https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/632422 https://cdn.ipernity.com/p/101/C3/7B/293827.buddy.jpg https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/632422 Mon, 08 Jun 2026 07:06:27 +0000 Mon, 08 Jun 2026 07:06:27 +0000 https://www.ipernity.com https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50870576 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-30,doc-50870576 Mon, 30 Sep 2019 17:11:11 +0000 2019-09-08T11:19:29-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50870576"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/05/76/50870576.1d8047ec.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">SNOW, SNOW, GO AWAY. DON'T COME BACK ANOTHER DAY! Sigh, it snowed again overnight and this morning. There are about 10" of the white stuff along the top of my fence. After today, the forecast says we are in for some sunny, cold days. Sure hope the snow melts as fast as possible.<br /> <br /> All sorts of problems with Flickr today!<br /> <br /> Today, I have added 8 more photos from 8 September 2019, taken at Rod Handfield's acreage.<br /> <br /> On that day, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I think this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. It was so overwhelming yesterday! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry. <br /> <br /> A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking, but also because of all the excitement. That night, I slept well. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.<br /> <br /> As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient for many. As usual, any IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat!</div> Brown Cup & Golden Pluteus / Pluteus chrysophlebius <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50870576"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/05/76/50870576.1d8047ec.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">SNOW, SNOW, GO AWAY. DON'T COME BACK ANOTHER DAY! Sigh, it snowed again overnight and this morning. There are about 10" of the white stuff along the top of my fence. After today, the forecast says we are in for some sunny, cold days. Sure hope the snow melts as fast as possible.<br /> <br /> All sorts of problems with Flickr today!<br /> <br /> Today, I have added 8 more photos from 8 September 2019, taken at Rod Handfield's acreage.<br /> <br /> On that day, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I think this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. It was so overwhelming yesterday! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry. <br /> <br /> A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking, but also because of all the excitement. That night, I slept well. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.<br /> <br /> As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient for many. As usual, any IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50673912 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-13,doc-50673912 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 18:02:13 +0000 2019-09-08T12:19:41-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50673912"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/39/12/50673912.02a17a92.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">As usual, any fungi IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat! You could end up very sick, or worse. <br /> <br /> Another gloomy day today, 13 September 2019, with a temperature of 14C just after noon. Yesterday, however, it was actually sunny, so I had to get out and make the most of it. It definitely feels and looks like fall. Snow is already being forecast for parts of Alberta. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on.<br /> <br /> Five days ago, on 8 September 2019, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I believe this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. This last visit was so overwhelming! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry. <br /> <br /> A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking and fresh air, but also because of all the excitement. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then whenever I have checked. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.<br /> <br /> As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient.</div> Sitting Earthstar / Geoastrum sessile <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50673912"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/39/12/50673912.02a17a92.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">As usual, any fungi IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat! You could end up very sick, or worse. <br /> <br /> Another gloomy day today, 13 September 2019, with a temperature of 14C just after noon. Yesterday, however, it was actually sunny, so I had to get out and make the most of it. It definitely feels and looks like fall. Snow is already being forecast for parts of Alberta. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on.<br /> <br /> Five days ago, on 8 September 2019, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I believe this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. This last visit was so overwhelming! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry. <br /> <br /> A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking and fresh air, but also because of all the excitement. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then whenever I have checked. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.<br /> <br /> As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578974 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-01,doc-50578974 Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:12:30 +0000 2019-08-30T11:01:16-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578974"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/74/50578974.d3ca12b0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August.<br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Fungus <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578974"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/74/50578974.d3ca12b0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August.<br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578976 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-01,doc-50578976 Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:13:46 +0000 2019-08-30T10:35:37-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578976"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/76/50578976.2c7d81ee.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August.<br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Coral fungus sp. <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578976"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/76/50578976.2c7d81ee.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August.<br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50572306 tag:ipernity.com,2019-08-29,doc-50572306 Thu, 29 Aug 2019 17:33:47 +0000 2019-08-25T10:34:10-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50572306"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/23/06/50572306.7216ac7f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Because I posted several photos from this important trip several days ago, I was thinking that I would be able to go back and copy/paste the description that I wrote for those first few images. When I checked, I remembered that I had been too busy to write anything at the time, so I have to start from scratch for today's posts. It's nearly lunch time and I haven't had breakfast yet, so I think I need to eat first, type second. Will be back ....<br /> <br /> NOTE: all these photos were taken deep in a wonderful, old forest without sunshine. I had been hoping that it would be bright and sunny, as I know from experience, trying to photograph fungi on an overcast day tends to result in less than sharp images. We were lucky, though, that we only had bits of rain. Also, I need to wait for the IDs for all the fungi - our friend, Karel, is the one with a lot of knowledge on this subject.</div> Slime mold, Pringle Mt forest walk <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50572306"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/23/06/50572306.7216ac7f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Because I posted several photos from this important trip several days ago, I was thinking that I would be able to go back and copy/paste the description that I wrote for those first few images. When I checked, I remembered that I had been too busy to write anything at the time, so I have to start from scratch for today's posts. It's nearly lunch time and I haven't had breakfast yet, so I think I need to eat first, type second. Will be back ....<br /> <br /> NOTE: all these photos were taken deep in a wonderful, old forest without sunshine. I had been hoping that it would be bright and sunny, as I know from experience, trying to photograph fungi on an overcast day tends to result in less than sharp images. We were lucky, though, that we only had bits of rain. Also, I need to wait for the IDs for all the fungi - our friend, Karel, is the one with a lot of knowledge on this subject.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47012246 tag:ipernity.com,2018-07-14,doc-47012246 Sat, 14 Jul 2018 17:11:59 +0000 2018-07-13T17:06:51-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47012246"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/22/46/47012246.f5b66d58.