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

Full of light

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 15:29:01 +0000

Yesterday afternoon, 3 September 2019, was spent surrounded by colourful garden flowers. Knowing that it is not unusual for us to get snow in September, I knew I just had to go and capture some cheery colour before fall arrived and it was too late. That included Sunflowers, which are always a favourite. Just one orange one among the many yellow, and I could only see it from the back. A little gang of American Goldfinches was making the most of the Sunflower seeds.

I'm not sure if this is some kind of small Poppy - they came in single and double flowers in a few different shades. Very pretty.

Day 6, Golden-fronted Woodpecker male / Melanerpes aurifrons

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 09 May 2019 04:59:51 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Sorry for posting SO many photos today! I think it's the only way I will ever get through all the images from this Texas trip.

On Day 6 of our birding holiday in South Texas, 24 March 2019, we left our hotel in Kingsville, South Texas, and started our drive to Mission, where we would be staying at La Quinta Inn & Suites for three nights. On the first stretch of our drive, we were lucky enough to see several bird species, including a Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Hooded Oriole, Red-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Harris's Hawk, Pyrrhuloxia male (looks similar to a Cardinal) and a spectacular Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. I'm not sure if this stretch is called Hawk Alley.

We had a long drive further south towards Mission, with only a couple of drive-by photos taken en route (of a strangely shaped building that turned out to be a deserted seed storage building). Eventually, we reached our next planned stop, the National Butterfly Centre. This was a great place, my favourite part of it being the bird feeding station, where we saw all sorts of species and reasonably close. Despite the name of the place, we only saw a few butterflies while we were there. May have been the weather or, more likely, the fact that I was having so much fun at the bird feeding station. We also got to see Spike, a giant African Spurred Tortoise. All the nature/wildlife parks that we visited in South Texas had beautiful visitor centres and usually bird feeding stations. And there are so many of these parks - so impressive!

nationalbutterflycenter.org/nbc-multi-media/in-the-news/1...

"Ten years ago, the North American Butterfly Association broke ground for what has now become the largest native plant botanical garden in the United States. This 100-acre preserve is home to Spike (who thinks he is a butterfly) and the greatest volume and variety of wild, free-flying butterflies in the nation. In fact, USA Today calls the National Butterfly Center, in Mission, Texas, 'the butterfly capitol of the USA'." From the Butterfly Centre's website.

The Centre is facing huge challenges, as a result of the "Border Wall". The following information is from the Centre's website.

www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/about-nbc/maps-directions...

"No permission was requested to enter the property or begin cutting down trees. The center was not notified of any roadwork, nor given the opportunity to review, negotiate or deny the workplan. Same goes for the core sampling of soils on the property, and the surveying and staking of a “clear zone” that will bulldoze 200,000 square feet of habitat for protected species like the Texas Tortoise and Texas Indigo, not to mention about 400 species of birds. The federal government had decided it will do as it pleases with our property, swiftly and secretly, in spite of our property rights and right to due process under the law."

"What the Border Wall will do here:
1) Eradicate an enormous amount of native habitat, including host plants for butterflies, breeding and feeding areas for wildlife, and lands set aside for conservation of endangered and threatened species-- including avian species that migrate N/S through this area or over-winter, here, in the tip of the Central US Flyway.

2) Create devastating flooding to all property up to 2 miles behind the wall, on the banks of the mighty Rio Grande River, here.

3) Reduce viable range land for wildlife foraging and mating. This will result in greater competition for resources and a smaller gene pool for healthy species reproduction. Genetic "bottlenecks" can exacerbate blight and disease.

IN ADDITION:

4) Not all birds can fly over the wall, nor will all butterfly species. For example, the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, found on the southern border from Texas to Arizona, only flies about 6 ft in the air. It cannot overcome a 30 ft vertical wall of concrete and steel.

5) Nocturnal and crepuscular wildlife, which rely on sunset and sunrise cues to regulate vital activity, will be negatively affected by night time flood lighting of the "control zone" the DHS CBP will establish along the wall and new secondary drag roads. The expansion of these areas to vehicular traffic will increase wildlife roadkill.

