https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/14125 https://cdn.ipernity.com/p/101/C3/7B/293827.buddy.jpg https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/14125 Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:57:29 +0000 Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:57:29 +0000 https://www.ipernity.com https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/44267484 tag:ipernity.com,2017-01-24,doc-44267484 Tue, 24 Jan 2017 14:10:18 +0000 2016-06-18T18:32:44-07:00 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/293827/44267484"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/74/84/44267484.30757f0c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&img=dtc.51.tif.gif&uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583&orig=/discover/10.2307/4077277?uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...</a><br /> <br /> On 18 June 2016, I went for a drive SW of the city, checking out a few of my usual roads. Almost straight away, I spotted a beautiful Wilson's Snipe perched on a fence rail in a different area than I usually photograph Snipe.<br /> <br /> I had pulled over on the other side of the road and managed to get just three shots when a car came along in the opposite direction. The lady slowed down and asked if I was a birdwatcher. She told me that she had just passed an enormous Bald Eagle - bigger than any she had ever seen - perched on a fence post. Well, of course the Snipe flew off and I definitely wasn't expecting a Bald Eagle to still be sitting where it had been seen. I thanked the thoughtful lady and continued my drive, eventually spotting 'something' big in the distance. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was the Eagle. Expecting it to take off as soon as it saw my car, it surprised me by remaining right where it was. Wrong side of the road and with its back to me, but I was in awe! I think this was the first time I had ever seen a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post.<br /> <br /> I was even more grateful to have seen this majestic bird of prey when I went to check on a nearby Mountain Bluebird pair and there was nothing to be seen. I then stopped at a different pair and, though I did see the female high up on the wire, there was no activity at all. When I eventually reached a third box - where I had recently photographed the male with a beautiful moth in its beak - I saw a Tree Swallow's face peeping out of the hole. When I was there two days earlier, I just knew that the babies were going to fledge any moment and I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to visit them in their last two days.<br /> <br /> After driving further to see if I could see either of the Great Gray Owls or the Bobolinks, I was out of luck with both. This made the Bald Eagle sighting more special than ever! Then, driving down a road that I don't normally drive, I spotted a 'new' pair of Mountain Bluebirds. Both Mom and Dad were kept so busy, collecting caterpillars, moths and other insects to feed to their babies. These were definitely 'Bluebirds of Happiness' that evening. Soon, the grey sky and low light finally took a toll on my camera or, should I say, my knowledge of how to use it? It was time to call it quits and head for home.</div> Female Mountain Bluebird with lunch for her babies <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/293827/44267484"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/74/84/44267484.30757f0c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&img=dtc.51.tif.gif&uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583&orig=/discover/10.2307/4077277?uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...</a><br /> <br /> On 18 June 2016, I went for a drive SW of the city, checking out a few of my usual roads. Almost straight away, I spotted a beautiful Wilson's Snipe perched on a fence rail in a different area than I usually photograph Snipe.<br /> <br /> I had pulled over on the other side of the road and managed to get just three shots when a car came along in the opposite direction. The lady slowed down and asked if I was a birdwatcher. She told me that she had just passed an enormous Bald Eagle - bigger than any she had ever seen - perched on a fence post. Well, of course the Snipe flew off and I definitely wasn't expecting a Bald Eagle to still be sitting where it had been seen. I thanked the thoughtful lady and continued my drive, eventually spotting 'something' big in the distance. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was the Eagle. Expecting it to take off as soon as it saw my car, it surprised me by remaining right where it was. Wrong side of the road and with its back to me, but I was in awe! I think this was the first time I had ever seen a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post.<br /> <br /> I was even more grateful to have seen this majestic bird of prey when I went to check on a nearby Mountain Bluebird pair and there was nothing to be seen. I then stopped at a different pair and, though I did see the female high up on the wire, there was no activity at all. When I eventually reached a third box - where I had recently photographed the male with a beautiful moth in its beak - I saw a Tree Swallow's face peeping out of the hole. When I was there two days earlier, I just knew that the babies were going to fledge any moment and I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to visit them in their last two days.<br /> <br /> After driving further to see if I could see either of the Great Gray Owls or the Bobolinks, I was out of luck with both. This made the Bald Eagle sighting more special than ever! Then, driving down a road that I don't normally drive, I spotted a 'new' pair of Mountain Bluebirds. Both Mom and Dad were kept so busy, collecting caterpillars, moths and other insects to feed to their babies. These were definitely 'Bluebirds of Happiness' that evening. Soon, the grey sky and low light finally took a toll on my camera or, should I say, my knowledge of how to use it? It was time to call it quits and head for home.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/43279896 tag:ipernity.com,2016-09-26,doc-43279896 Mon, 26 Sep 2016 13:11:40 +0000 2016-09-25T13:22:39-06:00 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/293827/43279896"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/98/96/43279896.85ae6fb8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">All three photos posted this morning, were taken yesterday, 25 September 2016. It was a day of birding east and south-east of the city, with a group of birding friends. We set out at 8:00 am and our main stopping places were Weed Lake, Marsland Basin and Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park. <br /> <br /> I will add our leader's (Howard Heffler) list of species below. Pretty much the usual sightings - lots of ducks, a number of Hawks including the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk seen in the next photo and the juvenile White-throated Sparrow which was seen while walking around in Lynn and Sue's acreage at Marsland Basin. Also, a Merlin that was perched high up on a power pole. The water level at the wetland at Marsland Basin was very high, so there was no sign of the mudflats there. We did have three small flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese fly high overhead while we were looking out over the water, which was great. As usual, most birds we saw were much too far away for photos. <br /> <br /> As usually happens, when birds are too far away for me to see, my camera lens turns to a few other subjects, including the Sowthistle flower in this photo, which had three different insects on it. I think the one on the far right is a Hoverfly, but I''m not sure about the other two. <br /> <br /> Many thanks for leading this trip, Howard, and thanks, too, to Jim for driving half of us. I always appreciate a trip like this, with people who are all expert birdspotters - and then there's me, lol!<br /> <br /> "Eight participants met at Carburn Park at 8:00 AM and spent a beautiful fall day birding three locations east of Calgary. We first stopped at the south end of Weed Lake. Water levels were high so there was almost no shorebird habitat. A highlight was the large numbers of American Pipits. Marsland Basin, thanks to Lynn and Sue, is a wonderful spot for both the wetland and the treed areas. Next we went Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park. We were not able to pick out a Mew Gull that had been recently reported there among the 100’s of Ring-billed Gulls. Thanks to Nimali Seneviratne for keeping track of species and doing the eBird postings. The combined list for the day was:<br /> <br /> Greater White-fronted Goose 108 <br /> Canada Goose 36 <br /> Gadwall 45 <br /> American Wigeon 22 <br /> Mallard 325 <br /> Northern Shoveler 400 <br /> Northern Pintail 80 <br /> Green-winged Teal 278 <br /> Bufflehead 18 <br /> Common Merganser 3 <br /> Ruddy Duck 5 <br /> Gray Partridge 20 <br /> Pied-billed Grebe 1 <br /> Eared Grebe 1 <br /> Double-crested Cormorant 3 <br /> American White Pelican 12 <br /> Great Blue Heron 4 <br /> White-faced Ibis 1 <br /> Bald Eagle 1<br /> Northern Harrier 3 <br /> Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 <br /> Swainson's Hawk 1 <br /> Red-tailed Hawk 6 <br /> American Coot 51 <br /> Killdeer 4 <br /> Long-billed Dowitcher 9 <br /> Wilson's Snipe 2 <br /> Greater Yellowlegs 4 <br /> Franklin's Gull 3 <br /> Ring-billed Gull 1,000 <br /> Rock Pigeon 2 <br /> Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 <br /> Belted Kingfisher 2 <br /> Northern Flicker 1 <br /> Merlin 1 <br /> Blue Jay 2 <br /> Black-billed Magpie 6 <br /> Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 <br /> Marsh Wren 1 <br /> Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4 <br /> Swainson's Thrush 2 <br /> European Starling 34 <br /> American Pipit 95 <br /> Ovenbird 1 <br /> Orange-crowned Warbler 4 <br /> Yellow-rumped Warbler 5 <br /> Dark-eyed Junco 5 <br /> White-throated Sparrow 6 <br /> Western Meadowlark 5 <br /> Common Grackle 2 <br /> House Sparrow 12 <br /> <br /> Will have to finish off my other descriptions and tags later, as I am running late this morning and have a birding walk to get to.