Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: SE Alberta

Crazy, crazy weather! We have only just come out of an awful deep-freeze that lasted for many weeks. "The chance for some 20 degree weather extends across southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan early next week including the city of Calgary, where some daily temperature records are in jeopardy. The record to beat on Monday and Tuesday is 18.3°C and 18.9°C, which were both set on March 18 and 19 back in 1928." From the Weather Network on 16 March 2019. I am going to be taking a break from posting photos on ipernity and Flickr soon - might or might not post anything after today. Will return when I don't have to keep going into my archives. As I have been doing the last few days, I will add the description that I added under a previously posted photo from the same day. "There are 43 images in my Burrowing Owl album - this photo shows one of the first and only Burrowing Owls that I have ever been fortunate enough to see in the wild. To say that it was a thrill is an understatement! These endangered owls are tiny and so difficult to see, especially when they are down in the grasses. They are a true delight when or if they are seen on a fence post, so that the whole of the bird can be seen, not just a bright yellow eye peering out between the blades of grass. We saw two different individuals, possibly three, and for a brief moment both were perched on distant fence posts at the same time. Most of the time, though, they were mainly hidden in the grass, so my photos tend to be of "eyes". Such a great pity that this is an endangered species! For years, I had longed to see a wild Burrowing Owl, but never thought it would actually happen! It was SO windy while we were there - could barely stand upright, despite leaning against the car. We would very quickly discover why it was this windy. During a three-day trip with a couple of friends, we saw so many things, I hardly know where to start. Perhaps I will simply mention some of the things and then add more detail to each photo as I add them to my photostream. Of course, we couldn't have had a more beautiful area to explore! Waterton Lakes National Park has amazing scenery and wildlife. The weather forecast that I saw before we left Calgary said that we were in for three beautiful days of sunshine - too often, it can be rainy weather. So, luck was on our side, giving us warm, sunny days - until the BIG STORM hit, lol! We drove eastwards from the park, hoping to see Yellow-bellied Marmots and, if we were really lucky, a Burrowing Owl. Then an enormous storm cloud moved in. It was like nothing we had ever seen before - a menacing shelf (?) cloud that was travelling fast and furious. Despite trying our best to get away from it, it eventually engulfed our car, surrounding us with more or less zero visibility, pounding hail, thunder and lightning. There was nothing to do but stop the car and sit tight, hoping that the hail would not break the car windows and that this severe thunderstorm would not develop into a tornado! This storm was very scary, but at the same time, exciting (only because all turned out OK in the end!). Our road trip sure went out with a bang! Someone from the Alberta Tornado Watch told me that this particular storm was a Mesocyclone. So, a few of the things we saw - fantastic scenery, 4 Black Bears (including one that was swimming in the lake), Bison, Deer, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, various bird species including the Burrowing Owls, a few wildflowers, several Yellow-bellied Marmots (a first for me!), a few different insect species, and a family of Dusky Grouse (uncommon in Waterton Lakes National Park). I even got the chance to see three or four new-to-me old, wooden grain elevators." "As a result of the Burrowing Owl's ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl

Happy Easter weekend to everyone who celebrates! We are under another weather alert today, 30 March 2018. "A low pressure system developing over southern Alberta this morning will bring snowfall across much of southern Alberta. Generally areas south and east of Calgary, including Calgary itself, can expect to see anywhere from 5 to 10 cm of snow by late this evening." Our temperature just after noon is -11C (windchilll -20C) - and they call this 'spring'? There are 47 images in my Burrowing Owl album - this photo shows one of the first and only Burrowing Owls that I have ever been fortunate enough to see in the wild. To say that it was a thrill is an understatement! The photo was taken at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm, and it was very windy, just before a dreadful storm (mesocyclone) moved in. These endangered owls are tiny and so difficult to see, especially when they are down in the grasses. They are a true delight when or if they are seen on a fence post, so that the whole of the bird can be seen, not just a bright yellow eye peering out between the blades of grass. We saw two different individuals, possibly three, and for a brief moment both were perched on distant fence posts at the same time. Most of the time, though, they were mainly hidden in the grass. Such a great pity that this is an endangered species! Without the help of two friends who helped us know where we might find these birds, and the two friends who invited me to go with them on a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park, I would never have had this amazing sighting. For years, I had longed to see a wild Burrowing Owl, but never thought it would actually happen! We were SO grateful for the help we received! During our three days away, my two friends and I saw so many things, including breathtaking scenery, 4 Black Bears (including one that was swimming in the lake), Bison, Deer (including several that we saw in the town of Waterton (where we stayed for two nights at the clean and friendly Bear Mountain Motel), Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, various bird species including a family of Dusky Grouse that are uncommon to the park, a few wildflowers, and a few different insect species. I was so happy to see Yellow-bellied Marmots when we drove way east of the park and a bit later in the day, all three of us were so thrilled to find our very first two (possibly three) endangered Burrowing Owls. I even got the chance to see three or four new-to-me old, wooden grain elevators. Oh, and we got caught in a storm like nothing we'd ever seen before. An enormous storm cloud moved in. It was like nothing I had ever seen before - a menacing shelf cloud that was travelling fast and furious. Despite trying our best to out-drive it, it eventually engulfed our car, surrounding us with more or less zero visibility, pounding hail, thunder and lightning. There was nothing to do but stop the car and sit tight, hoping that the hail would not break the car windows and that this severe storm would not develop into a tornado! This storm was very scary, but at the same time, exciting at first (only because all turned out OK in the end!). Our road trip sure went out with a bang! Someone from the Alberta Tornado Watch told me that this particular storm was a Mesocyclone.

There are 46 images in my Burrowing Owl album - this photo shows one of the first and only Burrowing Owls that I have ever been fortunate enough to see in the wild. To say that it was a thrill is an understatement! The photo was taken at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm, and it was very windy. These endangered owls are tiny and so difficult to see, especially when they are down in the grasses. They are a true delight when or if they are seen on a fence post, so that the whole of the bird can be seen, not just a bright yellow eye peering out between the blades of grass. We saw two different individuals, possibly three, and for a brief moment both were perched on distant fence posts at the same time. Most of the time, though, they were mainly hidden in the grass, so my photos tend to be of "eyes". Such a great pity that this is an endangered species! Without the help of two friends who helped us know where we might find these birds, and the two friends who invited me to go with them on a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park, I would never have had this amazing sighting. For years, I had longed to see a wild Burrowing Owl, but never thought it would actually happen! We were SO grateful for the help we received! During three days away (26, 27 and 28 August 2014) with friends, we saw so many things. Of course, we couldn't have had a more beautiful area to explore! Waterton Lakes National Park has amazing scenery and wildlife. The weather forecast that I saw before we left Calgary said that we were in for three beautiful days of sunshine - too often, it can be rainy weather in that whole area. So, luck was on our side, giving us warm, sunny days - until the BIG STORM hit! We had driven eastwards from the park, hoping to see Yellow-bellied Marmots and, if we were really lucky, a Burrowing Owl. The storm was approaching very fast, around 5:00 p.m. just before we started our return trip to Calgary. It was like nothing I had ever seen before - a menacing shelf cloud that was travelling fast and furious. Despite trying our best to drive away from it, it eventually engulfed our car, surrounding us with more or less zero visibility, pounding hail, thunder and lightning, and very strong winds. There was nothing to do but stop the car and sit tight, hoping that the hail would not break the car windows and that this severe thunderstorm would not develop into a tornado! This storm was very scary, but at the same time, exciting at first (only because all turned out OK in the end!). Our road trip sure went out with a bang! People from the Alberta Tornado Watch said this storm was a mesocyclone. Some of the things we were fortunate enough to see included fantastic scenery, 4 Black Bears (including one that was swimming in the lake), Bison, Deer (including several that we saw in the town of Waterton, where we stayed for two nights at the clean and friendly Bear Mountain Motel), Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, various bird species including the endangered Burrowing Owls, a few wildflowers, several Yellow-bellied Marmots (a first for me!), a few different insect species, and a family of Dusky Grouse. I even got the chance to see three or four new-to-me old, wooden grain elevators.

