Carol Patterson

INSPIRING EVERYDAY EXPLORERS Through wildlife tales and trails

Carol Patterson

Three Alberta Road Trips You Won’t Want to Miss

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Has staying home this winter has got you craving Alberta road trips?

It’s been a hard year with travel restrictions on top of short days and winter driving conditions. As spring inches closer there are some Alberta destinations that make a good day trip that you might have overlooked in previous years when you headed to tropical climes.

Some of these trips you can do now, others you might undertake when the weather warms up.

Methane Bubbles at Abraham Lake 

Many northern lakes have methane bubbles but few are as easy to find or as pretty to photograph as those at Abraham Lake along the David Thompson Highway.

This is a trip that has some risks (falling on ice, falling through ice, getting stuck in snow) so do your homework before you head out. You can read my suggestions here.

Wild Horses and Alberta’s Eastern Slopes

Yes, there’s still wild horses in Alberta and with a little patience you might see one. A good place to look is on the forestry roads west of Sundre. I went in fall and found several herds but you can find horses year-round. These roads are not maintained to the same standard as city streets or major highways so check weather conditions, bring extra clothing, food, and shovel. Make sure your phone is fully charged and consider bringing a map as you won’t have cell phone coverage in all places.

For reasons to look for these beautiful creatures read my Roadstories article here.

 

Extreme Cowboy Racing At Bar U Ranch National Historic Site

The only Parks Canada site celebrating ranching is Alberta’s Bar U Ranch National Historic Site. It’s an interesting place to visit on a normal day but park staff are adding more special events to add even more learning. Last year cowboys and cowgirls who excel at Extreme Cowboy Racing undertook obstacle courses that showcased the bond between horse and rider. Historically these races mimicked the challenges cowboys face when herding cattle but some of the obstacles have a more modern feel. It definitely made for a great visit that you can read about here.

Check out the Ranch website for more information on 2021 events.

Hopefully this post has given you reasons for some Alberta road trips. For more ideas check out this book on 125 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta by Leigh McAdam and Debbie Olsen.

Let me know your suggestions for a day trip or weekend getaway.

Top 7 Tips When You Get Started on Bird Watching

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This month I welcome a guest blogger, Steve Wells. With a passion for the outdoors, Steve blogs at Binocularsguru.com and loves traveling and bird watching. Bird watching has been shown to make you healthier and more mindful. If you’re wondering how to get started, Steve’s column has plenty of helpful suggestions.
~Carol

Top 7 Tips When You Get Started on Bird Watching

By Steve Wells

bird-watchingAre you someone who gets excited seeing a bird on your porch? Do you sit there and stare at the bird until it flies away? Well, you may be a bird lover and would love the experience of bird watching. To develop and nurture this into a hobby could be intimidating for some. You may feel lost, thinking about where to start. Well, don’t get discouraged. Here are a few tips for you to get started as a bird watcher:

Start from your backyard

Begin your bird watching journey from your backyard. Place a bird feeder with some bird food and water. You will be amazed to see the number of birds perching in your backyard. Watch them and study their behavior, features, what they eat, and their sounds. Once you know the birds in your backyard, you can step out to watch the birds in the field, nearby jungle trails, lakes, and bird sanctuaries.

Do Note: avoid going into a forest or terrain where you’re not allowed. It’s important to stay safe and have fun watching birds.

Invest in a good bird guide

A bird guide will give you quite a lot of information about different species of birds. You can learn about the different species, their size, sounds, colors, and features. Don’t feel intimidated by the amount of information you see in the guide. Take it slow and read about one bird at a time or begin with learning about the birds you see in your porch or backyard. As you get comfortable knowing about the birds in your local area, you will be eager to know more. You can then move on to reading about other birds.

Binoculars

A pair of binoculars would be an advantageous piece of equipment to pursue this hobby. As a beginner, you don’t need expensive binoculars. A simple binocular with which you can get a good view of the birds soaring high would be all you need. You can check the best binoculars under 200 here. You can go for an 8x to 10x magnification one. Once you are at an advanced stage of bird watching, you will find, there are a variety of high-end binoculars and telescopes in the market. You can then definitely invest in an expensive one.

Camera

As a beginner, you will often be in a situation where you will find it difficult to identify a bird. You can click pictures and later learn about them from your bird guide or online. Clicking pictures with clarity may be challenging as a beginner. Since birds are quite swift and you may not get enough time to click a picture. However, if the picture is enough to identify the bird and learn about its features, it will serve the purpose. The pictures or images will always be a good collection of records.

Join the birders community

You can learn valuable lessons from a community of birders. It’s good to hear stories of their adventures of birding, the kind of birds they have watched, and information on where to find different species of birds. The information they have will be quite beneficial for a beginner. Once you’re in a community, don’t miss out on joining them on their birding adventures. If an enthusiast is ready to teach you birding, then jump on the opportunity to learn from them. There are groups on social media sites, join the online communities, and you can learn about the birding events going on near you.