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">How wonderful it feels to have a cooler morning! A short while ago, it was just 11C, now 15C just before noon. Finally, I can get some cooler air inside my place. The last two days, I have had to go out in my car just to get the relief of air-conditioning. Yesterday, I more or less repeated my drive from the previous day, except that I called in at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park to see if there was any sign of fungi growing. It is still not the peak of the fungi season, so I was not too hopeful. I barely entered the forest, as it still gives me the creeps, - Bears, Cougar and Moose are seen there, and I have been told so many times not to go by myself. So far, I have only seen a very large Moose. I did find a cluster of very tiny mushrooms ad several clumps of orange Coral Fungus in their usual location. Took a few wildflower shots, too, which I don't do very often these days, unlike a few years ago.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavarioid_fungi" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavarioid_fungi</a></div> Coral Fungus <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47012246"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/22/46/47012246.f5b66d58.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">How wonderful it feels to have a cooler morning! A short while ago, it was just 11C, now 15C just before noon. Finally, I can get some cooler air inside my place. The last two days, I have had to go out in my car just to get the relief of air-conditioning. Yesterday, I more or less repeated my drive from the previous day, except that I called in at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park to see if there was any sign of fungi growing. It is still not the peak of the fungi season, so I was not too hopeful. I barely entered the forest, as it still gives me the creeps, - Bears, Cougar and Moose are seen there, and I have been told so many times not to go by myself. So far, I have only seen a very large Moose. I did find a cluster of very tiny mushrooms ad several clumps of orange Coral Fungus in their usual location. Took a few wildflower shots, too, which I don't do very often these days, unlike a few years ago.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavarioid_fungi" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavarioid_fungi</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958588 tag:ipernity.com,2018-07-06,doc-46958588 Fri, 06 Jul 2018 16:24:03 +0000 2018-06-23T11:36:05-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958588"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/88/46958588.bc3feece.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">From a distance, I thought this might be a slime mold on some of the plants, but then I noticed all the tan coloured apothecia (the spore-bearing structure in many lichens and fungi). However, I have no idea what the species is. Any help with ID would be greatly appreciated. Found along the loop hike at Peyto Lake, Alberta.<br /> <br /> On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Lichen at Peyto Lake <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958588"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/88/46958588.bc3feece.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">From a distance, I thought this might be a slime mold on some of the plants, but then I noticed all the tan coloured apothecia (the spore-bearing structure in many lichens and fungi). However, I have no idea what the species is. Any help with ID would be greatly appreciated. Found along the loop hike at Peyto Lake, Alberta.<br /> <br /> On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46903708 tag:ipernity.com,2018-06-25,doc-46903708 Mon, 25 Jun 2018 16:21:51 +0000 2018-06-23T11:34:46-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46903708"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/37/08/46903708.9aeb6589.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">We saw a lot of this bright orange cup fungus along the edge of the trail at Peyto Lake, Alberta. Various shapes and sizes. These two were quite nicely round - should have used flash, I think, to get a sharper shot.<br /> <br /> The day before yesterday, 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. A photo I posted yesterday shows a moment that the bear raised its head and stared in that photographer's direction. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Orange Peel Fungus, Peyto Lake <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46903708"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/37/08/46903708.9aeb6589.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">We saw a lot of this bright orange cup fungus along the edge of the trail at Peyto Lake, Alberta. Various shapes and sizes. These two were quite nicely round - should have used flash, I think, to get a sharper shot.<br /> <br /> The day before yesterday, 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. A photo I posted yesterday shows a moment that the bear raised its head and stared in that photographer's direction. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46748244 tag:ipernity.com,2018-05-24,doc-46748244 Thu, 24 May 2018 15:02:01 +0000 2018-05-07T06:21:04-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46748244"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/82/44/46748244.2e7179ff.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Suddenly coming across this cluster of yellow Daffodils growing in a woodland habitat along one of the trails at Pt Pelee, took me by surprise. Some people were living in the park area at one time, but no longer. Maybe these flowers are garden escapees, perhaps distributed by birds. Another plant that took us by surprise along one of the trails at Pt Pelee was a small area of endangered Eastern Prickly Pear Cacti. These are carefully monitored and managed, which includes stopping people from digging them up and transplanting them to their own gardens. Will post a photo later.<br /> <br /> Early history of Pt Pelee, from Parks Canada.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/pelee/decouvrir-discover/human" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/pelee/decouvrir-discover/human</a><br /> <br /> Four friends (four of the six friends with whom I went to Trinidad & Tobago in March 2017) and I left Calgary airport on 6 May 2018 and flew to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There, we rented a van and did the long drive to Point Pelee for four whole days of birding. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel in Leamington, which is close to Point Pelee National Park. It fills up very quickly (with birders) and our rooms were booked months ago. <br /> <br /> Our four days walking at Point Pelee were interesting and I, for sure, saw various things I had never seen before, including my very first Raccoon : ) Various friends had told me that the Warblers at Pelee were fantastic - so many and numerous species, and so close. Have to disagree with the "closeness" when we were there! I don't have binoculars as cameras are enough for me to carry around, so I know I missed all sorts of birds. Though my Warbler count was lower than my friends' counts, I was happy to at least get a few distant photos of some species. So many of my shots are awful, but I will still post some of them, just for the record of seeing them. Some photos are so bad that I doubt anyone can ID them.<br /> <br /> We covered several different trails at Pelee, and also drove to a few places somewhat further afield, such as Hillman Marsh. If you are unfamiliar with this Conservation Area, just wait till you see a photo of the old barn that was there. I couldn't believe my eyes! I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk across a grassy area to take a few photos. However, it was so unusual and beautiful, that I reckoned I could try and move forward inch by inch - and crawl (ha, ha) if necessary. Another place we enjoyed was Rondeau National Park. One amazing and totally unexpected sighting just outside Pelee was a very distant male Snowy Owl sitting in a fieldl!! <br /> <br /> We walked every single day that we were at Pelee and the areas mentioned above, seeing not just birds, but a frog/toad, snakes that we suspect were mating, several Painted turtles, a few plants (including both white and red Triliums, that I had never seen growing wild before, and a couple of Jack in the Pulpit plants).<br /> <br /> The Friends of Point Pelee have food available at lunch time that one can buy. They also have a shuttle bus that one can take from the Visitor Centre all the way to the southern tip of Pelee, which is the most southern part of Canada. They also have birding walks with a guide each day (there is a charge). On 9 May, we spent the morning from 6:00 am to 11:00 am on a birding walk at Pelee with guide, Tom Hince, whom we had contacted while we were still in Calgary.<br /> <br /> At the end of our stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. We made several trips to see different places, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese. Breathtaking! <br /> <br /> We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to Brandy Pot Island, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for me, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno, piloted by Greg) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos. It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time.<br /> <br /> Think I had better stop typing! As I add more photos, I can add bits of extra information. We only arrived home fairly early evening on 19 May. Still so tired, especially as I was up at any time from 4:45 am to 6:00 am each morning, many hours earlier than I usually get up, being such a dreadful night owl! <br /> <br /> Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )</div> Daffodils growing wild, Pt Pelee <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46748244"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/82/44/46748244.2e7179ff.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Suddenly coming across this cluster of yellow Daffodils growing in a woodland habitat along one of the trails at Pt Pelee, took me by surprise. Some people were living in the park area at one time, but no longer. Maybe these flowers are garden escapees, perhaps distributed by birds. Another plant that took us by surprise along one of the trails at Pt Pelee was a small area of endangered Eastern Prickly Pear Cacti. These are carefully monitored and managed, which includes stopping people from digging them up and transplanting them to their own gardens. Will post a photo later.