Photos, videos and docs of Anne Elliott, with the keywords: "Paridae"

Mountain Chickadee feeding on suet

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 16:38:26 +0000

Mountain Chickadees are birds that I so rarely get to see. We always seem to be in luck on this Bird Count, though.

All four photos posted this morning were taken on 27 December 2018, when I took part with seven others (in two vehicles) in the annual Audubon Sheep River/Turner Valley Christmas Bird Count.

The weather forecast was for sun and cloud, but there was only a very brief sighting of sun on the distant mountain peaks in the whole day. Heavily overcast is an accurate description. Fortunately, it was not bitterly cold (between -11C and -3C) and there was no deep snow to have to walk through.

We only saw 13 species of bird, but we were all delighted to see a Moose (female), with two being seen by one participant. I think I only got photos of two birds in the whole day - plus a fake owl on a barn door, that I like to photograph each year : )

Two days later, I had to be up really early to get to a meeting place by 7:30 am, ready for the annual Audubon Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Christmas Bird Count. This was my last out-of-city Count for this winter. There is a Fish Creek Park annual New Year's Day Count coming up, so hopefully there won't be any new snow before then. It did snow a bit yesterday.

Boreal Chickadee

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 14:55:38 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

By the afternoon on 3 February 2018, the snow had stopped and I decided to join five friends for an enjoyable walk at Shaw's Meadow in Fish Creek Park. With no wind and a temperature of -9C to -7C, it was comparatively pleasant. About 45 minutes into our walk, the snow returned, falling in light, fluffy clusters.

We saw more bird species than we were expecting (list of 16 species added to a comment box below), including a Hairy Woodpecker, and this Boreal Chickadee. I so rarely get to take photos of these small birds so, despite the blurriness, I was happy to get it.

A stop at Tim Horton's for coffee after the two-hour walk was just what was needed. Always so enjoyable to sit and chat and warm up after a cold walk. Thanks, Janet and Bernie!

The ever-present Black-capped Chickadee

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:40:30 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This was more or less the only photo I ended up with after a long walk in South Glenmore Park yesterday afternoon, 18 February 2018. It was so cold and a slight wind made the windchill plunge. However, a handful of us braved the weather and managed to find at least several species of bird. This little Black-capped Chickadee was one of several, feeding on Sunflower seeds. These little Chickadees are just 24 hours away from death, and need to collect enough fat in order to survive. Such busy little birds.

This is not my favourite walk, partly because it is so long, but I needed the exercise and I wanted to spend time with my friends. Some of us went for coffee afterwards - and a bowl of special Mac & Cheese was especially welcome after being out in the cold for so long.

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

"The chickadee's unerring spatial memory is remarkable enough, says Colin Saldanha, assistant professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University and an anatomist who has studied songbirds for six years.

But it is what happens inside the tiny songbird's brain that Saldanha finds amazing. In the fall, as the chickadee is gathering and storing seeds, Saldanha says, its hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for spatial organization and memory in many vertebrates, expands in volume by approximately 30 percent by adding new nerve cells. In songbirds, the hippocampus is located on the dorsal surface of the forebrain right beneath the skull. In mammals, the hippocampus is located beneath the cortex.

In the spring, when its feats of memory are needed less, the chickadee's hippocampus shrinks back to its normal size, Saldanha says." From article on ScienceDaily.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030912072156.htm

Boreal Chickadee, caught just in time

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 17:24:08 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

A huge leap from tropical rainforest images to winter photos taken yesterday afternoon, 3 February 2018. The day before yesterday brought such bad weather, very cold and snow falling all day long. By yesterday afternoon, the snow had stopped and I decided to join five friends for an enjoyable walk in Fish Creek Park. With no wind and a temperature of -9C to -7C, it was comparatively pleasant. About 45 minutes into our walk, the snow returned, falling in light, fluffy clusters.

We saw more bird species than we were expecting (list of 16 species added to a comment box below), including the Hairy Woodpecker in the previous photo and this Boreal Chickadee. The Boreal photo was not cropped to look like this - I just almost missed getting it at all. I so rarely get to take photos of these small birds so, despite the strange composition, I was happy to get it.

A stop at Tim Horton's for coffee after the two-hour walk was just what was needed. Always so enjoyable to sit and chat and warm up after a cold walk. Thanks, Janet and Bernie!

