Check off The Yellow-bellied Marmot
I have never written down a bucket list but I do have one or should I say two. Today I found something on one of those lists – a Yellow-bellied Marmot.
Some days the list seems to get longer. I hear of new subjects that I would like to shoot some get added to my bucket list.
Yes I said I have lists, not just one bucket list but two.
The reason that I have two bucket lists is that one list I try to keep realistic. Items on that list are accessible to me in western Canada. Things like the Yellow-bellied Marmot.
On the second list I have items that are crazier like a lion in Africa, Penguins, Tigers, etc.
Checking one off the list
Today I got to tick off one of my subjects on my bucket list. Without expecting it I came across a huge colony of Yellow-belly Marmots. I had heard they were in the area that I was in but never thought that I would see any, let alone so many.
I was at the St Mary’s reservoir to go kayaking but the water level was low and I was not able to carry my kayak to the water myself. Instead I got sidetracked when I saw the marmots and forgot completely about kayaking as I saw more and more.
Seeing the map of their range I really never expected to see this many as I thought that maybe there would be one or two. A number of years ago I bumped into a photographer from Montana that was in that region looking for a marmot. He was sent there by a Parks Canada employee that said they were there.
I thought he was being led astray as I had been there a lot and had not spotted any.
Yellow-Bellied Marmot Jackpot!!!
Today when I pulled up I immediately saw a marmot then two marmots and I was so happy.
I was in the big van so I got a good location, powered down the windows and started shooting.
The nice thing about the van is that I have everything within reach; cameras, lenses, food, water, bathroom and room to stretch without getting out.
After about 30 minutes shooting I went for a short walk and saw many holes hidden by the tall grass. The marmots that I was photographing had disappeared so I went for a drive and BINGO more marmots.
In total I found at least 5 marmots at different locations within a kilometer of the first one. It was late morning so I don’t know if other ones were in the burrows or if this is all in that area.
I have to say that even without getting the kayak in the water it was a great day!!