Nature Archives - Paterson Photography Ltd.

Waterton Wildlife

July 12, 2019June 27, 2019 by Mike

Waterton Wildlife

I like the scenery in Waterton but I like Waterton wildlife even more!! There are so many animals to photograph!!

Some days it can be frustrating as you can search and wait and nothing appears. Other days you cannot turn around without finding something to photograph.

The last couple of trips there has been a lot of animals to photograph. Waterton wildlife has been out in force this spring!!!

Early this spring I saw more moose in three days then I have seen in Waterton the entire 40 years I have been going there. It seemed that the moose decided all at once to venture out and about.

The birds have also been out in abundance. Many I did not even photograph as I was enjoying watching them. Cranes up around Belly river and a pair down along the entrance road.

Hawks and eagles like crazy all over the park.

Lots of song birds and even birds that just wanted to have a conversation with you like a Grey Jay up at Belly River that was having a good conversation with me.

Moving around

I have also seen a couple foxes this spring. They were in a two different parts of the park. I have never seen foxes in these areas before. Since the fire animals have ventured out from their familiar surroundings and the foxes were a long way from the usual places I see them. I think this may be due to the fact that their prey have been able to expand their range as well.

Waterton Wildlife Fox — I am not watching you!!

Fox out for a morning run — Morning run through the wet grass

Bears are also out in force. In one area I saw four bears. They seemed comfortable with each other and with the people around. Years ago I heard a talk from Andy Russel about bears. He said when the food supply is abundant bears will hang out with each other with no issues. So if that is true the food supply must be abundant this year.

Waterton Black Bear and burnt trees — I LOVE this picture and the burnt trees. To me it says life from fire.

Even insects can make good subjects, especially when they are busy eating.

Waterton Images

Parks Canada Waterton

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Waterton Spring Visit

April 28, 2019April 28, 2019 by Mike

Waterton Spring Trip

House Hunting

March 16, 2019March 14, 2019 by Mike

Spring is around the corner and house hunting season is upon us. I always know when spring is arriving when the screams start early in the morning and go till sunset. No it is not only my wife screaming at the predators eating her song birds. But the hawks coming back to stake out nesting sites. The screams start as soon as they arrive in the neighborhood and go till the eggs have been laid. Then once the young hatch the get back to screaming till the young are out of the nest.

Waxwings

March 13, 2019March 13, 2019 by Mike

Waxwings!!

I always keep and eye out for the Waxwings each winter, they are my winter friends. Making my day brighter with their amazing colors.

This winter I have been keeping my eyes open for the Waxwing invasion and nothing. They have been around town but not at my house. Then yesterday as I was working outside I heard all these birds calling but did not put one and one together as to what type of bird it was. I was in the garage when I looked out to see the sky darken with a massive flock. There must have been a couple hundred!!! They were on a neighbors roof drinking the runoff from the melting snow.

I worked my way into the house and grabbed a camera to get a couple pictures. They were really flighty, more so than usual for some reason. Could have been the strong winds making so much noise that they were on edge.

Waxwings Supper — I love this picture as it looks like the one with the berry is giving a lesson to the other ones. “This is the berry we are having for supper”.

Waxwing in tree — The color of the Waxwing blends in well with the plum tree

Canon 70D Sigma 150 – 600 400 ISO

#nature #wildlife #naturephotography #waxwing #bohemianwaxwing #snow #winter #canon #sigma #lethbridgephotographer #birds #supper #spring #warmer #morning #march #birding #birdwatcher

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Old Farm Collection

March 3, 2019March 3, 2019 by Mike

Winter Fence At Sunset

~ Old Farm Collection ~

I started a collection of old farm prints many years ago. Most where black and white with a few color added for contrast. Somehow the pages for the collection got removed from my website over the years with all the updates and the collection was forgotten to the passing of time.

When I shot this image I immediately knew what collection that I needed to add this to. SO after 15 plus years I am working on rebuilding the collection and will be bringing it back to the web site and for sale once again.

I am starting with these two and I will work on the entire collection in the next few months.

Winter Fence At Sunset

Printed on gloss metallic paper. Image size is 12×18, paper size is 13×19
Ready to mat or frame
Limited edition of 250 prints

I was out driving through southern Alberta one cold winters day and I kept seeing fences that were in a state of major disrepair. They seemed to be more prominent with the snow around them separating them from the rest of the prairies.

The saying “In the winter of your life” kept playing in my mind. Adding to the overall look of the image is the long reddish rays of the low sun. In late winter the sun starts tossing more color and longer shadows on the prairie just before it makes it climb back to the high summer arch. The low late day sun works perfectly to light these scenes and brings out the rough texture of the wood and adding a warmth to the wood that counters the cold blue of the shadows.

The barbed wire in the background plays against the force of the foreground posts.

Order Winter Fence At Sunset #1

At one time you know all the wire had a purpose, now it forms a metallic spider’s web.

Order Winter Fence At Sunset #1

Order both prints and save on the prints and shipping

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Groundhog day!

February 15, 2019February 2, 2019 by Mike

So I tried doing a test for groundhog day and that did not work. I tried convincing my Gopher and Marmot subjects to come out for a picture this morning and they turned me down. So to make the prediction for southern Alberta I went outside to see if I could see my shadow. The result is that I did not see my shadow! I did get snowed on and I did get frost bite, but no shadow.

So seeing that I could not get a picture of anything close to a groundhog on this cold snowy morning here are a couple pictures from past years when it was warmer.

This gopher had built it’s home in a huge pile of dirt. One of the exits was about 8′ off the ground giving it a view that the other gophers envied.

Not official groundhog day prediction — Look no shadow.