6) Animals trapped north of the wall will face similar competition for resources, cut off from native habitat in the conservation corridor and from water in the Rio Grande River and adjacent resacas. HUMANS, here, will also be cut off from our only source of fresh water, in this irrigated desert.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 02:15:39 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Pam, wishing you, your hubby and your three furry companions a wonderful, relaxed, peaceful Christmas Day! Absolutely loved your Christmas card that you posted - very clever and beautiful. I'm sure everyone loved it and was impressed at your skill. I can only begin to imagine how much effort went into creating it. Will be thinking of you.

Adding this very quickly this evening (Christmas Eve), as I am holding my breath that my computer won't freeze any moment. Pretty well impossible to use - it lasted just 10 minutes this morning. Technician was unable to replicate the problem I'm having, and could find nothing wrong to fix. So annoying! Anyway, I send my Christmas wishes to each of you and hope that tomorrow will be a happy day for you, whether you spend it with family/friends or quietly by yourself. If you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope your day will be good, anyway. To my daughter - sorry, I just had to use this little snowman before giving it to you : )

Happy Thanksgivng, everyone!

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 15:40:28 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Two days ago, on 5 October 2018, I made the most of a few hours of mixed sunshine and cloud, and made a visit to the Zoo yesterday. I find that a bright, sunny day gives more light inside the Conservatory. Not that it really mattered, as there were only three tropical butterflies left - and those three were being harassed by several young children, so I came home with just one butterfly photo. The tropical plants were in better shape and offered lots of cheery colour. Mainly because I got to the Zoo part way through the afternoon, I got no further than the Conservatory, which is always my favourite place.

This visit, I did see two Red Pandas and the beautiful Giant Pandas (that are on loan to the Zoo for five (?) years). The Red Pandas are not always outside and visible, so I was happy to catch one climbing a tree. They really are beautiful animals and their long, bushy tail comes in handy to wrap around and keep the animal warm.

Gobi, the baby Bactrian Camel was snuggled next to one of his parents. Managed to catch one of the Japanese Macaques when it was down on the ground, though the double wire fencing makes photos a challenge. A new addition to the Zoo is a Pallas's Cat. These animals look so funny/cute, and I was really hoping to see it, but it was curled up inside a dark log, with just its tail protruding.

I was so thankful that I made this one last visit to the Zoo till next spring, as I found out that 'my' parking lot closes in a couple of days' time. This always happens each winter, and the other, main lot is out of my driving comfort zone.

Let the light shine in

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 02 Sep 2018 03:41:08 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Adding three photos tonight, as I have a very early start to the day tomorrow. All three of these photos were taken yesterday, 31 August 2018, during a fungi foray. Is this a Russula borealis?

This morning, the first day of September, was cloudy, cool (9C with a windchill of 6C), with very light rain briefly. The sun did come out later in the day. It feels like summer is over - a summer that has passed in a flash. Some of the trees are already getting yellow leaves. I'm really hoping that fall this year will be long, sunny and beautiful. It is the Labour Day long weekend. "Labour Day is a statutory holiday in Alberta, which is a paid general holiday for employees who are eligible. Labour Day is on the 1st Monday in September every year."

Yesterday, 31 August 2018, I went on a fungi foray with a group of friends, out west of the city at West Bragg Creek. The trail we followed was the same as the one I took friend, Pam, along on 15 August. On the way home, a handful of us called in at a second spot, but the mushrooms seen that day were all in bad shape yesterday. This last short walk started with four of us and then it was just our leader and myself towards the end. Near the beginning of this second walk, we discovered that there must have been heavy rain that had caused a small stream flowing down the hill. This had turned to wet, very slippery mud, which made walking somewhat treacherous - as I soon found out! What a sight I was, covered in mud from shoulder to shoes : ) A lot of mess to clear up when I eventually got home. A good job I had driven myself out there, not car-pooled. Once again, it shows how dangerous it can be to look for fungi, lol.

We didn't see a lot of fungi, but enough to make the trip worthwhile. Our leader sent an email of photos and IDs of some of the ones we found, but there are others for which I don't have the ID. As always, any ID given for any fungus is tentative, as mushrooms are extremely difficult to identify. As far as eating wild mushrooms goes, unless you are a real expert, never take the risk of being poisoned or made very ill. Several species have deadly look-alikes. As our main Naturalist in the city always says: "All mushrooms can be eaten, sometimes only once!" An interesting little book is "Wild Edible Mushrooms of Alberta: a Field Guide" by Tom Cervenka, published by Northern Bushcraft.

northernbushcraft.com/wild-edible-mushrooms-of-alberta.php

People tend to have different opinions about mushrooms. Some go searching just for ones that are edible and can be collected to be eaten, while others go to look for what species they can find. My reason is to simply take photos, leaving each one in place so that others can see the beauty that I was lucky enough to see.

