Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: sunshine

Posting just the one photo today as I got up much too late and have a pile of things that I have to start seeing to. Looks beautiful outside, sunny and plus 7C!! Feels so good to be out of the deep-freeze, when windchills got down to as low as -34C. This is a fully zoomed image, Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm, and cropped very slightly. This is a photo from my archives, taken on 28 March 2013. This Great Gray Owl was the first of four that I was lucky enough to see that morning, two closely and two far more distant. At the moment, I'm feeling a bit 'owl deprived', ha, ha, because I'm having no luck finding a Snowy Owl or a Short-eared Owl, except on the one day when they were so far away, you could barely even see them. So, last night, I took a look at one of my very old owl folders and picked this photo, to remind myself of just how lucky I have often been, when it comes to owls of any kind : ) The year 2013 was a great year for seeing these magnificent birds. Getting up really early is always so hard for me to do. I'm a night owl with atrocious sleep habits, so getting out of bed at 5:00 a.m. (alarm was set for 4:15 a.m., though!) was not my favourite way to start the day on 28 March 2013. Funny, when I have to meet friends for various early-starting trips, I can do it (but don't like it), but when I go off on my own, there is no deadline to meet, and I just never get round to doing it. I headed out of the city, wanting to see if time of day made any, or much, difference to seeing wildlife. Who really knows? I have seen these beautiful birds of prey at all sorts of times of the day, but of course the light is always different each time. I was also lucky enough to see three other Great Gray Owls, my first Mountain Bluebird of the year (always such a wonderful flash of brilliant blue), a Pileated Woodpecker, and an American Robin (always takes me by surprise when I see a Robin out in the middle of nowhere). A beautiful female Ruffed Grouse helped make my day, too. Guess I can say I was definitely rewarded for getting up so early, even though I might have seen all, or most, of these birds later in the day, too : ) All about luck and timing. "Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons. The oldest recorded Great Gray Owl was at least 18 years, 9 months old and lived in Alberta." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Grey_Owl

It feels good to see a bright Sunflower on such a cold, snowy day as today, 10 December 2016. Several of these tall flowers were growing at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre three months ago. It had been a few years since my last visit to the Alberta Bird of Prey Centre - I had only been maybe three or four times - and I had been longing to go back. Much too far and all new driving territory for me to even think about driving there myself. However, on 9 September 2016, that is exactly what I did. A friend had said she would come along, too, but she emailed me at 1:00 am that morning to say that she assumed our trip had been cancelled, as she hadn't heard back about the time to meet. In fact, I had sent two emails giving the time, so I don't know what happened there. Very unfortunate, as it would have been great to have had company on such a long drive, and I know she would have had great fun with her camera. I knew it would be a long day and further than I would normally drive - and in a brand new car that I am still learning to drive! Only got lost twice on this 481 km drive, one minor and the other major. Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere way down south and I ended up in the city of Lethbridge, that I had very carefully planned to avoid. After driving for three and three-quarter hours, I finally arrived, to my huge relief. Despite getting there later than I had hoped, I still had plenty of time to wander round the grounds and photograph the various raptors. Some were tethered out in a couple of grassy areas and others were in outdoor cages. Wonderful to get such a close look at the various majestic birds. I took a slightly different way home via #845 (?), making absolutely sure that I didn't accidentally find myself in Lethbridge again and it wasn't too long before I found myself in the area that I had driven a few weeks before, when I went SW of Vulcan to look for Common Nighthawks (without any luck). Just so happy that I finally made myself do this drive. When I Googled the Centre's website, I had discovered that they were closing two days later for the winter. So, it was either a case of going the next day or not at all till next May onward. The day after this adventure, 10 September 2016, I took my daughter on a long drive in Kananaskis. This was yet another place that I had longed to be able to drive for many years - and finally I did it! I had been lots of times with various friends, but this was the very first time I had ever driven myself. We had planned to do this a few weeks earlier, but then my car had major repairs that needed to be done. Instead, I knew I just couldn't put any more money into my 17-year-old car, and I ended up replacing it. So glad we went on this particular day, as it snowed the following day.