Maintain a record

Maintain a record book of all the birds you have seen and their pictures. You will be delighted to revisit and appreciate the number of birds you have watched. It will always be an encouragement to go out in the field and look out for more adventures with the birds and feel one with nature.

Have fun

Lastly, it’s essential to have fun. Don’t get competitive with anyone. It will defeat the whole experience of bird watching. It’s a hobby you should enjoy and cherish each time you watch a bird.

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A second life for whales?

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Can a dead whale save a living one? The newly expanded Whale Interpretive Centre (WIC) in British Columbia’s Telegraph Cove thinks it’s possible by displaying whale skeletons. What happens to dead whales? Click to Tweet

Whale watchers usually see only a small part of a whale

As I paddled my kayak across Johnstone Strait towards Telegraph Cove, the wash of a passing boat gently rocked me from side to side. Sunshine danced across the inky blue waters as a flock of common murres bobbed nearby. Suddenly, the water parted in front of me and a glossy grey back emerged from the depths, a large blow splitting the cries of gulls and shooting up a giant mist cloud. Read more

Humpback whales feed near the surface increasing the risk of boat collisions

Watching crocodiles in Costa Rica

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(story by Carol Patterson originally printed in Red Deer Advocate Saturday February 7, 2015)
Costa Rica’s 111-kilometer long Tarcoles River is one of the most polluted water bodies in Latin America. Plastic and paper litters the brown water’s edge and is embedded in the muddy banks.

When seasonal floodwaters recede, ribbons of trash demarcate high water points. Sewage from interior cities and towns drains into the river. It is a horrible place to swim.

Tarcoles Rivers has one of the world's highest concentrations of crocodiles
Tarcoles Rivers has one of the world’s highest concentrations of crocodiles

But if you are a crocodile the warm, nutrient-rich water are a feeding bonanza. Dozens of American crocodiles line the riverbanks sunbathing in statue-like stillness. Others ply the water for a meal, their nostrils and unblinking eyes the only hint of the killing machine below. With an estimated 25 crocodiles per square kilometer, the river has one of the highest croc populations in the world.

Most people would not see Tarcoles River as a potential tourism attraction, but where others saw lemons, one man saw an opportunity for lemonade.

Dr. Mario F. Orjuela, a veterinarian from Columbia who specialized in crocodiles, iguanas, snakes and toads, was struck by the area’s richness on his first visit in 1993.

Tarcoles River is one of the most polluted in the world
Tarcoles River is one of the most polluted in the world

“While undertaking survey expeditions and night excursions, I began thinking of a way to show this hidden treasure to visitors, to let them know in an educative way about the fascinating creatures and the ecosystem of this tropical paradise. And so the ‘Jungle Crocodile Safari’ was born,” he once said.

Orjuela died several years ago – a victim of crime, not crocodiles- but his company lives on.

Over 6,000 people come from around the world each year to see these muscular river juggernauts. Two-hour tours on covered boats with open sides allow unobstructed views of 100- plus bird species and the main event, crocodile feeding.

Staff member, Willie, greeted our group and explained the challenges of co-existing with reptiles that bite is fifty times stronger than a humans, “There are two words to describe crocodiles – prehistoric and unpredictable.”

So it was with some anxiety that I watched our guide, Andrey sidle our boat up next to a very big croc and cut the engine. “This is Tyson,” Andrey said, pulling the croc’s tail into the boat and pointing out where National Geographic researchers had made a notch, “he’s the biggest crocodile on the river and named after Mike Tyson, the fighter.”

Visitors get a chance to see a crocodile tail up-close
Visitors get a chance to see a crocodile tail up-close

Tyson didn’t seem to mind the tail handling and lay with an unblinking stare that could mean either ‘I’m full’ or “you look like my next meal”. Andrey left the safety of the boat and stepped into the chocolate-colored mud a meter from Tyson’s head with a kilogram of raw chicken in his hand.

Realizing a bad day on my job was never as grim as a good day for a crocodile guide, Andrey proceeded to swat 300 kilograms of wild crocodile on the nose with raw meat.

Crocodiles are capable of great speed bursts and I wondered how Andrey knew if the croc would be satisfied with the chicken or go for the whole enchilada.

Tyson didn’t appear interested in the free meal so Andrey readjusted his position, moving slowly to avoid losing his footing on the slippery bank, before hitting the croc harder. Tyson’s jaws opened, shutters clicked in rapid staccato, and the chicken disappeared.

Andrey jumped back in the boat.

Guides offer crocodiles meat for better photo opportunities
Guides offer crocodiles meat for better photo opportunities

“Is this a well-paying job?” I asked, thinking the risk of losing a limb would be well compensated, but apparently not.

“If I want to support a family, I will need to get another job,’ he replied.

However Andrey’s efforts have their own rewards. Since the tours started, crocodiles kill fewer fishermen. Willie said, “We try to feed the crocodiles up river and away from the mouth of the river where the fishermen are. And we have removed 10,000 tires from the river. It is the cleanest it has ever been.”