<br /> <br /> Later: I ended up not going on my birding walk this morning. By the time I got up early and 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 (Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park), getting there about noon. Met a delightful young guy standing on the bridge over the creek and pointing out to me a perched bird of prey. It took a little 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 this evening, I'm still not 100% sure if it was a Cooper's or a Sharp-shinned. In a few of the photos, the tail tip edge looked more straight than curved.<br /> <br /> This hawk 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 hawk flew down right over our heads two or three times - maybe because we were attracting insects around us? We noticed a second similar hawk, too, and we wondered if they were maybe juveniles, especially as the main one was very comfortable with us standing nearby. Made my day : ) 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! A very enjoyable walk - glad to have your company, Nimali, and that of the very knowledgeable young man we had just met.</div> Three insect species on a single flower <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/293827/43279896"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/98/96/43279896.85ae6fb8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">All three photos posted this morning, were taken yesterday, 25 September 2016. It was a day of birding east and south-east of the city, with a group of birding friends. We set out at 8:00 am and our main stopping places were Weed Lake, Marsland Basin and Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park. <br /> <br /> I will add our leader's (Howard Heffler) list of species below. Pretty much the usual sightings - lots of ducks, a number of Hawks including the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk seen in the next photo and the juvenile White-throated Sparrow which was seen while walking around in Lynn and Sue's acreage at Marsland Basin. Also, a Merlin that was perched high up on a power pole. The water level at the wetland at Marsland Basin was very high, so there was no sign of the mudflats there. We did have three small flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese fly high overhead while we were looking out over the water, which was great. As usual, most birds we saw were much too far away for photos. <br /> <br /> As usually happens, when birds are too far away for me to see, my camera lens turns to a few other subjects, including the Sowthistle flower in this photo, which had three different insects on it. I think the one on the far right is a Hoverfly, but I''m not sure about the other two. <br /> <br /> Many thanks for leading this trip, Howard, and thanks, too, to Jim for driving half of us. I always appreciate a trip like this, with people who are all expert birdspotters - and then there's me, lol!<br /> <br /> "Eight participants met at Carburn Park at 8:00 AM and spent a beautiful fall day birding three locations east of Calgary. We first stopped at the south end of Weed Lake. Water levels were high so there was almost no shorebird habitat. A highlight was the large numbers of American Pipits. Marsland Basin, thanks to Lynn and Sue, is a wonderful spot for both the wetland and the treed areas. Next we went Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park. We were not able to pick out a Mew Gull that had been recently reported there among the 100’s of Ring-billed Gulls. Thanks to Nimali Seneviratne for keeping track of species and doing the eBird postings. The combined list for the day was:<br /> <br /> Greater White-fronted Goose 108 <br /> Canada Goose 36 <br /> Gadwall 45 <br /> American Wigeon 22 <br /> Mallard 325 <br /> Northern Shoveler 400 <br /> Northern Pintail 80 <br /> Green-winged Teal 278 <br /> Bufflehead 18 <br /> Common Merganser 3 <br /> Ruddy Duck 5 <br /> Gray Partridge 20 <br /> Pied-billed Grebe 1 <br /> Eared Grebe 1 <br /> Double-crested Cormorant 3 <br /> American White Pelican 12 <br /> Great Blue Heron 4 <br /> White-faced Ibis 1 <br /> Bald Eagle 1<br /> Northern Harrier 3 <br /> Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 <br /> Swainson's Hawk 1 <br /> Red-tailed Hawk 6 <br /> American Coot 51 <br /> Killdeer 4 <br /> Long-billed Dowitcher 9 <br /> Wilson's Snipe 2 <br /> Greater Yellowlegs 4 <br /> Franklin's Gull 3 <br /> Ring-billed Gull 1,000 <br /> Rock Pigeon 2 <br /> Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 <br /> Belted Kingfisher 2 <br /> Northern Flicker 1 <br /> Merlin 1 <br /> Blue Jay 2 <br /> Black-billed Magpie 6 <br /> Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 <br /> Marsh Wren 1 <br /> Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4 <br /> Swainson's Thrush 2 <br /> European Starling 34 <br /> American Pipit 95 <br /> Ovenbird 1 <br /> Orange-crowned Warbler 4 <br /> Yellow-rumped Warbler 5 <br /> Dark-eyed Junco 5 <br /> White-throated Sparrow 6 <br /> Western Meadowlark 5 <br /> Common Grackle 2 <br /> House Sparrow 12 <br /> <br /> Will have to finish off my other descriptions and tags later, as I am running late this morning and have a birding walk to get to.<br /> <br /> Later: I ended up not going on my birding walk this morning. By the time I got up early and 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 (Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park), getting there about noon. Met a delightful young guy standing on the bridge over the creek and pointing out to me a perched bird of prey. It took a little 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 this evening, I'm still not 100% sure if it was a Cooper's or a Sharp-shinned. In a few of the photos, the tail tip edge looked more straight than curved.<br /> <br /> This hawk 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 hawk flew down right over our heads two or three times - maybe because we were attracting insects around us? We noticed a second similar hawk, too, and we wondered if they were maybe juveniles, especially as the main one was very comfortable with us standing nearby. Made my day : ) 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! 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/293827/43117474 tag:ipernity.com,2016-09-13,doc-43117474 Tue, 13 Sep 2016 15:49:10 +0000 2016-09-03T10:20:06-06:00 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/293827/43117474"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/74/74/43117474.4f23807d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Well, one of the reasons why I would never eat them - I can see several little white worms/maggots crawling through the fungi flesh! The other reason I don't eat any is that you need to be an expert to know which mushrooms are edible and which ones are poisonous.<br /> <br /> On 3 September 2016, we had a fungi morning, which was quite rewarding and definitely fun. Our leader and friend, Karel, is very knowledgeable about fungi and he took 14 of us (plus Karel's two beautiful Beagles) on a foray to West Bragg Creek, maybe an hour's drive west of the city. We had been here a few times over the years, either looking for fungi or on botany outings.<br /> <br /> Photographing our findings usually means that I am way at the back of the group or have fallen back with a friend or two. Consequently, the mushrooms have often already been plucked/cut by the time we catch up to the rest of the participants. I also miss a lot of what is being said about IDs and details. It would take far too long to write down the name of each find - each photo taken would have to be carefully numbered so that the right name could be attached and this would be such a hassle when out with a group. Since this outing, Karel has sent an email containing several photos along with IDs. The rest of my photos will have to be just nameless 'pretty pictures' : ) I must add here that any IDs that I give are always tentative, as I know so little about fungi. Another thing to add is that I never, ever pick and eat wild mushrooms!! Too many look similar, some edible, others poisonous. If you are not a fungi expert, never take the risk of eating any of them.