Through the Lens - February 2021

Niagara Falls lights up the night in this shot of the the strip after dark. Photo: Zainab Khan

Photos of the Week for the month of January

Other photos we featured this month included a soft-coloured sky (photo by Linda Richardson) and a wide open, snow-covered prairie field outside Calgary, by Clifford Dupuis. We also saw great shots of a delicate frost on plants and colourful sunset over the cliffs of Pocologan from Brent Wilson.

We choose a new photo every Monday to be our banner images on Facebook and Twitter, plus we share the picture on Instagram too!

Want to see your photos featured? Be sure to join and upload to our Photo Club.

Capturing wildlife in winter: Tips from Megan Lorenz

As Canadians we are lucky to have vastly different seasons. Winter gives us so many wonderful opportunities to capture animals with their thick winter coats, winter camouflage and for many species a chance to watch them interact during their breeding season. So when it gets cold, don’t hibernate … get outside and explore! Here are a few tips from photographer Megan Lorenz to take on your search for winter wildlife:

Tracks: It's much easier to find wildlife when you can see where they’ve been and which direction they are moving. Learn to identify different species by their tracks and determine if they are fresh or days old. Are these animals moving through or spending a lot of time in that one area? If there are lots of tracks, both new and old, then you may have found a consistent spot to see them in their home territory.

Listen for nature’s clues: When squirrels start sounding their alarm calls or other wildlife is suddenly on alert there is usually a reason for their behaviour. When small birds discover a predator, they start to emit alarm calls and fly at the threat to harass it and divert its attention. Keeping an eye out for this behaviour can help you locate owls, hawks, and different predators.

Research: Knowing the behaviour, life history, traits, and preferences of the wildlife you hope to find is so important — the more you know, the easier they will be to find. Know where they usually sleep, what trees they prefer to roost, their preferred prey, migration patterns and for mammals know their typical home territory (which will differ depending on the time of year and is different for males and females).

Don’t wait for “good” weather: Some of the best opportunities can happen in the worst weather or challenging low light. If it’s overcast, cold, windy or a bad snowstorm – don’t let it deter you! Be prepared for the weather and challenges.

Stay local: Take advantage of our situation this winter and explore new areas close to home. People in cities around the world have been reporting seeing more wildlife during the pandemic and Canada is no exception. Has it always been that way and we were just too busy to notice? Some experts believe there hasn’t been a dramatic increase in the amount of wildlife in any given area but perhaps a shift in the way wild animals use their territory. Animals seem to be moving around more during the day because of the drop in human activity during our months in lockdown.

Follow Megan on Instagram: @mlorenzphotography

#ShareCanGeo

We love when you tag us on Instagram using #ShareCanGeo. Here are a few of our recent favourites.

Click on each picture to be brought to the photographer's Instagram page!

Congratulations to the re:Location Photo Contest winners!

Community relocations are part of the story of what has and continues to shape Canada as a country. As part of our educational project on relocations in Canada, we asked: what does home mean to you?

From hundreds of entries showing homes, backyards, neighbourhood parks, family members and family pets, our judges chose a first, second and third place entry whose photo and caption both depicted the feeling of what "home" means.

Learn more about the re:Location project on our re:Location website.

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