<br /> <br /> Early history of Pt Pelee, from Parks Canada.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/pelee/decouvrir-discover/human" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/pelee/decouvrir-discover/human</a><br /> <br /> Four friends (four of the six friends with whom I went to Trinidad & Tobago in March 2017) and I left Calgary airport on 6 May 2018 and flew to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There, we rented a van and did the long drive to Point Pelee for four whole days of birding. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel in Leamington, which is close to Point Pelee National Park. It fills up very quickly (with birders) and our rooms were booked months ago. <br /> <br /> Our four days walking at Point Pelee were interesting and I, for sure, saw various things I had never seen before, including my very first Raccoon : ) Various friends had told me that the Warblers at Pelee were fantastic - so many and numerous species, and so close. Have to disagree with the "closeness" when we were there! I don't have binoculars as cameras are enough for me to carry around, so I know I missed all sorts of birds. Though my Warbler count was lower than my friends' counts, I was happy to at least get a few distant photos of some species. So many of my shots are awful, but I will still post some of them, just for the record of seeing them. Some photos are so bad that I doubt anyone can ID them.<br /> <br /> We covered several different trails at Pelee, and also drove to a few places somewhat further afield, such as Hillman Marsh. If you are unfamiliar with this Conservation Area, just wait till you see a photo of the old barn that was there. I couldn't believe my eyes! I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk across a grassy area to take a few photos. However, it was so unusual and beautiful, that I reckoned I could try and move forward inch by inch - and crawl (ha, ha) if necessary. Another place we enjoyed was Rondeau National Park. One amazing and totally unexpected sighting just outside Pelee was a very distant male Snowy Owl sitting in a fieldl!! <br /> <br /> We walked every single day that we were at Pelee and the areas mentioned above, seeing not just birds, but a frog/toad, snakes that we suspect were mating, several Painted turtles, a few plants (including both white and red Triliums, that I had never seen growing wild before, and a couple of Jack in the Pulpit plants).<br /> <br /> The Friends of Point Pelee have food available at lunch time that one can buy. They also have a shuttle bus that one can take from the Visitor Centre all the way to the southern tip of Pelee, which is the most southern part of Canada. They also have birding walks with a guide each day (there is a charge). On 9 May, we spent the morning from 6:00 am to 11:00 am on a birding walk at Pelee with guide, Tom Hince, whom we had contacted while we were still in Calgary.<br /> <br /> At the end of our stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. We made several trips to see different places, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese. Breathtaking! <br /> <br /> We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to Brandy Pot Island, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for me, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno, piloted by Greg) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos. It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time.<br /> <br /> Think I had better stop typing! As I add more photos, I can add bits of extra information. We only arrived home fairly early evening on 19 May. Still so tired, especially as I was up at any time from 4:45 am to 6:00 am each morning, many hours earlier than I usually get up, being such a dreadful night owl! <br /> <br /> Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44438258 tag:ipernity.com,2017-03-08,doc-44438258 Wed, 08 Mar 2017 17:35:18 +0000 2015-08-08T15:26:57-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44438258"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/82/58/44438258.864e69ca.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This is a macro shot of a cluster of small fungi that seem to have no particular shape. Wish I knew a lot about mushrooms and other fungi. I wonder if they are some kind of Saddle fungus - I came across Helvella elastica on an Internet search last night, but I've no idea if they could be that.<br /> <br /> On 8 August 2015, I decided to drive SW of the city for a while. It was a Saturday, so I thought I would go and check if there were other people parked at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. I had more or less stopped going into the forest there by myself, especially the last couple of years, knowing that Cougar and Bears can be seen there. All I have seen - so far! - is a large Moose on a couple of occasions. The place gives me the creeps, so I usually just walk through the trees closest to the parking lot. <br /> <br /> Just a minute or two after entering the forest near the parking lot, I flushed a Grouse, which scared the life out of me. They tend to wait, hidden, and then when you are almost by them, they suddenly "explode" out of the bushes, making ones heart beat fast. <br /> <br /> The opposite side of the trail, where I usually find a few mushrooms, had pools of water after the two devastating rain and hail storms that we had had recently. With several cars in the small parking lot, I decided to go just a short way into the park, trying to forget that animals can "smell fear". I did come across a few quite nice mushrooms, but with such a dry, hot summer, this season so far had not been good for fungi. As always, never eat any kind of mushroom unless you are an expert!<br /> <br /> The second time my heart started beating really fast was when I was trying to focus on a mushroom and I was aware of a deep, huffing kind of sound coming from right behind me. Slowly turning around, dreading what I might see, I discovered it was just a small Red Squirrel, low down on his/her tree, just a couple of feet away from me. I've never ever heard a Squirrel make this kind of sound before! Sounded rather like what I imagine a bear might sound like, ha. <br /> <br /> Almost back at the edge of the forest, I was happy as can be to hear quite a commotion that I recognized as being American Three-toed Woodpeckers. There were three of them high up in a tree, with at least one of them being a noisy, hungry juvenile that was feeding itself but every now and then would want the adult to feed it. This species is uncommon in Alberta, year round, so it's always a treat to see one - and especially three.</div> Unidentified fungus <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44438258"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/82/58/44438258.864e69ca.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This is a macro shot of a cluster of small fungi that seem to have no particular shape. Wish I knew a lot about mushrooms and other fungi. I wonder if they are some kind of Saddle fungus - I came across Helvella elastica on an Internet search last night, but I've no idea if they could be that.<br /> <br /> On 8 August 2015, I decided to drive SW of the city for a while. It was a Saturday, so I thought I would go and check if there were other people parked at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. I had more or less stopped going into the forest there by myself, especially the last couple of years, knowing that Cougar and Bears can be seen there. All I have seen - so far! - is a large Moose on a couple of occasions. The place gives me the creeps, so I usually just walk through the trees closest to the parking lot. <br /> <br /> Just a minute or two after entering the forest near the parking lot, I flushed a Grouse, which scared the life out of me. They tend to wait, hidden, and then when you are almost by them, they suddenly "explode" out of the bushes, making ones heart beat fast. <br /> <br /> The opposite side of the trail, where I usually find a few mushrooms, had pools of water after the two devastating rain and hail storms that we had had recently. With several cars in the small parking lot, I decided to go just a short way into the park, trying to forget that animals can "smell fear". I did come across a few quite nice mushrooms, but with such a dry, hot summer, this season so far had not been good for fungi. As always, never eat any kind of mushroom unless you are an expert!<br /> <br /> The second time my heart started beating really fast was when I was trying to focus on a mushroom and I was aware of a deep, huffing kind of sound coming from right behind me. Slowly turning around, dreading what I might see, I discovered it was just a small Red Squirrel, low down on his/her tree, just a couple of feet away from me. I've never ever heard a Squirrel make this kind of sound before! Sounded rather like what I imagine a bear might sound like, ha. <br /> <br /> Almost back at the edge of the forest, I was happy as can be to hear quite a commotion that I recognized as being American Three-toed Woodpeckers. There were three of them high up in a tree, with at least one of them being a noisy, hungry juvenile that was feeding itself but every now and then would want the adult to feed it. This species is uncommon in Alberta, year round, so it's always a treat to see one - and especially three.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44393710 tag:ipernity.com,2017-03-02,doc-44393710 Thu, 02 Mar 2017 18:18:05 +0000 2015-09-07T16:04:01-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44393710"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/37/10/44393710.d59e7036.