It had been a few years since my last visit to the Alberta Bird of Prey Centre - I've been maybe three or four times - and I had been longing to go back. Much too far and all new driving territory for me to even think about driving there myself. However, six days ago, on 9 September 2016, that is exactly what I did. A friend had said she would come along, too, but she emailed me at 1:00 am that morning to say that she assumed the trip had been cancelled, as she hadn't heard back about the time to meet. In fact, I had sent two emails giving the time, so I don't know what happened there. Very unfortunate, as it would have been great to have had company on such a long drive, and I know she would have had fun with her camera. I knew it would be a long day and further than I would normally drive - and in a brand new car that I have yet to learn to drive! It doesn't look or feel quite as new now, after travelling 481 km! Only got lost twice, one minor and the other major. Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere down south and I ended up in the city of Lethbridge, that I had very carefully planned to avoid. After driving for three and three-quarter hours, I finally arrived, to my huge relief. Despite getting there later than I had hoped, I still had more than enough time to wander round the grounds and photograph the various raptors. Some were tethered out in a grassy area and others were in outdoor cages. Wonderful to get such a close look at the various majestic birds. I took a slightly different way home via #845 (?), making absolutely sure that I didn't accidentally find myself in Lethbridge again and it wasn't too long before I found myself in the area that I had driven a few weeks ago, when I went SW of Vulcan to look for Common Nighthawks (without any luck). Just so happy that I finally made myself do this drive. When I Googled the Centre's website a few days ago, I had discovered that they were closing two days later for the winter. So, it was either a case of going the next day or not at all till next May onwards. The very next day, 10 September 2016, I took my daughter on a long drive in Kananaskis. This was yet another place that I had longed to be able to drive for many years - and finally I did it! I had been lots of times with various friends, but this was the very first time I had ever driven myself.

Update on the massive wildfire in the Fort McMurray area: "On May 1, 2016, a wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. On May 3, it swept through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings and forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Albertan history. As of May 17, it continues to spread across northern Alberta, consuming forested areas and impacting Athabasca oil sands operations. It may become the costliest disaster in Canadian history. .... While the fire had moved away from Fort McMurray, explosions and poor air quality continued to prevent residents and rebuilding crews from returning to the town. The wildfire is still burning and is expected to take months to contain and extinguish." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Fort_McMurray_wildfire www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/the-fort-mcmurray-di... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wasn't sure whether to post this photo, but decided that I would, as I like the sparkle. These were just two plain white feathers floating on the green water of Frank Lake, near the birding blind. On 15 May 2016, I spent the day with a group of friends on a trip SE of Calgary, to Frank Lake. This is one of my favourite areas and I always look forward to our day trips there. Will add the report and final list of 63 species, compiled by our leader, Howard Heffler. As usual, I didn't see some of the species, as I don't use binoculars and most birds were very, very distant. Thanks so much for a great day, Howard, and thanks so much for the ride, Andrew! Both much appreciated. "Fourteen participants showed up by 8:30 AM at Anderson LRT and we car pooled in four vehicles to Basin #1 at Frank Lake. From the entrance parking lot we had good views of two Short-eared Owls hunting over the marsh. They are such beautiful flyers. We drove to the outfall and walked to the blind and back. We then drove to Basin #2 where we lucked into a couple of distant White-winged Scoters. An Eastern Kingbird was a first-of-year for me. Next was Brant Lake where the highlight was Black-bellied Plovers. It was (relatively) warm and sunny all day with a bit of wind in the afternoon. Thanks to the regulars and to the newbies for coming out. And thanks to Andrew Hart for eBird listing. Snow Goose 1 Canada Goose 195 Trumpeter Swan 1 Tundra Swan 4 Gadwall 144 American Wigeon 6 Mallard 300 Blue-winged Teal 4 Cinnamon Teal 3 Northern Shoveler 267 Canvasback 1 Redhead 24 Ring-necked Duck 2 Lesser Scaup 140 White-winged Scoter 2 Bufflehead 8 Ruddy Duck 290 Red-necked Grebe 4 Eared Grebe 230 Western Grebe 17 Double-crested Cormorant 25 American White Pelican 64 Great Blue Heron 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 5 White-faced Ibis 13 Northern Harrier 2 Swainson's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Sora 2 American Coot 500 Black-necked Stilt 1 American Avocet 16 Black-bellied Plover 2 Killdeer 3 Spotted Sandpiper 4 Willet 10 Marbled Godwit 8 Wilson's Snipe 2 Wilson's Phalarope 1 Franklin's Gull 1022 California Gull 185 Black Tern 1 Common Tern 3 Forster's Tern 16 Rock Pigeon 2 Short-eared Owl 3 Merlin 1 Eastern Kingbird 1 Black-billed Magpie 4 Common Raven 1 Tree Swallow 20 Marsh Wren 1 European Starling 10 American Pipit 2 Clay-colored Sparrow 4 Vesper Sparrow 2 Savannah Sparrow 16 Red-winged Blackbird 72 Western Meadowlark 4 Yellow-headed Blackbird 280 Brewer's Blackbird 8 Brown-headed Cowbird 9 House Sparrow 1 Howard Heffler"