There are 43 images in my Burrowing Owl album - this photo shows one of the first and only Burrowing Owls that I have ever been fortunate enough to see in the wild. To say that it was a thrill is an understatement! These endangered owls are tiny and so difficult to see, especially when they are down in the grasses. They are a true delight when or if they are seen on a fence post, so that the whole of the bird can be seen, not just a bright yellow eye peering out between the blades of grass. We saw two different individuals, possibly three, and for a brief moment both were perched on distant fence posts at the same time. Most of the time, though, they were mainly hidden in the grass, so my photos tend to be of "eyes". Such a great pity that this is an endangered species! Without the help of two friends (Ron and Joyce) who helped us know where we might find these birds, and friends Cathy and Terry who invited me to go with them on a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park, I would never have had this amazing sighting. For years, I had longed to see a wild Burrowing Owl, but never thought it would actually happen! Same for Cathy and Terry, so all three of us are SO grateful for the help we received! During our three days away, we saw so many things, I hardly know where to start. Perhaps I will simply mention some of the things and then add more detail to each photo as I add them to my photostream. Of course, we couldn't have had a more beautiful area to explore! Waterton Lakes National Park has amazing scenery and wildlife. The weather forecast that I saw before we left Calgary said that we were in for three beautiful days of sunshine - too often, it can be rainy weather. So, luck was on our side, giving us warm, sunny days - until the BIG STORM hit, lol! We drove eastwards from the park, hoping to see Yellow-bellied Marmots and, if we were really lucky, a Burrowing Owl. Then an enormous storm cloud moved in. It was like nothing I had ever seen before - a menacing shelf (?) cloud that was travelling fast and furious. Despite trying our best to get away from it, it eventually engulfed our car, surrounding us with more or less zero visibility, pounding hail, thunder and lightning. There was nothing to do but stop the car and sit tight, hoping that the hail would not break the car windows and that this severe thunderstorm would not develop into a tornado! This storm was very scary, but at the same time, exciting (only because all turned out OK in the end!). Our road trip sure went out with a bang! Someone from the Alberta Tornado Watch told me that this particular storm was a Mesocyclone. So, a few of the things we saw - fantastic scenery, 4 Black Bears (including one that was swimming in the lake), Bison, Deer, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, various bird species including the Burrowing Owls, a few wildflowers, several Yellow-bellied Marmots (a first for me!), a few different insect species, and a family of Dusky Grouse (uncommon in Waterton Lakes National Park). I even got the chance to see three or four new-to-me old, wooden grain elevators. "As a result of the Burrowing Owl's ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl

This is another (forgotten to be posted) landscape photo from Red Rock Coulee, in SE Alberta, taken on 20 September 2013. Two friends, Sandy and Janet, and I, left Calgary on a Monday morning, 20 September 2013, and had to reach Elkwater in the Cypress Hills (not that far from the Saskatchewan border), several hours' drive away, where we were going to stay in a little rustic cabin for three nights. Though our furthest destination was Elkwater, we did a lot of driving all over the SE part of the province. All new territory to me, so I was extremely lucky to get this chance. Both friends had been to this area before, but wanted to go back to see if they could add any new species of Lichen to those already on various lists for each area, and to simply explore this beautiful section on Alberta. Always exciting to see some new things, not to mention all new scenery for me : ) I was really concerned before we went, though, as I had been on antibiotics (which, normally, I never take) for the previous nine days and they were making me feel nauseous and generally sick, and I wasn't sure how I was going to manage the trip. Had to forget the last day of pills, as apart from the nausea, another side-effect was reddening of the skin, and my poor legs looked like they had suffered burns! They also affected my eyes, too, which was really troubling. So thankful I still managed! What I would have missed! On the way to Elkwater, we stopped at Red Rock Coulee, which is 56 kms (35 mi) southwest of Medicine Hat. Wonderfully, we called in again on the way back to Calgary on 23 September, this time walking down the hillside and into one of the coulees. While my friends searched for Lichens, I wandered around, taking photos of the scenery and anything else I came across. While we were down there, the sky had filled with some rather nice clouds, which I appreciated, and the light was so much better. However, the extremely high winds were not pleasant at all, to say the least! In fact, strong winds were everywhere in many parts of SE Alberta. I was expecting a lot of my photos to be blurry, as I could barely keep my balance or hold my camera, but amazingly, most were OK. This is Rattlesnake territory, too, but fortunately we didn't come across any, thank goodness! "The main feature of this natural landscape is the huge red boulders; some measuring 2.5 m across. They are scattered over a relatively small distance. Bedrock is close to the surface in this area, covered by only a thin layer of soil. Water erosion has carved the landscape over time and a badlands topography has formed in places. The bands of colour visible in the exposed bedrock are made of dark gray shales, greenish and gray sandstones, bentonitic clays and thin bands of ironstone. The most striking features of this landscape are the round reddish boulders. These are sandstone concretions and at up to 2.5 m in diameter, they are among the largest in the world. The boulders were formed in prehistoric seas as layers of sand, calcite and iron oxide collected around a nucleus formed by shells, leaves or bones. The concretions grew larger as the circulating waters deposited more layers. The reddish colour comes from iron oxide." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Coulee