It is important to note that it is illegal to pick mushrooms in national or provincial parks, protected areas such as ecological or special reserves, and recreation areas.

Lilium martagon - the beauty of a Lily

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 16:23:51 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Just in case ipernity does not continue, I and all my photos can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott.

I love Lilies and was happy to find two flowers to photograph when I visited the Reader Rock Garden on 27 June 2017. The sun was shining and, for the first time in quite a while, it wasn't windy, just a very slight breeze. I used to love going to this garden, usually after I had been volunteering in the same part of the city. Since I stopped volunteering (after a volunteer 'career' of 37 years!), I haven't been going. Two days ago, I decided that I had better go, or the plants would be in seed before too long. As it was, most of the lily flowers were either dead or on their last legs and no good for photographs.

"Lilium martagon (martagon lily or Turk's cap lily is a Eurasian species of lily. It has a widespread native region extending from Portugal east through Europe and Asia as far east as Mongolia.

The flower colour is typically a pink-purple, with dark spots, but is quite variable, extending from near white to near black. The flowers are scented. Numerous flowers are borne on each plant, and up to 50 can be found on vigorous plants.

Lilium martagon, like many in the genus, is highly toxic to cats and ingestion often leads to fatal renal failure; households and gardens which are visited by cats are strongly advised against keeping this plant or placing dried flowers where a cat may brush against them and become dusted with pollen which they then consume while cleaning." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_martagon

Sunrise colour over the mountain peaks

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 13:56:21 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Happy New Year, everyone!

Some years, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton is held late in December. Other years, it ends up being held early January, sometimes delayed because of really bad weather. The Count for 2016 was held on 30 December.

We drove through such beautiful scenery when we were covering the SW quadrant of the Christmas Bird Count circle that centered on the town of Nanton. A landscape over which the occasional Golden Eagle soars and in which, some years, numerous Sharp-tailed Grouse wander on the ground or perch in trees.

Last year, the highlight for me was seeing Pine Grosbeaks nice and close. This Count, I think the highlights were the stunning winter scenery, and a Great Horned Owl.

I absolutely love this area SW of Nanton! Some of these backroads are extremely steep and almost look vertical when seen from a distance. Some years, the whole area is white, covered in deep snow, so that you can't tell where the roadside ends and the ditch begins. This Count, it wasn't too bad, thank goodness, though I might have felt differently if I had been one of the two drivers for our group!

After driving (being driven, for me, which is always pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 3:30 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads (though I've never driven them myself), but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards. This is one of my favourite Bird Counts, and perhaps the most favourite.

Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony and Andrew, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your wonderfully warm welcome! It was another well-organized Count, Mike, as usual - thank you!

I will add Andrew Hart's eBird report for this trip, in a comment box below.

Great Horned Owl - posting just for the record

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 13:58:58 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken yesterday at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. It was yet another cold, very overcast day and I almost didn't go. However, I had not been out of the house for several days in a row and just needed to get out somewhere. The lighting was atrocious, and this photo is really bad quality, but I wanted to post it just for the record. I hadn't seen the owl at the Sanctuary for a long time.

"With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics.

Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl

Many thanks for the morning walk, Janet and Bernie, and for lunch at the Blackfoot Diner/Truckstop. Just what was needed after a cold walk. I will add their final list of species in a comment box below.

Little treasures on a log

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 10:55:11 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 3 June 2016, started very early for us, as a few regulars had been invited to visit the Square Butte Ranch 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.

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. Can’t forget to include wildlife seen – one Red Squirrel : ) This list is also 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.

For me, the highlight of the day was when a Morel mushroom was spotted - will post a photo soon! I so rarely see these and I have been hoping recently that someone would find one somewhere. We also stopped to look at this row of small fungi growing on a fallen log. Wish I knew the ID for it. Love the way some of them seem to glow inside. We also wondered what the green plant (?) was, that was growing in between the fungi. 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.

