Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Comma

William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park is named after Mountain View County’s first reeve, who served in the position from 1961 to 1981 and also served as a councillor until 1985. The William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park (34.7 acres) is located seven kilometres west of Water Valley just off Highway 579. "Remediation efforts for the wilderness park were undertaken after the area was made inaccessible following the flood of 2005. Included in the upgrades is a new entry and parking lot on the south side (just off Highway 579); two walking trails that will form a 1.2-kilometre loop; a historical sign detailing the history of the site as a coal mining area; a small picnic area, including outhouses, tables and pest-proof containers; along with several stairways for steep-grade accessibility." From an article in the Mountainview Gazette on 14 June 2011. www.mountainviewgazette.ca/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201... Yesterday, 18 April 2016, I went NW of Calgary with a small group of friends to explore the William J. Bagnall WIldness Park. This was actually my very first visit to this wilderness park. A couple of friends had mentioned it recently and two weeks ago, on 5 April 2016, I finally decided to go and explore the area. That day, I drove through some beautiful scenery, but discovered after I got home that, in fact, I had not even been in the park itself. Instead, I had kept driving past the entrance way along what I think is the Harold Creek Rd. William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park is only small, with a fairly short trail that loops back to the parking lot. It leads through the forest, down the forested hillside to the creek which still has a layer of old snow and ice on it, and then back up the slope to where the cars were parked. It was still too early for plants and fungi to be growing, but the friends I went with are specialists in mosses, lichens and fungi, with most impressive knowledge of every kind of nature, including birds. The second photo I posted this morning shows one of the rather attractive lichens that we saw on a rocky outdrop that was covered in these circular patterns. As far as photography goes, there was not very much to photograph, though I did catch this little Red Squirrel near the parking lot. I also stood listening to the call of a Varied Thrush and, when I was ahead of the rest of the group, I suddenly saw a bird fly into a distant tree. Couldn't find it in my viewfinder, but I could tell exactly where the call was coming from. Then the bird flew and I got a tiny glimpse of its colour. A tiny Comma butterfly gave me a chance to use my camera, too. We stopped and ate our lunch at the small picnic area that has an outhouse. Always a welcome sight! Once back at the cars, we then returned to the city via Highway 22. Thanks so much for driving, Peter - much appreciated. It was pure luxury to travel my usual owling route with someone else driving! A great day in glorious weather and in great company. Nothing like having summer weather in mid-April. It's supposed to get up to 27C this afternoon, which is crazy. A week from today, though, the forecast is for 3C and snow, lol!

LOL, a more accurate view of this small Anglewing butterfly, of it sitting on friend David's finger! For some reason, butterflies seem to like being on his hands : ) Seen on 22nd August in West Bragg Creek Provincial Park. Not sure if it's a Green Comma.

These beautiful, small butterflies prefer mud and sap to flowers (and sometimes dung, aphid honeydew or spoiled fruit). This is one of my favourite kinds of butterfly, because of the unusual shape of the wing edges and the brilliant orange colour. I found this one in the gravel parking lot at Maclean Pond, Kananaskis.

I'm having problems uploading again, so am trying again to get my other two shots to work, one at a time. Photographed this beautiful Comma butterfly on 27 September 2012, in the parking lot at Forgetmenot Pond, Elbow Falls Trail, Kananaskis. In most of Alberta, the Gray and the Green Commas are the two common Commas. These are one of my favourite butterflies - love the shape of their wings.

Two days ago, a few of us went to West Bragg Creek for the day, looking for fungi as well as anything else of interest and/or beauty. A couple of beautiful, small Comma (Polygonia) butterflies flew around us in the parking lot. Photographed (telemacro) this one on a friend's jacket. In most of Alberta, the Gray and the Green Commas are the two common Commas. These are one of my favourite butterflies - love the shape of their wings.

Oops, not in time to say that this is just a small butterfly perched on my finger, taken using macro setting on my camera. Sorry, it does look huge : ) Not completely sure of the ID, other than that it is an Anglewing, maybe a Gray or a Green Comma? If it is a Gray Comma, then the wingspan is only 40-50 mm. If it's a Green Comma, wingspan is 45-55 mm. This one landed on a friend's jeans and then climbed on to another friend's finger and then finally came on to my own finger. Seen a couple of days ago at the west end of Bragg Creek Provincial Park.

Not sure if this is a Satyr Anglewing or a Green Comma. Seen at Big Hill Springs park, just NW of Calgary, on 21st August 2007. Note on 1st September 2007: thanks, Ron (Ron Wolf) for the positive ID!

Not sure what kind of Comma butterfly this is, but I saw it on my walk yesterday. I noticed that one of the antenna is missing. I also photographed another Comma that must have had about the lower half of its wings missing. Amazing how it could still get around.

I very rarely see this kind of butterfly. I like the wavy edges of the wings.