View allAll Photos Tagged whiteshellprovincialpark
A solitary Canada Goose quietly slips through the soft ripples of West Hawk Lake in White Shell Provincial Park, Manitoba, Canada, as the warm evening sun’s rays’ glow on the granite rocks of the nearby shore. This is shield country, which makes up roughly one third of Canada’s surface. Restful summer evenings such as this one make for sweet memories.
West Hawk Lake in White Shell Provincial Park, Manitoba, Canada, is stunning. While enjoying an evening dip in the sandy beach after a 30C day, a float plan passed by several times, providing entertainment for the beach goers: racing a motorboat, performing sharp turns, and then gently landing on the peaceful waters. This lake, formed by an ancient meteorite, is a crater and as such is the deepest lake in the province of Manitoba. I’m grateful to have experienced the solace and tranquility and its cool refreshing waters.
A petroform in the shape of a tortoise possibly 1500 years old at Bannock Point in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba. There are many petroforms at this location and at many other nearby locations, including the largest site of petroforms in North America at Tie Creek, a protected site in Whiteshell Provincial Park.
“Turtles, snakes and human effigies are the most common type of petroform. It's a mystery why most other animals aren't represented.”
rockpiles.blogspot.com/2012/11/tie-creek.html
What are Petroforms?
“Petroforms are defined as features formed by the placement (not piling) of stones to create the outlines of figures or shapes. The stones or small boulders are arranged on bedrock outcrops in the shapes of snakes, turtles, humans and geometric forms. Archaeologists group petroforms with rock paintings or "pictographs" and refer to them as "rock art," although both are thought to have been made by Native people for religious purposes.”
www.gov.mb.ca/sd/pubs/parks-protected-spaces/park_info/wh...
August 2010 (Deep in the archives)
This back lite - white-tailed fawn was acting a little alarmed (I am guessing by the tail action) at my presense...
Taken near the golf course in Pinawa...
Please press "L" to see the larger ligthbox version for more detail and contrast.
400mm - ISO 400 - F6.3 - 1/500th
All comments regarding this picture, subject, composition, etc are welcome and appreciated. TIA.
To see more pictures of Bald Eagles, please visit my Bald Eagle album at www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/albums/721577...
To learn more about these magnificent birds please visit www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle
January 2013
On New Years Day i ventured out to see if once again I could find a Great Gray and fortunately I came across this guy who was hunting for a morning snack...
He would make a couple of plunges into the snow and often sit there for only a few seconds before flying back up to a higher perch, missing whatever he had been trying to catch..
Every once in a while he would land and stay there looking around (as in this shot) and then plunge his head into the snow face first... signalling that he had caught something... eventually he would bring up his catch and in a matter of seconds it would be down the hatch (no bitting or tearing just open up and say ah....)... more pics to follow.
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail and contrast.
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Thanks
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
January 2013
On New Years Day i ventured out to see if once again I could find a Great Gray and fortunately I came across this guy who was hunting for a morning snack...
He would make a couple of plunges into the snow and often sit there for only a few seconds before flying back up to a higher perch, missing whatever he had been trying to catch..
Every once in a while he would land and stay there looking around and then plunge his head into the snow face first... signalling that he had caught something... As in this photo, eventually he would bring up his catch and in a matter of seconds it would be down the hatch (no bitting or tearing just open up and say ah....here you can just see the back feet and tail hanging out of his beak, before they disappear forever)... more pics to follow.
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail, contrast and a much better look at those yellow eyes...
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Thanks
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
This stunning photo was taken along the Whiteshell River between Betula Lake and Heart Lake in Manitoba's crown jewel the Whiteshell Provincial Park.
I had to grab this shot as I walked along an incredibly beautiful trail at Hunt Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba. The leaves were absolutely gorgeous and the fog that descended upon the lake added even more drama to the scene. Enjoy!
April 2013
While out in eastern Manitoba looking for a last chance to see some Great Gray Owls, I came across a pair of Sandhill Cranes... this one not only posed nicely but when he flew off he gave me the opportunity for a number of decent flight shots...
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more contrast and detail.
This Bald Eagle was rather focused on the lunch at hand... as he stood upon the remains of a deer...
March 2010
Late season NHO
This was an unexpected find this past Saturday... while driving back from the Whiteshell on Highway 15... I spotted this Northern Hawk Owl high up in a tree... originally I thought it was just a magpie, but after looking a little more closely, I could see that it was a NHO...