Janet and a tiny friend

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 16:22:18 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken yesterday morning, 20 January 2018, when I went on a walk in Carburn Park with birding friends. I always find that a walk along the Bow River gives very few photo opportunities, as the birds are too far away for photos, but it is a lovely park in which to spend time. They are also too far away for me to ID them, as I don't use binoculars.

The always loyal Black-capped Chickadees flew in to see if anyone had any food. They were in luck, as this park, unlike Fish Creek Park, does not forbid the feeding of birds. Friend, Janet, was ready waiting, with a few seeds and nuts in her hand.

As you can see, the sun was shining and actually it wasn't cold. Always good to spend time in great company, including going for coffee/lunch afterwards at the local Tim Horton's. Many thanks, Howard, for leading the group!

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

"The chickadee's unerring spatial memory is remarkable enough, says Colin Saldanha, assistant professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University and an anatomist who has studied songbirds for six years.

But it is what happens inside the tiny songbird's brain that Saldanha finds amazing. In the fall, as the chickadee is gathering and storing seeds, Saldanha says, its hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for spatial organization and memory in many vertebrates, expands in volume by approximately 30 percent by adding new nerve cells. In songbirds, the hippocampus is located on the dorsal surface of the forebrain right beneath the skull. In mammals, the hippocampus is located beneath the cortex.

In the spring, when its feats of memory are needed less, the chickadee's hippocampus shrinks back to its normal size, Saldanha says." From article on ScienceDaily.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030912072156.htm

The ever-friendly Black-capped Chickadee

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 16:30:06 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

All three photos posted today were taken yesterday, 5 November 2017, when I joined a few birding friends for a walk in Carburn Park. Afternoons are usually not the best time of day to see birds so, as usual, we saw far fewer species than the morning groups - 19 species of bird. Though cold, it was a beautiful afternoon to be out in nature. It was cold enough for there to be a few clusters of small ice pillars along the edge of the Bow River - something I always enjoy seeing.

Carburn Park is a very popular place for birding in the city, offering water and woodland species. According to eBird, a total of 211 species have been recorded within the park. In comparison, at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary (the top Hot Spot in the city) 252 species have been recorded. In the Weaselhead Natural Area, 227 species have been seen.

These little Chickadee are just 24 hours away from death, and need to collect enough fat in order to survive. Such busy little birds. There were about 10 of them yesterday, following us along some of the paths. Over the years, I have taken many photos of them, but I so rarely go for walks any more. From now on, I know it will be much harder to make myself put on all my winter layers, including struggling to get ice grippers on to my winter boots, and leave the comfort of my home. The main roads had been cleared, and were very reasonable to drive on yesterday. I do enjoy going for coffee and a chat after these walks.

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

"The chickadee's unerring spatial memory is remarkable enough, says Colin Saldanha, assistant professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University and an anatomist who has studied songbirds for six years.

But it is what happens inside the tiny songbird's brain that Saldanha finds amazing. In the fall, as the chickadee is gathering and storing seeds, Saldanha says, its hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for spatial organization and memory in many vertebrates, expands in volume by approximately 30 percent by adding new nerve cells. In songbirds, the hippocampus is located on the dorsal surface of the forebrain right beneath the skull. In mammals, the hippocampus is located beneath the cortex.

In the spring, when its feats of memory are needed less, the chickadee's hippocampus shrinks back to its normal size, Saldanha says." From article on ScienceDaily.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030912072156.htm

Pam and friend

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:36:16 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

All three photos posted today were taken yesterday, 19 October 2017, when I joined birding friends for a walk in South Glenmore Park. The setting is beautiful, but usually the birds are out in the middle of the Glenmore Reservoir or near the far side. The main reasons I go for a walk there is just to enjoy the views over the water and to catch up with friends. If I'm lucky, I might come home with a couple of bird photos.

Not the best lighting, but I thought this little Chickadee's pose was quite cute. It looks like it is checking, before flying off, that there is not a better seed in friend Pam's hand. They can be picky eaters. These birds are just 24 hours away from death, and need to collect enough fat in order to survive. Such busy little birds.

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

"The chickadee's unerring spatial memory is remarkable enough, says Colin Saldanha, assistant professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University and an anatomist who has studied songbirds for six years.

But it is what happens inside the tiny songbird's brain that Saldanha finds amazing. In the fall, as the chickadee is gathering and storing seeds, Saldanha says, its hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for spatial organization and memory in many vertebrates, expands in volume by approximately 30 percent by adding new nerve cells. In songbirds, the hippocampus is located on the dorsal surface of the forebrain right beneath the skull. In mammals, the hippocampus is located beneath the cortex.

In the spring, when its feats of memory are needed less, the chickadee's hippocampus shrinks back to its normal size, Saldanha says." From article on ScienceDaily.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030912072156.htm

Boreal Chickadee

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 18:30:05 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken on 27 December 2016, when nine of us (in the group I was in) took part in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the Sheep River/Priddis/Turner Valley area. Our time was spent travelling by car, driving the backroads SW of the city and calling in at several acreages/ farms.

A Boreal Chickadee made a lovely change from the more common Black-capped Chickadee. I have very few photos of Boreal Chickadees, as I so rarely see them and, when I do, they are too quick and hidden. This particular day was actually a good day for seeing them and also Mountain Chickadees. I'm not a big fan of feeder photos, but better than nothing.

"A brown-capped chickadee of the northern boreal forest, the Boreal Chickadee is one of the few birds living completely within that biome in Canada and bits of the United States." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Boreal_Chickadee/id

If you have or want feeders in your garden, Cornell Lab of Ornithology has an excellent Project Feederwatch site that tells of the best food and types of feeder for almost 100 of the more common birds, including the Boreal Chickadee. Very useful information.

feederwatch.org/learn/common-feeder-birds/?__hstc=7510036...

I took part in this Count for 2015 but had missed it for a few years before that. I believe I had only ever done it twice before that, a few years ago (December 2007 and December 30, 2008). This time, like last year, our area was in the centre of the count circle and I'm so glad I decided to go again.

A great stop was at Rod Handfield's place. Some of us go there very occasionally on botany trips and he always has the best mushrooms and other fungi growing in his forest in the fall. Rod and his wife have such a beautiful cabin there. A Gray Jay gave us a few photo opportunities there, which was appreciated. Usually, I find Gray Jays difficult to photograph, so it was nice to see one close. Rod is always so delightfully hospitable!!

Thanks so much, Donna, for driving half of us - so much appreciated! This also meant that we were lucky enough to see two tiny Northern Pygmy-owls after the Count, too, when we decided to drive a few extra roads on our way home. A beautiful sunny day really helped - not all that cold (for Alberta!). A lot of snow everywhere (almost 8"), but that was OK, as we did so little walking. A great day!

Black-capped Chickadee

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 15:39:21 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

On 26 November 2016, friends and I were so very lucky. On a walk in Fish Creek Park, we found not only an owl, but two owls, and different species - a Great Horned Owl and a teeny, popcan-sized Northern Pygmy-owl. It had been almost two years since I last saw a Northern Pygmy-owl. That one, also, had been seen in Fish Creek Park. On 26 November, it was near the top of a very tall tree, so my photos were fully zoomed and cropped and I posted one just for the record.

The Great Horned Owl, however, was seen nice and low and out in the open. The bird was large and fairly pale, so we think it was probably a female. After taking a few photos through the trees, we continued our walk and I was able to get a few shots from a different angle, just before she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

The forest was so quiet, with so few birds. This little Black-capped Chickadee gave me a chance for a couple of quick photos, as did a Red-breasted Nuthatch. I go on so few walks, and tend not to take many photos of our more common little birds.

“A bird almost universally considered “cute” thanks to its oversized round head, tiny body, and curiosity about everything, including humans. The chickadee’s black cap and bib; white cheeks; gray back, wings, and tail; and whitish underside with buffy sides are distinctive. Its habit of investigating people and everything else in its home territory, and quickness to discover bird feeders, make it one of the first birds most people learn.” From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/id

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

A visit to George's hand

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:00:04 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken a couple of days ago, on 14 November 2016. I don't usually go on a birding walk on a Monday, but the weather forecast for that day looked somewhat better than the forecast for the next few days. We have had a bit of snow since then - a warning from a friend of mine who was on a walk in Fish Creek Creek Park yesterday, letting me know that the paths are "super slippery" with ice under the thin layer of snow. Cold weather doesn't bother me as much as ice underfoot!

