Christmas

HELP is needed to find the two amazing men who stopped (in brutal, -30C weather) to help save the life of one of our birder/photographer friends, who was in a very serious vehicle accident east of the city. Mike (Mike Kelly on Flickr), who is in hospital with a broken jaw, broken wrist, and two broken legs, really, really wants to meet his two rescuers so that he can thank them in person for saving his life. Everyone is using the social media on Facebook in an attempt to find these two good Samaritans, and I thought I would add it here, too, in the hope that someone out there might just know the hoped-for information. It would mean so much to Mike! His many friends would be so happy, too. I will add the link to today's Global TV News article. Of course, it is possible that the two rescuers might have seen the News and hopefully come forward. Mike thinks that one of them might live in British Columbia, the province to the west of us. globalnews.ca/news/3949198/calgarian-who-barely-survived-... ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* I happened to come across this photo last night while searching for certain other shots. Kind of late for Christmas, but I thought it was such a cute scene. On 2 February 2014, a group of us went on an annual birding trip west of the city, that is normally to the Sibbald Creek area, Exshaw and Harvie Heights. This year, though, we drove around the Water Valley area (NW of Calgary) first and then went straight on to Harvie Heights. Very few birds to be seen in either area, but of course it was wonderful to get out to these places, in good company. At Harvie Heights, near Canmore (near Banff), there were no Grosbeaks, no Clark's Nutcrackers, etc.. The same has been true for so many walks and outings these days - where are all the birds? The day before this trip, a group of people went to a local city park and, in just under three hours of walking, saw only five species of bird. The following is the report complied by trip leader, Andrew Hart. Thanks for a great day, as always, Andrew! "Twelve of us set out on a sunny but chilly day with temperatures ranging from -14 deg C to -8 deg C. We started off by driving around in the area to the south of Water Valley as far as the Bates Ranch. We were hoping to find owls, but despite visiting several known previous sighting locations, came up short. We did see several Ravens and Magpies, some Blue Jays (at the Winchell Lake Estates), Black Capped Chickadees, a Rough Legged Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, and Hairy Woodpecker. We also saw a Coyote. After lunch we went further south and encountered a family of 6-8 Gray Jays near the Bates Ranch. We then headed to Harvie Heights. En route we passed a road-killed deer swarming with 20 Ravens, and a Coyote angling to see them off. We also saw two Bald Eagles. At Harvie Heights we saw several Mountain and Black Capped Chickadees, a Brown Creeper, Pine Siskins, Dark Eyed Juncos, and Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers (the Woodpeckers seen by Phil Quin at a feeder by the hamlet entrance that the rest of us drove past). No Pine Grosbeaks (not that much of a surprise this year) and no Clark's Nutcrackers (more of a surprise). The incredible sunlit snow blanketed scenery made up for the relative shortcomings in bird species."

UPDATE about our friend, Mike Kelly, who amazingly survived an horrific vehicle accident (broken jaw, broken ankle and two broken legs), east of the city, in brutal, -30C weather. One of the two wonderful good Samaritans who saved his life turned up at Mike's hospital room! This will be so good for Mike, as he really, really wanted to meet his two life-savers and thank them in person. Hopefully, he will still get the chance to meet his other hero. We are all so grateful! Three rather uninspiring photos posted this morning, mainly just as a record that I actually got out on a birding walk with a group of friends yesterday morning. Quite a photographic leap from the hot rainforest of Trinidad (posted yesterday) to the cold, winter sights of Calgary. One look at the weather forecast for this week and I decided that, if I was going to head over to Carburn Park, I had better do it yesterday. We are supposed to get snow this evening, overnight and the next two days. Temperature this overcast morning is -7C (windchill -15C), so not too bad. Yesterday, on our walk, the temperature was a balmy 1C-3C! The light was not good for photos yesterday morning and most of the birds were very distant, as usual, at this location. Funny how it always works - if one is walking along the edge of the river, the birds are mainly on the far side. We did see 29 bird species, though. This Christmas bauble was hanging, with others, on a tiny tree in the park, and I can never resist taking a quick shot or two if I come across things like this. (OK, it just had to be done - I've just 'removed' the ugly piece of green tubing that was threaded through the loop for hanging.) My main reason for pushing myself out the front door was to catch up with friends. Later in the day, a friend very kindly picked me up and we went to the meeting about the recent Christmas Bird Counts. What an enormous amount of detail and facts are collected each year - most impressive!