“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.”

www.squarebutteranches.com/

Golden

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 16:42:42 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This morning, 3 December 2015, is overcast and dreary, so it feels good to see this glowing flower, though I think the sun is now trying to burst through the cloud. Temperature is -3C (windchill -7C), but it's supposed to reach 7C this afternoon.

I had originally planned on going for a birding walk with friends this morning, but after the agonizing sharp pain that shot through my lower back yesterday and still lingers, I have had to change my plans. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, mainly so that there is a record of the car accident I was involved in five days ago - not my fault, thankfully, and I would love to say a few things to the woman driver who made such a dangerous, stupid move! Details at flic.kr/p/BucN9q. The previous three weeks, I had been walking in somewhat less pain than I have for years, which felt wonderful.

This photo was taken on 8 September 2015 at the Calgary Zoo. In the morning, I joined a group of friends for a three-hour stroll at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 38 bird species were seen, though I didn't manage to see any of the tiny, fast-moving Warblers. It was good to see 28 Wood Ducks, but they were far, far away, in an area that is still closed due to devastating flood damage. The Sanctuary had been closed for about two years for this reason and only fairly recently re-opened just a part of the area.

The Calgary Zoo is very close to the Sanctuary, so after our morning walk, I decided to call in there. I hadn't been for about a year and I really missed going there. Of course, many of the garden flowers were past their prime, but I did find a few that were fit to photograph.

I knew I wouldn't be able to walk far, having already been walking all morning, but I really wanted to get to the ENMAX Conservatory to see what was going on. I had been longing all summer to see the tropical butterflies and plants. The butterfly season was coming to an end for these tropical beauties, but there were still plenty of them to be seen. Also, the parking lot that I use was going to be closing for the winter and I don't like the drive back home from the north parking area, using Deerfoot Trail, so tend not to go to the Zoo all winter.

There was so much activity going on at the Zoo on this day. People everywhere, carrying large animals wrapped in white, protective coverings, preparing for the upcoming ILLUMINASIA, Lantern & Garden Festival. Each animal was an individual lantern and there were so many of them. I noticed that several of the real animals in their enclosures were watching all the unaccustomed activity, which made me smile. So, a good day despite the overcast sky, and plenty of photo opportunities.

Releasing light

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 12:37:05 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Did you know that today, 29 September 2015, is International Coffee Day?

This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 21 September 2015. The ENMAX Conservatory butterfly house display is coming to an end. The beautiful tropical plants are beginning to fade and the number of butterfly species seems to be down. Each time I go to the Zoo, I always hope that at least one of these beautiful Water Lilies will be in bloom.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae

Thank you to the Zoo staff who made this room such a delight to visit since spring. Really wish I had been able to get to the Zoo more than just three very recent times this year! Lots of people there on 21 September, now that ILLUMINASIA, Lantern & Garden Festival has begun.

A light shines within

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 15:36:18 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken two days ago, on 8 September 2015. In the morning, I joined a group of friends for a three-hour stroll at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. 38 bird species were seen, though I didn't manage to see any of the tiny, fast-moving Warblers. It was good to see 28 Wood Ducks, but they were far, far away, in an area that is still closed due to devastating flood damage. The Sanctuary had been closed for about two years for this reason and only very recently re-opened just a part of the area.

The Calgary Zoo is very close to the Sanctuary, so after our morning walk, I decided to call in at the Zoo. I hadn't been for about a year and I really missed going there. Of course, many of the garden flowers were past their prime, but I did find a few that were fit to photograph. I love photographing the Water Lilies. They always seem to glow, as if they had a light inside.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae

I knew I wouldn't be able to walk far, having already been walking all morning, but I really wanted to get to the ENMAX Conservatory to see what was going on. I had been longing all summer to see the tropical butterflies and plants. The butterfly season is coming to an end for these tropical beauties, but there were still plenty of them to be seen. Also, this month, the parking lot that I use will close for the winter and I don't like the drive back home from the north parking area, using Deerfoot Trail, so tend not to go to the Zoo all winter.

There was so much activity going on at the Zoo two days ago. People everywhere, carrying large animals wrapped in white, protective coverings, preparing for the upcoming ILLUMINASIA, Lantern & Garden Festival. Each animal is an individual lantern and there are so many of them. I noticed that several of the real animals in their enclosures were watching all the unaccustomed activity, which made me smile.

A good day, despite the overcast sky, and plenty of photo opportunities. Recently, I have been finding far fewer things to photograph, with fall on its way, so a day like this was more than welcome.