There are very few new photos from My Contacts this morning and things seem to be very slow, so maybe my photos aren't showing up on other people's pages, either. Hope this isn't a repeat of the very recent problem, that lasted several days. Another landscape photo taken at Red Rock Coulee in SE Alberta. We left Calgary on Monday morning, 20 September 2013, and had to reach Elkwater in the Cypress Hills (not that far from the Saskatchewan border), several hours' drive away, where we were going to stay in a little rustic cabin for three nights. On the way there, we stopped at Red Rock Coulee, which is just 56 kms (35 mi) southwest of Medicine Hat. Actually, this particular photo was taken on Monday, 23 September 2013, when we called in again, this time walking down the hillside and into one of the coulees. While my friends searched for Lichens, I wandered around, taking photos of the scenery and anything else I came across. These eroded, layered hills are similar to some of those seen in places like Drumheller and DInosaur Provincial Park. The extremely high winds were not pleasant at all, to say the least! In fact, strong winds were everywhere in many parts of SE Alberta. I was expecting a lot of my photos to be very blurry, as I could barely keep my balance or hold my camera. Amazingly, most seem to be OK to use. This is Rattlesnake territory, too, but fortunately we didn't come across any, thank goodness! At least, not here, but one was seen (not by me!) at the Pinhorn Grazing Lease, when we were monitoring the Yucca plants. "The main feature of this natural landscape is the huge red boulders; some measuring 2.5 m across. They are scattered over a relatively small distance. Bedrock is close to the surface in this area, covered by only a thin layer of soil. Water erosion has carved the landscape over time and a badlands topography has formed in places. The bands of colour visible in the exposed bedrock are made of dark gray shales, greenish and gray sandstones, bentonitic clays and thin bands of ironstone. The round reddish boulders are among the largest in the world. The boulders were formed in prehistoric seas as layers of sand, calcite and iron oxide collected around a nucleus formed by shells, leaves or bones. The concretions grew larger as the circulating waters deposited more layers. The reddish colour comes from iron oxide." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Coulee I have an appointment today to go and get my stitches out - not really looking forward to it, as I've been a little concerned about one end of the 3" incision the last two or three days. Guess I'll soon hear what the surgeon thinks - too squeamish to look myself : ) www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/13085588535

Spent an amazing four day (three night) road trip down to SE Alberta with two friends, from 20-23 September 2013. Our furthest destination was Elkwater in the Cypress Hills, but we did a lot of driving all over the SE part of the province. All new territory to me, so I was extremely lucky to get this chance. We were all thrilled to bits to be taken to see these Pinedrops, which none of us had ever seen before, by a delightful young woman. We had met her the previous day, on a trip with people from Medicine Hat College to see and monitor an area of Yucca plants growing in the wild. The tallest Pinedrops plant that we saw was just over 1 metre tall! Unfortunately, we were too late to see the plants in bloom. "The visible portion of Pterospora andromedea is a fleshy, unbranched, reddish to yellowish flower spike (raceme) 30-100 cm in height, though it has been reported to occasionally attain a height of 2 meters. The above-ground stalks (inflorescences) are usually found in small clusters between June and August. The inflorescences are hairy and noticeably sticky to the touch. This is caused by the presence of hairs which exude a sticky substance (glandular hairs). The inflorescences are covered by scale-like structures known as bracts. The upper portion of the inflorescence has a series of yellowish, urn-shaped flowers that face downward. The fruit is a capsule. Like all members of the Monotriopoidiae (see Monotropa), Pterospora andromedea lacks chlorophyll (trace amounts have been identified, but not enough to provide energy for the plant or to color it). Plants exist for most of their life as a mass of brittle, but fleshy, roots. They live in a parasitic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi, in which plants derive all their carbon from their associated fungus, but the relationship is not yet well understood. The term for this kind of symbiosis is mycoheterotrophy." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterospora

Taken on Saturday, 21 September 2013, when friends Sandy and Janet and I joined a group of people from Medicine Hat College to drive a long way across the prairie in SE Alberta to an area called the Pinhorn Grazing Lease. Yucca plants, which are not found in Alberta, had been discovered there and were being closely monitored. They spent a few hours counting every single plant and clone, how many new clones, how many old ones, how many seedpods and how many tiny exit holes from a certain insect were in each pod. It was interesting to find quite a few Seven-spotted Ladybugs huddled inside some of the older, more open pods that had split. Most of the plants were in enclosed "cages", the largest of which could be entered. The GPS location was recorded for every plant, and careful notes were made. Very tedious work, and I commend everyone for doing this. Have to admit that I wandered the area with my camera, photographing the plants in various stages and the surrounding scenery. We were so lucky because two of the plants were in a second bloom, whereas all the other plants had seedpods. Couldn't get a decent photo of the flowers, as there were just too many old stalks in the way, but I did add one to my album for the area ages ago. It was a treat to be able to see Yucca flowers, and a surprise for the folks from the College. We aren't sure how these plants got where they are, but it's possible that they were brought north by Native Americans. We were very close to the border with the US and could see the beautiful Sweetgrass Hills rising from the flat prairie in the distance. A very interesting day for us and one that we were so lucky to experience. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca

Two friends (Sandy and Janet) and I left Calgary early morning on 20 September 2013, and had to reach Elkwater in the Cypress Hills (not that far from the Saskatchewan border), several hours' drive away, where we were going to stay in a little rustic cabin for three nights. On the way there, we stopped at Red Rock Coulee, and you can see just a tiny bit of the area in my photo above. Actually, this particular photo was taken on 23 September, when we called in again, this time walking down the hillside and into one of the coulees. While my friends searched for Lichens, I wandered around, taking photos of the scenery and anything else I came across. While we were down there, the sky had filled with some rather nice clouds, which I appreciated. However, the extremely high winds were not pleasant at all, to say the least! In fact, strong winds were everywhere in many parts of SE Alberta. I was expecting a lot of my photos to be blurry, as I could barely keep my balance or hold my camera, but amazingly, most were OK. This is Rattlesnake territory, too, but fortunately we didn't come across any! "The main feature of this natural landscape is the huge red boulders; some measuring 2.5 m across. They are scattered over a relatively small distance. Bedrock is close to the surface in this area, covered by only a thin layer of soil. Water erosion has carved the landscape over time and a badlands topography has formed in places. The bands of colour visible in the exposed bedrock are made of dark gray shales, greenish and gray sandstones, bentonitic clays and thin bands of ironstone. The most striking features of this landscape are the round reddish boulders. These are sandstone concretions and at up to 2.5 m in diameter, they are among the largest in the world. The boulders were formed in prehistoric seas as layers of sand, calcite and iron oxide collected around a nucleus formed by shells, leaves or bones. The concretions grew larger as the circulating waters deposited more layers. The reddish colour comes from iron oxide." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Coulee