Some years, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton is held late in December. Other years, it ends up being held early January. The Count that took place on 3 January 2016, was part of the 2015 Bird Count. The weather was bright and sunny for us this day. What you can't see was that it was very cold for the first part of the day, then warming up to a more pleasant cold later on! I think it was -21C when we started. On the January 2014 trip for the 2013 Count, on the hour-long drive south of Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)!!!!! Again, this year, there was no or very little wind, which makes all the difference. Also, the only walking we had to do was when we called in at various farms. Love seeing all the farm cats and dogs! We drove through such beautiful scenery when we were covering the SW quadrant of the Christmas Bird Count circle that centered on the town of Nanton, Alberta. A landscape over which the occasional Golden Eagle soars (we saw 5!) and in which some years - but definitely not this day! - numerous Sharp-tailed Grouse wander on the ground or perch in trees. I absolutely love this area SW of Nanton! Some of these backroads are extremely steep and almost look vertical when seen from a distance. Some years, the whole area is white, covered in deep snow, so that you can't tell where the roadside ends and the ditch begins. This Count, it wasn't too bad, thank goodness, though I might have felt differently if I had been one of the two drivers for our group! This year, my small group had 5 people, in two cars. Around lunch time, we returned to the Truch family's place as we were very nearby, and ate our lunch in the warmth of their cosy home. After driving (being driven, for me, which is always pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 3:30 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards. This is one of my favourite Bird Counts, and perhaps the most favourite. Just before leaving for Calgary at the end of the day, we were shown the family's Llamas, two Donkeys, Peacocks, and several tiny white Quail. I should have taken photos of these animals when it was daylight - but maybe I can do it next year. Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony and Andrew, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! It was another well-organized Count, Mike, as usual - thanks. Can't wait for next Christmas!

Yet again, I'm having to dig into my archives. I've only been able to get out on two walks since the car accident I was involved in (but not at fault) on 28 November 2015, and barely got any new photos. Today, I have had to cancel another volunteer shift and will have to cancel a dental appointment for tomorrow, just so that I can do things like phoning my Insurance Company. Hoping I don't need to go and report it to the Police. Also need to make an appointment to take my car in to be looked at. Yesterday morning, just as I was arrivng at the meeting place for a morning birding walk, I noticed a slight rattling sound. Then, in the evening, the rattle was much worse, sometimes sounding like one metal piece was scraping against another. Such a pain at any time, but December is a really bad month to be without a drivable car! This photo is of a beautiful Lily that I found growing at the Reader Rock Garden on 23 July 2014. Not sure if this is Lilium martagon. It has a tall, central stem, with quite a display of these flowers along it. After a volunteer shift that day, I wasn't too far away from the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area, where I was finally going to go on a botany walk with a few friends. Having been to that location several times before, I knew it was a short, easy, flat trail, and that I could go as far as I wanted and then turn back early, which is what I did. The main thing I wanted to see there were the Nodding / Musk Thistles, as these are my favourite species of Thistle. They are called a weed, but I love to see them. The sun was unfortunately in the wrong direction, so I was only able to get a handful of shots, but better than nothing. With a couple of hours to "kill" till the botany walk, I spent them at the Reader Rock Garden, which was just a few minutes' drive away from the evening botany walk location. I love seeing different species of Lily, including this one.