Clouds over Weed Lake

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 17:56:11 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

On this day, 26 July 2015, 22 of us drove out to Marsland Basin, E of Calgary. This beautiful wetland belongs to our friend, Lyn, and her partner - they have a house and yard that overlooks the wetland. This was the second time that I had visited the area, the first being on 28 June 2015. Each time, we have to sign a small guestbook. Also, everyone who can is asked to please submit a list of species seen to eBird. The birds on the water are very distant, so you need binoculars (which I don't have) and even better, a spotting scope. Really, they are too far away for photos, though I can get a distant shot with my point-and-shoot camera set at 48x zoom and then cropped.

Like last time, I took a long look over the lake and then wandered round Lyn's property, this time finding a mushroom or two, a beautiful moth, a Thistle or two, their two donkeys, a House Wren, an Eastern Kingbird, a Mourning Dove, and a family of Western Kingbirds (that were just about impossible to see as they flitted in amongst the high branches.

The highlight of the visit for many of us was seeing a very, very distant family of American Badgers that were in a neighbour's field (so, private land), digging for prey (probably the nearby Richardson's Ground Squirrels). There are four family members, though some of us only saw three. I think I have only ever seen a Badger three times before in 37 years, the last one being on 11 June 2012, on one of Don Stiles' annual Mountain Bluebird outings.

The General Status of the American Badger in Alberta is Sensitive. More detailed Status is "Data Deficient" - not enough current information to determine its status.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger

After our visit to the Marsland Basin, friends Dorothy and Stephen drove two of us back to Calgary again, travelling the roads slowly so that we could see a number of perched Swainson's Hawks, and a Meadowlark with mouth full of insects to feed to her babies. We also called in briefly at Weed Lake, closer to Calgary, which is where this photo was taken around 1:30 pm. Weed Lake is a popular place with birders, though I have still never driven out there myself.

"Weed Lake is located about 20 kilometres east of Calgary, Alberta. It is a 600 hectare wetland regionally important as waterfowl habitat. In 1971 the original lake was drained for agricultural purposes but starting in 2006 construction commenced to restore the lake and it is now a fully functioning healthy wetland ecosystem. Organizations involved in acquiring the land and restoring the lake were led by Ducks Unlimited and include the Calgary Field Naturalists’ Society." From Wikipedia.

Thanks so much, Stephen, for the safe ride there and back. As always, hugely appreciated!

For a list of the 53 species of bird that were seen yesterday morning, look under the Badger family photo.

flic.kr/p/wygV8B

Backlit simplicity

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 12:33:54 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

"Timothy-grass was unintentionally introduced to North America by early settlers, and was first described in 1711 by John Hurd from plants growing in New Hampshire. Hurd named the grass "hurd grass" but a farmer named Timothy Hanson began to promote cultivation of it as a hay about 1720, and the grass has been known by its present name since then. Timothy has now become naturalized throughout most of the US and Canada.

It is commonly grown for cattle feed and, in particular, as hay for horses. It is relatively high in fibre, especially when cut late. It is considered a harsh, coarse grass little relished by livestock if cut earlier. It is considered part of the standard mix for grass hay and provides quality nutrition for horses. Timothy hay is a staple food for domestic pet rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and degus, often making up the bulk of their diet. Timothy hay is rich in long fibre and its abrasive texture helps to grind down the teeth, keeping both the teeth and jaw in good order." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy-grass

To have the chance to visit Waterton Lakes National Park in June was such an absolute treat, but to be able to visit this beautiful region again one month later was just incredible. I think I've only ever been maybe five or so brief times in the 37 years that I've lived here, so you can imagine my delight to get two chances in one year!! Actually, I signed up for the July trip (17-19 July) first and, though there were some aspects of the three-day trip that I wasn't particularly keen on, I knew this was a wonderful chance to go down south. Then, some time later, friend Sandy asked if I wanted to go down to Waterton in June for the Botany Alberta weekend. So, lucky, lucky me!!

It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few pleasantly slow walks with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds. Lots of great company with people I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed so well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our thanks go out to the lady (can't remember her name, sorry) who cooked and prepared these meals for us! They were so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated!

