Hello friends.
Well, it has been many many months since I have written a blog post. I haven’t really had the muse to commit to writing here, but I thought maybe I would give it a go again inspired by my recent Instagram posts of “Tales from my Walk.” If you haven't read them I invite you to go one over after you have read my blog. The link is at the end.
Now that spring is showing signs of emergence, there’s definitely more action in the forests of Okotoks and by the river. One walk I came across a Beaver, a Minks, a Canada Goose in a tree and an European Starling. Thomas and I started listing off the birds and animals we have seen on walks around town over the years and there were many. I had a comment on a post from a friend saying that she was thinking she should walk more in Okotoks. That’s when I thought, maybe I would share some pictures of the birds and animals I have encountered so far on my walks in our beautiful little river town.
Okotoks is a community south of Calgary that sits along the Sheep River. It's a very fast growing community now, but I still love the small town feeling it gives off downtown and around the pathways. We moved here in 2007 from a rental in Calgary when my oldest was 2.5 years and my twins were 2 months old.
I had NO idea the extensive wildlife we had here until 2020. I had spent most of my walks with my head down, watching my girls and making sure they weren’t running off and getting hurt. My focus was just on them and not my surroundings. However, in 2020, when the only time we could really leave the house was to go on walks, our world started opening up. We spent more time in nature and became aware of its habitants. With my cellphone in hand, I was taking pictures every day in nature and started to zoom into the beauty in a place I called home. For many years prior, I didn’t believe Okotoks had anything to offer me, nature wise, and I would bribe the girls to go to the mountains for the day, just to get my fix. For me, it was the mountains or nothing. However, being “forced” to see what was right in front of me opened my eyes to a whole new perspective of my world. With my new camera in hand in 2021, I was ready to see what Mother Nature presented to me, in Okotoks and it has been abundant.
Here are my sightings over the last 3 years that I have documented, just in Okotoks, AB. Run your mouse over each picture to see who they are or you can click on a picture, expand it and see the show.
On top of these encounters I have also seen a Golden Eagle, a Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Warbler, American Goldfinch, Western Wood-Pewee, Common Grackle, Doves, American Goldfinch, White-Breasted Nuthatch and probably more. I just didn't get pictures of these ones and I am not very good with all of the names and differences. I admit, I am not a full blown Birder. I wouldn't call myself that at all. However, I do love taking pictures of birds and animals and each of these encounters stimulates my heart and gets it racing with excitement, especially when I get a nice sharp picture of their eye (wildlife photographers know what I mean).
As for animals, we have had cougar warnings, black bears passing though and my husband saw racoons last fall which in the 18 years of living here, we have never seen.
If you are wondering where to go to find this wildlife, I don't have a specific area. The majority of these encounters were by chance. I walk the river paths. We like to call it the "Costco Loop" which we begin at our house in Hunter's Glen. We will do this on the weekends as it is a good 8km loop. Quite often we will stop at one of the local coffee shops downtown and pick up a coffee for our excursion. Click HERE for a map.
We also explore Sheep River Cove and the forest there. We have many little forest areas that are teaming with life in the spring and summer. These days the forests are coming alive with song.
I would love to know what other birds or wildlife you have seen in Okotoks. I know I have missed some super common ones and the roster will be long. I would like to create a list of what to look out for this spring and summer that I haven't taken a picture of yet and add to my bucket list. My goal is to take some pictures of common birds with a "Rikki" twist.
Last fall I had a booth at the Okotoks Art Walk. I was the only photographer there, I believe. I received an email from a woman who used to be a photojournalist back in her day, who I spent a while talking to.
She wrote "Years ago I heard a master photographer say that if a person can capture the beauty & essence of a plain bird i.e. a house sparrow or a blackbird, then they are truly bird photographers. I think your chicken-&-shadow image certainly qualifies you. Well done! Glad to know you are also a "grabshot" photographer for such an image as the robin on a branch covered in hoar frost. So many memorable images are really once-in-a-lifetime shots like that."
From this email alone, this woman inspired me to look in the beauty around me in the simplest of things, or birds that we see everyday. I am on a mission to do her proud moving forward.
I would highly recommend you take the time and discover what the forests and paths of Okotoks has to offer. Whether you're a photographer or just love being in nature, the paths around the river are a great place to explore.
Have a beautiful day friends.
Wildlife Photography in Okotoks: Discover Hidden Gems
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