In cities, humans often try to kill Night. But in the wild, there are no lampposts or floodlit landmarks. Just the sky, painting the land as it will.
There are animals in these forests that seldom appear except in starlight. I have ambitions to find them – but in the meantime, the impossible colours steal the show.
And there is a king in waiting amongst the trees. This moose is a lot younger than the giant who showed up yesterday.
When night does fall, lights glow in the grass.
A lynx! Ghost cat of the forest. Even before we drew close, I recognised it – nothing else on earth produces such brilliant eyeshine. Eighteen years ago, I saw another Canadian lynx in the car headlights in British Columbia, and you never forget that glow.
This one is resting on the forest edge. I take a short movie – the photo is a still from it – and leave him be.
Days are not complete without Night. And no forest is complete without its cats.
A Walk with Wildlife 
You’ve introduced me to a part of Canada I am unfamiliar with. Beautiful photos Adele!
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I’ve been wanting to go to Riding Mountain for many years and happily it was definitely worth the wait. I would like to see it in springtime too, although preferably before black fly season! It was a very peaceful, intriguing place with many quiet corners.
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Great post 🙂
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Thanks 🙂
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Lynx and cougars are still to be checked in on my list. They appear so unexpectedly in unusual places and seeing them feels like getting a lottery jackpot 😀
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Yep, that is the magic of cats! Last year was a bit surreal in that I saw two lynx of two different species (the Canadian and Iberian).
I would like to see a jaguar. One day in Mexico, I was headed to a village with a few people when a warden pulled up beside us, very excited, asking if we had seen the jaguar that had crossed the road behind our truck. We laughed, thinking he was joking…but I went back with him, and sure enough there were tracks. Cats!
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Adele, great post! I have forgotten what the night is like. Here on the outskirts of the big city there is no night. Only the brightest of stars manage to make themselves known. One has to go a long way out before the dark is dark and the sky is bright with stars!
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Yes, I can imagine. In my part of England, there is an orange glow in the northern sky spilling over from London although the rest is fairly dark, and you can see the Milky Way if it’s high enough up. When I’ve been to London in the evening, I’ve been struck by how deliberate the attack on night is. So many lights all the time. It’s sad to think of so many children growing up and never knowing the stars.
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Light pollution is so ubiquitous – it’s astounding to see the night sky in all its glory. Lovely photos, Adele!
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Thank you Eliza 🙂 I love watching the stars. I would have looked for the aurora in Riding Mountain but we didn’t have a night without clouds. Maybe next time!
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