Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Aix sponsa

I don't see Wood Ducks all that often and usually, when I do see them, they are far away. The light wasn't as good as I would have liked this morning at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, especially first thing, so my photos are not as sharp as they could have been, but I'm still happy to get them. It was another beautiful day, with the temperature getting up to about 17C. "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id It was another beautiful day on 20 October 2018, with the temperature getting up to about 17C. I joined a group of friends for a morning birding walk at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Always an enjoyable walk and we saw some of the usual things, including a Great Blue Heron perched way off in the distance, a couple of the deer who live there, and quite a few Wood Ducks (seen in very poor light). After the walk, some of us drove over to the nearby Blackfoot Diner for lunch. Always fun to sit and chat. Thanks, Janet, for another enjoyable morning.

So, what happened to autumn??? We seem to have jumped straight from summer to winter! Yesterday evening, 13 September 2018, I was out at a meeting with friends and, when it was over and we looked outside, all the cars were covered in SNOW! Our temperatures have been winter-like recently, too. This morning at 10:30 am, it is only -2C (windchill -5C) and is forecast to soar to a balmy 7C with rain later today. Really hope things change and fall does eventually arrive. It was a fairly quiet afternoon at Carburn Park on 9 September 2018. Only 26 species of bird were seen, compared to the groups who went on the morning walk and saw 60 bird species. As usual, mornings are a better time to go and look for birds. However, I was content with seeing a group of American White Pelicans out on a gravel bar in the river and, further along the path, quite a few Double-crested Cormorants perched, flying or swimming. A Wood Duck, on the way to getting his full colours, was also good to see. At one of our stops, we looked down the embankment and watched a busy and hungry Muskrat. I always think they have the cutest little hands. Others in the small group saw a Mink, but it was out of view from where I was standing. On our return walk back to our cars, we stopped to watch a beautiful deer, busily feeding in the tall grasses and plants. A bright yellow Sowthistle flower was just one of the food items I saw disappear. The deer was just a few feet away from the path, until a man on his bike with a large dog on leash came by and stopped to watch. The dog started barking, disturbing this creature who had been so peacefully feeding. Also on the way back to the parking lot, I spotted what I thought was a white golf ball at the base of a tree. When I took a somewhat closer look, I realized it was a beautiful Inkcap fungus! Hadn't seen one of these for a long time. Took a couple of quick shots and then hurried to catch up with my friends.

SEPTEMBER 11th - NEVER FORGET. It was a fairly quiet afternoon at Carburn Park the day before yesterday, 9 September 2018. Only 26 species of bird were seen, compared to the groups who went on the morning walk and saw 60 bird species. As usual, mornings are a better time to go and look for birds. However, I was content with seeing a group of American White Pelicans out on a gravel bar in the river and, further along the path, quite a few Double-crested Cormorants perched, flying or swimming. A Wood Duck, on the way to getting his full colours, was also good to see. At one of our stops, we looked down the embankment and watched a busy and hungry Muskrat. I always think they have the cutest little hands. Others in the small group saw a Mink, but it was out of view from where I was standing. On our return walk back to our cars, we stopped to watch a beautiful deer, busily feeding in the tall grasses and plants. A bright yellow Sowthistle flower was just one of the food items I saw disappear. The deer was just a few feet away from the path, until a man on his bike with a large dog on leash came by and stopped to watch. The dog started barking, disturbing this creature who had been so peacefully feeding. Also on the way back to the parking lot, I spotted what I thought was a white golf ball at the base of a tree. When I took a somewhat closer look, I realized it was a beautiful Inkcap fungus! Hadn't seen one of these for a long time. Took a couple of quick shots and then hurried to catch up with my friends.