While Tarcoles River still looked polluted to me, the signs advertising crocodile tours scattered through Tarcoles town indicated Dr. Orjuela’s vision had been realized. Visitors are seeing the biotic richness of the Tarcoles River and locals are seeing richness from crocodiles and the tourism dollars they bring.

If you decide to go:

Jungle Crocodile Safaris offers tours four times a day in nine boats. http://www.junglecrocodilesafari.com/index.php

Accommodations in Tarcoles town are limited. Consider staying in the resort town of Jaco 17 kilometers away. http://www.visitjacocostarica.com

To see my video on crocodile tourism go to http://bit.ly/1DoiI6A

The world’s best nature festival

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Okay, I’m biased. I have no formal criteria, no judging panel, and no independent auditors. Just my own crazy fun time in the mountains have me declaring British Columbia’s Wings Over The Rockies annual wildlife love-in as the best nature festival on the continent and perhaps the world. Fresh off its twentieth (!!) year of operation, this grassroots celebration of all things bird and nature related in the Columbia Valley offers 120 events over seven days. Do you know how much work it is to arrange a single event? Scattered over an area 130 kilometers long, setting up over 100 events is a huge job but there is no huge staff behind this well-organized festival. Jami Scheffer is the glue that keeps everything together but Columbia Valley volunteers also do lots of work.IMG_4455
I learned about the geology of the Rocky Mountain Trench from geologist Sid Leggett, watched John Zehnder and his dog herd sheep on hay fields left long for long-billed curlews, followed Brian Wesley through burnt forests in search of warblers, and dabbled in eco-psychology with Natalie Forrest. It was obvious that each of these leaders put considerable time and energy into organizing their event and sharing their love of nature. They started on time, were considerate of participant’s skill and energy levels, and let you know if they were going to run past the ending time. Everyone ran late but no one minded. People were so busy searching the sky for white-throated swifts or paddling through rock flower blue water, the only thing that got them back to their cars was the promise of the next event. “I’m here for the whole week”, “I’m doing two or three events everyday” were phrases I heard again and again as I gathered with a new group of nature enthusiasts for each event.IMG_4461

Some of the events offered access to nature areas not available any other way. Michelle Porteous of BC Rockies Adventures made sure I and three other bird watchers could paddle our kayaks then led us down the Columbia River to a grove of trees sheltering Lewis Woodpeckers. These red-bellied, red-necked birds are red-listed in B.C. That means they are extremely rare and a sighting is a lifetime event for a birdwatcher. I told Michelle it was the best kayak trip ever because I got the chance to watch these birds demonstrate their fly catching skills and didn’t have to swim down the river to do it (there is no overland access to these birds).IMG_4450

Baiba Morrow of Wildsight – a Columbia Valley and Rocky Mountain conservation group – sponsored a hike around Lake Enid, a popular place for people to go crazy with off-road vehicles. I would have been deeply depressed if I had visited this overused area on a weekend on my own. “Is there free camping?” queried one person in our group as we walked by a group of tents. “More like free-for-all camping on weekends,” quipped Baiba, explaining how people ignore fences and signs to drive wherever they want. Forest management experts Phil Burke and Peter Holmes who pointed out where steps had been taken to mitigate done by the most invasive of species – Homo sapiens, led our hike. Some of these activities were successful – a recent installation of a wooden boardwalk and alternate quading path stopping the mud bogging in loon and grebe habitat. Others were unsuccessful. “We destroyed that road and put in rocks to keep people from driving over there,” Phil said, pointing to a sensitive grasslands, “people came in with heavy equipment and rebuilt the road.”IMG_4486

I think what I love most about Wings Over the Rockies is the chance to lift the curtain and see what was going on in the forests and wetlands of the Columbia Valley. Those things that you don’t notice when you are rushing to Home Hardware. I was amazed at the dedication and effort put into preserving one of North America’s longest intact wetlands by a relatively small population (approximately 10,000 people call the valley home). So yes, this tiny of festival for wildlife and wilderness lovers gets a gold prize for its best efforts. I can’t wait for next year and the chance to judge it all again.

If you go:

Register for events online at www.wingsovertherockies.org. Sign up as soon as registration opens (early April) as events sell out quickly. Remember events may be 130 kilometers apart and allow enough time to make it from one event to the next.

Sample events at both ends of the valley to see the tremendous diversity of habitat. Columbia Wetlands Adventures offers the chance to paddle the braided channels of the Columbia River on the northern boundaries of the festival www.wetlandsadventures.com Climb the hoodoos south of Fairmont to experience the dry landscapes at the southern reaches of the festival.

Enjoy the food at local merchants. Some of my favorites are:

Getting to the valley – The valley is a 90 minute drive from Banff or three hours from Calgary. You can fly to Cranbrook and rent a car for a sixty-minute drive from the south.