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 7 September 2015, I went for a walk at Shannon Terrace in Fish Creek Park. I never seem to go for walks on my own anymore, but I really need to do more walking for health reasons. After about four days of rain, I made myself go on this walk and saw more than I was expecting to see, including a few reasonably photogenic mushrooms. I liked the gills of this mushroom, though it was past its prime.<br /> <br /> Just as I was leaving the park, I noticed the dark clouds rolling in and I wasn't sure if some Mammatus clouds (sagging pouch-like structures) were forming. Most unlikely, but I wanted to be sure, so drove out towards the SW edge of the city. None to be seen, but it still felt good to see the very distant mountains.</div> Showing off its gills <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44393710"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/37/10/44393710.d59e7036.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 7 September 2015, I went for a walk at Shannon Terrace in Fish Creek Park. I never seem to go for walks on my own anymore, but I really need to do more walking for health reasons. After about four days of rain, I made myself go on this walk and saw more than I was expecting to see, including a few reasonably photogenic mushrooms. I liked the gills of this mushroom, though it was past its prime.<br /> <br /> Just as I was leaving the park, I noticed the dark clouds rolling in and I wasn't sure if some Mammatus clouds (sagging pouch-like structures) were forming. Most unlikely, but I wanted to be sure, so drove out towards the SW edge of the city. None to be seen, but it still felt good to see the very distant mountains.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44301252 tag:ipernity.com,2017-02-07,doc-44301252 Tue, 07 Feb 2017 18:29:49 +0000 2015-08-08T15:46:06-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44301252"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/12/52/44301252.7e3e0035.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Our bitterly cold weather continues. Yesterday, 6 February 2017, the forecast for this morning was -28C (windchill -35C!). Forecast for tomorrow morning is -27C (windchill -36C). After that, things are supposed to warm up, thank goodness. I haven't been out anywhere the last few days - too much new snow and such cold, cold weather. Almost unheard of, birding walks for yesterday and today were cancelled. Normally, many people will go, no matter how bad the weather. I tend to be a fair-weather photographer : )<br /> <br /> On 8 August 2015, I decided to drive SW of the city for a while. It was a Saturday, so I thought I would go and check if there were other people parked at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. I had more or less stopped going into the forest there by myself, especially the last couple of years, knowing that Cougar and Bears can be seen there. All I have seen - so far! - is a large Moose on a couple of occasions. The place gives me the creeps, so I usually just walk through the trees closest to the parking lot. <br /> <br /> Just a minute or two after entering the forest near the parking lot, I flushed a Grouse, which scared the life out of me. They tend to wait, hidden, and then when you are almost by them, they suddenly "explode" out of the bushes, making ones heart beat fast. <br /> <br /> The opposite side of the trail, where I usually find a few mushrooms, had pools of water after the two devastating rain and hail storms that we had had recently. With several cars in the small parking lot, I decided to go just a short way into the park, trying to forget that animals can "smell fear". I did come across a few quite nice mushrooms, but with such a dry, hot summer, this season has not been good for fungi. I'm not 100% sure, but I think this is "The Sickener" / Russula emetica fungus, as it has a red cap and a white stalk. <br /> <br /> "Russula emetica, commonly known as the sickener, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Russula, one of many species with a predominantly red-coloured cap and white gills and stalk. It gets its common name from its inedibility, as it causes vomiting and diarrhea when consumed. It has an extremely peppery taste, which is said partly to disappear on cooking, along with its toxicity, though eating it is not recommended. Mixing one emetica with otherwise edible red Russula will ruin the whole meal, and it is a common reason some do not pick any red Russula-species." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russula_emetica" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russula_emetica</a><br /> <br /> The second time my heart started beating really fast was when I was trying to focus on a mushroom and I was aware of a deep, huffing kind of sound coming from right behind me. Turning around, dreading what I might see, I discovered it was just a small Red Squirrel, low down on his/her tree, just a couple of feet away from me. I've never ever heard a Squirrel make this kind of sound before! Sounded rather like what I imagine a bear might sound like, ha. <br /> <br /> Almost back at the edge of the forest, I was happy as can be to hear quite a commotion that I recognized as being American Three-toed Woodpeckers. There were three of them high up in a tree, with at least one of them being a noisy, hungry juvenile that was feeding itself but every now and then would want the adult to feed it. This species is uncommon in Alberta, year round, so it's always a treat to see one - and especially three.</div> The Sickener / Russula emetica? <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44301252"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/12/52/44301252.7e3e0035.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Our bitterly cold weather continues. Yesterday, 6 February 2017, the forecast for this morning was -28C (windchill -35C!). Forecast for tomorrow morning is -27C (windchill -36C). After that, things are supposed to warm up, thank goodness. I haven't been out anywhere the last few days - too much new snow and such cold, cold weather. Almost unheard of, birding walks for yesterday and today were cancelled. Normally, many people will go, no matter how bad the weather. I tend to be a fair-weather photographer : )<br /> <br /> On 8 August 2015, I decided to drive SW of the city for a while. It was a Saturday, so I thought I would go and check if there were other people parked at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. I had more or less stopped going into the forest there by myself, especially the last couple of years, knowing that Cougar and Bears can be seen there. All I have seen - so far! - is a large Moose on a couple of occasions. The place gives me the creeps, so I usually just walk through the trees closest to the parking lot. <br /> <br /> Just a minute or two after entering the forest near the parking lot, I flushed a Grouse, which scared the life out of me. They tend to wait, hidden, and then when you are almost by them, they suddenly "explode" out of the bushes, making ones heart beat fast. <br /> <br /> The opposite side of the trail, where I usually find a few mushrooms, had pools of water after the two devastating rain and hail storms that we had had recently. With several cars in the small parking lot, I decided to go just a short way into the park, trying to forget that animals can "smell fear". I did come across a few quite nice mushrooms, but with such a dry, hot summer, this season has not been good for fungi. I'm not 100% sure, but I think this is "The Sickener" / Russula emetica fungus, as it has a red cap and a white stalk. <br /> <br /> "Russula emetica, commonly known as the sickener, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Russula, one of many species with a predominantly red-coloured cap and white gills and stalk. It gets its common name from its inedibility, as it causes vomiting and diarrhea when consumed. It has an extremely peppery taste, which is said partly to disappear on cooking, along with its toxicity, though eating it is not recommended. Mixing one emetica with otherwise edible red Russula will ruin the whole meal, and it is a common reason some do not pick any red Russula-species." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russula_emetica" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russula_emetica</a><br /> <br /> The second time my heart started beating really fast was when I was trying to focus on a mushroom and I was aware of a deep, huffing kind of sound coming from right behind me. Turning around, dreading what I might see, I discovered it was just a small Red Squirrel, low down on his/her tree, just a couple of feet away from me. I've never ever heard a Squirrel make this kind of sound before! Sounded rather like what I imagine a bear might sound like, ha. <br /> <br /> Almost back at the edge of the forest, I was happy as can be to hear quite a commotion that I recognized as being American Three-toed Woodpeckers. There were three of them high up in a tree, with at least one of them being a noisy, hungry juvenile that was feeding itself but every now and then would want the adult to feed it. This species is uncommon in Alberta, year round, so it's always a treat to see one - and especially three.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/43442866 tag:ipernity.com,2016-10-18,doc-43442866 Tue, 18 Oct 2016 16:05:16 +0000 2016-09-17T12:11:14-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/43442866"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/28/66/43442866.fd465d2e.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I have seen photos of very shaggy-looking Bird's-nest fungi still with their caps on, and I wondered if that is what the 'things' in the centre of this photo might be. I couldn't think of any plant that looks like this. Any help with ID would be so much appreciated!