Grizzlies in Waterton Townsite!

Waterton Townsite is the village near the entrance to Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada. A mother with her one-year cub appeared at the edge of the village, and within twenty minutes were chased back into the woods by a Park Ranger.

A fuller story: At the end of our day in the park we went to see the falls at the end of the village. Immediately we were captivated by a pair of Harlequin Ducks beneath the falls, first roosting, then swimming, and more. Then I caught sight of an American Dipper, a not-easy-to see bird that (like the harlequins) lives along such cold rushing streams. I just glimpsed a small dark-grey bird flying under the bridge headed upstream. I tracked it down and called Marylee who had gone back to the car to warm up. I moved closer to photograph the dipper, and heard Marylee shrieking, BEARS! The pair were near the falls but moved away to where I blipped them, at the end of a short street heading toward the woods. The Ranger used fireworks (in effect) to chase them off. He said grizzlies seldom come into the village; black bears more often, but they try to chase them off immediately.

I backblipped May 31st, which I had not been able to do due to software issues--a pair of readhead ducks.