Sometimes you just gotta mash the shutter for too long
Here's an odd visitor to Jasper. Sitting on a roof in the Fishbowl. You can see part of the Colin Range in the back of a photo. Not sure where it came from. It's all over social media and no one has claimed him yet.
Update: 6-7-2022 Peacock is slowly moving north through town with sightings at Snape's Hill, Lion's Park, Jasper Inn, and the Lobstick Lodge. This morning he is strutting his stuff at Bear Hill.
https://www.fitzhugh.ca/ezadmin/peacock-on-the-loose-in-jasper-national-park/
Update: 8-7-2022 Parks Canada Announcement.
Peacock euthanized in Jasper National Park
On July 2, 2022, a domestic peafowl, commonly known as a “peacock,” was first spotted by Jasper residents and Parks Canada staff on the outskirts of the Jasper townsite. Parks Canada consulted with external experts, and after six days of significant efforts to capture and remove the peacock, Parks Canada made the difficult decision to euthanize the bird on July 7, 2022. Taking lethal steps to remove any animal from the park is always a last resort.
The introduction of non-native species or domestic animals poses serious consequences for the natural environments of national parks, and is prohibited under the National Parks of Canada Domestic Animals Regulations. In this case, the risk of introducing avian disease and parasites to other natural wildlife in the park was too great to allow the bird to remain on the landscape.
Media inquiries
Public Relations and Communications
Jasper National Park
Tel: 780-852-6109
Email: jnpmedia@pc.gc.ca
https://www.fitzhugh.ca/ezadmin/decision-to-euthanize-peacock-unfortunate-parks-canada/
Saw this beauty in a hollow about 15-20m up a dead tree. It made me do a double take! The bear licked its lips and was sniffing the crisp air. I though it should be hibernating, but maybe it woke up? Came back a couple hours later and didn’t see it in the hole anymore. What luck!
Source: dude trust me lmao
Moo the House finch, 3rd winter in my yard
Hopefully someone knows what might have made this nest. My initial thoughts were black swift because of its location so close to a large waterfall but I’m not sure. Any info would be great!
A collage of three different images.
I only saw two of them in reality.
I swear this "Richard" was a dare devil taunting vehicles by sitting in the middle of the road. A brave soul as at least 5 cars drove right over it.
Brown anole who fell in love with a fairy!
The first time I had ever seen this, i videoed the entire event as well from entry to exit. It was as if this species swims all the time. I sent it to a frogmouth expert and she had never seen that before. The bird chose to swim and flew away very easily after its swim. There appeared to be no explanation for the bird swimming as it was not particularly hot or anything unusual.
This photo lost some quality in scanning from an old slide. It shows a wild-born bird. The species is now extinct in the wild.
@ethancrenson found this spectacular fruiting of Glonium stellatum - growing on decorticated Robinia pseudoacacia (apparently)
After a forest fire sweeps through a pine forest, many wood-boring insects take the opportunity to lay their eggs on the charred, decaying wood. Their larvae, in turn, are host to several species of parasitic wasp, the largest of which are in the genus Megarhyssa. Including her 70mm long ovipositor, this large female wasp is more than 100mm (4 inches) in length.
Hiking down Bear Canyon we met up with this huge black bear several times. He was on and off the same trail as us for about an hour. Every time we encountered him we would step back with our dogs and let him pass then count to 1,000. He surprised us again by moving off the trail and taking higher ground. He watched us closely as we maneuvered the dogs and ourselves past him. This was the largest bear I’ve ever seen, including those in Alaska, and one of those WOW moments.
Located just a few miles into the mountains above Pasadena, CA.
Recovered 31 Aug 2022 in pitfall trap adjacent to stand of lodgepole pine. 1 of 2 specimens.
man of few words. excellent lift operator. 5/5 stars.
Black 'morph'. Have seen this only once before, and it was only 10 km away, several years ago.
Oreo-coloured Grizzly from Lake Louise to Banff on TCH
"Nakoda" in Yoho
Young cougar died of starvation? Found in a cave where water dripped from the roof forming inverted icicles.
A large canvas of my bear photo hung in the BC Legislature. Our local MLA claimed it helped pursued the Premier to totally ban Grizzly Bear trophy hunting in BC. Keep shooting photos, they can make a difference !
Two Ravens - Second photo showing bill clasping. An article from Science news 'Look at that!' Ravens gesture with their beaks to point out objects to each other also makes some interesting points:
Pointing and holding up objects in order to attract attention has so far only been observed in humans and our closest living relatives, the great apes. Researchers now provide the first evidence that ravens (Corvus corax) also use so called deictic gestures in order to test the interest of a potential partner or to strengthen an already existing bond.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129112319.htm
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel meets wooden Chicken
location credit: Melanie Bird (thank you!)
with @fielderda77
This will mess with the distribution maps a little bit!!!
Sometimes nice things come in small packages. This colourful, ornately patterned leafhopper is only 2.6 mm long!
Photograph of a Lapwing incubating its eggs, for which in 1895 Reginald Badham Lodge (1852–1937) received from the Royal Photographic Society the first medal ever presented for nature photography. Hosking and Lowes stated their belief that this was the first photograph of a wild bird.
This work is in the public domain.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lapwing_incubating_its_eggs_-1895-_Reginald_Badham_Lodge.jpg
I would be grateful if you could help me clarify any information about this photo.
This observation documents a curious moose that is damaging the recorders at my study site.
1- Destroyed microphone. The moose left its loose guard hairs on this and other microphones throughout the site.
2- Another microphone with windscreen eaten and loose guard hairs left on it.
3- Ample moose scat throughout site.
4- Recording of a moose walking up to and mouthing the microphone of an autonomous recorder, the same microphone pictured in (1). Walking sounds start to be more audible at about 25s in. Breathing and chomping audible at about 35s in.
Several moose were seen at my site, on separate days, since I posted this observation. No other large mammals (e.g. elk, deer, bear) have been observed.
Fungi
Just a ton of different butterflies in one spot!