<br /> <br /> "The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has a rare opportunity to protect a 640-acre (260-hectare) property neighbouring Alberta's capital city. In 1974, five families bought Bunchberry Meadows Conservation Area — a parcel of land bordering Edmonton near the Devonian Botanic Garden. For 40 years the families cared for the land, protecting important habitat for moose and numerous other species.<br /> <br /> The five ownership families have generously offered to sell Bunchberry Meadows Conservation Area to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for half the asset value. Their vision is to ensure that the land is conserved for our province; particularly for our children.<br /> <br /> Over the years Bunchberry Meadows has remained intact. But the surrounding lands and the city of Edmonton have undergone significant changes. Natural spaces in and around Edmonton continue to be developed. It’s increasingly difficult for city dwellers to find open green spaces to enjoy a sunny afternoon, or teach their children about the outdoors.<br /> <br /> The campaign for Bunchberry Meadows was officially launched in Edmonton on May 21, 2015. Since then, Edmontonians have stepped up in support so that this special community amenity can be created.<br /> <br /> Urban development on this property would mean the loss of habitat for many plant and wildlife species, and the loss of a wonderful space in which Albertans and all Canadians can reconnect with nature.<br /> <br /> In June 2016, the Bunchberry campaign was closed successfully. NCC will open Bunchberry to the public in the fall of 2016 as a natural retreat for everyone to enjoy."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/alberta/featured-projects/bunchberry/?referrer=https://www.google.ca/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/alberta/feature...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FibqXugavrc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com/watch?v=FibqXugavrc</a><br /> <br /> On 17 September 2016, it was a long day, spent with a group of people - some of us travelled north from Calgary and others lived in or near the capital city of Alberta - Edmonton. Two friends had been invited to meet with members of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, to do a walk at a newly acquired 640 acre parcel of land, immediately to the east of the Devonian Botanic Garden. Edmonton is a three-hour drive north of Calgary, so it makes for a long drive when one goes for just a day trip. Set my alarm for 4:20 am. That, plus walking for several hours (my pedometer said 16,175 steps by the time I went to bed) completely knocked me out.<br /> <br /> One of the two friends I went with, Dr. Peter Whitehead (who drove us there and back, which was wonderful) is an ecologist and bryologist, and founder of the Western Canada Bryophyte and Lichen Interest Group. Also, see the first link below about his exciting program for school children.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.seriousaboutscience.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.seriousaboutscience.org/</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.ablig.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.ablig.com/</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.capeecology.ca/people.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.capeecology.ca/people.html</a><br /> <br /> The other friend I went with was Dr. Janet Marsh, Lichenologist. She is considered one of Canada's leading authorities on lichens. So, as you can see, I was in the company of extremely knowledgeable people. I'll add that I have been on many outings the last few years that have included both these specialists. Always most enjoyable and lots of fun! <br /> <br /> My big confession is that so many of the lichens that they find are growing in forests - and when I'm in a forest, my focus immediately turns to fungi! Which is why I still barely know anything about lichens : ) I do enjoy photographing them, however, and have quite a few in my photostream. This day, I was able to see a number of different fungi, which made my day. <br /> <br /> The people of Edmonton and area are so very fortunate that this land is being preserved by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. What a beautiful area of meadows, bogs and forest! I especially liked the spectacular Birch trees that were growing there, with their beautiful peeling bark - some of these trees were quite large.<br /> <br /> Thanks so much to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for inviting us for this walk. I know you will receive extensive lists of the species that Peter and Janet found. Many thanks, Peter, for organizing this trip and for all the driving you did, too. I really appreciated the opportunity to visit this new area and capture a few species with my camera. Even the weather cooperated, giving us a very pleasant temperature for walking (around 18C?) and even the rain that had been falling in Edmonton, stopped for the rest of the day. A great day in great company!</div> Could these be Bird&#039;s-nest fungi? <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/43442866"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/28/66/43442866.fd465d2e.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I have seen photos of very shaggy-looking Bird's-nest fungi still with their caps on, and I wondered if that is what the 'things' in the centre of this photo might be. I couldn't think of any plant that looks like this. Any help with ID would be so much appreciated!<br /> <br /> "The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has a rare opportunity to protect a 640-acre (260-hectare) property neighbouring Alberta's capital city. In 1974, five families bought Bunchberry Meadows Conservation Area — a parcel of land bordering Edmonton near the Devonian Botanic Garden. For 40 years the families cared for the land, protecting important habitat for moose and numerous other species.<br /> <br /> The five ownership families have generously offered to sell Bunchberry Meadows Conservation Area to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for half the asset value. Their vision is to ensure that the land is conserved for our province; particularly for our children.<br /> <br /> Over the years Bunchberry Meadows has remained intact. But the surrounding lands and the city of Edmonton have undergone significant changes. Natural spaces in and around Edmonton continue to be developed. It’s increasingly difficult for city dwellers to find open green spaces to enjoy a sunny afternoon, or teach their children about the outdoors.<br /> <br /> The campaign for Bunchberry Meadows was officially launched in Edmonton on May 21, 2015. Since then, Edmontonians have stepped up in support so that this special community amenity can be created.<br /> <br /> Urban development on this property would mean the loss of habitat for many plant and wildlife species, and the loss of a wonderful space in which Albertans and all Canadians can reconnect with nature.<br /> <br /> In June 2016, the Bunchberry campaign was closed successfully. NCC will open Bunchberry to the public in the fall of 2016 as a natural retreat for everyone to enjoy."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/alberta/featured-projects/bunchberry/?referrer=https://www.google.ca/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/alberta/feature...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FibqXugavrc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com/watch?v=FibqXugavrc</a><br /> <br /> On 17 September 2016, it was a long day, spent with a group of people - some of us travelled north from Calgary and others lived in or near the capital city of Alberta - Edmonton. Two friends had been invited to meet with members of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, to do a walk at a newly acquired 640 acre parcel of land, immediately to the east of the Devonian Botanic Garden. Edmonton is a three-hour drive north of Calgary, so it makes for a long drive when one goes for just a day trip. Set my alarm for 4:20 am. That, plus walking for several hours (my pedometer said 16,175 steps by the time I went to bed) completely knocked me out.<br /> <br /> One of the two friends I went with, Dr. Peter Whitehead (who drove us there and back, which was wonderful) is an ecologist and bryologist, and founder of the Western Canada Bryophyte and Lichen Interest Group. Also, see the first link below about his exciting program for school children.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.seriousaboutscience.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.seriousaboutscience.org/</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.ablig.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.ablig.com/</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.capeecology.ca/people.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.capeecology.ca/people.html</a><br /> <br /> The other friend I went with was Dr. Janet Marsh, Lichenologist. She is considered one of Canada's leading authorities on lichens. So, as you can see, I was in the company of extremely knowledgeable people. I'll add that I have been on many outings the last few years that have included both these specialists. Always most enjoyable and lots of fun! <br /> <br /> My big confession is that so many of the lichens that they find are growing in forests - and when I'm in a forest, my focus immediately turns to fungi! Which is why I still barely know anything about lichens : ) I do enjoy photographing them, however, and have quite a few in my photostream. This day, I was able to see a number of different fungi, which made my day. <br /> <br /> The people of Edmonton and area are so very fortunate that this land is being preserved by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. What a beautiful area of meadows, bogs and forest! I especially liked the spectacular Birch trees that were growing there, with their beautiful peeling bark - some of these trees were quite large.