• Intimidating the competition

    Apparently human athletes don’t have a lock on being a show off. For this slightly vain pelican, it all starts with admiring its reflection. Of course any athlete knows it’s important to stretch but this seems a bit showy. Though the audience seems a bit distracted. The next step is a carefully staged, disdainful look… Continue Reading

  • Defending the lowly … by myself

    In the wild kingdom there are many amazing, beautiful or powerful creatures. The muskrat is none of these. But I still feel something for this love-challenged underdog – perhaps it’s my Canadian roots. Unfortunately extolling the muskrat’s virtues is a public relations nightmare. Here’s a creature that is often described as ugly, appears a bit… Continue Reading

  • Family feud at Sandhill Crane gathering

    At the end of the story, the Sandhill Cranes are all getting along fine and back to eating. That’s also how the story started … but there was a little incident along the way. To set the scene, think about attending a really large family gathering with some strong personalities. People showed up you may… Continue Reading

  • Choosing regular rejection

    After considerable self analysis, I have determined that I am neither scary nor obsessed with popularity. Both theories get put to the test regularly while photographing skittish animals. Wildlife may tolerate my presence from a distance but only until I’m almost close enough to take a photo. Then the place clears out like I am… Continue Reading

  • A confident grouse

    I was left in awe with displays of pure, raw confidence this past weekend. It’s no secret that a grouse’s best defence is camouflage. It’s surprising they didn’t snicker under their breath as I passed close by without seeing anything. They just stood motionless as only a confident grouse can (at least that’s what I… Continue Reading

  • A simpler time

    It feels like it was about 250 years ago when I was a small boy growing up in a small town. Life was simple but good. Entertainment consisted mostly of playing whatever the neighbourhood kids were playing outdoors. Perhaps that was because we didn’t have a lot of “screen time” on our black and white… Continue Reading