Grizz, Moose, Coyote (20141009) A trip to Banff with the kids.

It is just fabulous to have Laurel and Neil visiting for Thanksgiving! They have a couple of items on their agenda and we wanted to help them get them done. Laurel has been wanting to climb Sulphur mountain for some time so we headed out to Banff early with the hope of finding a couple of critters on the way.  The drive was pretty uneventful until a Whitetail doe decided to cross the road. Good tires are critical to great stopping, not harm done!  We found this wanderer at 8:40 a.m. a first for Deb!

Our next encounter was exactly where we were hoping to find a moose or two. I pulled the truck up to a stop as we watched this beautiful cow feed out in the willows.

As is often the case, once we stopped and spent a little time with this sweetie, we were treated to a second visitor. This was guy we had come to see if we could find. While quite away from the "pit" Mr. Big was on the prowl to mate with the above cow.

With the requirement for a bathroom break I wheeled into one of my regular "stops" and was pleased to be greeted by this rooster Spruce grouse.

He was very intent on gathering his morning "grit". I will follow this post up with a supplemental dedicated to this fine figure of a specimen. Here is a shot of Neil grabbing his images of this cooperative subject.

Our last encounter before arriving at Banff was this Black bear sow with her cub. They appeared to be eating partridge berries, picking up more calories before the winter sets in.

While the kids were on their trek up the hill, I was able to capture this Least Chipmunk around the base of the gondola.

I also took a little time and shot some Landscape images. So here is a shot for you "yard workers" out there, a blade of grass turned crimson by the fall.

The trip home was wonderful as we had terrific light and the scenery on Hwy40 is always excellent! this mature cow moose, allowed us to pull and shoot her while she too is working at putting on some winter weight.

Our final encounter that we stopped for and took photo's was this young Coyote, trotting along the roadway. It was a terrific way to wind up our journey. I selected this shot for the blog as it once again shows the "dog" with all four feet off the ground at the same time.

On this fabulous day leading into the Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, we have a lot to be thankful for here in Alberta, and Canada overall. I hope you get out for some wildlife this weekend!
Turbo