Unfortunately the sun was somewhat behind him, and the vegetation left me no way to get on the south side of him... so here is the shot, best as I could do with the light conditions... ok but not great... he has that "what do you want look"... not exactly happy to see me...
Christmas Eve Owl
This Great Gray Owl presented me with an early Christmas Present...
He was extremely photogenic and cooperative.. despite the -35 degree wind chill, he hunted along the side of the road in front of me for a couple of hours allowing for a number of decent shots...
In this shot he had plowed into the snow looking for a meal.. and before sticking his face into the snow to bite at his catch he would sit there and look around ensuring that he was safe on the ground...
Unlike years past, this year there seems to be an abundance of Great Gray Owls in Southern Manitoba where in years past you may have been lucky to see one all winter...
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail and contrast.
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Enjoy
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
May 2011
I had spotted this Red tailed Hawk sitting in a tree just west of McMunn on Highway 1... I stopped and took a number of shots while he was perched only to find that there were branches in front of him that threw off the autofocus... damn... fortunately I was able to get a couple of clear flight shots as he took off to fly into the woods...
January 2013
On New Years Day i ventured out to see if once again I could find a Great Gray and fortunately I came across this guy who was hunting for a morning snack...
He would make a couple of plunges into the snow and often sit there for only a few seconds before flying back up to a higher perch, missing whatever he had been trying to catch..
Every once in a while he would land and stay there looking around and then plunge his head into the snow face first... signalling that he had caught something... As in this photo, eventually he would bring up his catch and in a matter of seconds it would be down the hatch (no bitting or tearing just open up and say ah....)... more pics to follow.
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail, contrast and a much better look at those yellow eyes...
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Thanks
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
August 2013
The fourth shot in a small series of shots of this Blue Heron that posed oh so nicely for me....
We had noticed him flying across a river in the Whiteshell and landing on this rock as we stopped the vehicle... I got out and was able to slowly work my way down to the shore line and sit on a rock in the water about 100' across part of the river from this guy.... he seemed content, as he stayed there for about 15 minutes during which he displayed some interesting behaviours...
More to follow...
December 2012
I had been watching this Great Gray Owl for about 3 hours back on this day, as he hunted along a tree line and then around a frozen pond... as he was getting ready to take off from this tree I got to witness something I would not have expected.... instead of flying off he decided to jump down from one branch to another and missed... as he passed the branch he kind of grabbed on with his bean and then quickly landed on the branch below...
in this picture you can see he is between branches, where he is grabbing on to the branch he missed and his feet are not exactly poised to grab the next branch... it all happened quite quickly, and once he landed on the branch below he had the look that said "I hope no one saw that"...
I did watch him for another half hour after this and he was fine... he caught another vole before flying off deep into the woods.
April 2013
While out in eastern Manitoba looking for a last chance to see some Great Gray Owls, I came across a pair of Sandhill Cranes... this one not only posed nicely but when he flew off he gave me the opportunity for a number of decent flight shots...
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more contrast and detail.
January 2013
On this dull overcast day, I was fortunate to come across another Great Gray Owl in the Lewis area....
Here he is nicely perched along the outer edge of a group of trees, as he was hunting for mice and voles along the tree line.
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail and contrast.
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Thanks
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
Christmas Eve Owl
This Great Gray Owl presented me with an early Christmas Present...
He was extremely photogenic and cooperative.. despite the -35 degree wind chill, he hunted along the side of the road in front of me for a couple of hours allowing for a number of decent shots...
In this shot he had been sitting nicely in this tree when all of a sudden you could hear a raven flying nearby.... the owl reacted suddenly to the raven by elongating his body as seen in the picture.... I am not sure if this is to make him look bigger than he actually is or to be harder to see in the trees... but he stayed this way for a few minutes watching the raven fly overhead until he was gone, and once gone the owl returned to a more relaxed position in the tree...
Unlike years past, this year there seems to be an abundance of Great Gray Owls in Southern Manitoba where in years past you may have been lucky to see one all winter...
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail and contrast.
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Enjoy
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
May 2010
I have not seen a lot of deer that appear to be shedding their hair, but this one that I photographed last May sure appeared to be shedding quite a bit... love the bokeh...
Check the version on black to real see what I mean about the shedding...
March 2013
This Northern Hawk Owl was perched nicely atop a tree against a bright blue sky... This photo was actually taken from almost directly below him as he looked down at me from his high perch...
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail and contrast.