This photo is mainly just as a record that I actually got out on a birding walk with a group of friends on 8 January 2018. My main reason for pushing myself out the front door was to catch up with friends. One look at the weather forecast for that week and I decided that, if I was going to head over to Carburn Park, I had better do it. The temperature was a balmy PLUS 1C-3C! Windchills for the next few days were in the -30Cs. The light was not good for photos on this walk and most of the birds were very distant, as usual, at this location. Funny how it always works - if one is walking along the edge of the river, the birds are mainly on the far side. We did see 29 bird species, though. This Christmas bauble was hanging, with others, on a tiny tree in the park, and I can never resist taking a quick shot or two if I come across things like this. As with a previous photo, I've 'removed' the ugly piece of green tubing that was threaded through the loop for hanging. I'd never seen a decoration like this one. Later in the day, a friend very kindly picked me up and we went to the meeting about the recent Christmas Bird Counts. What an enormous amount of detail and facts are collected each year - most impressive and valuable!

Just added the remaining 16 photos taken two days ago, SE of the city with my daughter. Tomorrow, it will be a very early start and a long day, on the first annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count that I will be going on this season. Last night, I had computer problems and I thought I was going to have to take my computer in to be checked. Fortunately, after making sure all plugs were firmly pushed in, I managed to get it to work again. It would not be a good time for computer woes for the next while, with the last few Christmas letters to write, and with communication a necessity for the Christmas Bird Counts that are now underway. Unfortunately, the same thing has already happened twice today as well. The day before yesterday, 15 December 2018, was spent with my daughter, as it was our Christmas. At her suggestion, and my total agreement, we drove south to the Saskatoon Farm where we had an early morning, hot breakfast. It is a favourite place for both of us and it was great to visit just in time before they close for a well-earned six-week break for the owners and staff. Unfortunately, they had done a very thorough clean-up of the farm, so there was not as much to photograph as there usually is. They will be opening again at the beginning of February. After wandering round for a while, we drove further south and checked out the Frank Lake area, hoping that we might just be lucky enough to see a Snowy Owl. No luck, unlike our Christmas trip last year. Not a single small bird was seen, either - in fact, nothing. That is, until I was driving her home back in the city and she suddenly exclaimed that she was sure she had just spotted either an owl or a hawk, perched high up in a tree. Of course, we had to go and check it out. Not 100% sure, but it looks like a juvenile Bald Eagle (from the back view). The weather was beautiful, I think around 2C, but quite windy. A very impressive Chinook Arch all day. Most important of all, it was my favourite kind of day - out with my daughter and our cameras!

Just added the remaining 16 photos taken two days ago, SE of the city with my daughter. Tomorrow, it will be a very early start and a long day, on the first annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count that I will be going on this season. Last night, I had computer problems and I thought I was going to have to take my computer in to be checked. Fortunately, after making sure all plugs were firmly pushed in, I managed to get it to work again. It would not be a good time for computer woes for the next while, with the last few Christmas letters to write, and with communication a necessity for the Christmas Bird Counts that are now underway. Unfortunately, the same thing has already happened twice today as well. The day before yesterday, 15 December 2018, was spent with my daughter, as it was our Christmas. At her suggestion, and my total agreement, we drove south to the Saskatoon Farm where we had an early morning, hot breakfast. It is a favourite place for both of us and it was great to visit just in time before they close for a well-earned six-week break for the owners and staff. Unfortunately, they had done a very thorough clean-up of the farm, so there was not as much to photograph as there usually is. They will be opening again at the beginning of February. After wandering round for a while, we drove further south and checked out the Frank Lake area, hoping that we might just be lucky enough to see a Snowy Owl. No luck, unlike our Christmas trip last year. Not a single small bird was seen, either - in fact, nothing. That is, until I was driving her home back in the city and she suddenly exclaimed that she was sure she had just spotted either an owl or a hawk, perched high up in a tree. Of course, we had to go and check it out. Not 100% sure, but it looks like a juvenile Bald Eagle (from the back view). The weather was beautiful, I think around 2C, but quite windy. A very impressive Chinook Arch all day. Most important of all, it was my favourite kind of day - out with my daughter and our cameras!

