Young Mountain Sheep

Just a shot out of the car window today, 30 November 2013, when I went with a birding friend to Highwood Pass, Kananaskis, again. There was a small group of these Mountain Sheep (Bighorn Sheep) at the side of the road, licking the salt. A week ago, we had been there, hoping to be able to find a White-tailed Ptarmigan, with no luck. Same story today : ) We parked at the Ptarmigan Cirque parking area on Highway 40 and walked some distance on very deep snow that had a hard crust on it. Every few steps, down I went, crashing through to snow up to my knees. I think it has to be my least favourite surface to walk on! We had one brief moment of excitement when Tony spotted what looked exactly like a Ptarmigan beneath one of the very distant trees. Even when I zoomed in on my camera, I could have sworn I saw the tail end and the head end, lol. However, it turned out to be a lump of snow that must have fallen from a branch. These birds are extremely difficult to find!! This was our last chance to visit the area again, as tomorrow, the winter gates across Highway 40 close and don't open again till next June 15th.