Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Banff

This is just a quick shot through the windscreen of the car I was riding in, when a group of us went birding W of Calgary, on 2 February 2014. I zoomed in quite closely in order to avoid the highway being in my photo, so the mountain looks much closer than it really is. "Cascade Mountain is a mountain located in the Bow River Valley of Banff National Park, Alberta, adjacent to the town of Banff. The mountain was named in 1858 by James Hector after the waterfall or cascade on the southern flanks of the peak. The mountain has also been called Stoney Chief, which is related to the name of the smaller neighbouring mountain Stoney Squaw, which is still in use. Cascade is the highest mountain adjacent to the townsite." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Mountain_ (Alberta)

Another view of one of the little White-crowned Sparrows that I saw in a nearby bush along the edge of Vermillion Lakes, Banff, on 3rd July. This was the first time I had ever been close to one of these Sparrows, so I enjoyed being able to see what it really looked like.

Taken on 16th January, on the way home from a wonderful day out to Lake Louise (west of Banff) with a couple of friends. We pulled off on to a pullout to take a look at Mt. Rundle and the surrounding mountains, and I just liked the sunlight and shadows on these peaks.

A perfect Daisy on display at the Cascade Gardens in Banff, in the Rocky Mountains. A friend very kindly invited me along, on 3rd July!

Yesterday, I spent the day in Banff with a friend, following part of the Fen Trail through the forest and walking the short distance to Vermillion Lakes. In the afternoon, we visited the Cascade Gardens at the far end of Banff's main street. I don't usually get a chance to go to Banff, in the Rocky Mountains, so this was a wonderful treat, thanks to my friend! The total driving distance from Calgary to Banff is 126 kms. A road trip from Calgary to Banff takes about 1 hour 37 mins. The two little White-crowned Sparrows that I was watching from maybe 5' or 6' away, were in one of the bushes along the edge of the lake, near the edge of the road.

I thought these Cosmos flowers at the Cascade Gardens in Banff were so pretty : ) Yesterday, I spent the day in Banff with a friend, following part of the Fen Trail through the forest and walking the short distance to Vermillion Lakes. In the afternoon, we visited the Cascade Gardens at the far end of Banff's main street. I don't usually get a chance to go to Banff, in the Rocky Mountains, so this was a wonderful treat, thanks to my friend! The total driving distance from Calgary to Banff is 126 kms. A road trip from Calgary to Banff takes about 1 hour 37 mins. Weather was perfect - not too warm, and sunny. Just looked at this photo again, and wonder if perhaps I should brighten it a little. The angle of sunlight in my computer room is making it a bit hard to tell how dark or bright my photos are.

Yesterday, I spent the day in Banff with a friend, following part of the Fen Trail through the forest and walking the short distance to Vermillion Lakes. In the afternoon, we visited the Cascade Gardens at the far end of Banff's main street. I don't usually get a chance to go to Banff, in the Rocky Mountains, so this was a wonderful treat, thanks to my friend! The two little White-crowned Sparrows that I was watching from maybe 5' or 6' away, were in one of the bushes along the edge of the lake, near the edge of the road. I've never been that close to one of these birds, so I loved having the chance to really see what they look like. Unfortunately, the bush was a tangle of thin branches, but I did manage a few shots through an occasional clear gap.

Yesterday, I spent a wonderful day with friends at Lake Louise, out past Banff. Near Castle Mountain, we stopped to take photos of Ravens that were hanging around a pull-off. Smart birds that they are, they have learned that people probably stop here and maybe eat a snack - and they love food! In the city, it's impossible to get a photo of a Raven, so we were really happy to get this opportunity. The weather was beautiful, around +10C, (apart from being very cold at Lake Louise), though the dazzling sunlight created very harsh shadows. I think we have passed on our recent bitter winter weather to those living in eastern Canada - sorry, everyone : ) Honest!

A shot taken on a recent day trip to Banff. After a very enjoyable lunch at the Banff Springs Hotel, we had a bit of time to wander the streets of Banff and get as far as a bridge over the Bow River. Rather a beautiful view.

Went to Banff for the day today, and had lunch at the Banff Springs Hotel. It's a spectacular place, set in a magnificent setting.

These are a few distant peaks seen from the Bow Falls parking lot, near Banff, in the Rocky Mountains. Seen yesterday on a day out with friends. We had stopped at the Banff Springs Hotel for an excellent lunch and then had a quick stop here at Bow Falls.

Had an absolutely wonderful 10 hours of birding today, when a friend invited me to join him on a day out in the Rocky Mountains. The plan was to see if any White-tailed Ptarmigan could be found high up at Bow Summit (between Bow Lake and Peyto Lake). No luck with the Ptarmigan but, oh, what amazing wildlife we (or rather, my friend, who is a superb birder!) found. We stopped off en route at a place called Harvey Heights, a small hamlet right on the boundary of Banff National Park, near Canmore. There, we saw: 1 Stellar's Jay - a new bird for me! 10 Clarke's Nutcrackers - a new bird for me! 24+ Pine Grosbeaks - the first time I could see one close enough 3 Pine Siskins - the first time I could see one close enough 8 Mountain Chickadees 2 Boreal Chickadees 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 or 3 Brown Creepers 1 Downy Woodpecker AND 1 Pine Marten. Neither of us had ever seen one before! "The marten, or pine marten, is a weasel-like animal that is dark brown to blond in colour with a paler head and underparts. The tail is long and bushy; the ears pointed and small. Average weight is 1-4 pounds. Distribution - The marten occurs throughout most of Canada particularly in coniferous forests. Biology - In April, 2-4 young are born blind in a leaf nest. The marten feeds on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice, eggs, berries, seeds and honey. Their valuable pelts have led to their extirpation in many areas and logging has destroyed their habitats. Martens are now protected." Taken from bcadventure.com. We also came across several VERY friendly Ravens in the Bow Summit area. When the car was stopped, they would fly on to the hood of the car, then manage to get on to the driver's side mirror and wait to be fed!! This photo is of the Pine Marten in someone's garden.