<br /> <br /> I met up with friend, Sandy, at 8:15 am and she drove us out to the meeting place. Our morning walk started off by going across the small bridge not far from the parking lot, then part way up the hill and then bush-whacking our way through the forest. This walk, which ended around lunch time, was the main one, but we did stop at a small, gravel parking area a few minutes along the main road, to do a second walk to check for any different mushrooms. This extra walk has yielded a few beauties in past years. Perhaps the most interesting find was a very small twig that had several tiny, turquoise coloured fungi cups on it. The colour looks so out of place in a natural area. <br /> <br /> From here, a few of us stopped at the Cinnamon Spoon cafe in Bragg Creek for lunch. Always a most enjoyable way to finish any outing. Before we climbed into the car for our return drive to Calgary, Sandy and I wandered into the beautiful Art Gallery, owned and run by Bob and Candy Cook. Named Branded Visuals Inc.(Printing Services/Wildlife Gallery), this small store is overflowing with Bob's absolutely amazing photographic works of art. Thanks so much, Bob and Candy, for remembering our chance meeting a number of years ago, down in Fish Creek Park, and for your overly generous words about my own photography.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.brandedvisuals.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.brandedvisuals.com/index.html</a><br /> <br /> Thanks so much, Karel, for giving us a great morning! We really appreciate your passing on your knowledge to us. The same thanks go to Suzanne, the mushroom specialist in Calgary. Sandy, really appreciate the ride there and back!</div> Why I would never eat wild mushrooms : ) <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/293827/43117474"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/74/74/43117474.4f23807d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Well, one of the reasons why I would never eat them - I can see several little white worms/maggots crawling through the fungi flesh! The other reason I don't eat any is that you need to be an expert to know which mushrooms are edible and which ones are poisonous.<br /> <br /> On 3 September 2016, we had a fungi morning, which was quite rewarding and definitely fun. Our leader and friend, Karel, is very knowledgeable about fungi and he took 14 of us (plus Karel's two beautiful Beagles) on a foray to West Bragg Creek, maybe an hour's drive west of the city. We had been here a few times over the years, either looking for fungi or on botany outings.<br /> <br /> Photographing our findings usually means that I am way at the back of the group or have fallen back with a friend or two. Consequently, the mushrooms have often already been plucked/cut by the time we catch up to the rest of the participants. I also miss a lot of what is being said about IDs and details. It would take far too long to write down the name of each find - each photo taken would have to be carefully numbered so that the right name could be attached and this would be such a hassle when out with a group. Since this outing, Karel has sent an email containing several photos along with IDs. The rest of my photos will have to be just nameless 'pretty pictures' : ) I must add here that any IDs that I give are always tentative, as I know so little about fungi. Another thing to add is that I never, ever pick and eat wild mushrooms!! Too many look similar, some edible, others poisonous. If you are not a fungi expert, never take the risk of eating any of them.<br /> <br /> I met up with friend, Sandy, at 8:15 am and she drove us out to the meeting place. Our morning walk started off by going across the small bridge not far from the parking lot, then part way up the hill and then bush-whacking our way through the forest. This walk, which ended around lunch time, was the main one, but we did stop at a small, gravel parking area a few minutes along the main road, to do a second walk to check for any different mushrooms. This extra walk has yielded a few beauties in past years. Perhaps the most interesting find was a very small twig that had several tiny, turquoise coloured fungi cups on it. The colour looks so out of place in a natural area. <br /> <br /> From here, a few of us stopped at the Cinnamon Spoon cafe in Bragg Creek for lunch. Always a most enjoyable way to finish any outing. Before we climbed into the car for our return drive to Calgary, Sandy and I wandered into the beautiful Art Gallery, owned and run by Bob and Candy Cook. Named Branded Visuals Inc.(Printing Services/Wildlife Gallery), this small store is overflowing with Bob's absolutely amazing photographic works of art. Thanks so much, Bob and Candy, for remembering our chance meeting a number of years ago, down in Fish Creek Park, and for your overly generous words about my own photography.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.brandedvisuals.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.brandedvisuals.com/index.html</a><br /> <br /> Thanks so much, Karel, for giving us a great morning! We really appreciate your passing on your knowledge to us. The same thanks go to Suzanne, the mushroom specialist in Calgary. Sandy, really appreciate the ride there and back!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42666930 tag:ipernity.com,2016-07-30,doc-42666930 Sat, 30 Jul 2016 11:43:08 +0000 2016-06-18T18:20:52-06:00 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/293827/42666930"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/69/30/42666930.ca5ec9ad.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&img=dtc.51.tif.gif&uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583&orig=/discover/10.2307/4077277?uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...</a><br /> <br /> On 18 June 2016, I went for a drive SW of the city, checking out a few of my usual roads. Almost straight away, I spotted a beautiful Wilson's Snipe perched on a fence rail in a different area than I usually photograph Snipe.<br /> <br /> I had pulled over on the other side of the road and managed to get just three shots when a car came along in the opposite direction. The lady slowed down and asked if I was a birdwatcher. She told me that she had just passed an enormous Bald Eagle - bigger than any she had ever seen - perched on a fence post. Well, of course the Snipe flew off and I definitely wasn't expecting a Bald Eagle to still be sitting where it had been seen. I thanked the thoughtful lady and continued my drive, eventually spotting 'something' big in the distance. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was the Eagle. Expecting it to take off as soon as it saw my car, it surprised me by remaining right where it was. Wrong side of the road and with its back to me, but I was in awe! I think this was the first time I had ever seen a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post.<br /> <br /> I was even more grateful to have seen this majestic bird of prey when I went to check on a nearby Mountain Bluebird pair and there was nothing to be seen. I then stopped at a different pair and, though I did see the female high up on the wire, there was no activity at all. When I eventually reached a third box - where I had recently photographed the male with a beautiful moth in its beak - I saw a Tree Swallow's face peeping out of the hole. When I was there two days earlier, I just knew that the babies were going to fledge any moment and I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to visit them in the last two days.<br /> <br /> After driving further to see if I could see either of the Great Gray Owls or the Bobolinks, I was out of luck with both. This made the Bald Eagle sighting more special than ever! Then, driving down a road that I don't normally drive, I spotted a 'new' pair of Mountain Bluebirds. Both Mom and Dad were kept so busy, collecting caterpillars and other insects to feed to their babies. These were definitely 'Bluebirds of Happiness' that evening. Soon, the grey sky and low light finally took a toll on my camera or, should I say, my knowledge of how to use it? It was time to call it quits and head for home.</div> Collecting food for her babies <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/293827/42666930"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/69/30/42666930.ca5ec9ad.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&img=dtc.51.tif.gif&uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583&orig=/discover/10.2307/4077277?uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...</a><br /> <br /> On 18 June 2016, I went for a drive SW of the city, checking out a few of my usual roads. Almost straight away, I spotted a beautiful Wilson's Snipe perched on a fence rail in a different area than I usually photograph Snipe.<br /> <br /> I had pulled over on the other side of the road and managed to get just three shots when a car came along in the opposite direction. The lady slowed down and asked if I was a birdwatcher. She told me that she had just passed an enormous Bald Eagle - bigger than any she had ever seen - perched on a fence post. Well, of course the Snipe flew off and I definitely wasn't expecting a Bald Eagle to still be sitting where it had been seen. I thanked the thoughtful lady and continued my drive, eventually spotting 'something' big in the distance. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was the Eagle. Expecting it to take off as soon as it saw my car, it surprised me by remaining right where it was. Wrong side of the road and with its back to me, but I was in awe! I think this was the first time I had ever seen a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post.<br /> <br /> I was even more grateful to have seen this majestic bird of prey when I went to check on a nearby Mountain Bluebird pair and there was nothing to be seen. I then stopped at a different pair and, though I did see the female high up on the wire, there was no activity at all. When I eventually reached a third box - where I had recently photographed the male with a beautiful moth in its beak - I saw a Tree Swallow's face peeping out of the hole. When I was there two days earlier, I just knew that the babies were going to fledge any moment and I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to visit them in the last two days.<br /> <br /> After driving further to see if I could see either of the Great Gray Owls or the Bobolinks, I was out of luck with both. This made the Bald Eagle sighting more special than ever! Then, driving down a road that I don't normally drive, I spotted a 'new' pair of Mountain Bluebirds. Both Mom and Dad were kept so busy, collecting caterpillars and other insects to feed to their babies. These were definitely 'Bluebirds of Happiness' that evening. Soon, the grey sky and low light finally took a toll on my camera or, should I say, my knowledge of how to use it? It was time to call it quits and head for home.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42528460 tag:ipernity.com,2016-07-20,doc-42528460 Wed, 20 Jul 2016 13:07:08 +0000 2016-07-19T17:46:37-06:00 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/293827/42528460"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/84/60/42528460.4b59466d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday afternoon, 19 July 2016, I really wanted to go and check on the family of Mountain Bluebird fledglings, SW of the city. It was also getting uncomfortably warm in my place and I needed to spend a bit of time in the air-conditioning of my car. I only felt like a short drive, after the very enjoyable full day of driving with my daughter the previous day. I discovered that the fledglings had grown up a lot in the three days since I had first seen them - constantly on the move and impossible to photograph.<br /> <br /> There were so few birds to be seen in my usual location - the road had been resurfaced in the three days I hadn't been there. Whether that was the reason for the lack of birds, who knows. I did catch a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds and saw this female with a beak full of bright green larvae for her babies. No sign of any WIlson's Snipes. The distant Black Tern baby was still being fed.<br /> <br /> "One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. In the North, their early arrival and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring.<br /> <br /> You can find Red-winged Blackbirds in the breeding season by visiting cattail marshes and other wetlands, or simply by watching telephone wires on a drive through the country. Where there’s standing water and vegetation, Red-winged Blackbirds are likely to be one of the most common birds you see and hear. Listen for the male’s conk-la-lee! song. In winter, search through mixed-species blackbird flocks and be careful not to overlook the streaky, brown females, which can sometimes resemble a sparrow." From AllAboutBIrds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_blackbird" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_blackbird</a></div> Time to feed the kids <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/293827/42528460"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/84/60/42528460.4b59466d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday afternoon, 19 July 2016, I really wanted to go and check on the family of Mountain Bluebird fledglings, SW of the city. It was also getting uncomfortably warm in my place and I needed to spend a bit of time in the air-conditioning of my car. I only felt like a short drive, after the very enjoyable full day of driving with my daughter the previous day. I discovered that the fledglings had grown up a lot in the three days since I had first seen them - constantly on the move and impossible to photograph.<br /> <br /> There were so few birds to be seen in my usual location - the road had been resurfaced in the three days I hadn't been there. Whether that was the reason for the lack of birds, who knows. I did catch a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds and saw this female with a beak full of bright green larvae for her babies. No sign of any WIlson's Snipes. The distant Black Tern baby was still being fed.<br /> <br /> "One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. In the North, their early arrival and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring.<br /> <br /> You can find Red-winged Blackbirds in the breeding season by visiting cattail marshes and other wetlands, or simply by watching telephone wires on a drive through the country. Where there’s standing water and vegetation, Red-winged Blackbirds are likely to be one of the most common birds you see and hear. Listen for the male’s conk-la-lee! song. In winter, search through mixed-species blackbird flocks and be careful not to overlook the streaky, brown females, which can sometimes resemble a sparrow." From AllAboutBIrds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_blackbird" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_blackbird</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42283760 tag:ipernity.com,2016-06-22,doc-42283760 Wed, 22 Jun 2016 19:10:00 +0000 2016-06-20T18:43:37-06:00 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/293827/42283760"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/37/60/42283760.c106c2fc.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">The day before yesterday, on 20 June 2016, I went for a drive SW of the city again. This time, I was thrilled to bits to see two male Bobolinks and a female. I had driven backwards and forwards along the road where I had seen them a few days ago, with no luck. I gave up and, instead, spent some time photographing a beautiful pair of Mountain Bluebirds. After a while, I told myself it was time to leave the Bluebirds in peace and go and see if there was any sign of a Bobolink. I had literally climbed back into my car and pulled forward maybe six feet, when a bird flew to a fence post. It looked bigger than a Savannah Sparrow, so I was curious. Turned out to be a male Bobolink, who gave me the chance for a few quick shots before flying away. Unfortunately, the sun was not in a good direction. <br /> <br /> Time to go and photograph a Tree Swallow, female Red-winged Blackbird (with food in her beak for her babies) and a Snipe and then I returned to the pair of Bluebirds. This time, they had two brief visitors - a Brown-headed Cowbird and a tiny Savannah Sparrow, who insisted on trying to perch on the same fence post as the male Bluebird. It was kind of cute to see the two together. I always love to tsee the back view of a female Bluebird, with just little touches of blue showing in her feathers.<br /> <br /> After a while, I decided it really was time to head for home. While crossing the road to my car, I spotted a bird perched on top of a tree way down the road and discovered it was a Bobolink again. It spent a bit of time flying around with another male and a female, eventually flying to a fence post. I had never seen a female before, but recognized it from various photos I had seen online a few days ago. Females are a lot smaller than the males and very different colouring. Three quick photos and it was gone. One of the males stayed on a fence post for a little while, but I was looking into the sun and the light was horrible. All three birds took off across the field and stayed down in the grass and I knew this would be a good time to tear myself away and head happily for home. Normally, I don't get out this often, but I know that it won't be long before all the birds I saw today will have migrated. Also, this was the first day of summer, so I really wanted to spend a few hours outdoors. <br /> <br /> "One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. In the North, their early arrival and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring.<br /> <br /> You can find Red-winged Blackbirds in the breeding season by visiting cattail marshes and other wetlands, or simply by watching telephone wires on a drive through the country. Where there’s standing water and vegetation, Red-winged Blackbirds are likely to be one of the most common birds you see and hear. Listen for the male’s conk-la-lee! song. In winter, search through mixed-species blackbird flocks and be careful not to overlook the streaky, brown females, which can sometimes resemble a sparrow." From AllAboutBIrds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_blackbird" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_blackbird</a></div> Red-winged Blackbird female with bokeh <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/293827/42283760"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/37/60/42283760.c106c2fc.