Grizzly and Cougar tracks, Killdeer, Junco (20140417) An exploration trip out to the Ranch.

I picked up the bride's uncle and we grabbed breakfast at Timmys, so it was a late start to a miserable light day.We would move into and out of the low cloud. It is the first day this spring where I found more Redtails than Roughlegged's. We spotted this muskrat in a pond next to road, he just slid into the water, but couldn't go to far as ice covered the rest of the pond.

In a very similar spot as to where Jamie and I found the grizzly tracks last week, we found another fresh set today.

Today I had a small lens with me as well so I was able to get some better track images as well.

My lens cap is 2.75 inches wide. This makes this front pad about 4.75-5.25 inches wide. When I guided bow hunters for black bears in Ontario we would put sand down to get pad sizes like this. This is a mid-sized bear, probably 4 to 7 years of age. It would have made a beautiful sight walking up the road! Here is where it walked off the road. It was interesting to see that it actually went through the fence here not underneath:)

At one point on the road we foudn another type of track. When we got out to investigate we found that they were Cougar tracks. What a great wildlife place to be able to visit!

Fortunately it was all "track soup" today. we did manage to find a couple of birds to shoot. Here is the bird I like to call "the tease"-- a Killdeer.

Then we found a flock of about 30-40 darkeyed juncos. I had to wait by the road for them to return, which they did gradually. I stood in the ditch for about 20 minutes when they were just starting to get close when a school bus went by and spooked them again :(

This is the Oregon colouration of the junco. I love the touch of colour that these birds have. I can only imagine how these would have turned out if we would have had a little sun to brighten them up.
Come on out to Calgary, we can do a "track" together!
Turbo