I had some incredible wildlife encounters this summer. Between travelling and scoping out my favourite spots around Yellowknife I had a chance to meet some new creatures and see some familiar faces.
The foxes I’ve been following for a while were present in their usual haunts most of the summer but construction near their home base later in the year made them a little scarce.
Some of the firsts I had this year were seeing a mink in the wild and getting up close with the wild timber wolves that hang around Yellowknife. Now that I have an idea of their territory, I’m hoping that I will be able to capture more (and better) images!
My favourite encounter of the summer was the night I watched a fox, two coyotes, two wolves, and a black bear share space while they fed in close quarters to each other.
The wolves were curious about the bear. When they approached him, the bear charged one of them as a way to warn them to find their own spot to feed. The wolves were respectful of of the bear and kept their distance for the next little while.
I was surprised to see so many species sharing the same feeding area. There was no displays of aggression or predatory behaviour though the foxes and coyotes didn’t stick around too long once the wolves showed up. I guess when there is enough food around there is no reason to expend unnecessary energy hunting down your next meal.
I learned a lot more about birds this summer as well and I am sad to say goodbye to all the song birds until the spring. I love ptarmigans and redpolls and my hardy little house sparrows too but I sure miss the sound of birdsong.
Winter is well on its way and we have already had the first dusting of snow. Soon the air will become colder and freeze the lakes. The land will become still and quiet as we descend into the darkness of the shortest day. I’ll be sorting through my photos and sharing some of my images with you in the upcoming weeks. I hope you will join me for a look back on some of my favourite encounters in the coming weeks.
Thanks again for reading and sharing my posts. I appreciate all the support and hope that you continue to enjoy my photos and stories.
See you next week!