This photo was also taken yesterday, 24 October 2015, when I went on a walk with a small group of birding friends. It was around 2C when we started our walk and it was cold. Can’t believe I was wearing two fleece jackets and a fleece vest, light jacket, jeans and long-johns, woollen hat and two pairs of gloves! I always like this view, from one of the small bridges, looking along the lagoon towards the historic Colonel Walker House, built in 1910. This building is currently used by Parks staff and volunteers as a classroom and office. “The Colonel James Walker House is an early twentieth century, two-storey building constructed of red bricks and featuring sandstone trim, a low hipped roof and a wide verandah on the south and west sides. It is located on 0.98 hectares of land backing onto a lagoon on the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in the Inglewood district of Calgary. The original brick carriage house adjacent to the building is also included in the designation.” From historicplaces.ca. www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5137 I will add the list of species seen, thanks to our leaders, Janet and Bernie. Thanks, both of you, for a most enjoyable walk in beautiful sunshine. We were especially lucky to see the Red Crossbills, Great Blue Heron, Common Redpolls and a very distant Porcupine sitting very high up in a tall tree. It was great going for lunch at the Blackfoot Truckstop Diner afterwards, too. www.blackfootdiner.ca/ Inglewood Sanctuary, Calgary. 9-11:15 a.m. Sat. Oct 24/15. Sun/cloud mix, light North wind, 2 to 5C. 1. Double-crested Cormorant - 1 2. Great Blue Heron - 1 3. Wood Duck - 13 4. Mallard - 15 5. Hooded Merganser - 1 6. Rough-legged Hawk - 1 7. Bald Eagle - 1 8. Ring-billed Gull - 20 9. Feral Pigeon - 1 10. Northern Flicker - 2 11. Downy Woodpecker - 1 12. Black-billed Magpie - 10 13. American Crow - 4 14. Black-capped Chickadee - 10 15. White-breasted Nuthatch - 2 16. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2 17. European Starling - 20 18. RED CROSSBILL - 25 19. COMMON REDPOLL - 4 Mule Deer - 7 Porcupine - 1 Eastern Gray Squirrel – 2

This photo was taken yesterday, 17 April 2015, when I went with friend Shirley to Frank Lake. We spent the morning driving round part of the lake and a short while at the bird blind (hide). Bumped into our friend Dave near the blind and he joined us for the rest of the morning. Nice to have your company, Dave! And an extra pair of eyes is always welcomed. We had heard that the White-faced Ibis had arrived, but we were out of luck yesterday. We did, however, stop briefly to see the Great Horned Owl nest that has three owlets in it. Stopped just long enough to get a couple of photos and then continued on our drive. It was extremely windy yesterday, which may have affected the various birds. Too bad they don't have wind turbines in this area, as it seems to be windy most times I go to Frank Lake! We didn't see all that many, mainly a few birds such as "American Avocets", "Black-necked Stilts" Coots, Canada Geese, and so on. A pity you can't see and feel the wind in my photo, but you can see what a beautiful, sunny day it was. Many thanks for the invite to join you and for driving me, Shirley! We had a fun time, including all of us going to Tim Horton's for lunch before heading home. I was certainly ready for that hot Chili and coffee!