Our first day, which included the long drive from Calgary, it rained all day long. Thankfully, the remaining two days were beautiful and sunny, and appreciated even more because of the first rainy day. The first day, we drove around Waterton town, calling in at Cameron Falls and then driving to Red Rock Canyon. We did the short walk along both sides of the canyon, in the rain, so it was pretty much useless as far as taking photos was concerned. I was happy to see a Swainson's Thrush there, the first time I had seen one close.

On the second day, 18 July, some of us went to Cameron Lake. This is a beautiful lake and I love the small jetty and the colourful canoes lined up. Our walk took us along the right hand side of the lake, through the forest. One of my favourite plants that we saw there was Water Hemlock - though I had seen it before, I had never seen it this close and in such detail. The bees and other insects love it, too, with several insects on many of the flower heads. This attractive plant is one of the most deadly poisonous plants in North America. Two other plants that I was thrilled to see were Pink Monkeyflower and Yellow-flowered Monkeyflower. I had never seen these wildflowers before. Pearly Everlasting, False Helebore, Fringed Grass-of-Parnassus, Foam Flower, and Thimbleberry were just a few of the other plants we found. We were amazed at how many orchids there were - everywhere.

Later on the second day, we called in at Red Rock Canyon again and, because it was absolutely packed with people, we decided to do the nearby Blakiston Falls Trail. Along this trail, I was thrilled to see a few Pinedrops plants in flower - I had only ever seen them once before (at Cypress Hills), and they were in seed. Thanks so much, Debbie, for the heads-up about these plants that you had found earlier! We also saw a couple of Prince's Pine plants along this trail - a first for me. They look rather like Pink Pyrola, so could easily be overlooked.

Later, in the evening on this day, Andrew Hart took us to look at a wetland for Sandhill Cranes. He knew they can be seen there and, with the help of a spotting scope, he found a total of 7 seen from two lookouts. Barely visible with the naked eye, they were so far away. I just managed to get a 48x zoomed shot that was kind of fit to post : ) Andrew had also timed it so that we could drive along Chief Mountain Parkway afterwards, stop at the lookout and watch the sunset over the mountain peaks.

The following morning, our last, some of us visited Cameron Lake again and then walked along the very short Akamina Lake trail (only 1 km return) that starts from the Cameron Lake parking lot. A beautiful little trail, where we found two Bear Grass plants still in flower, but well past their prime. Also watched a rather skinny deer making her way along the edge of the lake. A lovely walk to end our stay in Waterton Lakes National Park. Thanks so much, Darlene, for letting us do this, knowing that we needed to start on the three-hour drive north to Calgary. Thank you SO much, too, for driving three of us to and from Calgary and around the park some of the time, too. To say that we appreciated it is a huge understatement!! Our thanks, too, to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! A great time was had by all.

Welcoming the sun

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 14:57:15 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Note: this photo is my "main" (i.e. very last to be uploaded) photo out of the three I've posted this morning. I uploaded the other two first and then uploaded this main image separately, to see if that makes any difference. I did try doing it a couple of times this way weeks ago and seem to remember that there was something I didn't like with the result, but can't for the life of me remember what it was, ha. Hopefully, Flickr (or something else) won't change the order of the way you see my photos displayed!

Happy 1st August, everyone! Here in Canada, it is a long weekend, as Monday is Heritage Day in Alberta, an occasion to celebrate the heritage of the peoples of the province. The origins of the holiday on the first Monday in August each year seem to go back to a “day of recreation” first organized by Toronto City Council in 1869.

This photo was taken last Wednesday, 29 July 2015, when I called in at the Reader Rock Garden after a volunteer shift. Summer is flying by and I wanted to take a whole batch of bright, colourful flower photos ready to post during the seven or eight cold "winter" months. It was so disappointing to find very little still in bloom! Many plants had already finished and had been cut down and a lot of the flowers that were left were past their prime. However, I did still manage to get some photos, including of this opening Echinacea bud - love these flowers. It had rained during the afternoon and some of the pathways were quite slippery. Also, the powerful sprinklers were turned on when I was still there and I was rather wet by the time I reached the exit! The things we photographers go through to get some of our photos, lol!

