Area near Ponoka, AB, Canada on April 30, 2017, with my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR camera with a Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens.

The Buffalo Bean

The Buffalo Bean

Apr 19, 2021 | Wildflowers

These bright yellow flowers are a herald of spring, lightening up the brown still prevalent in grasslands and meadows with dashes of yellow.
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As a legume, it is one of those “nitrogen fixers” that is common to grasslands but can be poisonous. The leaves are distinct, reminding me of a bird’s foot with the trifoliate shape, particularly when finding them after the blooms have long gone, and the seeds have since dispersed.

Taken near the Tolman Bridge, AB, Canada on May 1, 2016, with my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR camera with a Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens.

Bufflehead Babies

Bufflehead Babies

Apr 19, 2021 | Birds, Wildlife

Oh my word, when myself and another research assistant, while working at one of the University of Alberta’s ranches, and just going back for lunch, spotted these little guys, we positively swooned, not to mention slammed on the brakes and had to back up to catch a photo of these cute fluff-balls hanging out in the irrigation canals (next to the road we were driving on).
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These are just three out of six that were grouped together on this algae mass. No doubt their parents weren’t too far away, scared off by the big white truck we were driving, but sure to come back soon after we left.

Taken on the Mattheis Research Ranch (University of Alberta’s Rangeland Research Institute) near Brooks, AB, Canada on June 17, 2014, with my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR camera with a Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens.

Grassland Curlew

Grassland Curlew

Apr 19, 2021 | Birds, Grasslands

The prairies are a very important habitat for nesting birds, including shorebirds such as this Long-billed Curlew, which is an endangered species.
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While myself and a grad student were busy working in the field at the Rangeland Research Ranch near Brooks, Alberta, these birds were sure raising a little bit of a ruckus and worried about what we’d be doing to their little ones. Of course, the fieldwork we were doing was more to do with plants than these birds, but it was hard to ignore them. Especially when I had my Canon Rebel with a telephoto lens, and a dare to carefully get as close to them as I could without frightening them off.

Taken on the Mattheis Research Ranch (University of Alberta’s Rangeland Research Institute) near Brooks, AB, Canada on June 19, 2014, with my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR camera with a Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens.