Quite a typical view
Merlin on the hunt
Standing in sunshine
Backside beauty
Female Mountain Bluebird with lunch for her babies
Floating on aquamarine waves
Blue-gray Tanager, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trini…
Crested Oropendola / Psarocolius decumanus, Asa Wr…
White-necked Jacobin female, Asa Wright Nature Cen…
American Goldfinch
Back view of an orange Sunflower
The charred remains of McDougall Memorial United C…
And down(y) he flew
Couple of Coots / Fulica americana
Where countryside and civilization meet
I spy with my little eye
Pine Grosbeak male feeding on berries
Silky Anteater, Caroni Swamp, Trinidad
The ever-present Black-capped Chickadee
Yellow Oriole, Trinidad
A better sense of size
Blue-gray Tanager, Trinidad
Green Honeycreeper male, Trinidad
Blue-gray Tanager, Trinidad
They're back : )
Gathering food for his babies
White-crowned Sparrow, Tadoussac, Quebec
Pine Siskin
Day 3, Purple Martins, Pt Pelee, Ontario
Day 6, Horned Lark, Tadoussac Golf Course
Mountain Chickadee feeding on suet
Male Snowy Owl
Day 9, White-crowned Sparrow
Barred Owl in FCPP - from the archives
Mountain Bluebird male / Sialia currucoides
Cedar Waxwing
Mountain Bluebird
Red-winged Blackbird displaying
Backlit Sunflower
Terrible photos - but it was a GRIZZLY : )
Grizzly & one of her two cubs
Grizzly female (#152) and cubs
Upland Sandpiper / Bartramia longicauda
My first Bald Eagle on a fence post
Brown-headed Cowbird / Molothrus ater
Beautiful wings of a female Mountain Bluebird
Grasshopper Sparrow / Ammodramus savannarum - OR i…
Tree Swallow female
A Tree Swallow's iridescence
Eurasian Collared-Dove / Streptopelia decaocto
Black-capped Chickadee on Judy's hand
A quick shot just in time
Tree Swallow from the archives
Just a splash of colour
Pine Grosbeak enjoying the sun
On the hunt
Why birds are sometimes hard to find
Great Gray Owl in early morning light
Resting near the Cattails
Time to rest awhile
"Just" a little House Sparrow
All decked out
Golden Eagle juvenile
Harebell
Spread those wings
The art of building a nest
Black-capped Chickadee at a cavity
A backwards glance
Love those big ears and big feet
Red-winged Blackbird displaying
Two of a kind
It's mine!
Northern Pygmy-owl with Meadow Vole
So beautiful
Merlin male, back view
A beautiful country barn
Great Horned Owl with fall colours
House Sparrow in the fall
The fancy web work of a spider
Building her nest
Beautiful catch
Juicy snack for his babies
A different angle.jpg
How much is that owl in the window?
Yesterday's natural high
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow
Dark Phase Gyrfalcon
Those fancy pantaloons are all the fashion
Pine Grosbeak
Mooned
Spider on the menu
Great Gray Owl in a snowy setting
Before "winter" returned
Visitor to the city
The cutest little House Sparrow
White, blues and browns of winter
Mountain Bluebird
Some good luck on yesterday's Bird Count
The joys of winter birding
Little buddies
Yellow on yellow
Great Gray Ghost
Freedom
Focus - is the name of the game
See also...
Keywords
Authorizations, license
-
Visible by: Everyone -
All rights reserved
-
187 visits
Swainson's Hawk on an early morning hunt
Again, all three photos posted today were taken the day before yesterday, 20 August 2016, when I went with friend, Pam, for a long day out in Kananaskis (the mountain area of the Rocky Mountains that is closest to Calgary). What a great day we had, seeing so many different things in such beautiful scenery.
We met up in the city at 7:00 am and drove southwards through Millarville and took the back way from Turner Valley to Highway 40. This is exactly the route that I had planned to go when I was all set to take my daughter on 4 August. Then my car's muffler and catalytic converter died and I haven't been able to go on any long drives at all. Nothing further than maybe five or ten minutes from home, with a vehicle that sounds dreadful with its loud, broken muffler noise and the loudest rattle that sounds as if the bottom of my car is about to fall off.
Before we left the town of Turner Valley (on Highway 22), we called in for a few minutes at friend Jackie's garden to see if there were any interesting birds at all her feeders. We only saw Pine Siskins, but no doubt all sorts of other species would arrive for her during the day. The first thing we saw after Jackie's was this Swainson's Hawk perched on a fence, with a beautiful view of the distant mountains.
Our first stop along Highway 40, which is the highway that goes right through Kananaskis, giving spectacular scenic views every inch of the way, was at Highwood House. This small store/gas station, at such a convenient location, is known for its Hummingbird feeders. We were lucky enough to see either one or maybe two of these teeny birds, and I did manage to get one blurry shot, just for the record.
Continuing on our way north, we eventually came to Rock Glacier where we happily watched one or two little Pikas darting all over the massive scree slope, busily collecting plants to store and dry in their "caves", ready for the winter months. I will add more information about these very small animals when I post a photo of one of them. Already have lots of information under previously posted Pika images. These are such difficult creatures to photograph - only six or seven inches long and the same colour as the surrounding mountain of broken rock.
Our next destination, after bumping into friend Kerri who was photographing the PIkas, was Buller's Pond, near Spray Lakes along the Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien road. I don't remember ever stopping there before and we were so glad we called in. Just before we got there, we took a drive up the mountainside road to Mt. Shark and gazed at the mountain scene before our eyes when we reached the highest parking lot. I have been up here maybe two or three times before, but in winter time.
Soon, we arrived at Buller Pond, which is a lovely pond/lake, where we saw masses of small, green, jelly-like 'blobs' floating near the edge of the water. I tried to identify these late last night, but couldn't find anything that looked exactly the same. So, I'm not sure yet if they are insect eggs or maybe even salamander eggs.
It was here that, while walking through the trees near the edge of the pond, I suddenly gasped and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a beautiful Spruce Grouse perched on a tree stump, with a second one lying at the base of the stump. Such a beautiful sight! I quietly called Pam to come and see what I had just found and we spent some time watching them. These two birds, with their gorgeous feathers, showed no sign of moving, allowing us plenty of time to take photos. Eventually, I saw yet another one of them moving around on the ground nearby, and then a fourth one. So, it seems that it was a mother and her three young ones. What an absolute treat to come across these spectacular birds and to be given time to really enjoy them.
Once back on Highway 40, we started driving south on Highway 40, heading for home. We just couldn't resist calling in again at Rock Glacier, where I was able to get closer and perhaps better photos of one of the Pikas. Then, fifteen minutes later, we saw several cars pulled over at the sides of the highway. Could it finally be a bear? Unfortunately, no, it wasn't, but instead we saw a group of four Bighorn Sheep, three standing at the edge of the road and a fourth standing in the road as if to let us know that she owned the road and had right of way. However, she didn't move. Can't remember if it was this female or one of the others that started walking along the edge in the direction of our vehicle. She walked with determination and I was taken off guard when she came level with my window and I got a quick shot. Her focus, however, was on a photographer who was out of his car and had walked towards her, then crouched down to photograph her as she got closer and closer to him. She stopped just a matter of maybe six feet from him - we drove off now that the road was clear, so I've no idea if anything happened between the Sheep and the photographer, but he was doing everything that a photographer (or anyone) should not be doing!
Thank you so much, Pam, for enabling me to get out to the mountains! It was such a fun, enjoyable day, in beautiful weather, spectacular scenery, and much-enjoyed company!
We met up in the city at 7:00 am and drove southwards through Millarville and took the back way from Turner Valley to Highway 40. This is exactly the route that I had planned to go when I was all set to take my daughter on 4 August. Then my car's muffler and catalytic converter died and I haven't been able to go on any long drives at all. Nothing further than maybe five or ten minutes from home, with a vehicle that sounds dreadful with its loud, broken muffler noise and the loudest rattle that sounds as if the bottom of my car is about to fall off.
Before we left the town of Turner Valley (on Highway 22), we called in for a few minutes at friend Jackie's garden to see if there were any interesting birds at all her feeders. We only saw Pine Siskins, but no doubt all sorts of other species would arrive for her during the day. The first thing we saw after Jackie's was this Swainson's Hawk perched on a fence, with a beautiful view of the distant mountains.
Our first stop along Highway 40, which is the highway that goes right through Kananaskis, giving spectacular scenic views every inch of the way, was at Highwood House. This small store/gas station, at such a convenient location, is known for its Hummingbird feeders. We were lucky enough to see either one or maybe two of these teeny birds, and I did manage to get one blurry shot, just for the record.
Continuing on our way north, we eventually came to Rock Glacier where we happily watched one or two little Pikas darting all over the massive scree slope, busily collecting plants to store and dry in their "caves", ready for the winter months. I will add more information about these very small animals when I post a photo of one of them. Already have lots of information under previously posted Pika images. These are such difficult creatures to photograph - only six or seven inches long and the same colour as the surrounding mountain of broken rock.
Our next destination, after bumping into friend Kerri who was photographing the PIkas, was Buller's Pond, near Spray Lakes along the Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien road. I don't remember ever stopping there before and we were so glad we called in. Just before we got there, we took a drive up the mountainside road to Mt. Shark and gazed at the mountain scene before our eyes when we reached the highest parking lot. I have been up here maybe two or three times before, but in winter time.
Soon, we arrived at Buller Pond, which is a lovely pond/lake, where we saw masses of small, green, jelly-like 'blobs' floating near the edge of the water. I tried to identify these late last night, but couldn't find anything that looked exactly the same. So, I'm not sure yet if they are insect eggs or maybe even salamander eggs.
It was here that, while walking through the trees near the edge of the pond, I suddenly gasped and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a beautiful Spruce Grouse perched on a tree stump, with a second one lying at the base of the stump. Such a beautiful sight! I quietly called Pam to come and see what I had just found and we spent some time watching them. These two birds, with their gorgeous feathers, showed no sign of moving, allowing us plenty of time to take photos. Eventually, I saw yet another one of them moving around on the ground nearby, and then a fourth one. So, it seems that it was a mother and her three young ones. What an absolute treat to come across these spectacular birds and to be given time to really enjoy them.
Once back on Highway 40, we started driving south on Highway 40, heading for home. We just couldn't resist calling in again at Rock Glacier, where I was able to get closer and perhaps better photos of one of the Pikas. Then, fifteen minutes later, we saw several cars pulled over at the sides of the highway. Could it finally be a bear? Unfortunately, no, it wasn't, but instead we saw a group of four Bighorn Sheep, three standing at the edge of the road and a fourth standing in the road as if to let us know that she owned the road and had right of way. However, she didn't move. Can't remember if it was this female or one of the others that started walking along the edge in the direction of our vehicle. She walked with determination and I was taken off guard when she came level with my window and I got a quick shot. Her focus, however, was on a photographer who was out of his car and had walked towards her, then crouched down to photograph her as she got closer and closer to him. She stopped just a matter of maybe six feet from him - we drove off now that the road was clear, so I've no idea if anything happened between the Sheep and the photographer, but he was doing everything that a photographer (or anyone) should not be doing!
Thank you so much, Pam, for enabling me to get out to the mountains! It was such a fun, enjoyable day, in beautiful weather, spectacular scenery, and much-enjoyed company!
- Keyboard shortcuts:
Jump to top
RSS feed- Latest comments - Subscribe to the comment feeds of this photo
- ipernity © 2007-2024
- Help & Contact
|
Club news
|
About ipernity
|
History |
ipernity Club & Prices |
Guide of good conduct
Donate | Group guidelines | Privacy policy | Terms of use | Statutes | In memoria -
Facebook
Twitter
Anne Elliott club has replied to Pam J clubSign-in to write a comment.