Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: explore2014September05

"There was a time when an estimated 60 million buffalo roamed the plains of southern Alberta. Excessive overhunting and a steady loss of habitat has dwindled those numbers drastically, placing bison on Alberta's endangered list. Just a short drive north of Waterton Lakes National Park entrance gate on Highway 6 is the Waterton Bison Paddock, where a protected herd of rare Plains Bison is kept for viewing as a reminder of their legacy as well as in attempt to aid in increasing their population size and advance their species." "Waterton Lakes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also an International Peace Park, and a Biosphere Reserve. No other park in the world has these three designations. Waterton Biosphere Reserve as it is officially called, was designated in 1979 under what is called the internationally recognized "Man and the Biosphere program" of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), that sure is a mouthful. Biosphere Reserves are designed to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature." www.wediscovercanadaandbeyond.ca/2010/11/red-rock-canyon-... These huge, powerful animals have a very keen sense of smell and can distinguish smells from 3 km away. The only way to see this herd is to drive the very short loop. No pedestrians or cyclists are allowed - the animals spook very easily. We drove the loop a couple of times on our first day in Waterton and went back again on the second day, and enjoyed both the animals and the beautiful setting. It was so cute to see one of the young Bison (Buffalo) come running down the hill to where several of the herd were grazing, and into the pond it went with a big splash and then straight back on to dry land. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plains_bison flic.kr/p/p2KF5y

"There was a time when an estimated 60 million buffalo roamed the plains of southern Alberta. Excessive overhunting and a steady loss of habitat has dwindled those numbers drastically, placing bison on Alberta's endangered list. Just a short drive north of Waterton Lakes National Park entrance gate on Highway 6 is the Waterton Bison Paddock, where a protected herd of rare Plains Bison is kept for viewing as a reminder of their legacy as well as in attempt to aid in increasing their population size and advance their species." "Waterton Lakes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also an International Peace Park, and a Biosphere Reserve. No other park in the world has these three designations. Waterton Biosphere Reserve as it is officially called, was designated in 1979 under what is called the internationally recognized "Man and the Biosphere program" of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), that sure is a mouthful. Biosphere Reserves are designed to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature." www.wediscovercanadaandbeyond.ca/2010/11/red-rock-canyon-... These huge, powerful animals have a very keen sense of smell and can distinguish smells from 3 km away. The only way to see this herd is to drive the very short loop. No pedestrians or cyclists are allowed - the animals spook very easily. We drove the loop a couple of times on our first day in Waterton and went back again on the second day, and enjoyed both the animals and the beautiful setting. This closer photo was taken on the third trip, on 27 August. It was so cute to see one of the young Bison (Buffalo) come running down the hill to where several of the herd were grazing, and into the pond it went with a big splash and then straight back on to dry land. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plains_bison flic.kr/p/p4Mx22

Not a very inspiring photo, but a group of us were lucky to see this female Harlequin Duck at Carburn Park on 2 September 2014. She was resting on a small gravel bar out in the middle of the Bow River - hence a fully-zoomed and well-cropped photo. You can see that she has a white spot behind the ear and faded, variable white patches in front of the eye. A pair of these beautiful ducks (the male is spectacular) could often be seen from the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, but unfortunately, the Sanctuary suffered so much damage from the 2013 Alberta Flood of the Century, that it is still closed more than a year later. They are locally uncommon here from May to September. I think I'm right in saying that there have only been about five of these small ducks in the city, so it's always a treat to see them. "The harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) is a small sea duck. It takes its name from Harlequin (French Arlequin, Italian Arlecchino), a colourfully dressed character in Commedia dell'arte. The species name comes from the Latin word "histrio", "actor". In North America it is also known as lords and ladies. Other names include painted duck, totem pole duck, rock duck, glacier duck, mountain duck, white-eyed diver, squeaker and blue streak. These birds feed by swimming under water or diving. They also dabble. They eat molluscs, crustaceans and insects. Harlequins have smooth, densely packed feathers that trap a lot of air within them. This is vital for insulating such small bodies against the chilly waters they ply. It also makes them exceptionally buoyant, making them bounce like corks after dives." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlequin_duck www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/harlequin_duck/id