https://www.facebook.com/107476836899/

Eastern Slopes Adventure Company

Home
Canada
Edmonton, AB
Eastern Slopes Adventure Company

Following in the footsteps of David Thompson and Mary Schäffer, pathways of rediscovery.

07/30/2024

“One of these is not like the other”

Although there wasn’t a lot of room on this sandbar, this lonely Double-crested Cormorant felt that it was deserving of a little bit of real estate. It slowly inched its way in among the two dozen pelicans.
The myth that the cormorants hang out with the pelicans to steal their food is only that, a myth. The cormorant actually works with the pelican to flush out the deeper fish. As the cormorant dives down in search of a meal, they flush the fish closer to the surface for the pelicans to feed on.

07/21/2024

I came across these two juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds making a fuss about nothing. They flew back and forth from this branch for several minutes before moving on.

07/21/2024

I came across these two juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds making a fuss about nothing. They flew back and forth from this branch for several minutes before moving on.

Male Red-winged Blackbirds are highly territorial during the breeding season, defending it from almost everything in the area. Being a polygynous species, the males have many female mates, up to 15 in some cases.

07/16/2024

"A Buena Vista Morning"

In 1913, at a cost of $24,000, the Buena Vista opened its doors, with Alex DeCoteau as one of their first residents.

Alexander Wuttunee DeCoteau was born November 19, 1887, on the Red Pheasant First Nation. In 1911, at the age of 24, he came to Edmonton and joined the Edmonton Police becoming the first Indigenous police officer in Canada.

He was known for his athletic ability and his achievements in running. A holder of numerous long distance records in Western Canada, he represented Canada in the 5,000 meters event at the 1912 Summer Olympics.

DeCoteau joined the 49th Battalion (Edmonton Regiment), in April 1916 and during the Second Battle of Passchendaele on October 30, 1917, lost his life.

Late 2015, the Buena Vista Building closed it's doors and was sold. Edgar Developments had plans for a new complex on the site which incorporated the history of the original building. The facade was carefully removed and intergraded into the new design.

07/08/2024

Just like this Black-necked Stilt, nothing to see here. Move along please.

07/03/2024

This is my last shot of the day as I left Beaverhill Lake. As I looked at it with the sun behind it, I was unsure what I had captured with my lens. I feel confident that it is a Marbled Godwit and others have confirmed this.

06/25/2024

In a few days, this will be the end of the line for this baby Red-necked Grebe. It will have to swim on it's own, no more free rides.

Baby Red-necked Grebes will catch a ride on either parent's back until about the age of two weeks. Both male and females also preen themselves and eat the feathered mass. The reason is unknown this thought to prevent indigestible objects (like fish bones) from damaging their gizzards.

June 2024

06/19/2024

Last Saturday's visit to Hermitage Park was a rodent day. There wasn't much bird activity.

The muskrat is a fairly large rodent commonly found in the wetlands of North America. The entire body, with the exception of the tail and feet, is covered with a rich, waterproof layer of fur. The short underfur is dense and silky, while the longer guard hairs are coarser and glossy. The length of the body from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail is usually about 50 cm with an adult weighing on the average about 1 kg. The tail is slender, flattened vertically and up to about 25 cm long and covered with a scaly skin that protects it from physical damage.

The muskrat’s name is derived from the fact that the animal has two special musk glands situated in the region of the a**s. These glands enlarge during the breeding season and produce a yellowish, musky smelling substance. It is believed that the odour produced is a means of communication among muskrats, particularly during the breeding

06/08/2024

I completely forgot about this trip from earlier this year. The skies were clear and the snow deep. On a sleepless moon lit night, one can feel the vastness of the Canadian Rockies, a small patch of nature on this planet. The settings that night were perfect.

06/07/2024

Not long after sunrise, the first Pelican arrived for the morning buffet. With mating season done, the horns on the bills start falling off.

06/01/2024

While at Hermitage Park, I spotted a small flock of Cedar Waxwings darting about the trees in pursuit of flying insects. One came to rest for a few seconds and posed for a picture. A little sunlight had shown on this one to make the perfect picture

05/19/2024

Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Redwater.

05/18/2024

".....of happiness"

Contrary to their name, the breeding area extends into the prairies as well.
The female pays more attention to good nest sites than attractive males. She chooses her mate solely on the basis of the location and quality of the nesting cavity he offers, disregarding his attributes as a singer, a flier, or a looker. Smart girl!

05/13/2024

One more from our adventure on Friday night.