After a volunteer shift on 23 July 2014, I wasn't too far away from the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area, where I was finally going to go on a botany walk. Having been to this location several times before, I knew it was a short, easy, flat trail, and that I could go as far as I wanted and then turn back early, which is what I did. I missed pretty well all the botany and birding walks last year, which was quite depressing. The main thing I wanted to see were the Nodding / Musk Thistles, as these are my favourite species of Thistle. They are called a "weed", but I love to see them. With a couple of hours to "kill" between volunteering and the walk, I spent them at the Reader Rock Garden, which was just a few minutes' drive away from the evening botany walk location. I can never see too many Poppies, with their interesting little centres and their beautiful seedheads.

After a volunteer shift on 23 July 2014, I wasn't too far away from the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area, where I was finally going to go on a botany walk with a few friends. Having been to this location several times before, I knew it was a short, easy, flat trail, and that I could go as far as I wanted and then turn back early, which is what I did. The main thing I wanted to see were the Nodding / Musk Thistles, as these are my favourite species of Thistle. They are called a weed, but I love to see them. The sun was unfortunately in the wrong direction, so I was only able to get a handful of shots, but better than nothing. With a couple of hours to "kill", I spent them at the Reader Rock Garden, which was just a few minutes' drive away from the evening botany walk location. I love seeing the different species of Lily, including this one.

On 16 November 2014, I joined a few friends for a most enjoyable day of birding SE of the city, in the Frank Lake area. I love this whole area, so usually jump at the chance to go there, especially with friends who are great birders. I stayed behind (painful back) while the others walked almost to the blind, but I was happy photographing scenery, bright orange lichens, and anything else that caught my eye : ) This meant that I didn’t see all of the birds on Andrew’s careful list and report, but I was happy to see the Great Horned Owl especially. Felt so good to get my “owl” fix! It was also good to know that there are at least a few Common Redpolls around so far, this winter. The long winter months seem kind of “empty” when these dainty little birds don’t visit us. I think the only birds I was able to photograph were the owl and the pheasants. This photo, by the way, is a zoomed photo - the mountains look much closer than they actually are. I will use Andrew’s account of the day – I never keep a list myself. Thought that one or two of you might just be interested to know what’s around so far this “winter”, SE of the city. Many thanks, as always, Andrew, for a most enjoyable and rewarding day out of the city. Thanks, too, for your detailed report. “We had eight participants. A nice break from recent weather. The temperature stayed right around -3 deg C all day, with mostly clear sunny skies. There was an occasional biting wind. We basically circled the lake area and walked down to the outfall near the blind. There were still a few pheasant hunters around. Apparently the final release was delayed to this weekend because the province is averse to releasing birds when the temperature is below -10 deg C. Number of Checklists: 4 Number of Species: 20 Checklists included in this summary: (1): Sutherland's Shelterbelt (and immediate area) Date: Nov 16, 2014, 9:00 AM (2): Frank Lake--NW lookout/blind Date: Nov 16, 2014, 10:10 AM (3): Frank Lake--Basin 2 (Southeast Corner) Date: Nov 16, 2014, 11:30 AM (4): Frank Lake Basin 3 Date: Nov 16, 2014, 12:00 PM 47 Canada Goose -- (1) 1 Tundra Swan -- (2) 6 Mallard -- (2) 1 Northern Shoveler -- (2) 9 Redhead -- (2) 4 Ring-necked Pheasant -- (3) 1 Prairie Falcon (3) 2 Bald Eagle -- (2),(4) 1 Rough-legged Hawk -- (1) 3 Killdeer -- (2) 10 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) -- (1) 3 Great Horned Owl -- (1),(4) 5 Black-billed Magpie -- (1),(2),(3),(4) 16 Common Raven -- (1),(2),(3),(4) 48 Horned Lark -- (3),(4) 8 Black-capped Chickadee -- (1) 8 Snow Bunting -- (4) 4 American Tree Sparrow -- (1),(3) 40 Common Redpoll -- (1) 8 House Sparrow -- (1) The few Snow Buntings we saw were all mixed in with larger flocks of Horned Larks. The Prairie Falcon appeared suddenly and spooked the group of Pheasants before flying off into a nearby tree. Andrew Hart”

