A peaceful morning of photographing Alberta's avian life took an unexpected turn for Postmedia's Mike Drew when a confrontation with a local resident interrupted his work. The incident occurred on the morning of Tuesday, November 11, 2025, near the community of Lomond.
A Serene Start to the Day
The day began with perfect conditions for photography. The morning sun created a stunning silhouette of pigeons perched on the cupola of a barn east of Nanton. The sky was a dynamic canvas of windswept clouds, with some appearing saucer-like and others ragged and torn. Prismatic colours, caused by light refracting through ice crystals on the cloud edges, added to the spectacle.
The quiet was so profound that Drew could hear the gentle cooing of the pigeons and the soft flap of their wings as they moved from the cupola to the barn's roof. He was in the process of capturing video of this tranquil scene when the atmosphere was shattered by an aggressive yell.
An Unwelcome Interruption
A man standing on the front steps of a house roughly a hundred metres away demanded to know what Drew was doing. After a moment of surprise, the photographer explained he was simply taking pictures of the pigeons. The man, still yelling, issued a terse command: "Well, move on."
Startled by the shouting, the pigeons took flight, leaving the barn roof empty. Drew, who was still sitting in his truck with the engine running, considered driving away. However, he decided against it, not wanting to give the impression that he had been intimidated or run off when he was not doing anything wrong.
He remained at the scene for another five minutes, camera at the ready, hoping the pigeons would return. They did not.
The Journey Continues
Prior to the confrontation, it had been a beautiful morning. The landscape was bathed in a soft, golden light that illuminated the amber roadside grass and stubble in the fields. Drew had already successfully photographed a flock of trumpeter swans flying near the High River Hutterite Colony.
He was actually following these swans as they flew southeast when he spotted the picturesque pigeons on the barn. Despite the unpleasant exchange, Drew was able to quickly catch up with the trumpeter swans again shortly after the incident, continuing his documentation of Alberta's wildlife.