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">The day before yesterday, on 20 June 2016, I went for a drive SW of the city again. This time, I was thrilled to bits to see two male Bobolinks and a female. I had driven backwards and forwards along the road where I had seen them a few days ago, with no luck. I gave up and, instead, spent some time photographing a beautiful pair of Mountain Bluebirds. After a while, I told myself it was time to leave the Bluebirds in peace and go and see if there was any sign of a Bobolink. I had literally climbed back into my car and pulled forward maybe six feet, when a bird flew to a fence post. It looked bigger than a Savannah Sparrow, so I was curious. Turned out to be a male Bobolink, who gave me the chance for a few quick shots before flying away. Unfortunately, the sun was not in a good direction. <br /> <br /> Time to go and photograph a Tree Swallow, female Red-winged Blackbird (with food in her beak for her babies) and a Snipe and then I returned to the pair of Bluebirds. This time, they had two brief visitors - a Brown-headed Cowbird and a tiny Savannah Sparrow, who insisted on trying to perch on the same fence post as the male Bluebird. It was kind of cute to see the two together. I always love to tsee the back view of a female Bluebird, with just little touches of blue showing in her feathers.<br /> <br /> After a while, I decided it really was time to head for home. While crossing the road to my car, I spotted a bird perched on top of a tree way down the road and discovered it was a Bobolink again. It spent a bit of time flying around with another male and a female, eventually flying to a fence post. I had never seen a female before, but recognized it from various photos I had seen online a few days ago. Females are a lot smaller than the males and very different colouring. Three quick photos and it was gone. One of the males stayed on a fence post for a little while, but I was looking into the sun and the light was horrible. All three birds took off across the field and stayed down in the grass and I knew this would be a good time to tear myself away and head happily for home. Normally, I don't get out this often, but I know that it won't be long before all the birds I saw today will have migrated. Also, this was the first day of summer, so I really wanted to spend a few hours outdoors. <br /> <br /> "One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. In the North, their early arrival and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring.<br /> <br /> You can find Red-winged Blackbirds in the breeding season by visiting cattail marshes and other wetlands, or simply by watching telephone wires on a drive through the country. Where there’s standing water and vegetation, Red-winged Blackbirds are likely to be one of the most common birds you see and hear. Listen for the male’s conk-la-lee! song. In winter, search through mixed-species blackbird flocks and be careful not to overlook the streaky, brown females, which can sometimes resemble a sparrow." From AllAboutBIrds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_blackbird" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_blackbird</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42163344 tag:ipernity.com,2016-06-08,doc-42163344 Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:02:02 +0000 2016-06-04T11:37:55-06:00 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/293827/42163344"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/33/44/42163344.82f1b9b9.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Four days ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. When I read where this year's outing was going to be, I was so excited and registered immediately and, apparently, was the first person on the list : ) I believe there were 66 people on the trip, enjoying a great day. The sun was shining and the temperature got up to around 25C - too warm for me and for many others, especially when the whole day is spent outdoors. <br /> <br /> It was a very early start, with my alarm clocks set for 4:30 am. Unfortunately, they had also been set for 4:30 am the previous day, when I went on a Bio-blitz to the Square Butte Ranch. Being a dreadful 'night owl', this meant that I ended up doing these two trips on about 5 hours sleep total over the two nights. Not good! It is such a treat to go somewhere by bus - everyone can relax and chat. Some of the $50 charge per person went towards a donation to the Ellis Bird Farm (and to the JJ Collett natural area), which was good to know.<br /> <br /> The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm takes about an hour and a half. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+! <br /> <br /> One of the highlights was seeing the Purple Martin condominium-style nest boxes. These birds are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family." <br /> <br /> We started off by watching a very touching old video about Charlie Ellis - what a delightful, very shy, modest man he was.<br /> <br /> ""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife.<br /> <br /> The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters.<br /> <br /> After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/</a><br /> <br /> After the video, we were divided into two large groups and then further divided again. Not easy to organize such a large number of people and it was rather confusing, Have to admit that I ended up, like varous friends, wandering around, taking photos. I always prefer to be free to do this, as there is a lot of information on the Internet, which can be read before and after such a visit.<br /> <br /> "​Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini." <br /> <br /> Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html</a><br /> <br /> Following our visit to the Farm, we boarded the two buses and were driven about half an hour's drive away, to the JJ Collett natural area, where the amazing Dr. Charles (Charlie) Bird took us on a walk (longer and faster paced than we were expecting, ha) along one of the trails. This is an interesting place to visit - will have to add information about it when I eventually post an image or two taken there.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.jjcollett.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.jjcollett.com/</a><br /> <br /> Not sure what time we got back to the meeting place in Calgary - around 5:15 pm? I sat in my car and gulped down a mug of black coffee before driving for maybe 45 minutes to the far side of the city. My vehicle had been sitting in the sun all day and my coffee was as hot as if freshly made!<br /> <br /> Thank you, Nature Calgary and Leslie, for organizing this special day trip for us! Very successful and greatly enjoyed! Kate, thank you for your company on the drive there and back - made the time go faster and was so enjoyable.</div> Collecting food for his babies <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/293827/42163344"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/33/44/42163344.82f1b9b9.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Four days ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. When I read where this year's outing was going to be, I was so excited and registered immediately and, apparently, was the first person on the list : ) I believe there were 66 people on the trip, enjoying a great day. The sun was shining and the temperature got up to around 25C - too warm for me and for many others, especially when the whole day is spent outdoors. <br /> <br /> It was a very early start, with my alarm clocks set for 4:30 am. Unfortunately, they had also been set for 4:30 am the previous day, when I went on a Bio-blitz to the Square Butte Ranch. Being a dreadful 'night owl', this meant that I ended up doing these two trips on about 5 hours sleep total over the two nights. Not good! It is such a treat to go somewhere by bus - everyone can relax and chat. Some of the $50 charge per person went towards a donation to the Ellis Bird Farm (and to the JJ Collett natural area), which was good to know.<br /> <br /> The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm takes about an hour and a half. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+! <br /> <br /> One of the highlights was seeing the Purple Martin condominium-style nest boxes. These birds are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family." <br /> <br /> We started off by watching a very touching old video about Charlie Ellis - what a delightful, very shy, modest man he was.<br /> <br /> ""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife.<br /> <br /> The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters.<br /> <br /> After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/</a><br /> <br /> After the video, we were divided into two large groups and then further divided again. Not easy to organize such a large number of people and it was rather confusing, Have to admit that I ended up, like varous friends, wandering around, taking photos. I always prefer to be free to do this, as there is a lot of information on the Internet, which can be read before and after such a visit.<br /> <br /> "​Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini." <br /> <br /> Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html</a><br /> <br /> Following our visit to the Farm, we boarded the two buses and were driven about half an hour's drive away, to the JJ Collett natural area, where the amazing Dr. Charles (Charlie) Bird took us on a walk (longer and faster paced than we were expecting, ha) along one of the trails. This is an interesting place to visit - will have to add information about it when I eventually post an image or two taken there.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.jjcollett.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.jjcollett.com/</a><br /> <br /> Not sure what time we got back to the meeting place in Calgary - around 5:15 pm? I sat in my car and gulped down a mug of black coffee before driving for maybe 45 minutes to the far side of the city. My vehicle had been sitting in the sun all day and my coffee was as hot as if freshly made!<br /> <br /> Thank you, Nature Calgary and Leslie, for organizing this special day trip for us! Very successful and greatly enjoyed! Kate, thank you for your company on the drive there and back - made the time go faster and was so enjoyable.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/37881406 tag:ipernity.com,2015-04-17,doc-37881406 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:43:10 +0000 2012-08-08T16:37:06-06:00 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/293827/37881406"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/14/06/37881406.78244960.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Photographed at the Reader Rock Garden in Calgary, on 8 August 2012. I will be so happy when flowers are in bloom here, so that I won't need to search through my archives for colourful shots. I know everyone else must be feeling the same, even though we have just had a wonderfully mild winter.<br /> <br /> Gotta dash, as I'm meeting a friend to go birding. The temperature is 7C as I type and is supposed to soar to a balmy 19C this afternoon.</div> Longing for Poppy time <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/293827/37881406"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/14/06/37881406.78244960.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Photographed at the Reader Rock Garden in Calgary, on 8 August 2012. I will be so happy when flowers are in bloom here, so that I won't need to search through my archives for colourful shots. I know everyone else must be feeling the same, even though we have just had a wonderfully mild winter.<br /> <br /> Gotta dash, as I'm meeting a friend to go birding. The temperature is 7C as I type and is supposed to soar to a balmy 19C this afternoon.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/36120671 tag:ipernity.com,2014-11-30,doc-36120671 Sun, 30 Nov 2014 16:16:45 +0000 2014-09-17T16:28:37-07:00 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/293827/36120671"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/146/06/71/36120671.c9ad26c6.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This beautiful pink Straw Flower was in bloom at the Reader Rock Garden on 17 September 2014. I love seeing these flowers - they always look as if they had been meticulously cut out of shiny paper. The petals aren’t true petals at all, but in fact are modified leaves called bracts, that come in many colours, including yellow, orange, cream, pink, white, and purple.<br /> <br /> "Xerochrysum bracteatum, commonly known as the golden everlasting or strawflower, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Australia." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerochrysum_bracteatum" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerochrysum_bracteatum</a><br /> <br /> It's -22°C (windchill -28°C) this morning (30 November 2014), so anything that looks even remotely warm is welcome to the eyes. This coming week, we are supposed to hit 0°C, which will be wonderful!</div> The "warmth" of a Straw Flower <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/293827/36120671"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/146/06/71/36120671.c9ad26c6.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This beautiful pink Straw Flower was in bloom at the Reader Rock Garden on 17 September 2014. I love seeing these flowers - they always look as if they had been meticulously cut out of shiny paper. The petals aren’t true petals at all, but in fact are modified leaves called bracts, that come in many colours, including yellow, orange, cream, pink, white, and purple.<br /> <br /> "Xerochrysum bracteatum, commonly known as the golden everlasting or strawflower, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Australia." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerochrysum_bracteatum" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerochrysum_bracteatum</a><br /> <br /> It's -22°C (windchill -28°C) this morning (30 November 2014), so anything that looks even remotely warm is welcome to the eyes. This coming week, we are supposed to hit 0°C, which will be wonderful!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/34959763 tag:ipernity.com,2014-09-09,doc-34959763 Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:45:56 +0000 2014-07-20T14:24:38-06:00 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/293827/34959763"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/145/97/63/34959763.5d62f0d7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This delicate Harebell, complete with two tiny visitors, is one of the few wildflower photos that I got round to taking this summer. It was taken on 20 July 2014, the day that I plucked up courage to do a drive that I’d never done before - to Bow Valley Provincial Park, at the foot of the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. I had been that route to the park once before that I can think of, when I carpooled with others. A good part of the drive was in familiar territory, but I’d never driven the last part of the journey myself. I had met my daughter at 9:00 a.m. and we were both eager to see a display of birds of prey that had been brought up from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre.</div> Harebell and tiny visitors <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/293827/34959763"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/145/97/63/34959763.5d62f0d7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This delicate Harebell, complete with two tiny visitors, is one of the few wildflower photos that I got round to taking this summer. It was taken on 20 July 2014, the day that I plucked up courage to do a drive that I’d never done before - to Bow Valley Provincial Park, at the foot of the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. I had been that route to the park once before that I can think of, when I carpooled with others. A good part of the drive was in familiar territory, but I’d never driven the last part of the journey myself. I had met my daughter at 9:00 a.m. and we were both eager to see a display of birds of prey that had been brought up from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/34541495 tag:ipernity.com,2014-08-21,doc-34541495 Thu, 21 Aug 2014 15:47:59 +0000 2014-08-19T17:22:08-06:00 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/293827/34541495"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/145/14/95/34541495.a93c732a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Certain types of aphids live in colonies where they are used as a food source by a neighbouring colony of ants. The ants have been known to bite the wings off the aphids in order to stop them from getting away and depriving the ants of one of their staple foods: the sugar-rich sticky honeydew which is excreted by aphids when they eat plants. (They don't eat the actual Aphids). Chemicals produced in the glands of ants can also sabotage the growth of aphid wings." From ScienceDaily.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071009212548.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071009212548.htm</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamerion_angustifolium" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamerion_angustifolium</a></div> Aphids on Fireweed <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/293827/34541495"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/145/14/95/34541495.a93c732a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Certain types of aphids live in colonies where they are used as a food source by a neighbouring colony of ants. The ants have been known to bite the wings off the aphids in order to stop them from getting away and depriving the ants of one of their staple foods: the sugar-rich sticky honeydew which is excreted by aphids when they eat plants. (They don't eat the actual Aphids). Chemicals produced in the glands of ants can also sabotage the growth of aphid wings." From ScienceDaily.