Yesterday, 16 November 2014, I joined a few friends for a most enjoyable day of birding SE of the city, in the Frank Lake area. I love this whole area, so usually jump at the chance to go there, especially with friends who are great birders. I stayed behind (painful back) while the others walked almost to the blind, but I was happy photographing scenery, bright orange lichens, and anything else that caught my eye : ) This meant that I didn’t see all of the birds on Andrew’s careful list and report, but I was happy to see the Great Horned Owl especially. Felt so good to get my “owl” fix! It was also good to know that there are at least a few Common Redpolls around so far, this winter. The long winter months seem kind of “empty” when these dainty little birds don’t visit us. All three of the photos I’ve posted today were taken on yesterday’s trip. I think the only birds I was able to photograph were the owl and the pheasants. I will use Andrew’s account of the day – I never keep a list myself. Thought that one or two of you might just be interested to know what’s around so far this “winter”, SE of the city. Many thanks, as always, Andrew, for a most enjoyable and rewarding day out of the city. Thanks, too, for your detailed report. “We had eight participants. A nice break from recent weather. The temperature stayed right around -3 deg C all day, with mostly clear sunny skies. There was an occasional biting wind. We basically circled the lake area and walked down to the outfall near the blind. There were still a few pheasant hunters around. Apparently the final release was delayed to this weekend because the province is averse to releasing birds when the temperature is below -10 deg C. Number of Checklists: 4 Number of Species: 20 Checklists included in this summary: (1): Sutherland's Shelterbelt (and immediate area) Date: Nov 16, 2014, 9:00 AM (2): Frank Lake--NW lookout/blind Date: Nov 16, 2014, 10:10 AM (3): Frank Lake--Basin 2 (Southeast Corner) Date: Nov 16, 2014, 11:30 AM (4): Frank Lake Basin 3 Date: Nov 16, 2014, 12:00 PM 47 Canada Goose -- (1) 1 Tundra Swan -- (2) 6 Mallard -- (2) 1 Northern Shoveler -- (2) 9 Redhead -- (2) 4 Ring-necked Pheasant -- (3) 1 Prairie Falcon (3) 2 Bald Eagle -- (2),(4) 1 Rough-legged Hawk -- (1) 3 Killdeer -- (2) 10 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) -- (1) 3 Great Horned Owl -- (1),(4) 5 Black-billed Magpie -- (1),(2),(3),(4) 16 Common Raven -- (1),(2),(3),(4) 48 Horned Lark -- (3),(4) 8 Black-capped Chickadee -- (1) 8 Snow Bunting -- (4) 4 American Tree Sparrow -- (1),(3) 40 Common Redpoll -- (1) 8 House Sparrow -- (1) The few Snow Buntings we saw were all mixed in with larger flocks of Horned Larks. The Prairie Falcon appeared suddenly and spooked the group of Pheasants before flying off into a nearby tree. Andrew Hart”

Though Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is a weed that grows in our parks and natural areas, I still like coming across it, with its beautiful bright yellow, button-like flowers. This particular plant was photographed at Lafarge Meadows, Fish Creek Provincial Park, on 14 September 2014. In Alberta, this plant is listed as Noxious. It was a beautiful, sunny day - hard to believe that we had had two heavy, late-summer snowfalls on 9 and 10 September. "Introduced from Europe in the 1600’s, its pungently aromatic foliage has been used medicinally, as an insect repellant, and for embalming. Common tansy forms dense stands and the plants contain alkaloids that are toxic to both humans and livestock if consumed in large quantities. Cases of livestock poisoning are rare, though, because tansy is unpalatable to grazing animals. Because of its long medicinal and horticultural use, Common tansy is still available in plant nurseries and from herbal remedy suppliers. Gardeners should not purchase Common tansy."