This is another landscape photo from Red Rock Coulee, in SE Alberta, taken on 23 September 2013. Two friends and I left Calgary on Monday morning, 20 September 2013, and had to reach Elkwater in the Cypress Hills (not that far from the Saskatchewan border), several hours' drive away, where we were going to stay in a little rustic cabin for three nights. On the way there, we stopped at Red Rock Coulee, which is just 56 kms (35 mi) southwest of Medicine Hat. Actually, this particular photo was taken on Monday, 23 September 2013, when we called in again, this time walking down the hillside and into one of the coulees. While my friends searched for Lichens, I wandered around, taking photos of the scenery and anything else I came across, including the dry, cracked ground. We didn't know what the plant in this photo was. Most of the flowers on this plant were dead, but there were still just a few that were bright yellow. The extremely high winds were not pleasant at all, to say the least! In fact, strong winds were everywhere in many parts of SE Alberta. I was expecting a lot of my photos to be blurry, as I could barely keep my balance or hold my camera. This is Rattlesnake territory, too, but fortunately we didn't come across any, thank goodness! At least, not here, but one was seen (not by me!) at the Pinhorn Grazing Lease, when we were monitoring the Yucca plants. "The main feature of this natural landscape is the huge red boulders; some measuring 2.5 m across. They are scattered over a relatively small distance. Bedrock is close to the surface in this area, covered by only a thin layer of soil. Water erosion has carved the landscape over time and a badlands topography has formed in places. The bands of colour visible in the exposed bedrock are made of dark gray shales, greenish and gray sandstones, bentonitic clays and thin bands of ironstone. The most striking features of this landscape are the round reddish boulders. These are sandstone concretions and at up to 2.5 m in diameter, they are among the largest in the world. The boulders were formed in prehistoric seas as layers of sand, calcite and iron oxide collected around a nucleus formed by shells, leaves or bones. The concretions grew larger as the circulating waters deposited more layers. The reddish colour comes from iron oxide." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Coulee

I had another image that I took at Red Rock Coulee all ready to upload this evening, but after many attempts, I had to give up. Took forever to upload each time and then it told me that it hadn't worked. So, I grabbed another shot from the same folder. I loved Red Rock Coulee, in Southern Alberta. A couple of friends and I visited this location twice during our 4-day trip last September (2012), and on the second visit, we climbed down into one of the coulees. Such a dry area - and Rattlesnake country! - with mud cracks and rocks scattered all over the place. Taken on 23 September 2013.

The Lichens that were growing on the huge, red rock concretions at Red Rock Coulee, in Southern Alberta, were just so beautiful. No doubt just common ones, but they were huge and colourful. Is the orange lichen Xanthoria elegans? Taken on 20 September 2013, the first day of a four-day trip with a couple of friends, travelling as far as Cypress Hills, where we stayed in a rustic cabin for three nights. We called in at Red Rock Coulee again on our way home to Calgary, but that time we climbed down into one of the coulees to look for mosses and lichens - and anything else of interest and beauty.

Taken on Saturday, 21 September 2013, when two friends and I joined a group of people from Medicine Hat College to drive a long way across the prairie to an area called the Pinhorn Grazing Lease. Yucca plants, which are not found in Alberta, had been discovered there and were being closely monitored. They spent a few hours counting every single plant and clone, how many new clones, how many old ones, how many seedpods and how many tiny exit holes from a certain insect were in each pod. Most of the plants were in enclosed "cages", the largest of which could be entered. The GPS location was recorded for every plant, and careful notes were made. Very tedious work, and I commend everyone for doing this. Have to admit that I wandered the area with my camera, photographing the plants in various stages and the surrounding scenery. We were so lucky because two of the plants were in a second bloom, whereas all the other plants had seedpods. It was a treat to be able to see Yucca flowers, and a surprise for the folks from the College. We aren't sure how these plants got where they are, but it's possible that they were brought north by Native Americans. We were very close to the border with the US and could see the beautiful Sweetgrass Hills rising from the flat prairie in the distance. A very interesting day for us and one that we were so lucky to experience. "Coccinella septempunctata's elytra are of a red colour, but punctuated with three black spots each, with one further spot being spread over the junction of the two, making a total of seven spots, from which the species derives both its common and scientific names (from the Latin septem = "seven" and punctus = "spot"). C. septempunctata has a broad ecological range, living almost anywhere there are aphids for it to eat. Both the adults and the larvae are voracious predators of aphids, and because of this, C. septempunctata has been repeatedly introduced to North America as a biological control agent to reduce aphid numbers, and is now established in North America, and has been subsequently designated the official state insect of five different states (Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Tennessee). In North America, this species has outcompeted many native species, including other Coccinella." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinella_septempunctata