<br /> <br /> Thanks so much to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for inviting us for this walk. I know you will receive extensive lists of the species that Peter and Janet found. Many thanks, Peter, for organizing this trip and for all the driving you did, too. I really appreciated the opportunity to visit this new area and capture a few species with my camera. Even the weather cooperated, giving us a very pleasant temperature for walking (around 18C?) and even the rain that had been falling in Edmonton, stopped for the rest of the day. A great day in great company!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/43279962 tag:ipernity.com,2016-09-27,doc-43279962 Tue, 27 Sep 2016 16:18:39 +0000 2016-09-26T12:02:59-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/43279962"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/99/62/43279962.0111b69d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday, 26 September 2016, I had planned to join a group of friends for a birding walk at Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park. By the time I had had breakfast, I was feeling somewhat queasy and thought I had better not go on the walk. Felt a bit better later in the morning and decided to go to the Park after all, getting there about noon. Met a delightful young man standing on the bridge over the creek, pointing out to me a perched bird of prey. My first thought was Merlin, but it seemed to be too big to be a Merlin. It took a while to decide just what it was - helped by excellent birder, Nimali, who happened to come along the path. We decided it was a Cooper's Hawk ('C' for curved edge of tail tip and 'C' for Cooper's). Looking at my photos yesterday evening, I was still not sure that we had made the right decision. Turned out later that this bird was in fact a Merlin : )<br /> <br /> This bird stayed around for ages and gave some nice opportunities for photos, including of it 'mantling' (spreading out its wings to form a cloak) when it captured a large dragonfly and returned to the same branch. When two of us were first standing on the bridge, this bird flew down right over our heads two or three times - maybe because we were attracting insects around us? We noticed a second similar bird, too, and we wondered if they were maybe juveniles, especially as the main one was very comfortable with us standing nearby. Made my day : ) <br /> <br /> I even spotted several mushrooms earlier in my walk, which was a surprise. Can't believe I was out in the park for about five hours (not all walking)! A very enjoyable walk - glad to have your company, Nimali, and that of the very knowledgeable young man we had just met.</div> Yesterday&#039;s find <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/43279962"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/99/62/43279962.0111b69d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday, 26 September 2016, I had planned to join a group of friends for a birding walk at Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park. By the time I had had breakfast, I was feeling somewhat queasy and thought I had better not go on the walk. Felt a bit better later in the morning and decided to go to the Park after all, getting there about noon. Met a delightful young man standing on the bridge over the creek, pointing out to me a perched bird of prey. My first thought was Merlin, but it seemed to be too big to be a Merlin. It took a while to decide just what it was - helped by excellent birder, Nimali, who happened to come along the path. We decided it was a Cooper's Hawk ('C' for curved edge of tail tip and 'C' for Cooper's). Looking at my photos yesterday evening, I was still not sure that we had made the right decision. Turned out later that this bird was in fact a Merlin : )<br /> <br /> This bird stayed around for ages and gave some nice opportunities for photos, including of it 'mantling' (spreading out its wings to form a cloak) when it captured a large dragonfly and returned to the same branch. When two of us were first standing on the bridge, this bird flew down right over our heads two or three times - maybe because we were attracting insects around us? We noticed a second similar bird, too, and we wondered if they were maybe juveniles, especially as the main one was very comfortable with us standing nearby. Made my day : ) <br /> <br /> I even spotted several mushrooms earlier in my walk, which was a surprise. Can't believe I was out in the park for about five hours (not all walking)! A very enjoyable walk - glad to have your company, Nimali, and that of the very knowledgeable young man we had just met.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42709608 tag:ipernity.com,2016-08-07,doc-42709608 Sun, 07 Aug 2016 17:16:56 +0000 2016-08-06T10:52:43-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42709608"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/96/08/42709608.792a4443.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photograph was taken yesterday, while exploring Rod Handfield's wonderful forest. This was the only Russula emetica that I saw. Not the most perfect specimen, but I wanted a photo for my records.<br /> <br /> "Russula emetica, commonly known as the sickener, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Russula, one of many species with a predominantly red-coloured cap and white gills and stalk. It gets its common name from its inedibility, as it causes vomiting and diarrhea when consumed. It has an extremely peppery taste, which is said partly to disappear on cooking, along with its toxicity, though eating it is not recommended. Mixing one emetica with otherwise edible red Russula will ruin the whole meal, and it is a common reason some do not pick any red Russula-species." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russula_emetica" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russula_emetica</a><br /> <br /> It was a late start to my day this morning. Yesterday, 6 August 2016, was a physically and mentally exhausting day, and I'm still feeling the effects. A great day, too, thanks to friend, Sandy! She very kindly picked me up around 8:15 am and we drove SW of the city and SW of Millarville to Rod Handfield's acreage. For a number of years, this has been one of my favourite places to explore, as his forest tends to be full of all sorts of beautiful finds. It is one of the two best places that I know for mushrooms, the other being Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. This year has turned out to be great for fungi, thanks to all the endless, torrential rain we have been getting the last few weeks, apart from the scattering of sunny days. This year has so far had such weird weather - a very mild, dry winter, a spring that was as dry and hot as a summer, and now a wet, thundery summer.<br /> <br /> We met a group of other interested people, most of whom we didn't know, and we searched the land for fungi. Right at the start, I was telling Sandy that on the last visit there, maybe four years ago, we had seen a beautiful Amanita Muscaria mushroom growing just a few feet from the start of the walk. Sure enough, there were several growing in exactly the same spot, which was so exciting. Later in the walk, we saw two other patches of absolute beauties of this poisonous species. The rain was spitting during our walk, and the forest was so dark, but amazingly, some of my photos came out well enough. Thanks so much, Karel, for organizing and leading this trip and for sharing your knowledge with us!<br /> <br /> Sandy and I left the group around lunchtime, to go looking at vehicles at one of the dealerships. In the last year and a half, I have had to put far too much money into repairs for my poor old 17+ year old car and finally, I knew that I had no choice but to replace it. The muffler and a few other things died several days ago and instead of spending a fortune on repair, I decided I would rather put that money towards a new vehicle. I had been thinking about replacing it the last few years, but now, enough is enough! I'm down to deciding between two models and will have to make up my mind today. All being well, within the coming week, I will once again have a set of wheels, which will feel wonderful. <br /> <br /> Thanks so much, Sandy, for making it possible for me to go on the great morning at Rod's place and then, for giving up your whole afternoon, helping me look at cars and for also test-driving both. Appreciated beyond words! You are making this whole ordeal of replacing my car so much less traumatizing than it would have otherwise been!!</div> The &#039;Sickener&#039; / Russula emetica <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42709608"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/96/08/42709608.792a4443.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photograph was taken yesterday, while exploring Rod Handfield's wonderful forest. This was the only Russula emetica that I saw. Not the most perfect specimen, but I wanted a photo for my records.<br /> <br /> "Russula emetica, commonly known as the sickener, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Russula, one of many species with a predominantly red-coloured cap and white gills and stalk. It gets its common name from its inedibility, as it causes vomiting and diarrhea when consumed. It has an extremely peppery taste, which is said partly to disappear on cooking, along with its toxicity, though eating it is not recommended. Mixing one emetica with otherwise edible red Russula will ruin the whole meal, and it is a common reason some do not pick any red Russula-species." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russula_emetica" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russula_emetica</a><br /> <br /> It was a late start to my day this morning. Yesterday, 6 August 2016, was a physically and mentally exhausting day, and I'm still feeling the effects. A great day, too, thanks to friend, Sandy! She very kindly picked me up around 8:15 am and we drove SW of the city and SW of Millarville to Rod Handfield's acreage. For a number of years, this has been one of my favourite places to explore, as his forest tends to be full of all sorts of beautiful finds. It is one of the two best places that I know for mushrooms, the other being Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. This year has turned out to be great for fungi, thanks to all the endless, torrential rain we have been getting the last few weeks, apart from the scattering of sunny days. This year has so far had such weird weather - a very mild, dry winter, a spring that was as dry and hot as a summer, and now a wet, thundery summer.<br /> <br /> We met a group of other interested people, most of whom we didn't know, and we searched the land for fungi. Right at the start, I was telling Sandy that on the last visit there, maybe four years ago, we had seen a beautiful Amanita Muscaria mushroom growing just a few feet from the start of the walk. Sure enough, there were several growing in exactly the same spot, which was so exciting. Later in the walk, we saw two other patches of absolute beauties of this poisonous species. The rain was spitting during our walk, and the forest was so dark, but amazingly, some of my photos came out well enough. Thanks so much, Karel, for organizing and leading this trip and for sharing your knowledge with us!<br /> <br /> Sandy and I left the group around lunchtime, to go looking at vehicles at one of the dealerships. In the last year and a half, I have had to put far too much money into repairs for my poor old 17+ year old car and finally, I knew that I had no choice but to replace it. The muffler and a few other things died several days ago and instead of spending a fortune on repair, I decided I would rather put that money towards a new vehicle. I had been thinking about replacing it the last few years, but now, enough is enough! I'm down to deciding between two models and will have to make up my mind today. All being well, within the coming week, I will once again have a set of wheels, which will feel wonderful. <br /> <br /> Thanks so much, Sandy, for making it possible for me to go on the great morning at Rod's place and then, for giving up your whole afternoon, helping me look at cars and for also test-driving both. Appreciated beyond words! You are making this whole ordeal of replacing my car so much less traumatizing than it would have otherwise been!!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42698092 tag:ipernity.com,2016-08-05,doc-42698092 Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:13:36 +0000 2012-08-17T12:40:59-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42698092"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/80/92/42698092.ca80f748.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This was one of the treasures of the forest that was found when a few of us spent the day botanizing at Rod Handfield's property, on 17 August 2012. We always reckon that Rod's property is one of the best areas for finding a good variety of fungi. My knowledge of fungi ID is very limited, so I tend to call anything that looks like this, Turkey tails.<br /> <br /> Though the number of fungi was far less than some previous years, we still managed to find quite a few different species, making the day very worthwhile. If I remember correctly, 2010 was the last really good year for fungi. Apparently, this year is turning out to be really good, too, now that we have had endless rain and thunderstorms. I will have to be very patient though, as I won't have a car that I can drive further than down the road to get groceries, for the next while, until I have chosen and bought a new vehicle. A worn-out muffler lets everyone know that I'm coming, ha. Except for this weekend, when wonderfully a friend is picking me up to go on a day of mushroom hunting with other friends in the forest at Rod Handfield's property. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is for no sun and an 80% chance of a thunderstorm, which sadly means no decent photos of mushrooms and probably a shortened hike. Actually, they have just (11:00 am on 5 August 2016) issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for that area. Later, early afternoon - the same weather alert is now for the Calgary region, too.</div> Growing on a log <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42698092"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/80/92/42698092.ca80f748.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This was one of the treasures of the forest that was found when a few of us spent the day botanizing at Rod Handfield's property, on 17 August 2012. We always reckon that Rod's property is one of the best areas for finding a good variety of fungi. My knowledge of fungi ID is very limited, so I tend to call anything that looks like this, Turkey tails.<br /> <br /> Though the number of fungi was far less than some previous years, we still managed to find quite a few different species, making the day very worthwhile. If I remember correctly, 2010 was the last really good year for fungi. Apparently, this year is turning out to be really good, too, now that we have had endless rain and thunderstorms. I will have to be very patient though, as I won't have a car that I can drive further than down the road to get groceries, for the next while, until I have chosen and bought a new vehicle. A worn-out muffler lets everyone know that I'm coming, ha. Except for this weekend, when wonderfully a friend is picking me up to go on a day of mushroom hunting with other friends in the forest at Rod Handfield's property. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is for no sun and an 80% chance of a thunderstorm, which sadly means no decent photos of mushrooms and probably a shortened hike. Actually, they have just (11:00 am on 5 August 2016) issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for that area. Later, early afternoon - the same weather alert is now for the Calgary region, too.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42205028 tag:ipernity.com,2016-06-11,doc-42205028 Sat, 11 Jun 2016 17:50:49 +0000 2016-06-03T13:14:42-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42205028"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/50/28/42205028.57d19bb0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Coloration varies from pink-tan, gray, olive-green, various shades of brown, to almost black; whitish jaw stripe contrasts with a dark eye mask that extends from the nostril over the eye and just behind the ear; light dorsal stripe is frequently present" From <a href="http://fanweb.ca/resources-services/alberta-natural-history/amphibians/wood-frog" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">fanweb.ca/resources-services/alberta-natural-history/amph...</a> <br /> <br /> The following link goes to a short, fascinating video on YouTube, about how Wood Frogs freeze solid in the winter.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjr3A_kfspM" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjr3A_kfspM</a><br /> <br /> The day started very early for us on 3 June 2016, as a few regulars had been invited to visit the Square Butte Ranch for the very first time, to do a Bio-blitz. We had to be at the meeting place for 7:00 am for a day of exploration SW of Calgary. The sun was shining all day and the temperature was around 24C or 25C. <br /> <br /> Our leader creates a highly detailed list of all the plants, birds, insects, fungi, lichen, mosses that were seen during the few hours we were there. This list is sent to the person who invited us there as well as to the participants. This was a new place for us to explore, though over the years, we had been to several other acreages not too far away. We strolled over grassy meadows with ponds, and through forest covered in deep, soft mosses. Everywhere was a carpet of Dandelions in bloom and in seed. <br /> <br /> A few bird species were seen, including a Belted Kingfisher which landed at the top of a very tall coniferous tree, looking rather out of place so high up.<br /> <br /> List of birds seen, compiled by our leader:<br /> <br /> Canada Goose-4 ad/10 juv<br /> Mallard-1 f/1 juv<br /> Common Merganser-1 m<br /> Swainson’s Hawk-1<br /> Red-tailed Hawk-1<br /> Killdeer-1<br /> Spotted Sandpiper-1<br /> Great Gray Owl-reported by residents<br /> Belted Kingfisher-1<br /> Pileated Woodpecker, evidenced by extraction of Carpenter Ants<br /> Gray Jay-2<br /> Common Raven-2<br /> Tree Swallow-4<br /> Cliff Swallow-100+<br /> Barn Swallow-6<br /> Boreal Chickadee-1<br /> Red-breasted Nuthatch-2<br /> Ruby-crowned Kinglet-2<br /> Winter Wren-1<br /> Mountain Bluebird-8<br /> American Robin-3<br /> Tennessee Warbler-4<br /> Chipping Sparrow-2<br /> Clay-colored Sparrow-5<br /> Savannah Sparrow-2<br /> Song Sparrow-1<br /> Brown-headed Cowbird-4<br /> American Goldfinch-1 m<br /> <br /> “In the 1990’s, developers started transforming 480 acres of rangeland in the Foothills of the Rockies into a recreational ranch property operated as a bare land condominium. Architectural guidelines ensured that all buildings were designed in a rustic, western style featuring log and timber structures with large front porches, wrap around decks and hitching posts. The vision was one of owners being able to enjoy the fun and excitement of a western ranch living without the headaches.” <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.squarebutteranches.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.squarebutteranches.com/</a></div> Camouflaged Wood Frog <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42205028"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/50/28/42205028.57d19bb0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Coloration varies from pink-tan, gray, olive-green, various shades of brown, to almost black; whitish jaw stripe contrasts with a dark eye mask that extends from the nostril over the eye and just behind the ear; light dorsal stripe is frequently present" From <a href="http://fanweb.ca/resources-services/alberta-natural-history/amphibians/wood-frog" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">fanweb.ca/resources-services/alberta-natural-history/amph...