This image was partially zoomed in (full is 48x), so the mountains look closer than they really are. Spent the whole day SE of the city again on 13 March 2014, with friends Cathy and Terry. What a slow day it was for much of the time. Took us just over 6 hours to find the first Snowy Owl - just the tiniest, distant white speck on the ground, far across a huge field. We were beginning to wonder if maybe all the Snowies had already left to fly north, so we were happy to see this one, and a second one about four hours later, perched on a distant power pole. No photo opportunities for these owls, but it felt to good to know that there were at least these two owls still in the area. We had no luck at all finding a Short-eared Owl - very different from 7th March, when we saw 8 of them, six in flight and two on the ground. In addition to the 2 Snowies, we did see 9 Great Horned Owls, though, some on nests. Weather was beautiful with some interesting clouds for part of the day, clearing much later. We were just in time to see the last of the pink sunrise colour and light on the distant mountains - always so beautiful. Some of the fields looked pretty bare, while others were still covered in snow. The "heat-wave" distortion was really bad all day long, making good, clear shots impossible.

This image was fully zoomed in (48x), so the mountains look so much closer than they really are. The barn/shed was as simple a design as you can get, but at least it was RED : ) Spent the whole day SE of the city again yesterday, with friends Cathy and Terry. What a slow day it was for much of the time. Took us just over 6 hours to find the first Snowy Owl - just the tiniest, distant white speck on the ground, far across a huge field. We were beginning to wonder if maybe all the Snowies had already left to fly north, so we were happy to see this one, and a second one about four hours later, perched on a distant power pole. No photo opportunities for these owls, but it felt to good to know that there were at least these two owls still in the area. We had no luck at all finding a Short-eared Owl - very different from 7th March, when we saw 8 of them, six in flight and two on the ground. In addition to the 2 Snowies, we did see 9 Great Horned Owls, though, some on nests. Weather was beautiful with some interesting clouds for part of the day, clearing much later. Some of the fields looked pretty bare, while others were still covered in snow. The "heat-wave" distortion was really bad all day long. Does anyone know if there is a way to overcome this? It makes good, clear shots impossible.

Wasn't sure if I liked this image enough to post on Flickr, but decided I would. It looked better in thumbnail size, to me, which is perhaps not the greatest recommendation for a photo, lol. Sunday, 5 January 2014 was the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton and its surrounding areas. This count was originally supposed to have taken place on 28 December 2013, but the weather forecast warned of a Flash Freeze, and so it was postponed till 5 January 2014. As you can see, the weather was bright and sunny for us that day. What you can't see was that it was brutally cold! On the hour-long drive south of Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)!!!!! It did eventually warm up a few degrees and thankfully, there was no or very little wind, which makes all the difference. The only walking we had to do was when we called in at various farms and homesteads, including the one in my photo. One backroad in particular had too much snow on it, so we had to leave that one out. Also, there was just too much snow in many of the farmyards, so we weren't able to check out all the trees and bushes as thoroughly as we would like to have done. I absolutely love the scenery on this Count, and I was able to get a few shots to show some typical landscapes to give you an idea of where we were for a day. Not sure where all the Hawks and Owls were hiding that day, but we did see 2 Golden Eagles and 2 Bald Eagles. After driving (being driven, for me, which was pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 4:00 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards to thoroughly enjoy a delicious supper. One of my favourite Bird Counts and perhaps the most favourite. Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! Can't wait for next Christmas!

A zoomed-in view of a very distant red barn, taken on 24 December 2013, along one of the backroads fairly near Frank Lake. Obviously the mountains, too, appear closer than they really were. I always love to see sunshine on fields of stubble - they positively glow. Hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas Day yesterday! How quickly it's all over with for another year. Some of you may be going off to the stores today, Boxing Day, but I'll be heading in the opposite direction, to the mountains. Lucky enough to have been invited to join friends for a day surrounded by magnificent scenery. To me, that feels more Christmassy than fighting the crowds and standing in line for ages at the shopping mall : )

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.