Another landscape photo taken at Red Rock Coulee in SE Alberta. We left Calgary on Monday morning, 20 September 2013, and had to reach Elkwater in the Cypress Hills (not that far from the Saskatchewan border), several hours' drive away, where we were going to stay in a little rustic cabin for three nights. On the way there, we stopped at Red Rock Coulee, which is just 56 kms (35 mi) southwest of Medicine Hat. Actually, this particular photo was taken on Monday, 23 September 2013, when we called in again, this time walking down the hillside and into one of the coulees. While my friends searched for Lichens, I wandered around, taking photos of the scenery and anything else I came across. These eroded, layered hills are similar to some of those seen in places like Drumheller and DInosaur Provincial Park. The extremely high winds were not pleasant at all, to say the least! In fact, strong winds were everywhere in many parts of SE Alberta. I was expecting a lot of my photos to be very blurry, as I could barely keep my balance or hold my camera. Amazingly, most seem to be OK to use, from the very quick look I've taken so far. This is Rattlesnake territory, too, but fortunately we didn't come across any, thank goodness! At least, not here, but one was seen (not by me!) at the Pinhorn Grazing Lease, when we were monitoring the Yucca plants. "The main feature of this natural landscape is the huge red boulders; some measuring 2.5 m across. They are scattered over a relatively small distance. Bedrock is close to the surface in this area, covered by only a thin layer of soil. Water erosion has carved the landscape over time and a badlands topography has formed in places. The bands of colour visible in the exposed bedrock are made of dark gray shales, greenish and gray sandstones, bentonitic clays and thin bands of ironstone. The most striking features of this landscape are the round reddish boulders. These are sandstone concretions and at up to 2.5 m in diameter, they are among the largest in the world. The boulders were formed in prehistoric seas as layers of sand, calcite and iron oxide collected around a nucleus formed by shells, leaves or bones. The concretions grew larger as the circulating waters deposited more layers. The reddish colour comes from iron oxide." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Coulee

A photo I needed to add to my SE Alberta trip album. Wish I was able to ID Lichens, but eventually I will be able to get the names from the two friends I went with on the road trip. I know the red Lichen proved to be of interest to them. I wonder how many people take a closer look at the splashes of colour on rocks - lichens really are quite fascinating and beautiful : ) Taken on 23 September 2013, down one of the coulees at Red Rock Coulee. ID, thanks to Janet Marsh and Sandra Davis: Parasite Caloplaca epithallina on crust lichen & Rhizoplaca melanophthalma.

Discovered that this bug is an Ambush Bug - a new species for me. I had heard the name a few times before, but had no idea what such a bug looked like. I was trying to photograph some sort of Thistle - maybe Wavy-leaved Thistle - when I thought I saw "something" very small on it : ) Taken on Saturday, 21 September 2013, when we joined a group of people from Medicine Hat College to drive a long way across the prairie to an area called the Pinhorn Grazing Lease. Yucca plants, which are not found in Alberta, had been discovered there and were being closely monitored. They spent a few hours counting every single plant and clone, how many new clones, how many old ones, how many seedpods and how many tiny exit holes from a certain insect were in each pod. Most of the plants were in enclosed "cages", the largest of which could be entered. The GPS location was recorded for every plant, and careful notes were made. Very tedious work, and I commend everyone for doing this. Have to admit that I wandered the area with my camera, photographing the plants in various stages and the surrounding scenery. We were so lucky because two of the plants were in a second bloom, whereas all the other plants had seedpods. It was a treat to be able to see Yucca flowers, and a surprise for the folks from the College. We aren't sure how these plants got where they are, but it's possible that they were brought north by Native Americans. We were very close to the border with the US and could see the beautiful Sweetgrass Hills rising from the flat prairie in the distance. A very interesting day for us and one that we were so lucky to experience. "Phymata americana americana is one of only two species of Ambush Bug in Alberta. Typically the bug will use it's yellow and brown coloration to camouflage itself on a yellow flower (such as goldenrod) and then wait to ambush an unsuspecting pollinating insect. The front legs of the Ambush Bug are very strong and it can capture insects as large as Bumblebees and Butterflies. After the victim is pinned, the Ambush Bug injects digestive juices into it and sucks the soup out. (J. Acorn, 2000). Taken from www.insectsofalberta.com/ambushbug.htm .