The forecast for this afternoon is 28C, a very slight improvement over yesterday, when it reached 31C. I was out all day yesterday, having a great day with friend, Darlene, going west of the city. We first called in at someone's private property to see if there was any sign of the Red-bellied Woodpecker that had been reported. No luck, but we did see many beautiful Evening Grosbeaks and even more Pine Siskins, plus a Hairy Woodpecker and several other birds. Also, we saw a different Grosbeak, either a female or a juvenile Rose-breasted Grosbeak or Black-headed Grosbeak. Didn't get a chance to look at my photos and crop to get a better look last night. Hopefully, someone will have been able to get the bird identified.

After this visit, we drove to an area where I had been told that a Great Gray can be seen sometimes (no luck), and then along Elbow Falls Trail (Highway 66) as far as Maclean Pond, just in time to see an Osprey with a large fish in its talons. So few birds to be seen or heard - maybe it was just too hot for them, and by then it was the afternoon, which tends not to be the best time to see birds. We got separated for quite a long time, through miscommunication, probably because when I yelled through the forest "Are you still coming?", it had sounded to Darlene like "I'm coming"! So, she waited for me to reach her and I had assumed that she was following behind me, some distance back. Apparently, both of us called a number of times after that, but we were out of hearing distance. Not a good feeling, each of us concerned about the well-being of the other and each wondering if we were going to have to call in a search party. At 31C, it was feeling mighty hot the whole time, too! When we finally found each other, we knew what we needed after our "ordeal" - an ice-cream, back in Bragg Creek, lol! A great day, Darlene - thanks so much for driving and for all the fun : )

Like the sun on a grey, gloomy, rainy day

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 16 May 2015 12:15:27 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken at the Reader Rock Garden ten days ago, on 6 May 2015, when I called in after a volunteer shift. It felt so good to see a reasonable number of different flower species. Even though we had a wonderfully mild winter, it still felt so good to see vibrant colours once again.

I had planned to go on a half-day birding trip this morning. Woke up at 5:00 am (after an hour and a half's sleep), hoping that maybe the forecast had changed. Instead, it's raining and looks most unpleasant out there. I really don't feel like walking in this, and not be able to take any photos, so decided I would post my "daily three" to Flickr and then go back to bed. Hope I don't miss any really special sightings : (

In Canada, this weekend is a long weekend. According to the federal government, May 24 was first declared a holiday by the legislature of the Province of Canada in 1845 to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday. However, in 1952, Parliament declared that Victoria Day would be celebrated on the Monday before May 24 every year. As a result of this convention, the long weekend sometimes falls well before May 24. This year, for example, May 24 falls on a Sunday, but due to the parliamentary decree, the long weekend will run from May 16 to May 18. The May 24 weekend is thought to be the unofficial start to summer. Many people go away for the long weekend, so the roads will be really packed. After two days of dreary, overcast skies and some rain, and rain again today, it’s too bad the long weekend wasn’t last weekend. Drive carefully if you will be out on the roads! The sun is supposed to shine tomorrow, Sunday : )

Hoar frost on barbed-wire

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 18:49:38 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken on 16 December 2014, which was the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of High River. This town is SE of Calgary, roughly half an hour's drive from the southern edge of Calgary. My small group travelled in two cars, 8 people in total, and we covered the SE quadrant of the Count circle.

Below, I will add the report compiled by our leader, Gus Yaki. As usual, there were several of these sightings listed that I, myself, did not see and I ended up with poor photos of many of the things that I did see. The day was absolutely beautiful, but the light was even worse than I had realized. The amazing hoar frost, that covered everything, surprisingly lasted pretty well the whole day - usually, it lasts only a very short time. So, even though the light wasn't good for photos, the hoar frost beauty stayed with us all day long - just breathtaking. For our drive down to High River, we had fog which, in patches, was quite thick. Wondered if we would see anything at all when we reached our area, ha. It was cold and damp, as well as foggy. In addition to that, some of the birds, such as the three Snowy Owls (I only saw two of them) were SO far away, there was no chance for photos except just for the record. Only 35 species were seen in the total for the complete Count circle.

Of course, as always happens, I just had to take photos of anything else that caught my eye, including several barns, cloud formations, farm cats, an old truck, hoar frost, scenery and so on.

At one of our stops, we were looking in the bushes/shrubs at the edge of a farm, where a Northern Saw-whet Owl had been sighted last Christmas Count. No luck with an owl, but one of the birders spotted a male Merlin very high up on a power pole. A short while later, it was spotted just down the road, perched on a fence post. Such a beautiful bird - but such lousy light!