To see other Northern Hawk Owl postings please click on the link below... Thanks
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlnorth...
July 2013 - An American Bittern that was hunting for food along the side of a river in the Whiteshell Provincial Park.
January 2013
On New Years Day i ventured out to see if once again I could find a Great Gray and fortunately I came across this guy who was hunting for a morning snack...
He would make a couple of plunges into the snow and often sit there for only a few seconds before flying back up to a higher perch, missing whatever he had been trying to catch..
Every once in a while he would land and stay there looking around (as in this shot) and then plunge his head into the snow face first... signalling that he had caught something... eventually he would bring up his catch and in a matter of seconds it would be down the hatch (no bitting or tearing just open up and say ah....)... more pics to follow.
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail and contrast.
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Thanks
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
my first attempt at catching bolts.
this was out at the cabin -- in the whiteshell.
i missed so many, but managed to get this one.
August 2013
The third shot in a small series of shots of this Blue Heron that posed oh so nicely for me....
We had noticed him flying across a river in the Whiteshell and landing on this rock as we stopped the vehicle... I got out and was able to slowly work my way down to the shore line and sit on a rock in the water about 100' across part of the river from this guy.... he seemed content, as he stayed there for about 15 minutes during which he displayed some interesting behaviours...
In this shot he is sunning himself with his wings half spread out to catch the afternoon heat...
More to follow...
Christmas Eve Owl
This Great Gray Owl presented me with an early Christmas Present...
He was extremely photogenic and cooperative.. despite the -35 degree wind chill, he hunted along the side of the road in front of me for a couple of hours allowing for a number of decent shots...
In this particular shot he had landed in the snow trying to catch a mouse or vole... this particular time he came up empty clawed and after a moment flew back up to a nearby perch to continue hunting...
Unlike years past, this year there seems to be an abundance of Great Gray Owls in Southern Manitoba where in years past you may have been lucky to see one all winter...
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail and contrast.
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Enjoy
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
January 2013
On New Years Day i ventured out to see if once again I could find a Great Gray and fortunately I came across this guy who was hunting for a morning snack...
He would make a couple of plunges into the snow and often sit there for only a few seconds before flying back up to a higher perch, missing whatever he had been trying to catch..
Every once in a while he would land and stay there looking around (as in this shot) and then plunge his head into the snow face first... signalling that he had caught something... eventually he would bring up his catch and in a matter of seconds it would be down the hatch (no bitting or tearing just open up and say ah....)... more pics to follow.
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail and contrast.
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Thanks
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
Early morning on a lake. I was woken up when someone 'borrowed' my canoe. The mist was quite amazing, and after I got my canoe back I took this shot. There is an owl in a tree. Can you see it? (easier when viewed large)
We went on a road trip today and covered over 400 km. Ventured into Ontario about 5 km and then returned to Manitoba and headed to Rainbow Falls. After leaving the "falls" and heading to Winnipeg we come acroos these two birds standing in the ditch. I have no idea what they are (maybe someone can help me out with identifying them). While stopped on the side of the highway a truck with three young people went by us and continued on for about 500 metres and then turned around and came back to us. They stopped to see if we were okay or needed help. Restored a bit of faith in the younger generation.
We went on a road trip today and covered over 400 km. Ventured into Ontario about 5 km and then returned to Manitoba and headed to Rainbow Falls. While at the falls, saw this turtle sunning on the rock.
January 2013
On New Years Day i ventured out to see if once again I could find a Great Gray and fortunately I came across this guy who was hunting for a morning snack...
He would make a couple of plunges into the snow and often sit there for only a few seconds before flying back up to a higher perch, missing whatever he had been trying to catch..
Every once in a while he would land and stay there looking around and then plunge his head into the snow face first... signalling that he had caught something... In this photo, he had finished his meal and flew back up in a tree to enjoy the afternoon sun... you can see how easily he blends in with his surroundings... hard to see from a distance if you did not know he was there...
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail, contrast and a much better look at those yellow eyes...
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Thanks
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...
September 2013
This group of Turkey Vultures was gathered in this tree not to far away from a deer carcass... just waiting for their turn to feed...
January 2013
This Great Gray Owl was perched in a tree, slightly hiding behind some branches.... he spent a little time here before flying down to see if he could catch a meal in the snow...
Please press "L" to see the larger lightbox version for more detail and contrast.
You can also check my other postings of Great Gray Owls by clicking on the following link... Thanks
www.flickr.com/photos/black_cat_photography/tags/owlgreat...