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

"The chickadee's unerring spatial memory is remarkable enough, says Colin Saldanha, assistant professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University and an anatomist who has studied songbirds for six years.

But it is what happens inside the tiny songbird's brain that Saldanha finds amazing. In the fall, as the chickadee is gathering and storing seeds, Saldanha says, its hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for spatial organization and memory in many vertebrates, expands in volume by approximately 30 percent by adding new nerve cells. In songbirds, the hippocampus is located on the dorsal surface of the forebrain right beneath the skull. In mammals, the hippocampus is located beneath the cortex.

In the spring, when its feats of memory are needed less, the chickadee's hippocampus shrinks back to its normal size, Saldanha says." From article on ScienceDaily.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030912072156.htm

Our walk took us from Votier's Flats in Fish Creek Park, eastwards in a loop, and then we walked along the river westwards as far as bridge 5(?). It was a quiet morning as far as seeing many birds, though we were happy to see an American Dipper walking, feeding and dipping in the cold water of the creek. I will add the list of species seen in a comment box below.

After this long walk, I decided to drive south a short way to see if there was any sign of the Long-tailed Weasel that many of my friends have been seeing, but, once again, I was out of luck.

A birder's first time

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 16:40:53 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

First of all, has anyone heard anything from, or about, our amazing Flickr friend, Snowinglightly? Today is the 12th day since she suddenly stopped commenting here on Flickr, For years, she has been such a loyal friend, leaving such long, thoughtful and very creative comments on people's photos every single day. To suddenly stop like this, is making me very concerned. The only time I remember her not commenting, for maybe four days in a row, was when she had ended up in hospital. Twelve days would be more than enough time to sort out any computer problems or to have to replace a computer, so I don't think that would be a reason. I have left messages in various places, but so far, still don't know any answer. If you happen to know, could you PLEASE let me know?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Early yesterday, 3 November 2016, I had been on a birding walk at Burnsmead, Fish Creek Park, all morning with friends, seeing various birds that were just distant silhouettes and much too far away for photos. This little Black-capped Chickadee - the only bird seen close - flew down to the hand of a lady who had never had a Chickadee on her hand before, so I wanted to get a photo for her. I had been on a similar walk two days earlier, seeing only distant birds.

Yesterday, though, I decided that I needed to see something close enough to photograph, so after the walk, I drove south a little way to look for a Long-tailed Weasel that people had been seeing all last week - but, as usual, not on the day that I went, lol! After 45 minutes of waiting, there was still no sign of the little Weasel yesterday. So, my usual plan of desperation took me to a wetland in the SW of the city, where I can usually see Mallards. Sure enough, there were two pairs hanging out together, and I really appreciated their giving me the chance to take a few photos. They were swimming in and out of sunlight and shadow, giving totally different photos.

I will add the list of species seen at Burnsmead, complied by our leaders, in a comment box below.

Black-capped Chickadee on Judy's hand

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 15 Apr 2016 17:37:16 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken yesterday morning, 14 April 2016, when I was on a walk with friends in Carburn Park. Judy, i hope you see this photo of a little Black-capped Chickadee with a sunflower seed in its bill. It wasn't being very cooperative, lol, which is why it has its back turned towards me. Better than nothing, though. I almost didn't bother to go on this walk, as it was such a gloomy, overcast day, along with an occasional bit of light drizzle.

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

The large group divided into three smaller groups, and each group didn't necessarily see every species on our main leader's final list. The list is long, but it might just give someone an idea of what is being seen at that park at the moment. Also helps to jog my own memory.

"FFCPPSoc. Spring Birding, Carburn Park, Calgary, 0915-1215, Thu 14Apr2016. Cloudy, light sprinkle, N wind 15 kph. 4 – 8°C. Combined results of three groups.

Canada Goose-70
Wood Duck-2
American Wigeon-8
Mallard-50
GREEN-WINGED TEAL-5
Common Goldeneye-40
Common Merganser-128
OSPREY-1
Bald Eagle-2 ad..
Sharp-shinned Hawk-1
COOPER’S HAWK-1
RED-TAILED HAWK-3+
Merlin-1
FRANKLIN’S GULL-15
Ring-billed Gull-30+
California Gull-1
Herring Gull-6+
Rock Pigeon-1
Downy Woodpecker-8
Hairy Woodpecker-1, excavating nest cavity
Northern Flicker-12
Black-billed Magpie-10
American Crow-2
Common Raven-2
TREE SWALLOW-2500+
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW-1
Black-capped Chickadee-8.
Red-breasted Nuthatch-4, excavating nest.
White-breasted Nuthatch-1
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET-3
American Robin-60
European Starling-100+
Bohemian Waxwing-10
SONG SPARROW-2
Dark-eyed Junco-2
Red-winged Blackbird-3
House Finch-3
RED CROSSBILL-4+
White-winged Crossbill-1+
Pine Siskin-2
House Sparrow-12

Eastern Gray Squirrel-3
Muskrat-2
JUMPING MOUSE sp.-1"

On a frosty morning

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 11:25:39 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

HAPPY EASTER weekend, everyone!

Thank heavens for Black-capped Chickadees!! They are there to greet us, no matter what! Such tough little guys, though they are always only 24 hours away from death if they can't get enough fat stored in their body to last overnight. This was a quick shot, taken at Bebo Grove in Fish Creek Park, on 29 October 2013. We were seeing so few birds this time last year and so few species when we went on our birding walks. There were no cones on many of the coniferous trees, meaning that there was no food for birds such as Crossbills last winter, and birds such as Common Redpolls and Crossbills were non-existent. That's why I say "Thank heavens for Chickadees"!!

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

A friendly visitor

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 17:07:35 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 16 January 2016. The weather was dull, cold and most unpleasant, yet three of us turned up at a meeting place, ready to go on a day trip west of the city. Apparently, 8 other people got the message that this trip had been cancelled at the last minute, lol. I, however, was already outside, clearing the snow off my car, to drive across the city.

After waiting for just over an hour, we decided that instead of going home, we would go for a walk at nearby Baker Park. I had heard of this park, mainly because there used to be Great Horned Owls there, but I had never been. The park was much larger than I was expecting, and a very pleasant place to walk. A beautiful mix of trees makes a wonderful habitat for birds, most of whom seemed to have more sense than we had, keeping hidden from the cold, miserable weather. We did see a few Black-capped Chickadees, though, and Bohemian Waxwings and White-winged Crossbills.

I may have a fourth photo from yesterday morning to post sometime, but that's it! Still, it was fun spending the morning with friends and enjoying a very late breakfast at the Angel's Cafe, which really hit the spot.. Thanks so much for driving us to Baker Park, Darlene. I really appreciated the chance to finally visit this area.

I didn't think the forecast looked particularly good for today, either, so had decided that I would probably join a group of friends for a birding walk this afternoon. However, the sun is actually out at the moment and it is supposed to be a mix of sun and cloud for this afternoon, so I might just make myself do a drive out of the city, if I'm ready in time. Not a drive I look forward to, but maybe I will be rewarded by finding an owl?

You can always count on a Chickadee

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 17:17:01 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Just a quick shot taken yesterday afternoon, 6 December 2015, when I went on a two and a half hour walk in Fish Creek Park with three friends. The weather was beautiful and sunny and I think it actually got up to 9C in the city, Crazy weather for December, but I love it!

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

Not a whole lot of bird life to be seen, but we did see a juvenile Bald Eagle, which is always a pleasure to see. Will add our leader's list of species below. My friend also had a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches and a little Downy Woodpecker fly down to her hand. Always amuses me how different the individual birds can be. Some are so quick and grab the first thing, others take a second or two to try the different pieces before making up their mind. Some land very gently on your hand, others less so.

"Due to a lack of water fowl and a number of fisherman in the waters north of the boat launch it was decided to go south under the 22X bridge to the edge of Lafarge Meadows. Winds were calm, skies a sun/cloud mix, temps +4 to +6C.

1. Canada Goose - 36
2. Mallard - 110+
3. American Wigeon - 1
4. Common Goldeneye - 19
5. Bufflehead - 3
6. Common Merganser - 3
7. Bald Eagle - 1 juv.
8. Killdeer - 2
9. Feral Pigeon - 5
10. Northern Flicker - 1
11. Downy Woodpecker - 2
12. Black-billed Magpie - 5
13. Common Raven - 2
14. Black-capped Chickadee - 10
15. White-breasted Nuthatch - 4

White-tailed Deer - 3

Leader: Janet Gill"

Boreal Chickadee

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 15:44:42 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

A rather pathetic photo, but I so rarely get photos of a Boreal Chickadee. These little guys tend to hang out with the Black-capped Chickadees and are just as fast and constantly on the move.

It was a cold morning when I met friends for a three hour walk at Griffith Woods on 26 November 2015. Temperature was -10 to -4°C. Eventually, the warmth of the sun could just be felt, which always makes such a welcome difference.

Not a huge variety of birds - we saw so many Bohemian Waxwings (a total of 600+) flying overhead and sometimes landing near the tops of very tall Spruce trees. Also saw this little Boreal Chickadee, near the top of a tall Spruce tree.

Canada Goose-110
Mallard-10
Bald Eagle-1 juv.
Merlin-1
Downy Woodpecker-1
Hairy Woodpecker-1
Northern Flicker-2
Northern Shrike-1, chasing a Blue Jay
Blue Jay-4+
Black-billed Magpie-7
Common Raven-3+
Black-capped Chickadee-25
Boreal Chickadee-4+
Red-breasted Nuthatch-1
White-breasted Nuthatch-3
Golden-crowned Kinglet-1
Bohemian Waxwing-600+.
Pine Grosbeak-4
White-winged Crossbill-4+
Common Redpoll-2
House Sparrow-1

The favourite

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 18:21:58 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

In the afternoon of 8 November 2015, I pushed myself out the front door to go on a walk with birding friends. Knowing that I'm supposed to do a lot more walking than I do (which cuts into my Fickr time, sorry!) and also seeing that the weather forecast was for snow the next day, made the decision that much easier.

We met at Votier's Flats in Fish Creek Park and walked eastwards to Shaws Meadow, where we climbed the hill up to the houses that border the park. Managed to catch just this one quarter-decent shot of this speedy little Black-capped Chickadee when it flew down to someone's hand when we were walking through the forest down below. It looks like it may have picked out a piece of nut rather than a Sunflower seed - nuts do tend to be the favourite. Actually, looking at this photo again, I think that that IS a Sunflower seed, seen from the wide end : )

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

The following is the final list of 14 bird species prepared by our leaders, Gus, Janet, Bernie and David:

Bald Eagle-1 ad.
Sharp-shinned Hawk-
Ring-billed Gull-2
Downy Woodpecker-2
Hairy Woodpecker-1
Northern Flicker-2
Black-billed Magpie-8
Common Raven-11
Black-capped Chickadee-30+
Boreal Chickadee-2
Red-breasted Nuthatch-8
White-breasted Nuthatch-3
Red Crossbill-1 m
Dark-eyed Junco-1

Red Squirrel-1
Mule Deer-4

After the walk, four of us went for coffee at Tim Horton's. I always enjoy this, just as much as the walk itself.

I'm blurry, but I'm cute

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 13:48:57 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

On Sunday afternoon, 1 November 2015, it was mostly cloudy with a short windy and drizzly period. Though the temperature was 8°C, it felt cold and, once again, I wore two fleece jackets, a fleece vest and a light jacket! Bebo Grove is one of the coldest places in the city, so I made sure I was prepared. The morning had been nice and sunny, which is why I decided to meet a few friends for a birding walk. However, the rain started shortly before I was ready to leave home and I was very tempted to change my plans. Glad I didn't, as the rain stopped and I would have missed seeing a Great Horned Owl. Not sure if it's the same one I photographed recently in the same area - I think it could be. It would have been so easy to not see this owl, as it was sleeping on top of a low, broken tree surrounded by a tangle of branches. Two other friends had just returned to the parking lot after going for a walk and they offered to walk back to show us where they had just seen this owl, so that helped.

The other thing I would have missed seeing was a handsome Mule Deer buck and two others, in a grassy area. They were busy feeding on the dead leaves and twigs and eventually decided to lie down and rest for a while. Our walk took us through the area at the bottom of the stairs, then eastwards to bridge 4 and then west from the picnic area. Bird numbers were certainly way down.

Adding the list of bird species seen, compiled by our leader, Bernie. Thanks for a very enjoyable walk, Bernie!

1. Coopers' Hawk -1
2. Bald Eagle -2
3. Ring-billed Gull-8
4. Great Horned Owl-1
5. Hairy Woodpecker-3
6. Northern Flicker-1
7. Blue Jay-2
8. Black-billed Magpie-4
9. Common Raven-7
10. Black-capped Chickadee-30
11. Boreal Chickadee-1
12. Red-breasted Nuthatch-4
13. White-breasted Nuthatch-1
14. Bohemian Waxwing-27
15. Pine Grosbeak-8
16. Pine Siskin-12

Trust

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:16:42 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Thank heavens for Chickadees!! They are there to greet us, no matter what! Such tough little guys, though they are always only 24 hours away from death if they can't get enough fat stored in their body to last overnight. In certain natural areas of the city, where they are very used to people, these little Black-capped Chickadees will happily fly down to a person's hand - in this case, a fellow birder's hand. The light and colour are rather strange and there is too much graininess thanks to the very poor light conditions, but there was still something I liked about this photo. Taken on 27 October 2015, when I went on a three-hour walk in Fish Creek Park, from Bebo Grove to Shannon Terrace and back, with birding friends.

"The Black-capped Chickadee is notable for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (they can feed from the hand)." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_Chickadee

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

The following is the final list of species seen, compiled by the leaders of the groups:

Canada Goose-40+
Swan sp., -14
Merlin-1
Downy Woodpecker-8
Hairy Woodpecker-4
AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER-3
Northern Flicker-1
Pileated Woodpecker-2+
Blue Jay-10
Black-billed Magpie-15
Common Raven-6+
Black-capped Chickadee-50+
BOREAL CHICKADEE-2
Red-breasted Nuthatch-15
White-breasted Nuthatch-3
Brown Creeper-3
Golden-crowned Kinglet-2
Townsend’s Solitaire-2
American Robin-8
Pine Grosbeak-5+
House Finch-6
Red Crossbill-8
White-winged Crossbill-30+
Common Redpoll-3
Pine Siskin-10+

Red Squirrel-18
White-tailed Deer-1
Mule Deer-4

Well, hello, little Chickadee

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 16:19:57 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 7 June 2015, was a hot day – way too hot for my liking. Today, the forecast is for 30C this afternoon. I wasn’t keen on the idea of being out in the sun for three hours, but neither could I have stayed in my place one more minute - it feels like an oven!

Decided to join birding friends for a walk at the west end of South Glenmore Park and we had a lovely, leisurely walk, stopping often to look at, or listen to, a variety of birds. I think my favourites were a pair of colourful American Goldfinch. It was also fun to see this little Black-capped Chickadee looking out from its nest cavity. Will add Janet and Bernie’s bird list below, for my own memory.

There were quite a few species of wildflower as well. I so rarely go on a walk, so I tend to miss many of the wildflowers.

Thanks for such an enjoyable afternoon, both of you! A stop afterwards at the Good Earth café was so much appreciated, too.

1. Great Blue Heron - 1
2. Canada Goose - 40
3. Mallard - 5
4. Gadwall - 2
5. Swainson's Hawk - 1
6. Franklin's Gull - 30+
7. Woodpecker sp. likely Sapsucker - 1
8. Olive-sided Flycatcher -1
9. Least Flycatcher - 12
10. Red-eyed Vireo - 2
11. Black-billed Magpie - 1
12. American Crow - 4
13. Common Raven - 1
14. Tree Swallow - 4
15. Black-capped Chickadee - 2 @nest site.
16. House Wren - 11
17. American Robin - 6
18. Cedar Waxwing - 6
19. Yellow Warbler - 10
20. Chipping Sparrow - 1
21. Clay-coloured Sparrow - 4
22. Baltimore Oriole - 1
23. Red-winged Blackbird - 3
24. Brown-headed Cowbird - 3
25. House Finch - 3
26. American Goldfinch - 5
27. House Sparrow - 2

Least Chipmunk - 1
Muskrat - 1
Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly - 10+
Blue Azure - 1
Alpine sp. Butterfly - 15+

Janet & Bernie