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071009212548.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071009212548.htm</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamerion_angustifolium" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamerion_angustifolium</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/34222197 tag:ipernity.com,2014-08-04,doc-34222197 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 14:12:01 +0000 2014-05-24T10:58:48-06:00 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/293827/34222197"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/144/21/97/34222197.496d379a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen at Frank Lake, when I spent the day (24 May 2014) with my youngest daughter, driving SE of the city, checking a familiar spot or two in the morning. A pair of Great Horned Owlets were where we had hoped they would still be. I had hoped to find a White-faced Ibis to show my daughter – various friends had been seeing and photographing them from fairly close. We bumped into friend, Greg, at the birding blind, and I had just told him that I was hoping to find an Ibis. I had barely got the words out when Greg swung round and pointed way up, saying: “You mean, like that one?” I'm sure I would have missed it. So, at least my daughter saw one, even if just a distant bird. Thanks, Greg! As you can see from my photo, the air was filled with flying insects, and not pleasant to be in. <br /> <br /> After driving along a few of the backroads, we then went to the Saskatoon Farm for a delicious lunch and to wander round the greenhouses and gift shop. A weekend day is perhaps not the best time to go – or should I say that a weekday would probably be quieter.</div> Thankfully, not Mosquitoes <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/293827/34222197"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/144/21/97/34222197.496d379a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen at Frank Lake, when I spent the day (24 May 2014) with my youngest daughter, driving SE of the city, checking a familiar spot or two in the morning. A pair of Great Horned Owlets were where we had hoped they would still be. I had hoped to find a White-faced Ibis to show my daughter – various friends had been seeing and photographing them from fairly close. We bumped into friend, Greg, at the birding blind, and I had just told him that I was hoping to find an Ibis. I had barely got the words out when Greg swung round and pointed way up, saying: “You mean, like that one?” I'm sure I would have missed it. So, at least my daughter saw one, even if just a distant bird. Thanks, Greg! As you can see from my photo, the air was filled with flying insects, and not pleasant to be in. <br /> <br /> After driving along a few of the backroads, we then went to the Saskatoon Farm for a delicious lunch and to wander round the greenhouses and gift shop. A weekend day is perhaps not the best time to go – or should I say that a weekday would probably be quieter.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/30057985 tag:ipernity.com,2014-01-30,doc-30057985 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 16:14:27 +0000 2013-08-27T14:48:33-07:00 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/293827/30057985"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/134/79/85/30057985.74779589.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This was a popular flower with a bee (wasp, hoverfly?), a moth (?) and a tiny green Aphid. Taken on 27 August 2013, when I was at Pearce Estate (near Inglewood Bird Sanctuary). Came across the image when I was looking late last night for something cheery to post, lol. It snowed again all yesterday, giving us maybe another three inches. Gone is the wonderful, sunny, comparatively mild weather, which was appreciated so much, and in its place we have an overcast sky that looks like it might bring more snow. It's -15C, windchill -24C and it looks from the forecast like we should be getting about nine days with some sun, and then days of snow - again! This golden flower is for anyone who has had enough of winter already and we are still barely more than mid-way! Definitely a winter to remember!</div> Bug convention <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/293827/30057985"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/134/79/85/30057985.74779589.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This was a popular flower with a bee (wasp, hoverfly?), a moth (?) and a tiny green Aphid. Taken on 27 August 2013, when I was at Pearce Estate (near Inglewood Bird Sanctuary). Came across the image when I was looking late last night for something cheery to post, lol. It snowed again all yesterday, giving us maybe another three inches. Gone is the wonderful, sunny, comparatively mild weather, which was appreciated so much, and in its place we have an overcast sky that looks like it might bring more snow. It's -15C, windchill -24C and it looks from the forecast like we should be getting about nine days with some sun, and then days of snow - again! This golden flower is for anyone who has had enough of winter already and we are still barely more than mid-way! Definitely a winter to remember!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/23221939 tag:ipernity.com,2008-08-18,doc-23221939 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:09:00 +0000 2008-08-17T13:17:10-06:00 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/293827/23221939"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/19/39/23221939.3f6baab9.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">We saw this Black Meadowhawk (Sympetrum danae) during our walk in the Weaselhead Natural Area this afternoon. I don't often notice this kind of dragonfly, so that was a treat. Apparently, it is our second most common dragonfly, and easy to recognize because the males are almost black when they have matured. There are eight species of Meadowhawks in Alberta.</div> Black Meadowhawk <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/293827/23221939"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/19/39/23221939.3f6baab9.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">We saw this Black Meadowhawk (Sympetrum danae) during our walk in the Weaselhead Natural Area this afternoon. I don't often notice this kind of dragonfly, so that was a treat. Apparently, it is our second most common dragonfly, and easy to recognize because the males are almost black when they have matured. There are eight species of Meadowhawks in Alberta.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/23221933 tag:ipernity.com,2008-07-15,doc-23221933 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:39:13 +0000 2008-07-13T09:22:36-06:00 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/293827/23221933"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/19/33/23221933.dbd843e8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">These were no more than tiny red specks on this fallen branch (maybe an inch to an inch and a half diameter) and in fact I stopped to look because I thought it might be some kind of teeny red fungi. However, when I picked up the branch to take a closer look, the specks all started to move - fast! I believe these are Hemipterans, True Bugs, more specifically Shield Bugs or Stink Bugs. Nymphs, the immature insects, are more difficult to accurately identify, but our money is on the Harlequin Bug, Murgantia histrionica." From What's that Bug?. <br /> <br /> The above information was not on my photo, but someone else's of what seemed to be identical insects. I love the red and black and the three lines on each perfect little bug. Found on the private, southern edge of the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area, just southwest of the city, on Sunday - oh, I guess that was yesterday : )</div> Beauty comes in tiny sizes <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/293827/23221933"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/19/33/23221933.dbd843e8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">These were no more than tiny red specks on this fallen branch (maybe an inch to an inch and a half diameter) and in fact I stopped to look because I thought it might be some kind of teeny red fungi. However, when I picked up the branch to take a closer look, the specks all started to move - fast! I believe these are Hemipterans, True Bugs, more specifically Shield Bugs or Stink Bugs. Nymphs, the immature insects, are more difficult to accurately identify, but our money is on the Harlequin Bug, Murgantia histrionica." From What's that Bug?. <br /> <br /> The above information was not on my photo, but someone else's of what seemed to be identical insects. I love the red and black and the three lines on each perfect little bug. Found on the private, southern edge of the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area, just southwest of the city, on Sunday - oh, I guess that was yesterday : )</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22614089 tag:ipernity.com,2012-08-12,doc-22614089 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 14:51:23 +0000 2012-07-21T16:45:12-06:00 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/293827/22614089"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/40/89/22614089.28fb005a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I'm not sure what this Beetle is - also not sure how much if its appearance is actually pollen. Photographed on a Yarrow plant on 21 July 2012, NW of Cochrane.