Normally, I don't go on any evening bird walks, but I had been meaning for ages to get over to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. It always feels like a long drive across the city, but I thought this particular bird walk, on 22 August 2017, would actually get me over there. I'm really glad I went, not just seeing friends, but also these two Wood Ducks that were reasonably close. I don't see Wood Ducks very often and usually, when I do see them, they are far away. The light wasn't as good as I would have liked, so my photos are not as sharp as they could have been, but I'm still happy to get them. "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id We saw 24 species of bird, including 2 Great Blue Herons, 2 Bald Eagles, 1 Osprey, 1 Merlin, 8 Wood Ducks, and an American Goldfinch. Thanks, Janet, for a very enjoyable two and a half hour walk on such a beautiful evening!

Yesterday morning, 21 October 2017, I went to the Grand Re-opening of the Wild Bird Store here in the city. It is also their 20th Anniversary. Their new location is within my driving comfort zone, so I decided to go. The beautiful Swainsons's Hawk shown in my previous photo resides at the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation and accompanied Janis while she gave a talk. It is four years old, has a damaged wing, and serves as a Wildlife Ambassador. Apparently, it gets on well with people and therefore has the right kind of personality to be trained for this important work. Quite a vocal bird, too, as we found out. There were several other talks, one being given by Myrna Pearman from the Ellis Bird Farm and another by Chris Fisher. Both full of interesting information. Afterwards, I decided to keep driving north, and called in at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. I rarely go there, as it always seems a long way to drive, and I tend not to see many birds when I go on my own. I was happy, though, to see a number of beautiful Wood Ducks and one of the Great Horned Owls, so my visit felt worthwhile.

Yesterday morning, I joined several friends for a morning's walk at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary. This juvenile Wood Duck was one of several Wood Ducks we saw. Such beautiful colours in their feathers. I will add our leader's report in a comment box below. Thanks for a very enjoyable walk, Janet! A Great Horned Owl was a welcome sight, too, though it was in a very awkward place to photograph, so I may not post a photo. At the Sanctuary, people must stay on the path. There are various deer trails or places where Beavers have dragged logs to the lagoon. These are not 'paths' for visitors to walk along. Our leader is a steward at the Sanctuary and she explained about staying on the path to a young woman who was ignoring the rules. However, this woman took no notice and stayed where she was, wanting to take photos. Ignorant. "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id "The Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and Nature Centre have been providing migratory birds with a place to rest their wings since 1929. That's more than 80 years of conservation! To date, 270 species of birds, 21 species of mammals and 347 species of plants have been recorded at the Sanctuary and Nature Centre by members of the public, volunteers and staff. In 1883, Colonel James Walker settled the land that is now occupied by the sanctuary. In 1910, the current brick house - then named Inglewood - was built, and the surrounding area was named for the most prominent property in the area. From 1929 to 1952, several Chinese families leased land from Colonel Walker and established market gardens to serve the needs of a growing city. These highly productive gardens were used to grow vegetables and bedding plants, and represent an early example of urban agriculture and horticulture in the city. As part of the engagement process for Bend in Bow, it was discovered the descendants of one of the families, the Koo family, still reside in Calgary. Colonel Walker's son, Selby, applied to the Federal government in 1929 to have 59 acres on the west side of the Bow River be designated as a Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary. His request was granted and the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary was born. When Selby died in 1953, Ed Jefferies acquired the property and leased it to the Alberta Fish & Game Association. In 1970, The City of Calgary purchased the property and has been managing it as a natural reserve ever since. The sanctuary's Nature Centre was built in 1996 and grassland restoration projects began in that same year. The Colonel Walker House is currently used by Parks staff and volunteers as a classroom and office." www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/SE-parks/Inglew...

For members of the ipernity website, this update is from 1 September 2017. I have the same almost 14,000 photos there as I have on Flickr. "Dear Members, We are thrilled to announce that we are about to take the last steps of IMA's take-over of the Ipernity platform and service. IMA is now handling the financial aspects of the site. IMA made the first payment to Amazon Web Services for August and will continue to pay the operating costs to ensure the site runs without interruption. This is a major accomplishment in the transition from Ipernity S.A. to IMA. However, technical issues such as renewal options still need to be resolved due to software/coding issues. These issues are currently being addressed with the objective of a quick resolution....." www.ipernity.com/blog/team/4675826 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Normally, I don't go on any evening bird walks, but I had been meaning for ages to get over to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. It always feels like a long drive across the city, but I thought this particular bird walk on 22 August 2017, would actually get me over there. I'm really glad I went, not just seeing friends, but also these two Wood Ducks that were reasonably close. I don't see Wood Ducks very often and usually, when I do see them, they are far away. "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id We saw 24 species of bird, including 2 Great Blue Herons, 2 Bald Eagles, 1 Osprey, 1 Merlin, 8 Wood Ducks, and an American Goldfinch. I will add the complete list that Andrew Hart compiled, in a comment box below. Thanks, Andrew! Thanks, too, Janet, for a very enjoyable two and a half hour walk on such a beautiful evening!

Normally, I don't go on any evening bird walks, but I had been meaning for ages to get over to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. It always feels like a long drive across the city, but I thought this particular bird walk yesterday evening, 22 August 2017, would actually get me over there. I'm really glad I went, not just seeing friends, but also these two Wood Ducks that were reasonably close. I don't see Wood Ducks very often and usually, when I do see them, they are far away. The light wasn't as good as I would have liked, so my photos are not as sharp as they could have been, but I'm still happy to get them. "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id We saw 24 species of bird, including 2 Great Blue Herons, 2 Bald Eagles, 1 Osprey, 1 Merlin, 8 Wood Ducks, and an American Goldfinch. I will add the complete list that Andrew Hart compiled, in a comment box below. Thanks, Andrew! Thanks, too, Janet, for a very enjoyable two and a half hour walk on such a beautiful evening!

I don't see Wood Ducks very often and, usually when I do see them, they are far away. The two males and one female in this photo were just within photo range, fully zoomed and cropped. A second female was nearby. They were hanging out at a local storm-water pond at Burnsmead, Fish Creek Park, and were seen on a birding walk with friends on 1 November 2016. By the way, a note to any local birders - the road down to Bankside has been closed for the winter. I don't remember this happening other years. Now you have to park in the Burnsmead parking lot and walk the rest of the way. I will add the list of the 32 bird species seen, in a comment box below. "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_duck

Yesterday afternoon, 4 May 2016, I had a volunteer shift and then thought I might call in at the Reader Rock Garden. Changed my mind when I discovered that new road construction was taking place at the very first corner I was going to take, so I couldn't turn right. Instead, I called in at Fish Creek Park to check on the family of Great Horned Owls. Only saw one of the two owlets and there was no activity at all while I was there - a friend did see both after I left. Isn't that always the way, lol? I so rarely get photos of Wood Ducks, as when I do see one, it is almost always way off in the distance. Yesterday, however, I was lucky enough to see a pair of them, as well as a pair of American Wigeon, all close enough to photograph. "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_duck

This photo was taken a couple of days ago, on 26 September 2015. In the morning, I joined a group of friends for a three-hour stroll at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. The temperature was between 8C and 13C and it was overcast until we were about to leave, when the sun finally struggled out from behind the clouds. I had been meaning to get over to the Sanctuary, but just hadn't had the time, so thought this trip would get me out there. The fall colours and reflections are always beautiful, though the sun would have helped. I think the highlight for me was seeing this pair of gorgeous Wood Ducks, Usually I see them far, far away, but this pair was reasonably close. "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_duck I will add Janet and Bernie's list from our walk, with thanks for a very enjoyable morning! 1. Pied-billed Grebe - 1 2. Double-crested Cormorant - 12 3. Great Blue Heron - 1 4. Canada Goose - 24 5. Wood Duck - 29 6. Mallard - 11 7. Common Merganser - 45 8. Merlin - 2 sightings, likely 1 bird 9. Greater Yellowlegs - 1 10. Ring-billed Gull - 18 11. Feral Pigeon - 1 12. Northern Flicker - 1 13. Hairy Woodpecker - 1 14. Black-billed Magpie - 8 15. American Crow - 5 16. Black-capped Chickadee - 6 17. White-breasted Nuthatch - 3 18. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 3 19. Ruby -crowned Kinglet - 1 20. American Robin - 5 21. European Starling - 200+ 22. Pine Siskin - 10 23. House Sparrow - 3

This was a distant, quick shot of this pair of beautiful Wood Ducks. Caught them just before they rounded a bend in the river and disappeared from sight. I had seen them swimming away from the river bank and thought they would be Mallards, so I got a pleasant surprise when I suddenly realized that these were the first Wood Ducks I'd really seen this year. Though the male is more colourful, I always think the female is an attractive bird, too. Taken yesterday, when I was walking along the Bow River at Carburn Park. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_Duck

Not sure how many Wood Ducks we ended up seeing at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary this morning, but I think it was around 30 (actually, 32)! Usually, this species is at the far side of a river or pond, but today there were three sitting on a log much closer to where we were walking. The male (on the right) is quite a spectacular bird and the female has some interesting colours and patterns, too. Never seen this many before!

Leaving the paths at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is not allowed, even by a few feet, so it's very difficult to get a good, close shot of these Wood Ducks. I tend to view any really close shot with suspicion, ha. Several Wood Ducks were on this branch (seen through a gap in the trees and bushes) and this is about as close an image as I'm likely to get - so I'll happily take it. The poor males (the one on the left) are looking quite different in this non-breeding season, though their colours are still amazing. I always think the females have their own beauty, with their little touches of colour. Taken on 3 September 2012. Yesterday afternoon, I had to drive to a store in quite strong wind. The car felt a little strange, but then it usually does when I'm driving on a very windy day. As soon as I reached my destination, my mind was taken off my vehicle. Drove towards home and called in at another place, where, to my absolute horror, I discovered that my two rear tires were almost flat (down by 25 lbs!!). Seemed very strange that this had happened to two tires. Very fortunately, I could see an Auto place nearby, so slowly drove across to their parking lot. Someone filled all four tires with air for me, so I will have to take a look at them this morning and then really must go back this afternoon and wait a couple of hours at least, while they check the tires and repair them if necessary. I suspect that the wheel rims are corroded (car is getting on for 14 years old) and air is leaking for that reason. Much later: wasted most of the afternoon, sitting waiting for my two rear tires to be checked and repaired. Can you believe that there was a screw in one and a piece of metal in the other?!!! Hmm, I wonder if that had anything to do with the fact that there was so much renovation going on around here, when they replaced all the windows. Who knows, though I find it hard to think of where else I might have been that would have these metal things lying around.

Wood Ducks love to sit on this tree trunk that slopes down into the lagoon at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Unfortunately, you can't get close, so this is a very distant and heavily cropped shot.

Not sure what a juvenile looks like, so I could be wrong when I say that this is a female. Photographed at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary on 3 September 2012.

I can never get close to Wood Ducks, so it's a case of either posting a distant shot or none at all, LOL. This one was swimming on the lagoon at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary recently. "The Wood Duck is not naturally a resident of Alberta, but of more forested regions of the east, and of the west coast. A population was introduced to Inglewood Bird Sanctuary some years ago, and these birds have spread to some other locations in the Calgary area. Odd stray birds from outside populations are also seen occasionally in Alberta. Most Wood Ducks leave the Calgary area by the end of October and do not appear again until April. However, a pair or two will sometimes stay through the winter on open stretches of the Bow River. Unlike our other surface-feeding ducks, the Wood Duck does not nest on the ground, but in trees. Large nesting boxes have been put up in Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and other natural areas, and are sometimes utilised by Wood Ducks." From talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/index.php?s=30 .

A gorgeous, male Wood Duck, swimming on the Elbow River this morning at Stanley Park (Calgary, not Vancouver). A very heavily cropped photo, as the duck was out in the middle of the river! We had a very enjoyable three-hour walk on this beautiful fall day. So glad I went, as when I checked the long-range forecast for the city last night, there was a tiny snowflake graphic on about six days in a row for the week after next. Of course, the forecast could change by then.