Just added the remaining 16 photos taken two days ago, SE of the city with my daughter. Tomorrow, it will be a very early start and a long day, on the first annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count that I will be going on this season. Last night, I had computer problems and I thought I was going to have to take my computer in to be checked. Fortunately, after making sure all plugs were firmly pushed in, I managed to get it to work again. It would not be a good time for computer woes for the next while, with the last few Christmas letters to write, and with communication a necessity for the Christmas Bird Counts that are now underway. Unfortunately, the same thing has already happened twice today as well. The day before yesterday, 15 December 2018, was spent with my daughter, as it was our Christmas. At her suggestion, and my total agreement, we drove south to the Saskatoon Farm where we had an early morning, hot breakfast. It is a favourite place for both of us and it was great to visit just in time before they close for a well-earned six-week break for the owners and staff. Unfortunately, they had done a very thorough clean-up of the farm, so there was not as much to photograph as there usually is. They will be opening again at the beginning of February. After wandering round for a while, we drove further south and checked out the Frank Lake area, hoping that we might just be lucky enough to see a Snowy Owl. No luck, unlike our Christmas trip last year. Not a single small bird was seen, either - in fact, nothing. That is, until I was driving her home back in the city and she suddenly exclaimed that she was sure she had just spotted either an owl or a hawk, perched high up in a tree. Of course, we had to go and check it out. Not 100% sure, but it looks like a juvenile Bald Eagle (from the back view). The weather was beautiful, I think around 2C, but quite windy. A very impressive Chinook Arch all day. Most important of all, it was my favourite kind of day - out with my daughter and our cameras!

Pam, wishing you, your hubby and your three furry companions a wonderful, relaxed, peaceful Christmas Day! Absolutely loved your Christmas card that you posted - very clever and beautiful. I'm sure everyone loved it and was impressed at your skill. I can only begin to imagine how much effort went into creating it. Will be thinking of you. Adding this very quickly this evening (Christmas Eve), as I am holding my breath that my computer won't freeze any moment. Pretty well impossible to use - it lasted just 10 minutes this morning. Technician was unable to replicate the problem I'm having, and could find nothing wrong to fix. So annoying! Anyway, I send my Christmas wishes to each of you and hope that tomorrow will be a happy day for you, whether you spend it with family/friends or quietly by yourself. If you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope your day will be good, anyway. To my daughter - sorry, I just had to use this little snowman before giving it to you : )

A quick posting before my computer freezes! This is one of my absolute favourite Christmas ornaments, given to me by my daughter for Christmas in 2014. It stands maybe 2" tall and is just so cute. She knows so well how crazy I am about mushrooms : ) The only little snowman I have ever seen holding a mushroom of any kind. This bright red one is the poisonous/hallucinogenetic Fly Agaric/Amanita muscaria. Happy Christmas Day, everyone! Ha, this is funny - yesterday evening, I Googled NORAD to check where in the world Santa had reached. Immediately, I got the Blue Screen of Death - thank you Santa for my early Christmas present. Strangely, though, my computer didn't freeze for the next few hours, unlike this morning, Christmas Day. For many people, Christmas is a very difficult time, for various reasons. My thoughts are with them and, as always, with those who for one reason or another will spend Christmas alone. To those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a happy day, anyway. Merry Christmas, happy day!

All four photos posted in haste tonight were taken yesterday, 27 December 2018, when I took part with seven others (in two vehicles) in the annual Audubon Sheep River/Turner Valley Christmas Bird Count. The weather forecast was for sun and cloud, but there was only a very brief sighting of sun on the distant mountain peaks in the whole day. Heavily overcast is an accurate description. Fortunately, it was not bitterly cold (between -11C and -3C) and there was no deep snow to have to walk through. We only saw 13 species of bird, but we were all delighted to see a Moose (female), with two being seen by one participant. I think I only got photos of one bird in the whole day - plus a fake owl on a barn door, that I like to photograph each year : ) Tomorrow, I have to be up really early to get to a meeting place by 7:30 am, ready for the annual Audubon Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Christmas Bird Count. This will be my last out-of-city Count for this winter. There is a Fish Creek Park annual New Year's Day Count coming up, so hopefully there won't be any new snow before then.