Fish Creek Park 5

This was yet another great sighting this morning, 26 October 2013, when i was on a three-hour birding walk with friends in Fish Creek Park. On our way back to the parking lot, this large buck came through the bushes to fairly close to where we were standing. It watched us for a few seconds, turned and retraced its steps. Normally, when I see a buck, I find they tend to move off away from me, but it's rutting season and behaviour is different, so people need to be on guard. Looks like this was a good day for a walk - it started off rather chilly but by noon was up to about 13C. There is a Snowfall Warning in effect for Southern Alberta for tomorrow. "Snowfall amounts of 10 to 15 cm are expected by Sunday evening for most areas although the foothills could see local amounts over 20 cm." I am so not ready for this! Next day: yes, we have blowing snow today and it looks cold and miserable out there. A good day to stay home with a mug of steaming coffee!

Winter is still officially a few weeks away, but that doesn't stop Old Man Winter from paying us an unwelcome visit : ) Taken on 29 October 2013, during a bird walk in Fish Creek Park, around the Shannon Terrace and Bebo Grove areas. I think this snow-covered fence was near the parking lot at the Educational Centre at Shannon Terrace.

Usually, I prefer a nice, plain background for a shot like this, but I was out of luck on 7 November 2013. Saw this little Red-breasted Nuthatch male when I went with friends for a birding walk in the Bow Valley Ranche and Burnsmead areas of Fish Creek Park.

A very grainy photo, but will still post it : ) Saw this White-tailed Deer (or is it a Mule Deer??) feeding on dead leaves and twigs when I was out for a walk with a small group of friends this afternoon, 10 November 2013. A cold day today, and I had to push myself really hard to leave the warmth of home, but only a few fine snowflakes were seen. We started off in Fish Creek Park at the Bow Valley Ranche, and then we walked over to Burnsmead. Surprisingly, we were unable to find either of the two Great Horned Owls today. However, we saw a couple of distant juvenile Bald Eagles who seemed to be fighting over a fish that one had caught. We warmed up afterwards over hot coffee at Tim Horton's - always most enjoyable. "White-tailed deer are not grazers. They don't eat grass and hay like elk or cattle. Even though you may see a whitetail feeding in a grassy field, if you could look closer you would find that it is not eating the grass. During the summer, deer eat tender broadleaf plants such as clover or alfalfa which grow near the ground, often among taller grasses. That's why whitetails may appear to be eating grass, even though they are not. Whitetails also like to eat various types of wildflower plants. In the fall, when nuts and acorns fall from the trees, whitetails will be right there feeding on them. Deer love nuts and acorns. Whitetails like acorns from all the different types of oak trees, but their favorite is the white oak acorns. In winter, when the lush growth of spring and summer vegetation is over, whitetails feed on the tips of branches of small trees and bushes. Willow bushes that grow near water produce tender branches which whitetails love to eat in the winter. In addition to the whitetail's natural browse there are many agricultural crops they love to eat. Whitetails are true opportunists when it comes to garden crops. They love carrots, sugar beets, tomatoes, cabbage, squash and other garden vegetables. People who live out in deer country sometimes have a real problem keeping the deer from eating up their vegetable gardens. Farmers who plant large fields of com often find the deer living right in the middle of their crops. The tall corn offers thick cover where deer can hide, as well as a favorite food source! Deer love to live in the cornfields, and they get fat eating com all day long. That's why some of the biggest-bodied whitetails come from corn-growing country. Other grains like wheat, oats and barley also attract white-tailed deer. When the grain ripens in the fall, you can bet whitetails will be close by. Another crop deer love is soybeans. White-tailed deer also love to eat the same kinds of fruit humans enjoy. Pears, apples, persimmons and plums are deer favorites." www.buckmasters.com/what-do-deer-eat.aspx

Took this macro shot of a White-breasted Nuthatch this morning, 7 November 2013, when I went on a three-hour bird walk with friends. We started off by the Bow Valley Ranche, where we managed to find one of the two Great Horned Owls that hang out in that area, and then walked over to the Bow River as far as Burnsmead, and then back to the Ranche. Pretty well all the birds we saw were way off in the distance, so no good for photos, but we did get a close look at this little Nuthatch male. Overcast weather, so a rather grainy image even with no cropping.

Pushed myself out the front door this afternoon to go on a walk from Glennfield to Shaw's Meadow, Fish Creek Park. The sun was shining and the temperature was about -8C (windchill about -14C), but it felt much colder. Not sure where all the wildlife was - I didn't see even one little Chickadee, but did see a Raven and a Magpie and heard a Downy Woodpecker. Bird numbers seem to be extremely low these days.

Lol, I was determined not to come home with no new photos on 17 November 2013. I really didn't want to face the cold temperatures and snowy paths, but the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Snapped a few ice photos while I walked near the edge of the creek at Shaw's Meadow in Fish Creek Park. Supposed to snow again tomorrow. Next morning: It snowed again last night and is still snowing very lightly this morning. Temperature is -14C (windchill -23C) and tonight it will fall to -21C (windchill -27C). Not as bad as the record low for this date, which was -33C in 1896. Forecast for Saturday is 4C and Sunday 1C - yes, that's +4C and +1C!

It was simply amazing while it lasted - but the few weeks were all over far too quickly : ) These two beautiful little Great Horned Owlets were practicing their balancing skills on the top edge of their nesting tree in Fish Creek Park, on 10 May 2013. They go from little balls of fluff to perching on this edge so quickly and then, blink, and they have gone, lol. Their baby-fluff pantaloons always make me smile, especially when seen from behind. What a sight! Most of the time, the light was not good, but on each evening, there was a bit of time when the sunlight was just beautiful. Can't begin to describe how thankful I was to have been there!

I never posted this image, as I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to improve the original shot. It's a really poor quality shot, but I managed to darken it sufficiently to look at, at this size. I don't often see Sapsuckers, so thought I would add it to three of my Albums. Taken in Fish Creek Park (Bankside?) on 24 May 2012. I always think it's amazing how various Woodpecker species (excluding the PIleated Woodpecker, which makes a rectangular hole) always make such a perfect, round hole for their cavities.