We had finished our count by 5:00 pm, by which time it was, of course, completely dark. A few of us stayed for the delicious pot luck supper, mainly provided by the generous birding people down in High River. Lorrie and John gave a slide show of their recent trip to Africa. So many great shots of beautiful bird species that I have never seen. Thanks, Lorrie and John, for spending time going through all your slides at home and choosing a lovely selection for us. Many thanks, too, for driving Shirley and myself all day long!

"HIGH RIVER CBC, SE quadrant, Frank Lk; E of #2, S of #23. 0830-1700, 16Dec2014. Overcast, heavy fog, created great hoarfrost on everything. Winds, variable direction, 10-15kph. -7°C. Ground mostly bare of snow; Little Bow River 95% frozen.

1. Mallard-1 f.
2. Scaup sp.- juv or f, likely Lesser-1
3. Gray Partridge-7
4. Ring-necked Pheasant-2
5. Bald Eagle-3 ( 2 ad/ 1 juv.)
6. Merlin-1 m.
7. Rock Pigeon-8
8. Great Horned Owl- 5 [an additional one seen N of Hwy 23, just W of Frank Lk exit at 16:56 pm.]
9. Snowy Owl-3
10. Downy Woodpecker-2
11. Northern Flicker-2
12. Black-billed Magpie-83
13. Common Raven-15
14. Horned Lark-20
15. Black-capped Chickadee-7
16. Common Redpoll-155
17. House Sparrow-669
18. 17 species of birds

MAMMALS:

Deer Mouse-1, deceased.
White-tailed Jackrabbit-1
Mule Deer-25
White-tailed Deer-44

Total Km by car-111; by foot- 3.
Total hours by car – 6; on foot-2.5

Gus Yaki"

Sunset over Great Falls, US

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 13:47:51 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Digging into my archives for two of my photos posted this morning.. This was the start of a stunning sunset, seen over Great Falls, Montana, US, when two great friends (from England) and I stopped in Great Falls for the night, on our way down to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Taken on 11 September 2012. Believe it or not, this was only my second holiday of any kind in about 30 years!

The mountains at sunrise

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 17:59:39 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken at 6:47 a.m. on 28 August 2014, the last morning of a three-day trip down south of Calgary, with friends, Cathy and Terry. The first two days were spent in Waterton Lakes National Park We were up and ready to leave very early on the third morning, as we wanted to do a long drive eastwards before driving all the way back to Calgary. It's roughly a three-hour drive directly from Waterton to Calgary. Before leaving the park, we took a short drive part way along one of the roads within the park, the Chief Mountain Highway, from where we caught the end of the sunrise. The mountains and clouds looked so beautiful, bathed in pink. Waterton village (or hamlet?), where we spent the two nights at the Bear Mountain Motel, is some distance off to the left of the photo.

Little did we know that this was such a different sight from the one we were to encounter late in the afternoon, when we saw a menacing cloud approaching and bringing with it a mesocyclone! We were soon engulfed by it when it came down to ground level, bringing pounding hail and tremendously strong winds.

During three days away (26, 27 and 28 August 2014), we saw so many things, including breathtaking scenery, 4 Black Bears (including one that was swimming in the lake), Bison, Deer, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, various bird species including endangered Burrowing Owls (way east of Waterton, on our last day), a few wildflowers, several Yellow-bellied Marmots (a first for me, and also way east of Waterton Park!), a few different insect species, and a family of Dusky Grouse that are uncommon in the park. I even got the chance to see three or four new-to-me old, wooden grain elevators. Definitely a great trip!

When the mountains turn pink

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:45:56 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This photo was taken at 6:48 a.m. on 28 August 2014, the last morning of a three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park with friends, Cathy and Terry. We were up and ready to leave very early, as we wanted to do a long drive eastwards before driving all the way back to Calgary. It's roughly a three-hour drive directly from Waterton to Calgary. Before leaving the park, we took a short drive along one of the roads, from where we caught the end of the sunrise. The mountains and clouds looked so beautiful, bathed in pink. You can see the road leading back to Waterton village towards the bottom of the photo.

Little did we know that this was such a different sight from the one we were to encounter late in the afternoon, when we saw a menacing cloud approaching and bringing with it a mesocyclone! We were soon engulfed by it when it came down to ground level, bringing pounding hail and tremendously strong winds.