</a> <br /> <br /> The following link goes to a short, fascinating video on YouTube, about how Wood Frogs freeze solid in the winter.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjr3A_kfspM" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjr3A_kfspM</a><br /> <br /> The day started very early for us on 3 June 2016, as a few regulars had been invited to visit the Square Butte Ranch for the very first time, to do a Bio-blitz. We had to be at the meeting place for 7:00 am for a day of exploration SW of Calgary. The sun was shining all day and the temperature was around 24C or 25C. <br /> <br /> Our leader creates a highly detailed list of all the plants, birds, insects, fungi, lichen, mosses that were seen during the few hours we were there. This list is sent to the person who invited us there as well as to the participants. This was a new place for us to explore, though over the years, we had been to several other acreages not too far away. We strolled over grassy meadows with ponds, and through forest covered in deep, soft mosses. Everywhere was a carpet of Dandelions in bloom and in seed. <br /> <br /> A few bird species were seen, including a Belted Kingfisher which landed at the top of a very tall coniferous tree, looking rather out of place so high up.<br /> <br /> List of birds seen, compiled by our leader:<br /> <br /> Canada Goose-4 ad/10 juv<br /> Mallard-1 f/1 juv<br /> Common Merganser-1 m<br /> Swainson’s Hawk-1<br /> Red-tailed Hawk-1<br /> Killdeer-1<br /> Spotted Sandpiper-1<br /> Great Gray Owl-reported by residents<br /> Belted Kingfisher-1<br /> Pileated Woodpecker, evidenced by extraction of Carpenter Ants<br /> Gray Jay-2<br /> Common Raven-2<br /> Tree Swallow-4<br /> Cliff Swallow-100+<br /> Barn Swallow-6<br /> Boreal Chickadee-1<br /> Red-breasted Nuthatch-2<br /> Ruby-crowned Kinglet-2<br /> Winter Wren-1<br /> Mountain Bluebird-8<br /> American Robin-3<br /> Tennessee Warbler-4<br /> Chipping Sparrow-2<br /> Clay-colored Sparrow-5<br /> Savannah Sparrow-2<br /> Song Sparrow-1<br /> Brown-headed Cowbird-4<br /> American Goldfinch-1 m<br /> <br /> “In the 1990’s, developers started transforming 480 acres of rangeland in the Foothills of the Rockies into a recreational ranch property operated as a bare land condominium. Architectural guidelines ensured that all buildings were designed in a rustic, western style featuring log and timber structures with large front porches, wrap around decks and hitching posts. The vision was one of owners being able to enjoy the fun and excitement of a western ranch living without the headaches.” <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.squarebutteranches.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.squarebutteranches.com/</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/40164562 tag:ipernity.com,2015-10-29,doc-40164562 Thu, 29 Oct 2015 15:19:11 +0000 2010-08-23T12:23:14-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/40164562"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/45/62/40164562.35c4d2a7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo is from deep within my archives - taken on 23 August 2010. Found this display of Coral Fungus growing at the base of a fallen, rotting log at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park.<br /> <br /> Back in 2010, I guess I wasn't adding a detailed description to my photos, so unfortunately, I can't check back to see just where I went or what I saw during this drive and walk.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavarioid_fungi" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavarioid_fungi</a></div> Coral Fungus <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/40164562"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/45/62/40164562.35c4d2a7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo is from deep within my archives - taken on 23 August 2010. Found this display of Coral Fungus growing at the base of a fallen, rotting log at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park.<br /> <br /> Back in 2010, I guess I wasn't adding a detailed description to my photos, so unfortunately, I can't check back to see just where I went or what I saw during this drive and walk.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavarioid_fungi" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavarioid_fungi</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39999858 tag:ipernity.com,2015-10-08,doc-39999858 Thu, 08 Oct 2015 12:12:02 +0000 2010-08-31T15:35:55-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39999858"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/98/58/39999858.08c6d7a8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo is from deep within my archives and was taken on 31 August 2010. Can't remember for sure, but I think 2010 was the last really good year for fungi, here at least. Taken at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. Not the greatest shot, but wanted to add it to my fungi album. As for this year, 2015, the mushroom season has not been very good, thanks to a very hot, dry summer.</div> Fungi family <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39999858"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/98/58/39999858.08c6d7a8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo is from deep within my archives and was taken on 31 August 2010. Can't remember for sure, but I think 2010 was the last really good year for fungi, here at least. Taken at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. Not the greatest shot, but wanted to add it to my fungi album. As for this year, 2015, the mushroom season has not been very good, thanks to a very hot, dry summer.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39751760 tag:ipernity.com,2015-09-16,doc-39751760 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 14:57:48 +0000 2015-08-23T15:00:07-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39751760"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/17/60/39751760.59f0ef68.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 August 2015, five of us spent the day botanizing the land belonging to Darryl Teskey, SW of Calgary and W of Millarville (maybe a 40-minute drive from Calgary). This was the first time I had been there and I'm so glad I was invited to go - I would have missed all sorts of things, including a family of Ruffed Grouse and several fungi. The Grouse were the rare rufous-morph, and we startled them when we were walking through the forest in their direction. Usually, you don't see Grouse because they are so well-hidden. When you get fairly close (sometimes very close) to them, they suddenly "explode" from the tangle of shrubs and plants of the forest floor, making ones heart beat fast! We were taken by surprise when we came across a nearby statue of Saint Francis of Assisi, who is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. A nice idea, I thought.<br /> <br /> Our walk took us over grassland and through forest, many places treacherous with so many fallen logs which were often barely visible. I have never, ever seen so many tiny Skipper butterflies - there must have been hundreds or even thousands of these bright orange beauties that were flying or perched on flowers of every colour. <br /> <br /> Fortunately, the rain stayed away until we started driving back to Calgary. Quite a lot of black clouds, reminding me of the tornado that passed through Calgary just the day before (22 July 2015).<br /> <br /> Our purpose, as always, was to find and list everything that we saw - wildflowers, trees, grasses, birds, insects, fungi, etc.. Our leader then compiles an extensive list of our finds and this is later sent to the landowner, along with any photos that we might take. Always a win/win situation, as the landowner then has a much better idea of just what is on his property, and we have a most enjoyable day.</div> Beginning to crack <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39751760"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/17/60/39751760.59f0ef68.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 August 2015, five of us spent the day botanizing the land belonging to Darryl Teskey, SW of Calgary and W of Millarville (maybe a 40-minute drive from Calgary). This was the first time I had been there and I'm so glad I was invited to go - I would have missed all sorts of things, including a family of Ruffed Grouse and several fungi. The Grouse were the rare rufous-morph, and we startled them when we were walking through the forest in their direction. Usually, you don't see Grouse because they are so well-hidden. When you get fairly close (sometimes very close) to them, they suddenly "explode" from the tangle of shrubs and plants of the forest floor, making ones heart beat fast! We were taken by surprise when we came across a nearby statue of Saint Francis of Assisi, who is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. A nice idea, I thought.<br /> <br /> Our walk took us over grassland and through forest, many places treacherous with so many fallen logs which were often barely visible. I have never, ever seen so many tiny Skipper butterflies - there must have been hundreds or even thousands of these bright orange beauties that were flying or perched on flowers of every colour. <br /> <br /> Fortunately, the rain stayed away until we started driving back to Calgary. Quite a lot of black clouds, reminding me of the tornado that passed through Calgary just the day before (22 July 2015).<br /> <br /> Our purpose, as always, was to find and list everything that we saw - wildflowers, trees, grasses, birds, insects, fungi, etc.. Our leader then compiles an extensive list of our finds and this is later sent to the landowner, along with any photos that we might take. Always a win/win situation, as the landowner then has a much better idea of just what is on his property, and we have a most enjoyable day.</div> Anne Elliott