05/12/2024

There were so many unusual colours in the sky last night, at times I just stood and watched the cosmos come alive.

05/11/2024

Kabooom!

05/11/2024

Shazaam!

05/08/2024

A male Song Sparrow singing his heart out, just waiting on that lucky girl to show some interest.

04/20/2024

As the sun rose, I heard this Ruby-crowned Kinglet singing his heart out. It took me a few minutes to track him down as he is so small.

04/13/2024

One of the most common of all birds would be the House Sparrow. These small birds are closely associated with people and their buildings. They like to nest in holes and cracks of these structures, often reusing their nests year after year. The life expectancy is around 3 years in the wild. House Sparrows will brood up to four times a year, with clutch sizes of 1-8 eggs.

As I walked through Phase 3 of West Edmonton Mall, I see sparrows flying about. Phase 3 opened to the public in 1985, and I suspect trapping sparrows in the complex as early as 1984. Using these numbers, I can imagine the number of generations that have lived and died in this closed environment never experiencing predators or the elements. I don’t know if 40 years is long enough for any genetic changes due to the living conditions inside the mall, but it would be interesting to study.

04/07/2024

Bohemian Waxwings are social birds that form large, compact, and noisy groups as they scour the landscape looking for fruit during the nonbreeding season. They are fruit connoisseurs and have an uncanny ability to find fruit nearly everywhere. Flocks turn up at a fruit tree, devour its fruit in a short time, and then move on. They can be seen dangling on flimsy branches to reach fruit or perch side by side in fruiting trees.

04/06/2024

🐎🌄 Get ready for an epic adventure! Opening day on May 15th. Horseback rides in the breathtaking mountains. 1, 3 and 4 hour rides and immerse yourself in nature's beauty. Saddle up and let's make memories that will last a lifetime! 🤠🏞️

03/29/2024

From the ridge above Meeting Creek, this old house sits abandoned. Over the embankment, the deck presents a beautiful view of valley and morning sun. The stories can still be heard as the wind whispers through the windows.

03/23/2024

Found this male House Finch eyeing up a local feeder.

Male House Finches can look very different from one to another. This is largely due to differences in their diet rather than regional differences, so the more pigment in the food, the redder the male.

Edmonton, March 2024

03/18/2024

"Against All Odds"

The Wollemia nobilis was discovered in 1994 in a temperate rainforest wilderness area of the Wollemi National Park in New South Wales approximately 150 km north-west of Sydney. They were growing in a remote series of narrow, steep-sided, sandstone gorges . The genus is named after the National Park.

Although often described as a "living fossil", there are no unambiguous fossils of Wollemia and potential fossil records of it have been considered uncertain. The initial suspicion was that it had certain characteristics of the 200-million-year-old family Araucariaceae, but was not similar to any living species in the family. Comparison with living and fossilised Araucariaceae proved that it was a member of that family, and it has been placed into a new genus, beside the genera Agathis and Araucaria.

Fewer than 60 adult trees are known to be growing wild. It is very difficult to count individuals, as most trees are multistemmed and may have a connected root system. Genetic testing has revealed that all the specimens are genetically indistinguishable, suggesting that the species has been through a genetic bottleneck approximately 10,000 to 26,000 years ago, in which its population became so low (possibly just one or two individuals) that all genetic variability was lost.

The Muttart Conservatory is home to three of these prehistoric trees, genetically identical to the ones in Australia.

03/12/2024

"Bò Ghàidhealach, from the darkness"

The Highland Coo is a traditional and oldest breed of cattle in the world, first appearing in the 6th century in the Outer Hebrides west of Scotland.

Highland Coos are one of the friendliest cattle breeds, but still have massive horns on their heads. Close observations of these animals are with caution as they use their horns to dig through the snow for grasses to feed on. With the head and horns moving around, one should keep their distance.

The coos have two layers of long shaggy fur, the warm undercoat and the more oily overcoat. This helps to keep them cosy in the winter.

03/06/2024

Our longer trips are officially booked up! Don't miss out on the adventures this summer as we still have availability on our Overnights.

03/06/2024

"Castle Mountain"

Standing at 9075 feet (2766 m) the mountain was named in 1858 by James Hector for its castle like appearance.

In 1946, the mountain was renamed Mount Eisenhower in honour of the World War II General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1979, public pressure had its original name restored, but a pinnacle on the southeastern side of the mountain was named Eisenhower Tower. (click to view the larger image)

03/02/2024

"Pigeon Wars"

Address

Edmonton, AB

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Eastern Slopes Adventure Company posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.