<br /> <br /> Thanks to Art (LeapFrog!) for the ID!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/126517" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">bugguide.net/node/view/126517</a></div> Lepturobosca chrysocoma (Cosmosalia chrysocoma) Beetle on Yarrow <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/293827/22614089"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/40/89/22614089.28fb005a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I'm not sure what this Beetle is - also not sure how much if its appearance is actually pollen. Photographed on a Yarrow plant on 21 July 2012, NW of Cochrane.<br /> <br /> Thanks to Art (LeapFrog!) for the ID!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/126517" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">bugguide.net/node/view/126517</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22613391 tag:ipernity.com,2012-07-18,doc-22613391 Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:21:12 +0000 2012-07-15T16:48:04-06:00 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/293827/22613391"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/33/91/22613391.a62720f1.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I think the left hand end of this beautiful Monarch caterpillar is the head end : ) Seen in someone's garden after our day of botanizing at Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, 15 July 2012. Monarchs feed on Milkweed, in this case Showy Milkweed.</div> Heads or tails? <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/293827/22613391"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/33/91/22613391.a62720f1.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I think the left hand end of this beautiful Monarch caterpillar is the head end : ) Seen in someone's garden after our day of botanizing at Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, 15 July 2012. Monarchs feed on Milkweed, in this case Showy Milkweed.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22613343 tag:ipernity.com,2012-07-22,doc-22613343 Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:01:42 +0000 2012-07-18T09:42:26-06:00 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/293827/22613343"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/33/43/22613343.cc8b1f72.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This beautiful Gaillardia wildflower was a popular plant as far as these very tiny insects (Thrips - thanks Lynette!) were concerned. These large flower heads are always a joy to see, adding such bright splashes of yellow to any walk in our natural areas. I photographed this one (and a few others) in Weaselhead on 18 July 2012.<br /> <br /> "Thrips (Order Thysanoptera) are tiny, slender insects with fringed wings (thus the scientific name, from the Greek thysanos (fringe) + pteron (wing)[citation needed]). Other common names for thrips include thunderflies, thunderbugs, storm flies, thunderblights, and corn lice. Thrips species feed on a large variety of sources, both plant and animal, by puncturing them and sucking up the contents. A large number of thrips species are considered pests, because they feed on plants with commercial value. Some species of thrips feed on other insects or mites and are considered beneficial, while some feed on fungal spores or pollen. So far around 5,000 species have been described. Thrips are generally tiny (1 mm long or less) and are not good flyers, although they can be carried long distances by the wind. In the right conditions, many species can exponentially increase in population size and form large swarms, making them an irritation to humans."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrips" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrips</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia_aristata" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia_aristata</a></div> Insect paradise <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/293827/22613343"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/33/43/22613343.cc8b1f72.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This beautiful Gaillardia wildflower was a popular plant as far as these very tiny insects (Thrips - thanks Lynette!) were concerned. These large flower heads are always a joy to see, adding such bright splashes of yellow to any walk in our natural areas. I photographed this one (and a few others) in Weaselhead on 18 July 2012.<br /> <br /> "Thrips (Order Thysanoptera) are tiny, slender insects with fringed wings (thus the scientific name, from the Greek thysanos (fringe) + pteron (wing)[citation needed]). Other common names for thrips include thunderflies, thunderbugs, storm flies, thunderblights, and corn lice. Thrips species feed on a large variety of sources, both plant and animal, by puncturing them and sucking up the contents. A large number of thrips species are considered pests, because they feed on plants with commercial value. Some species of thrips feed on other insects or mites and are considered beneficial, while some feed on fungal spores or pollen. So far around 5,000 species have been described. Thrips are generally tiny (1 mm long or less) and are not good flyers, although they can be carried long distances by the wind. In the right conditions, many species can exponentially increase in population size and form large swarms, making them an irritation to humans."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrips" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrips</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia_aristata" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia_aristata</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22613339 tag:ipernity.com,2012-07-22,doc-22613339 Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:01:41 +0000 2012-07-18T11:28:46-06:00 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/293827/22613339"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/33/39/22613339.516221ec.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Caught this pair of Darner dragonflies "in the act" when I was on a walk in Weaselhead on 18 July 2012. These are large dragonflies and rarely seem to land for a photo to be taken.</div> It takes two to tango <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/293827/22613339"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/33/39/22613339.516221ec.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Caught this pair of Darner dragonflies "in the act" when I was on a walk in Weaselhead on 18 July 2012. These are large dragonflies and rarely seem to land for a photo to be taken.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22613323 tag:ipernity.com,2012-07-23,doc-22613323 Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:48:30 +0000 2012-07-18T10:43:59-06:00 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/293827/22613323"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/33/23/22613323.e6581913.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Not the best photo of a Police Car Moth, but I wanted it as a record. Seen in Weaselhead on 18 July 2012.<br /> <br /> "This is a fairly large moth with a wingspan of up to 50 mm. The wings are jet black with large white patches between the black scaled veins. As well, there are two orange patches of hairs on either side of the thorax, right behind the head. It is this colour combination, that of an old style police car, that gives it its name. Larvae are hairy and black with yellow and blue markings. The Police Car Moth is found throughout the province in or near forested areas. Adults fly throughout July and early August." From <a href="http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.royalalbertamuseum.ca</a>.</div> Police Car Moth / Gnophaela vermiculata <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/293827/22613323"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/33/23/22613323.e6581913.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Not the best photo of a Police Car Moth, but I wanted it as a record. Seen in Weaselhead on 18 July 2012.<br /> <br /> "This is a fairly large moth with a wingspan of up to 50 mm. The wings are jet black with large white patches between the black scaled veins. As well, there are two orange patches of hairs on either side of the thorax, right behind the head. It is this colour combination, that of an old style police car, that gives it its name. Larvae are hairy and black with yellow and blue markings. The Police Car Moth is found throughout the province in or near forested areas. Adults fly throughout July and early August." From <a href="http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.royalalbertamuseum.ca</a>.</div> Anne Elliott